How did you impair your last smartphone? Ask this question to some people. No doubt, the most prominent part will answer about the water-damage issue. Yes, it is the most common problem to break a smartphone. But I don’t know how many of you know that it is possible to fix a water-damaged phone at home, especially if it is not too much damaged from inside.
Basically, we all apply some hacks like keeping the phone in the rice sack or using a hairdryer to fix the phone at home. But most often, these hacks don’t work properly. Indeed they have no scientific proof to be helpful. However, stick your eyes to this content and leave everything about how to fix a water-damage phone.
What Can Happen When A Phone Drop in Water?
The water-resisting feature is crucial when using your phone in unpredictable weather. Not all phones have this helpful attribute. Water acts like conductors, making an over-current condition that is more than enough to burn the mainboard. If a phone is not waterproof at all and gets in contact with water, it can die in the worst-case scenario.
This way, water sits in the mobile phone and causes problems in circuits, coils, batteries, resistors, etc. Whenever accidentally your phone gets in contact with water, try to get the device out from it as soon as possible. Never let the phone rest to dry up on its own; this makes the condition even worse. It is recommended that you immediately take the phone to a repair expert.
The water does not always get to the core components immediately, so the contact condition matters. Sometimes the damage is apparent after a day or a few hours from the occurrence. Many users don’t notice and avoid thinking about sudden water contact. After that, a day or two, the phone might not work or boot at all.
Suppose the phone is dropped into a dump or toilet, which is pretty bad for the device. Keep in mind that oceanic water, I mean salt water is the worst of all, even scarier than freshwater. Saltwater will surely damage your phone; if no waterproofing is integrated. On the contrary, freshwater damage can be recovered if repaired promptly. Generally, saltwater-damaged water phones are totally wasted.
Steps to Fix a Water-damage Phone
Now, the question is if it is possible to repair a water-damaged phone. Basically, the question is yes until the phone is damaged from inside. Many people who have basic technical knowledge can easily do that by themselves. We have searched for ways to repair a water-damage phone widely. And we already got a lot of ways. From them, we choose the easiest and the most effective one. Follow the steps below to repair your water-damaged phone.
Step 1: Take the Phone Out of the Water Source Immediately
After your phone gets in contact with water, the first thing is to move the device away from the water source. Then try to dry it up using a tissue or dry cloth. If you are late, the water and other harmful elements will enter into sensitive components such as screens, batteries, etc.
Step 2: Switch It Off
Next, you should switch off the phone and try to exsiccate the phone from the outside as much as possible. Then, disengage any protective back cover and front case if used.
Step 3: Remove The Case, Memory Cards, and SIM Cards
Nowadays, most phones are fixed type, and users can not easily disassemble the battery. But if possible, try to open the phone and take away the battery from the device. Also, don’t forget to remove any installed memory cards and SIMs.
Step 4: Wipe It Smoothly
In this phase, you can use a dry cloth, tissue, or paper towels to dry the soaked phone quickly. Stay calm and don’t rub vehemently as that could worsen the matter further. If the phone is completely drowned in water, you can use air pressure and gently vacuum around the phone.
Step 5: Dry It
Another thing you should avoid in this phase is keeping yourself away from the urge to dry the phone in the sun. This will damage the sensitive components and liquid, which can sit in the mainboard, causing stinky corrosion near batteries and chipsets.
Step 6: Use Silica Pearls
In this step, you have to dry your phone completely. Some people use the rice bucket option to let the liquid out from the system over time. This process is not reliable, but the silica gel pack process works most of the time. You should add some silica gel packs or silica pearls in an air-tight plastic bag and put the phone inside that. Then wait for a day or two.
Step 7: Let It Sit for A While
After 24 to 48 hours of waiting, you can get your phone out from the silica gel-filled air-tight bag. Then check the outside for a quick inspection and try to switch on the phone. Furthermore, use the phone for about a day to two to filter out any potential issues. If the phone turns on and works normally, you are lucky to avoid serious consequences.
Step 8: Check If It Is Working
If you find problems after 2 to 3 days from turning on the phone, you should visit a repair store for a quick check-up. On the contrary, if the phone works seamlessly just as before, you don’t need to visit any service center.
So, these are the steps that work most effectively to repair a water-damaged phone. But it may not work if it is too damaged. However, there is another way that helps remove water from the device. The following section will tell you about it.
How to Remove Water from The Charging Port of a Water-damage Phone?
The enormous hole a phone has is its charging port. So, when the phone has water inside it, there is a way to bring out the water from the charging port. Want to know how to do that? Check out the following procedures to remove water from your phone.
- First, you need to turn off your phone.
- Now, you need to take off the case if it has any. Make sure that the charging port is clean and not plugged in.
- You have to take off the back part case if you can. If you cannot do that, just get help from someone’s expertise.
- Now, you need to remove the battery from the phone. Make sure not to remove it and then break it anyway forcefully.
- However, wipe it using a dry and soft cloth as much as it is safe.
- It must have some water left inside it. And you have to remove it from the port at this moment. You can use an air compressor smoothly. Instead, you can blow moderately, pointing to the charging porthole.
- Make sure not to use a hairdryer or blower. That can be destructive anyway.
- Now, place the phone facing the port down. Let it sit for a while. If there is more water inside, it will be coming out from the port because of gravity.
- Wipe the port again before you start using it. Hopefully, it will work.
This method works if you take the initiative right after the phone falls in the water. Almost all the latest phones don’t have easily removable backside cases. So, you probably have to take it to the repair shop to remove the part. Let’s check the conditions that require taking it to the repair shop.
When to Take the Water Damage Phone to The repair Store?
When your phone circuits have already come in touch with water, it is most likely to get damaged in no time. You should understand the situation demands on this matter whether you should take it to a professional or not. If you thought that only keeping it near sunlight would make everything okay, it would not always work.
Sometimes it dries out from the outside, but the case may be totally opposite inside. At first, you should look for the warranty card if you still have it. On the condition you have it, then that’s a plus point for you. But if not, then it will cost you to get the phone repaired by the manufacturer.
The phone might start and work with glitches after switching on, which is also a sign of a problem. You can go to any renowned repair shop in your locality or a popular electronic chain to make sure that the service is good enough. You might get a discount as well if you are familiar with them.
Things to Avoid While Repairing a Water-damage Phone
People tend to make many mistakes out of stupidity when in a hurry. There are several things that you must not do to fix your water-damaged phone. Let’s take a glance.
- Some may suggest you place the phone inside in a bag of rice, but it does not save your phone. Rice may absorb the water only a little bit which is not enough. Also, this is a very lengthy process to make your phone work again.
- You may think that if you put the damaged phone in the microwave, it will dry out. But it’s a big no. Rather it can cause damage to both the microwave and phone. In fact, it can explode or flame up.
- According to studies and experiments, a lot of people use a hairdryer instantly after the phone is damaged with water. It is more willing to burn the circuits with its heat.
- The same applies when you set your Android phone of yours beside a radiator.
- Another no is to leave the phone inside the freezer. Just after you take it out, the ice will start melting, so there is no point in doing so.
If you have ever thought of doing any step mentioned above, get warned before it’s too late.
How Can You Protect Your Phone From Failing in Water?
This is a very common occurrence of dropping the phone in the water for most people. In order to keep the phone safe, you must stay alert all the time and become careful while using the phone. We can follow some easy tricks to suggest you stay out of this situation.
First of all, do not ever think that any phone is totally waterproof. But with a water-resistant case, there is hope that it will survive the situation at least for a couple of seconds until you pick it up. Therefore you can go for a water-resistant case.
Precaution is always the best solution. Before going to any pool party, near beaches, or anywhere with a probability of dropping it into a water body, make sure you keep it inside the pocket. You should maintain a tight grip whenever you need to use it there.
Most of us use the phone while we are in the toilet when we get bored. No matter how important work you are left with, you must avoid taking it to the restroom as long as you are concerned about your precious phone and don’t want it to drown inside the toilet seat or basin.
Finally, Insights
Most high-end smartphones indeed come with water protection. Some are partially waterproof, while some are guaranteed to be hundred percent waterproof. Still, it would help if you were careful while using your phone. And if you still face this common problem, I hope you have already known about how to fix a water-damage phone.
Try it by yourself if there is not too much water inside it. Otherwise, you have to take it to the repair store. However, here we take our leave for today and will soon come with something new. If you have a more effective idea to handle this problem, don’t forget to inform us about it. We love to learn about the new hacks. I really appreciate any help you can provide.
