With waterproof phones, if you don’t know how to handle them, they can easily be damaged. So what should we do when our phones are exposed to water? Let’s find out how to “rescue” a water-damaged phone right at home in the article below.
A water-damaged phone can either be completely broken or have slight damage to the internal components. The consequences of this can include: the phone not turning on, shutting down, and not showing any signs of functioning; the touch screen may become erratic or completely unresponsive; the phone speaker may be distorted, low, or not working at all; the camera may malfunction. Sometimes the screen may become blurry or faded, or even completely black; there may be issues with phone connectivity such as SIM card and WiFi.
When your phone gets wet, stay calm and follow these instructions:
What to do when your phone is water damaged? (Illustration).
Quickly remove the phone from water
First, take your phone out of the water as quickly as possible, and at the same time, point the ports downwards to let the water drain out, preventing it from flowing into the device.
Immediately turn off the phone
After taking your phone out of the water, turn it off immediately. Turning off the phone will prevent water from seeping into the circuitry and causing short circuits or electrical damage if the phone is still on.
Dry the outside of the phone
Use a soft cloth to thoroughly dry the surface of the phone, then use a cotton swab to dry the charging port, headphone port, and all ports connected to accessories.
Dry the inside of the phone
You should place your phone in a container of uncooked rice to absorb moisture. The rice will draw the water out of your phone over a period of 1 to 2 days. Alternatively, you can use silica gel packets or desiccant boxes and leave the phone in them for 1 to 2 days, depending on how long the phone was submerged in water.
Be patient and wait
After completing the drying process, you should be patient and wait, using another phone as a substitute. This is to ensure that the phone is completely dry and avoid further damage.
Restart the phone and test it
After following the above steps, insert the battery (if it’s removable) or plug in the charger, then after a while, press the power button to see if the phone is functioning normally. Then, check the microphone and speaker to see if they’re working properly. If, in the case, the phone still doesn’t turn on, you should take it to a professional repair shop for assistance.
What not to do
Do not dry the phone with a hairdryer: Many people think that the quickest way to dry a phone is to use a hairdryer, which helps to evaporate all the remaining water in the phone. However, the high temperature from the hairdryer can actually damage the internal components.
Do not place a fan or blow into the phone: You should not blow into the phone in an attempt to remove the water. This will only cause the water to quickly penetrate deeper into other parts inside the phone and cause more damage.
Do not shake, press, or hit the phone: If you try to shake, press, or even hit the phone in the hope that the water will drain out, you should stop because this will only allow the water to infiltrate deeper and only cause damage or scratches to the phone.
Do not stuff a cloth into the charging port: This will not help in drying the phone but may instead affect the internal components and parts.
Do not immediately charge the phone: Some people believe that the longer you charge the phone, the heat generated by the charger will help dry the phone. However, this is absolutely not recommended. You should absolutely not charge the phone immediately because it is very dangerous when the electric current passes through wet circuitry.
Above are a few tips to help you handle a water-damaged phone. I hope this article provides you with useful information to “save” your phone when it accidentally falls into water.
Source: VTC
