He fell inside WC. Your clumsy partner put a glass of water on him. You forgot it was in your pocket when you jumped into the pool. These are just a few of the hundreds of ways your phone could come in contact with life-threatening liquids.
Fortunately, waterproofing has become largely standard on modern phones. The new iPhones, Samsung Galaxy devices and the latest Pixel phones from Google all have a certain degree of water resistance or waterproofing. How well a phone withstands water is measured on an IP scale (or Input Protection). If your phone is rated with a large number, such as IP67 or IP68 protection, congratulations, it will probably be fine! But if it has a lower rating or not at all, you should prepare for the worst before you start cooling off in the hot tub with your trusted Sidekick.
So when your phone decides to take a dive, as soon as you’re scared, you’ll probably start frantically touching all the buttons, blowing on them, or tossing them with a hair dryer to quickly get rid of all that water. . . Although these are all well-intentioned actions, guess what? Totally wrong approach. Here’s how to save your smartphone from water damage.
First, pick it up as soon as possible. If your phone is still at the bottom of the jacuzzi or toilet, remove it as soon as possible. The more liquid there is, the greater the likelihood of damage.
Once the device is no longer submerged, turn it off immediately. Don’t try to press any of the other buttons or load any apps, just shut it down. Remove the case if you have one. If you have a phone with a removable battery, remove the battery. You want to turn off the power to your device as soon as possible to prevent a short circuit. Most smartphones today don’t have removable batteries, but some older or newer models built for repairability, such as the Nokia 1.3, allow you to remove the battery.
Do not dry the phone wet or put it in the oven! Heat can damage delicate electronics inside. All you have to do is give the empty phone, without the case, a quick wipe with a clean towel, making sure that no water accidentally drains into the charging port, SIM or MicroSD slots or the headphone jack (if the phone you still have one). If there are traces of water trapped in cracks or indentations in the housing, try carefully and conservatively using compressed air to blow it. If you don’t have an air box around, you can use your mouth to throw it lightly. Be careful not to blow more water inside the phone or add any of your own spit to the mixture.
Here are some different options. If you search the internet or ask a friend, a common tip you will hear is to stuff your device in a rice bag. It often works in a pinch, but this method can cause some problems. While the rice is absorbent, it is unable to collect all the moisture hidden deep in the phone, so it only serves as a partial solution. Also, the rice becomes soft and sticky as it absorbs water, and then you could end up with pieces of gummy rice stuck in the seams and ports of the phone. To be safe, wrap the phone in a paper towel before throwing it in the rice.