Oh no! You’ve just dropped your phone in a puddle of water. What do you do now?
Even with the latest iPhones which claim to be highly water resistant, moisture can seriously damage your device. Unfortunately, fixing serious water damage is not something you can probably do on your own.
However, don’t give up hope just yet. We’ve compiled some essential strategies to help you quickly learn how to fix water damaged iPhone models in no time!
SOS: I Just Dropped My iPhone in Water, What Do I Do?
Before You Do Anything:
If your phone is still on, shut it down immediately. You may also need to do a forced shutdown if the screen has become water damaged.
Step 1: Remove Liquid from Your Phone’s Exterior
First, remove your iPhone from its case, if it’s in one, ensuring you keep it horizontal with the screen pointed downward. To be safe, assume there’s liquid inside the phone. You want to make sure it doesn’t move and damage other internal components.
From there, use a soft cloth, preferably microfiber, to gently remove water from the outside of the phone. Don’t use anything like a paper towel or tissue. Those may fall apart and leave debris inside or on your phone.
Step 2: Remove Your SIM Card
SIM Cards are pretty resilient. They should be able to survive water damage, unless they’ve been exposed for a long time.
Remove your SIM card. If you have a fan (don’t use a hairdryer—it can damage your phone) blow cool air directly into the SIM card slot or lightning part.
Leave enough space for air to blow. You don’t need to set the fan on a high setting. A light breeze is enough to assist the evaporation process.
Step 3: Place Your iPhone Gently on a Dry Surface
Find a flat spot around your house with low humidity. Don’t put your iPhone inside containers, as they make evaporation more difficult.
Also, don’t tilt your phone. Make sure it remains flat. Despite what you may read on the internet, you don’t want to drop it in a bag of rice. This will cause the water to move to other internal parts and potentially cause additional damage.
Step 4: Place Desiccants On Top of Your Phone
Desiccants are something you probably see all the time. These products help dry out the objects around them. They are the little packets you find inside packages of vitamins, food, clothing, and even electronics.
Next time you receive a package, keep a few in a handy location for just this reason. However, don’t use rice! Rice will only cause more problems.
Why Can’t I Use Rice?
This is one of the most common myths regarding how to fix not just water-damaged iPhones, but most electronics. Research shows that putting electronics in uncooked rice isn’t any more effective than just leaving them out in the open.
What’s more, putting them in rice may actually damage the phone even more. As we mentioned earlier, you don’t want to tilt the device in any way, as that can cause additional damage.
Also, rice grains can get wedged in places like your lightning port or headphone jack. It can be nearly impossible to remove them, or they can expand with water, damaging the phone’s sensitive internal components.
DON’T DO THIS!
Step 5: You Need to Be Patient
After you’ve followed these emergency steps, it’s time to walk away from your phone and wait. You need to move the device as little as possible during this time. By leaving the phone in an open, dry place, as well as emptying the SIM card slot, you’re creating more opportunities for water to evaporate.
Although Apple says you should wait a minimum of 5 hours, it’s best to wait at least 24 hours before attempting to power your phone back on. The more time you wait, the more time you give the water to evaporate and prevent any further damage.
Step 6: Time to Power Back On
After waiting 24 hours at least, it’s time to attempt to power back on your device. Be sure to keep your iPhone on the flat surface, trying to move it as little as possible.
First, try the Power button. If that doesn’t work, your phone’s battery might be dead. In that case, plug it in and see if it turns on after charging for a few minutes.
Step 7: Back Up Your Phone Via iTunes/iCloud
If you do manage to turn your phone back on, you should go back immediately to iCloud or iTunes. In some cases, water damage can spread, even after waiting for a few days. You want to use this opportunity to save any data while you can.
How to Check for Water Damage
Although the signs of water damage can sometimes be invisible, Apple makes it quite easy to tell if moisture has impacted your device. Other than the most obvious signs, you can quickly check for water damage by looking at the liquid contact indicators (LCI).
For all iPhones, starting from the iPhone 5 to the most current version, you can find this in the same place as the SIM card slot. For older models, you may find it on the headphone jack or charging port.
Checking the LCI on a Newer iPhone
Use a paperclip or SIM card removal tool to remove the SIM tray. Be sure the exterior of your phone is completely dry before you do this.
Use a flashlight and check the LCI. If it has turned red, that means your phone has suffered water damage.
Note that this also means it’s not covered by AppleCare. You’ll have to pay for any repairs necessary to get your phone working again.
Checking the LCI on an Older iPhone
Check at the bottom of the charging port and see if the LCI has turned red. If it has, then it will not be covered. AppleCare coverage has long since expired with these older-model phones anyway.
Less Obvious Signs of Water Damage
Some of the less obvious warning signs of water damage include:
- The phone feels very hot.
- The speakers make buzzing sounds.
- The phone is unable to recognize the SIM card.
- The screen shows the Apple logo, but it doesn’t boot up.
- Your camera isn’t working.
- Your flashlight is stuck in the “on” position.
- Your phone thinks headphones are currently plugged in when they aren’t.
What Should I Do if These Steps Don’t Help Me?
Check your AppleCare warranty status. If your device is still under warranty, you may be able to get service for it at a discounted price. You can also take your phone to a repair shop, if there’s one in your area that says they can help you.
In some cases, it may simply not be worth the cost to fix a water-damaged iPhone. If that happens to you, Buyback Boss will buy your device, even if it has been water damaged. Check here to see how much money you can get for your phone.
For more essential iPhone tips, tricks, and Apple news, head over to our blog to learn even more!
