How to Get Water Out of iPhone

You dropped your iPhone in water and now you need to get the water out of it completely. How do you do that? Let us teach you.

Read what to do if your iPhone falls into water and does not turn on. This instruction can save the life of your smartphone! At least once in your life, every cell phone user has dropped it in water or poured drinks. If you are faced with such a situation, you should not panic – we will tell you how to dry an iPhone that has fallen into water. To do this, just follow the step-by-step instructions.

9 steps to get water out of your iPhone

If your iPhone has fallen into water, you need to dry it out as quickly as possible. Only in this case it can be saved. You won’t be confused thanks to the following instruction:

Step 1

Remove the iPhone from the container of water and immediately turn it off. If you don’t disconnect the power, it may short out. If the device was in charging and fell into the water at that moment, you need to de-energize the apartment before removing it.

Step 2

Wipe the iPhone with paper towels or a soft cloth.

Step 3

If the back panel is removable, remove the battery, headphones, memory card, and SIM card. If the battery is non-removable, there will be less chance of repairing the phone, as the chips will fail if there is a power source.

Step 4

iPhones have an indicator under the battery, which turns pink if the device is damaged by moisture. You can use it to make a preliminary assessment of the damage. All accessories removed from the phone should also be wiped and placed on paper towels to dry.

Step 5

Remove the protective film from the screen, as it prevents moisture from escaping through the gaps in the display, and a thin layer of liquid may remain underneath.

Step 6

Gently wipe the outside of the iPhone. Shaking the device immediately after removing it from the water is not recommended, as this procedure can get moisture on the microcircuits. If you have alcohol wipes handy, you can use them to help the moisture evaporate from the surface of the phone faster.

Step 7

If you have a vacuum cleaner handy, you can thoroughly clean all the gaps with it. Blowing should be carried out within 20 minutes. It is important not to bring the hose close to the iPhone during this procedure, and also beforehand remove all moisture from its surface.

Step 8

After the preliminary removal of moisture you need to place the iPhone for the final drying. It is best to place it in a container filled with raw rice or silica gel. Leave the phone in the container with this substance for several hours, preferably overnight or 24 hours.

Step 9

While drying the device in the container, it is recommended to turn it regularly. It is best to check the condition of the device every hour, if moisture has appeared on its surface, remove it with a soft napkin, and then bury the iPhone in the rice again.

If the iPhone has fallen into water, how do you save it when you don’t have rice or silica gel on hand? To get the water out of your iPhone roll up a soft cloth several times and put your soaked smartphone on it. In this case, it’s best to dry it on a window sill.

How can you tell if iPhone damaged by water?

iPhone is water damaged

iPhone is water damaged

So, the iPhone fell into the water, what to do after drying? The first check of your smartphone can be carried out a day after you drowned it. You should not hurry, as the early inclusion of the device can cause a short circuit and its failure. Follow the algorithm:

  • Inspect the device. It should be free of leaks and moisture. Check all the gaps and ports, they must be absolutely dry.
  • Try to turn on the device. It is best to do this in silence in order to hear extraneous sounds that may occur after moisture. If you hear an uncharacteristic crackling sound, then the device has been damaged by water, some of its functions may not work properly.
  • If the phone fell into the water and does not turn on, then try to recharge it after drying it. Often the issue is with the power controller or the battery itself. After starting the device on the charger, test the battery – it may fail and not hold a charge.
  • A device that turned on but is malfunctioning is best left to dry out for another day or take to a technician.
  • If the device does not turn on, then there can be two reasons – the battery had time to run out or the device is broken. It is not uncommon to hear after the iPhone has fallen into the water, what to do touch screen does not work, but the sound of switching on is audible. In this case, most likely the display backlight is out of order, try in a shaded room to try to see if the image on the display is present. If you were able to see the outlines of icons or other desktop elements, it is worth giving the phone to a repair shop. There you will have the backlight replaced and the rest of the iPhone checked.

Repairing water damaged iPhone

repair of water damaged iphone

If the iPhone does not turn on after all your actions, find a service center of your smartphone manufacturer in your city. Give the iPhone for repair, describing in detail the circumstances of the incident.

We do not recommend you to lie to the specialists and try to pass the device for warranty repair. Even if you drop your phone in the water a few minutes after purchase, the warranty will be void, as the failure of your smartphone will not be the fault of the manufacturer.

In addition, an honest account of the breakage will allow the technician to troubleshoot and fix it faster. In most service centers drowned smartphones are looked at during the first few hours after admission, while the device, the reasons for the failure of which are unknown, can lie on the table at the master from 1 to 3 days.

If there is no official representative of the manufacturer in your city, you can go to any other private service center. The repair cost will be slightly higher, as the specialists will have to order spare parts.

What else you need to know if you’re going to dry your iPhone

First of all water is dangerous for the electronic circuits of the phone. If you have time to pull it out of the water before it gets to them, the chance of restoring the functionality of the device will be higher. In stores that sell accessories for iPhones you can find kits for the resuscitation of the phone after falling into water, we recommend to take this set of tools in advance.

After dropping your iPhone in salt water, it should be wiped with a cloth soaked in ordinary clean water. This is necessary to remove salt crystals. Pay special attention to the battery compartment.

Have patience before you turn on the iPhone. Even if it seems dry, continue with the resuscitation procedures. It is recommended that you hold the phone close to your body for a few hours before turning it on for the first time. This will allow any residual moisture to evaporate.

If you have access to a lab that has a vacuum chamber (look, someone has one, too!), you can evaporate the remaining moisture from the phone’s boards with it. To do this you need to hold the device in the chamber for 30 minutes. In these conditions, even at room temperature water “boils” and evaporates. Using this equipment allows you to remove moisture even from parts that are difficult to access.

You can often see the recommendation to blow the iPhone with compressed air (e.g. buy a canister in an auto store or use a hair dryer in cold air mode). The jet should be directed at an angle to all gaps and connectors of the device. It is important that the can of air and the smartphone are at room temperature. If you try to blow a cold phone with warm air, condensation will form on its electronic components.

Basic warnings for smartphone owners

Do not try to disassemble the iPhone yourself, this requires special knowledge and tools. In addition, you can get a nasty electric shock or get poisoned by the toxic chemicals contained in some elements of the smartphone. The maximum you should do yourself is to clean corrosion from the contacts of the battery compartment or connectors with a soft brush.

The main mistakes when resuscitating the iPhone are:

  • Warming the phone (this can melt its individual elements);
  • Trying to dry the iPhone in the microwave (in this case you will permanently lose not only your gadget, but also the oven);
  • trying to dry the battery on a heating radiator (if overheated, the battery may explode or leak);
  • turning on the phone before it is completely dry – remember that one drop of water is enough for a short circuit.

The sooner you give your device first aid, the more likely it will work properly and repairs will be inexpensive.

Conclusion

Now you know what to do if your iPhone fell into the water and does not work. If you have your own ways of dealing with moisture, you can write about them in the comments, we will definitely discuss them with you. It is always interesting to know how other iPhone users get rid of water that gets inside.