That your mobile falls into the water is one of the worst things that can happen to it . Different from a fall in which the screen could be broken, the case or a camera damaged, the water could lead to a general short circuit.
Some mobiles have IP certification that protects them against water, but they are not all and the protection is rarely absolute. Therefore, it is always best to avoid liquids near your smartphone, but what happens when the disaster has already happened? There may still be hope if you follow this step-by-step guide on what to do when your phone falls in water .
First: turn off the phone as soon as you take it out of the water
The conductivity of the water is the enemy of electronic parts, since it is the one that causes short circuits. Therefore, the first thing you should do with your mobile is to take it out of the water and turn it off immediately to interrupt the electrical transfer .
The ideal would be to remove the battery because it is the only part that stores energy, but there are few mobile phones with removable batteries on the market. Thus, your best option is to force the shutdown with the keys of your mobile: on Android it is enough to press and hold the power button, but on iPhones it will be necessary to press power and one of the volume buttons. That your cell phone was already off when it fell into the water? Perfect, don’t even think about turning it on because you could kill it.
Second: remove everything that is removable on your phone
Take out any part that you can remove from your mobile , this includes: SIM and microSD card trays, back covers, batteries and others. Yes, it is unlikely that you can currently remove anything other than the card tray, but any removable parts should be removed.
This will allow your mobile phone to ventilate better and begin to dry . In addition, it will allow each of those pieces that are now separated to dry better and more easily. How should you dry each piece? Let’s go right to that.
Third: dry your mobile externally, but be careful what you use to do it
Now that the removable pieces have been removed, it’s time to begin the drying process. Your job here is to use a cloth or absorbent paper to help you remove as much water as possible. Move your phone carefully when drying to prevent water from getting where it shouldn’t.
Please, do not think about using heat sources such as an oven, hair dryer or even putting your mobile phone in the sun. Rapid evaporation can cause moisture to reach other places where it wasn’t before. Besides, too much heat could deform sensitive parts or directly damage chips and circuits.
Fourth: it is time for internal drying and one of your best allies will surprise you
With the phone dry externally, it is time for the internal drying of parts to begin, which is the most important thing of all. Here, your best allies will be elements that are excellent at absorbing moisture. One of the best without a doubt would be to put your mobile in a container full of silicon gel , but it is not something that we always have on hand.
The solution? Other more common products such as cat litter, oatmeal flakes or rice . In any case, what you should do is completely immerse your mobile in a container filled with one of these products for 48 hours and cover it to prevent moisture from entering. After that time, take out your mobile and check if there is no water coming from somewhere. If so, it’s time to repeat steps two, three and four again.
Does everything look dry? Then go to the next step. By the way, a dehumidifier could also help as an extra boost to extract moisture.
Fifth: turn on the mobile, cross your fingers and try
If your mobile already seems completely dry, it’s time to turn it on and check if everything is in order. It is recommended that you do this last step in an open space or isolated from other things, for security reasons.
Turn on your mobile and if for any reason you detect a strange sound or smell, or a short circuit, immediately turn off the device or move away from it. Does everything seem to be going well? Then you have been very lucky and it is time to do some tests :
- Test the sensors and parts of your mobile with these applications.
- If the speaker is malfunctioning, you can follow our guide to remove the water from it.
- If it is the screen that is failing, you can use these tricks to find out if the touch panel is damaged.
Didn’t you turn on your phone? Then it will be time to take it to a technical service and prepare your wallet, because surely you will not be able to use the guarantee, unless you have insurance.
What happens if your mobile falls into salt water?
If fresh water is already harmful enough for your mobile, salt water is much worse. Salt is very corrosive and can destroy many internal connections in your mobile in a short time.
What should you do then? Although it sounds crazy, if possible, quickly wash your phone with fresh water to remove the salt (don’t overdo it either). Next, clean the connectors and electronic components with a brush or swab soaked in isopropyl alcohol. Finally, follow the rest of the tutorial steps to try to save your device. Let’s summarize them all one last time, so you don’t forget them:
- Turn off the phone as soon as you take it out of the water.
- Remove all removable parts , especially the battery if possible.
- Dry the device externally with a cloth or absorbent paper.
- Soak your phone in rice, cat litter, silica gel, or oatmeal for 48 hours .
- If everything seems perfectly dry, turn on the phone to see if it survived.
And, as an additional fact, please never do these 5 things if your mobile falls into the water.
