If your iPhone has water damage, keep calm and follow these crucial steps to try to save your phone. The quicker you perform the following steps, the better chance you have of bringing your beloved iPhone back to life.
Step 1: Power Off
Remove your iPhone from the liquid and power off your device. Due to their conductive nature, water and other liquids short-circuit electronics. Do not power on your phone, charge it, or connect it to other devices without proper time to dry. This is a crucial step to prevent iPhone water damage.
Step 2: Wipe It Off
Dry your iPhone with a soft, absorbent cloth and carefully wipe down the headphone jack and charge port. If your iPhone is a GSM/AT&T model, remove and dry the SIM card and tray. Evaporating liquid with a heat source causes additional damage and is not recommended.
Step 3: Dry and Absorb
Lay your iPhone in a safe, dry place. Allow at least 48 hours for the liquid to evaporate before reinserting the SIM components or turning on the iPhone.
Alternative Drying Method – Place Phone in Rice
Placing your water damaged iPhone in a plastic bag filled with uncooked rice facilitates the evaporation process. Dry rice grains act as a safe, natural alternative to other desiccants, such as silica gel, and absorb excess liquid while being too large to enter ports or separations in the phone body.
Step 4: Review Your iPhone Warranty
While your iPhone dries, review the terms of your warranty. Water damage voids your manufacturer’s warranty, as well as any additional AppleCare coverage. However, third-party warranty vendors, such as Asurion and SquareTrade, offer coverage for accidental drops, spills, and submersion. If you own one of these warranties, file a claim to replace your equipment, regardless of whether the phone currently seems to be in good operating condition.
Step 5: A Last Ditch Effort
If your iPhone becomes submerged in liquids other than fresh water—seawater, treated pool water, coffee, soda, juice—then you may need to take additional measures to preserve functionality. When these other liquids evaporate, they leave behind residues that continue to damage internal components. If your provider’s warranty does not cover iPhone water damage and you have no other recourse for repairing or replacing your phone, consider re-submerging your phone in circuit-safe cleaner or pure grain alcohol. Pure grain alcohol absorbs water, cleans corrosive impurities, and evaporates without leaving behind a conductive residue. After removing your phone from the alcohol bath, allow a 48-hour drying period before powering on the device.
[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[/cf]