What to Do if Your iPhone Gets Wet

Smartphones like the iPhone are great to have around, but they’re often expensive little accidents waiting to happen. From cracked screens to water damage, your iPhone is in constant danger.

Water damage is a common situation to deal with so not to worry you aren’t alone. 28% of phones get damaged by liquids. If this happens to you, the most important thing is don’t panic.

If your iPhone gets wet, follow these steps to try to salvage your phone and the data on it. Here are some precautions you can take to prevent further damage and try to get your iPhone back without the need to buy a new one.

What to Do When Your iPhone Gets Wet

If you dropped your phone in water or accidentally submerged it in some other way, the number one priority is to prevent short-circuits. To prevent further damage, it’s important to know what not to do before you move on to what to do.

• Don’t plug the phone in
• If the phone is plugged in, don’t leave it plugged in
• Don’t turn the phone on

If your phone is still on, you may want to wake it up long enough to power it off. This step could allow damage to circuits, but so can notifications before the phone is fixed, so keep this in mind.

Dry the iPhone Out

The first step to recover an iPhone with water damage is to get it dry. If your iPhone has a case, take this off first. Start by wiping it down with a dry cloth to remove the surface water.

If the liquid is something sticky, you may want to clean it with alcohol wipes before continuing the drying process. Try to clean around the ports as well.

Once you have the surface water dry, shake the liquid out of the different ports. This won’t remove all the water, but it will help. If your phone has a SIM card, you should go ahead and remove it.

The next step is to let the phone completely dry out. To help absorb the excess liquid, you can use a couple of options.

• Submerge the phone in a bag or bowl of rice
• Cover the phone with silica packets
• Leave the phone in a dry area

Whichever option you choose, make sure you let the phone have 24-48 hours to dry. Do not try to use the phone while it’s drying out. Using one of the options that keep your phone covered has the added benefit of removing the temptation to check it.

Some people recommend taking out the battery when drying, but this is dangerous to do. If you don’t know what you’re doing, taking the phone apart can cause further damage.

Keep in mind that using rice can cause dust particles or grains of rice to get into the ports which can cause complications or further damage. If you want to avoid this, you might consider using the silica packets so you can keep the phone covered and absorb further excess liquid.

Once the phone has dried out, you can check the phone, but do this carefully. Just because the phone has dried doesn’t mean there’s no other damage to the battery or internal circuits. It’s not recommended to use the phone without getting it checked more thoroughly.

If possible, take the time to back up all your files before taking any other repair steps. If you have a damaged battery or faulty circuits, you could lose your data otherwise. Once your data is backed up, you should get the phone checked out for further damage.

iPhone Water Damage Repair Specialist

You can contact Apple support to get the water-damaged phone checked. Keep in mind that water damage is not covered with Apple’s warranty, so unless you have a third-party warranty you’ll have to pay for this service. Even with the water-resistant phones, water damage is outside of the Apple warranty.

You don’t have to go through Apple’s repair support though. There are easier, faster and cheaper repair options available. Look for a repair company in your area that specializes in iPhone repairs if you want quicker service.

To use Apple support, you’ll either need to ship the phone in or find a support store and schedule an appointment. This means you’ll have to wait several days to several weeks for a repair or replacement.

Many independent repair shops offer quick service and if you contact them ahead of time you can ensure faster service.

If the repair will take an extended time, you may have the option for a loaner phone while you wait.

A skilled repair shop will have the equipment and skills necessary to take the phone apart and check all the ports and circuits thoroughly. The repair shop will also have any necessary replacement parts, such as batteries, to replace any damaged parts on your phone. If necessary, you could even find a replacement phone.

You will also get up to a six-month warranty with the repair, so if you have any issues you can take it back to get checked out. This means you don’t have to worry about additional costs.

Finding a Reputable iPhone Repair Shop

Dealing with iPhone repairs is stressful and often costly. Apple’s warranty is limited and we all know smartphones are fragile. When choosing a repair shop, you want to find one with a good reputation for customer service and affordable prices.

A reputable repair shop will work with you when your iPhone gets wet or has other damage. They will have skilled technicians and parts readily available. They will also offer a warranty to ensure the job is done correctly.

Techville has just the skilled technicians you need. For repairs in Oakville and surrounding areas, Techville is available seven days a week to take care of your iPhone repair needs. Contact us for a free repair quote.