WHAT TO DO IF THE PHONE FALLS INTO WATER

Smartphone getting wet is a problem that users often complain about. The table shows the places where devices are most often dropped:

You will find out what measures to take to keep the gadget working and what it is fraught with falling into a puddle in the material below. Forewarned is forearmed!

Water got into the smartphone: first aid

When a smartphone falls into the water, it is important to act quickly. We quickly pull it out of the liquid, remove the cover so that nothing prevents the evaporation of moisture. If the phone was turned on when diving, it must be turned off. Next, remove the battery (if it is removable). How to be, if the battery is non-removable, is also described in this article.

To dry your wet phone as efficiently as possible, you need to remove the SIM and SD cards from it. They are wiped with alcohol to prevent oxidation. Do not worry about the serviceability of the cards: if the smartphone did not stay in the water for long, they did not have time to suffer and will serve.

When everything that can be taken out and dried from the smartphone is taken out, shake the case slightly to release water, if any. Now you need to wipe all accessible surfaces with a dry cotton cloth. And you can start drying – more on this below in the text.

By the way: Which is better: iPhone or Samsung – which of the 2 smartphones to choose?

How to dry your phone

The further performance of a phone that has fallen into water largely depends on how it is dried. You can leave the disassembled gadget in a dry place to dry on its own, but it is wiser to place it in a material that will absorb liquid.

• The most commonly used rice. Due to its absorbent properties, it absorbs moisture. Put the gadget in a container with rice and leave it like that. It is better if the device stays in this container for several days.
• Silica gel absorbs moisture very well. Dry granules have strong absorbent qualities. Pour silica gel into a deep container and place your wet smartphone there. Leave the device in this form for a couple of days, then take it out and check if the device works.

What should I do if a phone with a non-removable battery falls into the water?

If a phone with a non-removable battery has been dropped into water, it will be much more difficult to thoroughly dry it, so it is better to take it to a service for diagnostics.

You can only remove the cards on your own and, holding the gadget vertically – with the connectors down – gently shake it so that the drops flow through the holes for connecting headphones and a charger. This will help prevent a short circuit from liquid getting deep into the smartphone. Before you take the device for repair, it is better to keep it in a jar with an absorbent so that the maximum amount of moisture is absorbed into the absorbent and does not damage the “insides” of the gadget.

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iPhone Drying Features

It will be useful for owners of an Apple smartphone to know how to dry an iPhone.

The iPhone has two features that can come in handy when the apple gets wet.

1. The Sonic app will save your smartphone if it gets wet
Sonic has a frequency of 258-1100 Hz and, when turned on at 160-170 Hz, gives a sine-type signal capable of expelling liquid that has entered the speaker of the device. Wipe the water that has come out with a dry, lint-free cloth. It would be nice to download this program to the phone for every iPhone owner, so that if the device gets wet, use it. Therefore, while reading tips on how to save your phone from water, find this application in the menu of your device and run it at 160-170 Hz as soon as possible.

2. The sensor of moisture ingress into the case signals the state “inside” the device
Starting with the 5th model, this indicator strip is located behind the SIM card tray. If liquid gets inside the device, the sensor changes color from white to red.

If you own an iPhone, please also note that dropping the gadget into a puddle or into a toilet bowl is not covered under warranty. Therefore, for repair, it is not necessary to carry the device to the official store. You can contact the nearest service center.

Possible problems after getting wet

So, what to do first of all if the phone fell into the water is already clear. If you acted quickly and according to the rules, it is likely that the gadget did not have time to get very wet. This means that the chances of serving their owner faithfully increase significantly.

However, the swim of the device can end in failure, and symptoms of malfunctions will appear soon after drying. The most common problems and user actions in such cases are described below.

See also: 6 reasons why your smartphone runs out of power quickly

Screen and touch not working

If you notice that the sensor does not respond so quickly or spots appear under the screen, it means that the liquid has managed to make trouble: the screen began to peel off. Then it is worth taking the device to the master in order to avoid irreparable consequences.

Speaker not working

The fact that a fall into a liquid adversely affected the performance of the speaker will be indicated by extraneous sounds when talking on the phone: rattle, crackling, other interference.

After getting wet, the speaker does not work well for two reasons:

1. Moisture is still present in the sound membrane.
2. Contacts shorted in speaker.

In the first case, you can try to fix the problem yourself. To do this, disassemble the speaker and let it dry well. Then they are collected back. If it does not help, then the cause of the malfunction is in the contacts. They will most likely need to be soldered. It is best to deal with this specialist.

Smartphone does not turn on

If the gadget turned on after getting wet, and then suddenly stopped, this indicates that oxidation is taking place inside it. Boards and microcircuits may suffer. In this situation, immediately go to the service center and give the smartphone for repair.

It often happens that the phone is dry, working and seems undamaged, but the owner is worried about the rapid discharge of the battery, which has not been observed before. This symptom indicates battery oxidation. In order for the phone to work correctly again, the battery needs to be replaced.

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What not to do if the phone fell into the water

• Do not try to turn on a wet gadget, or put it on charge. The question of its performance will not clarify this, but it can lead to a short circuit.
• Do not dry your phone in the microwave. The impact of waves on a wet device will disable what remains intact after falling into the water.
• Do not dry your gadget with a hair dryer. This is useless: the air flow is not able to penetrate deep into the device, but can only disperse water drops through all the cracks. But overheating with hot air can finally disable the smartphone.

Now you know how to dry the phone and what threatens it if it gets into the liquid. However, calmness and timely steps will help to cope with this trouble.

By the way: What to do if the phone does not turn on: 9 ways to solve the problem