What do I do if my smartphone has fallen into the water?

Smartphone water

Today, more and more manufacturers are deciding protect your devices from moisture or liquids. Either officially with certifications IP67 o IP68, depending on the level of resistance to water and dust, or unofficially, by means of glues and rubber gaskets, manufacturers themselves think more and more every day that we use the mobile phone in more varied environments, increasing the risk of being damaged.

The iPhone 6s, for example, included design changes that give it greater water resistance, but it was with the arrival of iPhone 7 when Apple certified with IP67 protection resistance to water and dust. The latest models Xs and Xs Max, they already have protection IP68. But, regardless of the protection our terminals have, What should we do if our smartphone gets wet?

The worst moment is when our smartphone falls into the water or gets wet. Panic will spread in abundance, and it is no wonder. An electronic device, whether IP certified or not, can stop working the moment it gets wet, but we always have to at least try extract that liquid and, above all, the humidity generated inside the terminal. The most widespread method It is none other than the classic rice. We will explain it in detail below, focusing on the case that the liquid that has wet our mobile is water.

The rice method

dry mobile with rice

By many people it is known that the most cheap, simple and effective In case the terminal falls overboard, it is the one for rice. If a mobile device gets wet, the steps to follow will be:

  • We turn off the mobile immediately. Do not check if it works at that time, as the problem may worsen until the terminal death.
  • We take out the SIM card and, if equipped, the battery cover and Battery itself.
  • We dry the terminal externally using a soft, non-scratch cloth.
  • And here comes the heart of the matter: we have to immerse the device in a bowl with rice. Of course, the method will be much more effective if the rice covers the terminal without exposing anything.
  • Now we only have wait until the moisture absorbing power of rice does its job, and take the moisture inside the mobile with it. Remember that it is very important not to turn on your mobile except in case of extreme need.
  • It is recommended change the rice at least every 12 hours so that its absorption power does not diminish.

After carrying out this process, the phone could come back to life, but the most normal thing is that it has been damaged internally, losing some functions. The water sweeps through where it passes, and elements such as botones, camera and above all, the speaker, they will suffer his step and they won't work properly, maybe for a time, or even definitely. But at this point, and in case of having partially saved the mobile, we can always try to save the data inside and already decide what to do.

Although at this point we have to distinguish between fresh water and saltwater, since the salt of the latter has a great corrosive power, affecting certain metal parts inside the mobile, such as certain connectors or even the motherboard, so this process it won't work as efficiently. From lost to the river, and with the device damaged, any attempt to revive it is good, although in this case we would have to repeat the last step several times to remove as much moisture as possible and, above all, act quickly to avoid greater evils.

My terminal has gotten wet and won't turn on, is it broken?

wet smartphone

We may seem insistent, but the most important thing to remember is that we must turn off the terminal as quickly as possible, if it continues to function, or don't try to turn it on if it has been turned off. At a time like this and with so much tension, we may not remember this detail, but it can be the difference between saving our mobile or leading it to certain death. Remember, electricity and water are not very good friends, so it is preferable to heal in health. But if after getting wet and doing the rice method it still does not work or does not turn on, it is most likely that it has suffered serious damage, but we can check if we have been lucky and it has not been with a little trick.

My device turns on, but the screen doesn't work

If the screen doesn't work, we have to put ourselves in the worst. If after getting wet the screen does not turn on and we do not get any response from the display, we can start thinking about changing mobile, although we can still do some verificationIt is as simple as looking for a way to receive some stimulus from the mobile. The easiest option is someone call us, but in case of having a PIN code or having the mobile silent, it will not ring or do anything. The next step would be connect it to the computer. If it recognizes the device, at least we know it works, even if we can't see anything through the screen.

In this case, it is already up to each decide what to do with the device. The option of the official service is always present, taking into account that the invoice, in case of repair, will be substantial. Otherwise and if you see yourself capable, you can try to repair it yourself, looking for the pieces and following tutorials that you find on the web.

Can I dry a wet device with a hairdryer?

mobile drying with dryer

We can think that hot air will make the water evaporate faster inside our mobile. But let's keep in mind that hot air coming out of the dryer has a temperature higher than what a mobile phone can withstand under normal conditions. We can burn certain vital parts of the mobile and then, create irreparable damage.

Although it is true that some dryers allow air to be expelled at room temperature, it is not advisable either, since in any case we could expand the water inside the device, making it reach more places and finally, damaging components that, without knowing it, were still healthy. So better let's forget about the dryer, and let's stay true to the rice method.

And now how do I repair my wet device?

iPhone open

Each case is different, so we will have to make a diagnosis to know what has been broken. We lose nothing by repeating the rice method one more time and seeing if we are lucky, but if we have already repeated it a few times, the next step is to test each feature of the phone to see what works and what does not. If the failure is general (for example, it does not turn on or respond to anything), the case is more complicated and we will have to thinking about a new mobile. But if we see that the camera is foggy and does not focus well, the ideal would be look for a tutorial of the hundreds that are in the networks, buy the parts from a reliable and trustworthy supplier and launch ourselves repair it ourselves.

Of course, we will have to take into account that the tutorials that we have available on specialized pages such as iFixit are made by professionals, and aimed at people with basic notions of electronics repair. The second thing is that obviously we will lose the warranty, although the device has been wetted, it will be directly canceled, as we explain below.

If we are not familiar with the guts of electronic devices, it is best to forget to repair the terminal ourselves and contact a technical service. It is also necessary to know that to open and repair such a complex electronic device, the box of tools that we usually have at home does not help us, but we will have to provide ourselves with specific tools, such as magnetized pentalobular screwdrivers to be able to tame the tiny screws that we will find.

Can I hide that my device has gotten wet?

The answer is very clear 99% of the time: no. Of course, manufacturers are always one step ahead of users, and to avoid problems they provide mobile terminals with some liquid contact indicators. They are nothing but small white stickers, which turn a reddish color when they come into contact with a liquid. Bear in mind that in some cases, only from contact with moisture, such as in the bathroom during a shower, they can change color, even without having wet the terminal. So without a doubt they are very sensitive.

IPhone Moisture Sneaks

It is not the most common, but that possibility exists. If we observe that the indicator has turned reddish, it would be a waste of time trying to get covered by the warranty of the manufacturer, since in the conditions it clearly specifies that, even in the devices with IP protection, the guarantee is invalidated in case of being wet, alleging misuse of the same.

Conclusion

Let's be honest. Nobody likes that their beloved mobile that has been so hard to get accidentally gets wet, even if it is a terminal with IP67 or IP68 waterproof certification. If we get wet, even if it continues to work, the best option is to turn it off, follow the rice method and wait. The key is the patience.

In case it still does not work after this time, we will have to find out the cause. If we find it clearly, we can already decide whether to take it for service or repair it ourselves. In the event that nothing works, the best is go looking for a new terminal as a substitute


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