There are a lot of situations when our smartphone can come into contact with water. You might get caught in a heavy downpour, knock over a cup of drink onto a nearby smartphone, or even drop your phone into the water while taking a hot bath. Recently, smartphone manufacturers have been trying to introduce water protection into their devices. However, the percentage of such devices is still very small, so our article will be relevant for a long time.
We will tell you what not to do if your smartphone gets wet, as well as several ways to correct the current situation.
1. Remove the smartphone from the water, turn it off and disassemble
As we were taught in life safety lessons, the first step is to get rid of the source of danger. In our case, we immediately take the device out of the water and turn it off. The smartphone has both slots and connectors for headphones/charging, through which water can instantly reach the insides and can cause a short circuit. After you take out the phone, you need to wipe it with a dry towel and also remove the battery. This will completely de-energize the device and reduce the likelihood of a short circuit to zero. We recommend removing the SIM card and memory card along with the battery.
IMPORTANT
Do not turn on your smartphone until you have completed all instructions.
2.Wipe all parts of the device well
After you take out the device, you need to wipe it thoroughly with a dry towel to get rid of all visible moisture. Do not use regular napkins or paper towels. It's no secret that paper napkins not only absorb moisture very well, but also quickly get wet, breaking up into small fibers. These lint will get caught in the holes and crevices of the device and will only make things worse.
Take a rag or cloth towel and wipe the device dry both outside and inside if water does get there. Do not leave a single drop on the surface, because any little thing can cause corrosion and render the device inoperable.
3. Hair dryer or vacuum cleaner?
For most people whose phone has fallen under water, the following situation occurs. They successfully complete the first two points of our article, but then they begin to search for additional solutions, what else can be done for the wet device. The most popular options are a hair dryer and a vacuum cleaner.
REMEMBER! Never use a hair dryer to dry your phone. Contrary to the idea that hot air will quickly dry out all the moisture, you need to understand: the air flow will not only drive the water even deeper, but can also melt some parts.
To speed up the drying process, you can use a vacuum cleaner. When drying, do not hold the hose too close to the smartphone; carry out the procedure for 7-10 minutes.
4. Put the phone in the sun in a box with absorbent or rice
Finally, when all the main steps are completed, you can begin the longest stage. The disassembled phone (we took out the battery, SIM card, flash drive) needs to be placed in a container with an absorbent substance. You've probably seen bags of this substance in shoe boxes.
You can purchase such a substance in the store in advance, in case of such an unforeseen situation. But, if the water ingress takes you by surprise, regular rice may be suitable as a “homemade substitute.” Place the device in the substance for a day and turn it over periodically, allowing water to drain out of all crevices. Only after the day has passed, having made sure that all the water has left the phone, can you try to start it.
If the device does not work, feel free to go to the service center.
5. What not to do
Finally, we would like to list what you absolutely cannot do if your phone falls into water.
- You cannot turn on the device right away. You can turn on the phone only after complete drying, when you have waited enough time for all the moisture to leave the device. Naturally, in a “wet” state, it is strictly forbidden to connect the device to a power source (put it on charge or connect it to a computer).
- Do not disassemble the device into parts. Most likely, you are not an expert, and by taking your smartphone apart (more than taking out the battery), you will only make things worse. The water will get even deeper, and you will break something.
All the best. Take care of yourself and your phones :)
Electronics are terribly afraid of water. Therefore, if your phone falls into the water, quickly start rescuing the “drowning person”. The sooner you come to the rescue, the more likely it is that the mobile device will “come to life” under your strict guidance. Analogies with a drowning creature are appropriate here. Think less about whether the patient is alive or dead, start acting faster! Wait a couple of minutes - and the phone will no longer be saved.
This recipe for saving a mobile device is applicable to any hardware. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a phone or a tablet, Android or iPhone. Water can leak into the player, electronic watches, and fitness trackers.
Cases of dangerous penetration of water into the phone
- The phone fell (in a puddle, sea/river, etc.) and does not turn on
- You went swimming in the water with your phone, forgetting to take it out of your shorts
- You foolishly dropped it in the toilet while taking a selfie or looking at pictures
- The phone was doused with water
- We washed the phone in the washing machine and it's still intact.
- Ate and dropped the phone in the soup while talking
So, the liquid got inside. What urgent procedures need to be performed with a phone that has fallen into water?
First steps to take if water (liquid) gets into your phone
Get the drowned phone out of the water as quickly as possible. Do not make sudden movements so that the liquid does not distribute inside and penetrate even further: into the electronics, under the case.
Every second counts. In the best case, water will not get on the electronic components of the phone. At worst, if the phone falls into the water, even a waterproof phone or tablet will stop turning on, unable to withstand the depth and will fail instantly.
Advice. If you dropped your mobile phone in the toilet, you can put on gloves (don’t be disdainful: the life of your iron friend is at stake). And for the future, know that it is better not to talk on the phone and write at the same time in the toilet. This is inconvenient and even dangerous.
Quickly turn off the phone (take out the battery)
Turn off the phone (if it is still working) and remove the battery by removing the phone cover. This will prevent short circuiting - one of the main dangers and the reason for the phone to fail.
Advice. There is no need to test the phone's performance immediately after you have saved it from drowning. The worst thing is to leave the battery in the phone and start calling friends, checking the quality of the connection. With these rash actions you will literally kill your phone.
Make the most of your phone
In addition to the battery, you need to remove all parts that can be dismantled. SIM card and SD card - first of all. This is done:
- for the safety of removed components (it is almost impossible to restore contacts on a SIM card)
- so that the phone dries faster and there is no interference with the air during drying.
If you know how to remove other, smaller parts of the phone, do so.
Drying your mobile device
Remember also that the faster the water dries, the greater the chance that it will not penetrate inside. To begin, gently wipe the phone with a dry cloth and wipe off any moisture on the surface.
To speed up the drying of your phone, a hairdryer or vacuum cleaner is suitable. Use a narrow nozzle so you can dry the holes. The iPhone is especially sensitive to such temperature changes.
You need to dry the phone carefully and at a sufficient distance so that the microcircuits are not exposed to thermal effects - they simply do not melt. For a hair dryer, use only cold drying mode!
Advice. Dry your phone at a distance that you consider comfortable for yourself. The fact is that a hairdryer can do a bad job if you haven't wiped down your phone. Moisture under air pressure will penetrate inside.
Additional drying of the inside of the phone
The drying process cannot be rushed. After making sure that there are no droplets of moisture on the surface of the phone, leave it alone for 48 hours. Place your phone on a dry, absorbent cloth (such as a towel).
Advice. For effective drying, dip your phone in a pile of dry rice. It absorbs moisture perfectly. It is advisable not to eat rice after drying. Especially if you took the phone out of the toilet.
Conclusion. What to do if you couldn’t save your phone from water
These methods do not always help in cases where the phone is dropped into water and does not turn on (often some component falls off - for example, a microphone or camera - what is located on top). We hope these tips helped you save money on a new iPhone or Android.
If it doesn’t help and the phone still gives up, contact the repair shop.
Think positive and believe in miracles. You did everything you could. If you managed to save your friend in this way or you have questions, write and share.
It happens that we find ourselves in unpleasant situations, and one of these is when the phone falls into the water. Have you ever washed a phone that was forgotten in your jeans, or climbed into a pond in your shorts? People are encountering such situations more and more often, and, as a rule, they think that the device cannot be saved. But we will give you tips on how to keep it working if your phone falls into water.
Of course, today there are a lot of workshops that will help solve this issue for a fee. But the whole point is that the masters also use similar recommendations and take advantage of the fact that you do not know how to act correctly in such a situation. Of course, if a mobile device has been lying in water for a long time, then it will be practically impossible to restore it, but if you immediately pulled it out, then you can save it if you start acting right away. The most important rule is not to be afraid and not to hesitate. It can’t get any worse, and unnecessary fuss will only waste your precious time and nerves. These rules always work, no matter touch phone fell into water or push-button. Follow the instructions and get the result.
- First, remove the device from the water immediately. Of course, you are in a panic, but first of all, remove it from the water so that the situation does not worsen.
- Handle the phone carefully and carefully, as sudden movements can cause water to get in even further.
- The most important thing is to ensure that a short circuit does not occur, otherwise the device will simply burn out, and you will not be able to do without repairs. Therefore, carefully, without sudden movements, remove the battery.
- Next you should start disassembling. The more you can take it apart, the more likely it is that your touchscreen or push-button phone will remain alive after swimming. Take out the SIM card, memory card, and if possible, remove the case. The phone fell into the water, so it is important to give it as much air as possible so that the moisture begins to evaporate.
- If you are at home, a vacuum cleaner will help you. Take it, put on the thin dust attachment and bring it to each hole for 10 minutes. This way, the moisture will evaporate fairly quickly. If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner, a hairdryer will help, but use only cold air. Many inexperienced users burned parts with hot air from a hair dryer.
- If you do everything fairly quickly, then don’t worry, it will work fine. But remember that it will take about 2 days for complete drying, so for the near future you will be left without your favorite device.
- If the touch phone fell into the water, then you can place it in a mountain of rice or sugar. These two products are excellent at absorbing moisture, but the sugar itself is very fine, so try to protect the case from crumbs. It is best to use regular kitchen rice, which will absorb all excess moisture without any problems. Fill the device with a slide, you will need about 1-2 kg of rice for this. Wait one day and try to turn on the device. If it doesn't work, give it another day to dry, and if after that it doesn't work, you'll have to take the phone to a repair shop.
Now you know what to do if your phone falls into water. Remember, the most important thing is quick action to save the device from breakdown. Be careful, good luck!
Such a misfortune can happen to anyone, and to some it has happened more than once. Someone drops their mobile phone into the sink or toilet, someone washes it with their clothes, and someone simply spills some liquid on it.
The device does not turn on? Don’t rush to get upset, you can try to bring him back to life. We know how you can revive a drowned phone in a few simple steps. Nobody gives guarantees, but why not try?
1. Turn off your phone. This is exactly what needs to be done immediately with the device pulled out of the water. The fact is that the breakdown of the device is not due to the destructive effects of moisture, but to short circuits that appear due to it. Under no circumstances should you shake the phone, as the liquid may penetrate even deeper. If you can remove the battery from the phone, then this should be done as soon as possible. If it is not removable, then you should at least turn off the power. If the device was turned off when it was hit, do not try to turn it on to check. It takes a couple of days to get the phone back to normal, so be prepared to do without this device for a while.
2. Disassembly. Everything that can be superficially unscrewed and unscrewed on the device must be removed. This could be the back cover, SIM card, plugs. But the main thing here is not to overdo it, otherwise the phone will be disassembled down to the small screws, and then you won’t be able to put it back together. It is important to understand that a wet device requires as many holes as possible for drying.
3. Drying. It’s good if you have a vacuum cleaner with a nozzle in the form of a narrow tip on hand. With its help, you can try to remove the maximum amount of moisture from a wet device. It is best to vacuum every accessible hole for at least five minutes. In extreme cases, you can use a hairdryer to dry it. However, it is important to remember that the air stream must be cold, because a warm stream can simply melt the parts. So in this case it is better to use a vacuum cleaner.
4. Drying. This step will require that the affected device dry out. To do this, it is better to put the phone in a container with rice. The secret is simple - this cereal absorbs moisture well. The main thing here is to be patient and leave the device in this condition for at least two days. If after this some traces of moisture remain on the phone (this could be a foggy screen), then you can wait another day. If the device appears to be normal, then you can try to turn it on.
If these steps were completed correctly and in the right sequence, then there is a high probability that the phone will work as if nothing had happened.
To begin with, you can immediately answer the most common question that torments you!
How much does it cost to repair a wet phone?
We will answer immediately. From 800 rubles! The master will determine more precisely. But as a rule, repairs are much cheaper than buying a new phone.
And one more subtle question
Does it make sense to repair a drowned smartphone?
Of course yes! As we said - it's much cheaper.
Think for yourself...
Cost of a new mid-range phone
10-15 thousand rubles
Repair of drowned man price
average 800-2000 rubles
Does it make sense to buy when your refurbished mobile phone will work like a new one? In this case, you will not need to restore contacts!
So about the cellular “diver-diver”...
This article prompted me to write a large number of calls with questions: “My phone fell into the water, what should I do, how much will it cost to repair a sunken phone?”, or “My phone got wet, it worked right away, then stopped turning on,” or “We washed my phone in the washing machine.” typewriter, the phone does not turn on, can it be repaired? etc.
First, I’ll tell you what to do first if liquid gets into your phone:
- The first step is to remove the battery from the phone and do not insert it for at least a day. Oddly enough, what kills the elements inside the phone is not so much water, but electric current, which oxidizes the elements inside and disables the radio elements and the device’s circuit board.
- Second thing the phone needs to dry inside. But based on practice, I will tell you that liquid gets inside the phone very quickly, but it can dry for a very long time, not just one day. And even if all the liquid dries inside, there are still salts dissolved in the water, which corrode the radio elements when the phone is operating, since salts are conductors of electric current.
- Therefore, I recommend the third step in saving your phone after moisture gets into it: contact service center for phone repair, and it’s better not to hesitate, the sooner you do it, the cheaper the repair will cost, and perhaps only preventive maintenance of the phone’s elements will be enough.
But it's not always so easy. Let’s say you dropped your iPhone into water, but you can’t easily get out the battery without disassembling the device. In this case, if you cannot contact the service center as soon as possible, I advise put iPhone in rice(just don’t laugh, but it really helps! the most ordinary food rice, at first I didn’t believe it, but after people brought in sunken iPhones dried in rice, during repairs it was really clear that the effects of moisture were minimal). The photo shows the board of a recessed iPhone 4, which was placed in rice and then brought to the service center. The board was perfectly clean, the only thing oxidized was the touch screen connector (marked with a red circle). The red diamond shows an indicator that liquid has entered the iPhone.
And now I want to answer the most common question: “How much will it cost to repair a recessed phone?” If the phone does not turn on after liquid gets inside, then I will answer honestly: “I don’t know.” In this case, it is impossible to do without diagnosing the malfunction, since water could damage any element, and therefore the phone must be disassembled and tested to identify the malfunction.
The most harmless case is when the phone is dropped into water, it continues to work, but there are water stains on the screen. It doesn’t seem to be a big deal, but it looks unpleasant, especially against a light background. The only way out of this situation is to replace the display on your phone. Even after the water has dried, traces of it still remain, and it is impossible to remove them from the old screen, since the display contains several layers of film that diffuse the backlight, and it is unrealistic to disassemble them without damaging them.
The worst case is when water that gets into the phone oxidizes the radio elements and disables them. The degree of oxidation depends on the time the phone was in the water, on the amount of liquid that got inside, on whether the battery was immediately pulled out of the submerged phone or after some time. If you do not immediately take action after liquid gets into your phone, then it will end up with approximately the same thing as the phone in the photo. The elements oxidize, the salts corrode the phone parts, and the recessed phone becomes unusable for repair.
The last picture shows the board of a phone that fell into the water and the battery was not immediately removed from it. The phone worked for a while, then turned off and never came back on. Yes, it won’t turn on anymore, the phone cannot be repaired, since many of the radio elements inside have simply rotted. In this case, it is necessary to completely change the circuit board on the phone, which is usually comparable in cost to the price of a used phone of the same model.
Therefore, to avoid this and extend the life of your phone after liquid gets into it, immediately take the measures that I wrote about at the beginning of the article.
