Has your phone been thrown by mistake into the water and you don’t know what to do to get it working again? What could your reactions be when you suddenly find your phone in such a helpless situation? Do you fear that you have lost your smartphone and all the data inside?
Was it in a sink you dropped your phone or in the toilet? Did you wash it in the laundry? Or were you beaten by rain? Or perhaps you forgot and swam with your cell phone? Or did it fall off your pocket into a bucket of water? Whichever way your phone did fall into the water, we are here to talk about how to fix it back to its former state.
If any of these happens to your phone, it then means your phone needs to be replaced. But in a situation whereby you are smart enough, you can get your phone back working normal.
The following steps will help you save your wet phone:
16 Step to Take if your Phone Enters Water
Step 1: Quickly Take the Phone Out of Water
When your phone enters water, the first step is to quickly take the phone out of the water before water begins to damage the components through the USB cable connectivity, charging, microphone and hands free kit ports, etc. It takes a matter of seconds for your phone to get wet in the water.
Take hold of your phone promptly and immediately turn it off, to ward it off from short-circuiting. Taking your phone out of the water right off may not allow your phone to be damaged.
Leaving your phone too long in the water will cause more harm to the phone. If the phone fell from a wall charger connection into the water, call a professional to remove the phone for you to avoid electric shock.
Step 2: Remove the Battery Cover and Battery
Immediately look for soft cloth material to place the phone, and then remove the battery cover and the battery itself to allow many of the circuits to be safe from water. If you are not sure how to remove the battery, quickly read the phone manual for insight.
Step 3: Take Out Your SIM Card(s)
After you have removed the battery, take out the SIM card from the sitting to save your contacts and other valuable data stored on your SIM. It makes good sense to get out your SIM card even though SIM cards survive water damage. Set aside the removed SIM card to dry out until when you will need to put it back.
Step 4: Remove All Accessories of the Phone
All other accessories of the phone such as memory cards, ear buds, protective covers or phone cases, and more are to be removed also, including plugs that cover the slots and gaps in the phone.
Step 5: Use Soft Cloth to Clean Your Phone
Dry your phone with a soft cloth to clean even a single drop of water still remaining inside. Carefully and thoroughly clean off as much water as you can from the phone. Don’t shake the phone too much, or move it in a way that water will move through it.
Paper towel or a towel can be used to wipe out all the water, and take time not to block up passages, channels and holes in the phone. Continue wiping quietly to dry as much of the remaining water as you can.
Step 6: Use Vacuum Cleaner
In a situation that the water damage is extensive¸ use a vacuum cleaner to carefully suck out water from the cracks that are difficult to reach. Use a vacuum cleaner and place it for about 20 minutes over the affected areas so as to take out all remaining liquid.
Don’t hold the vacuum too close to the phone to avoid excessive heating that is worse for the phone than water. The vacuum method is the fastest to dry out your phone and fix it back within 30 minutes.
Step 7: Buy Phone Drying Pouches
You can buy trusted pouches for drying up phones at home if you are a careless type. Don’t use rice to dry up your phone, as this method will cause more harm to your phone than heal it. I know the first thing everyone tells you is to find a jar of rice to dip your phone in it. But rice is not a drying agent, neither oven, hair dryer or microwave. Rather, you can use real drying agents like Damp Rid or packaged silica gel. You can find these drying agents in grocery stores. The silica gel comes in vitamin bottles.
Step 8: Wash Your Phone
If you dropped your phone in the ocean, you can wash it to avoid salt water wearing off the interior. Phone dropped in a dirty toilet, soup or other materials with particles can also be washed with plenty of clean water. However, do not soak your phone in a bowl or sink containing water.
Step 9: Place the Phone on Absorbent Materials
Place your wet phone flat on absorbent materials such as napkins or towels in order to remove all the moisture and humidity from the device. You can check the absorbent material every hour for 4 to 6 hours.
Step 10: Wait and Test Your Phone
Wait for at least 24 to 48 hours before checking whether all the areas of your mobile phone look clean and dry. Check all the ports, compartments and in-between cracks or gaps for any liquid or dirt. Wipe away any dust and dirt from the device and covers, and put back the battery into the phone. Power on the phone with your ear on the ground for strange noises, and observe to see if the phone has been fully restored to work correctly again. Play some music to check the speakers and make sure the touch screen still responds properly as it should.
Step 11: Plug Your Phone Back Into Its Charger without the Battery
When your phone has completely dried out but still does not work, try to plug it into its charger without the battery. You will need a new battery when this has worked.
Step 12: Locate the water Sensors
There are sensors the company that built your phone might have included to help detect access of water. In most phones, the sensors look like tiny pieces of paper or stickers. They are permanently red, and white when dry.
Therefore, if you remove the case of your phone and there is bright red paper dots on the interior of your phone, that’s an indication of water sensor.
Read Also: Android Phones Buying Guide: 8 Features to Consider Before Purchase
Conclusion
I hope that these steps have probably helped you save your phone from getting drowned. In case you want to save your phone from falling into water in the future, you can buy a waterproof case. Excellent options are available from brands such as Catalyst, Griffin Survivor and Otterbox.
If this post has helped you restore your damped phone? Please feel free to tell us using the comment box below.