Category: Water Damage

Our smartphones are essential parts of our daily lives. We use them to communicate on Slack channels at work or store photos of our families. Because these devices do so much for us, it’s often terrifying when they become damaged. One of the most common forms of damage comes through water. A water-damaged phone is the worst nightmare of many people.

It happens in all sorts of ways, ranging from poolside accidents to falling in a toilet. When it happens, people often have only vague ideas of what to do. In this article, we’ll help you change that! We’ll break down how to tell if your phone has water damage and what to do when it happens. 

Water Damaged Phone Repair: Preventative Measures

It may help to know that most smartphones now are water-resistant, if not waterproof. Some phones can withstand complete submersion in water for up to a half-hour without damage.

Additionally, even if your phone isn’t waterproof, many phone cases are. So, it’s possible that getting your phone a little wet isn’t the terror it would have been in 2005. 

However, it’s always possible for things to go wrong. If your phone gets wet, follow these instructions.

Cut The Power

First, immediately remove your phone from the water. Regardless of how deeply submerged it is, it’s imperative to get it away from the water.

Second, power down your phone. Don’t start hitting buttons to see if it still works. Doing so could cause water to permeate the circuitry, and you don’t want that to happen.

Once the phone is shut down, remove the battery if possible. Many of the recent smartphones don’t have removable batteries, but older models still have this option.

If your battery isn’t removable, then move on to the SIM card. In many phones, once you remove the SIM card you can see a little strip that indicates whether cell phone water damage has hit your phone. 

If your phone is water-damaged, the strip will turn either red or pink in most models. If your phone has a removable battery, you’ll find this strip near the battery. 

Dry The Phone

Once you’ve cut the power, your next goal is to dry the phone. Many people will tell you that if your phone gets wet, you should put it in a bag of dry rice. 

The rationale behind this suggestion is that rice is an absorbent grain and will draw the moisture out of your phone. This is true; however, once the rice draws out that moisture, it becomes moist and messy itself. 

As a result, leaving your phone in a bag of rice could mean you’re leaving it in a moist environment. This environment could then prevent your phone from drying properly.

Instead, get some desiccants and put your phone in a bag with them. An example of a desiccant is silica gel, which you can find in a pack of beef jerky.

Silica gel is an excellent choice for drawing moisture from your phone. By using silica gel beads, companies draw harmful water out of food packages. Unlike rice, it doesn’t get messy or alter its texture when it absorbs water. 

If you don’t have any silica gel, you can use a clean towel to dry the phone as best as possible. Whatever you do, don’t microwave the phone or place it in the oven! Heat could damage the phone’s internal wiring.

Don’t use a hairdryer to fix it, either. Hairdryers run the risk of pushing water through the circuitry and making things worse.

Common Signs of a Water-Damaged Phone

We’ve given you several measures to protect your phone from water damage and even mentioned a way of identifying phone damage. However, there are other common symptoms of cell phone water damage we haven’t covered. In this section, we’ll touch on a few of these. 

One of the most common signs of water damage in a smartphone is when a water-damaged phone turns on, but the screen is black. If this ever happens to you, there’s a straightforward reason for it.

A black or drastically dimmed screen on your phone shows that water has slipped into your display. Usually, airing out your phone through methods named in the previous section can solve this.

Other examples may not have such easy repairs. One common sign of water damage is for sound to come through your speakers in a garbled way. Your speakers are one of the vulnerable gateways water uses to get in your phone. 

If water damages your speakers, drying your phone may not be enough. The same is true if you notice static in your sound when you connect your headphones to your phone (shout out to people who still have headphone jacks).

Another telltale sign of damage to your phone is if it won’t charge. Your charger port is probably the biggest opening for water to enter your phone. If you find it won’t register any chargers, this is likely due to water damage.

What To Do If You Can’t Fix Your Phone

In some situations, there may not be any water-damaged phone solutions. If that’s the case for you, here are some considerations. First, virtually no smartphone warranties cover liquid damage. You can’t expect the provider to cover replacement or repair costs. 

This lack of coverage is crucial because water damage isn’t cheap to repair. Some stores offer those services, but you can expect to pay at least $70 in most cases.

However, if you can’t fix your phone, you can always sell it. Even a damaged phone can earn you money for its parts and components. You can take that money and put it towards an upgrade.

Trust Us To Repair Your Phone

There are a lot of things you can do on your own to repair your water-damaged phone. However, while these steps increase your chances, none of them are guaranteed to mend your phone.

Instead, turn to professionals to repair your phone. Our team has all the experience and expertise you need to fix your phone. Find a location near you today!

Almost a third of consumers will drop their phones into water or other liquids at some point. Common culprits are beach waves and—you guessed it—toilets.

Wondering what to do if you drop your phone in water?

The longer your phone sits in the water, the more time water has to creep and seep into your phone through any cracks or open ports. This means fast action is the key to solving your technology woes.

Read on for a few fast tips that will increase the chances of saving your phone!

Grab Your Phone (Quickly)

Our first piece of advice on what to do when you drop your phone in water: retrieve it as quickly as possible.

While most phones are water-resistant, few are actually waterproof. Once you’ve dropped the phone in water, you’ll need to act quickly.

Modern smartphones have fewer cracks and crevices. There may still be enough openings to allow for some (potentially permanent) water damage.

If you are on a moving boat or vehicle, do not risk your safety to grab the phone. Only grab the device if you know you can get it.

Don’t shake it when you first get your phone out of the water—this can actually help water get closer to the inner parts of the phone, which are much more vulnerable to damage than the exterior.

What to Do If You Drop Your Phone in Water: Turn It Off

If your phone is plugged into a charger, unplug it immediately. If you dropped a phone in the ocean, stop whatever activities you’re doing and give the phone some attention.

Phones don’t typically die because of exposure to water. The big problem comes when the wiring inside the phone is exposed to water, causing it to short-circuit.

Fortunately, it’s less likely that your phone will have time to short out if you turn it off immediately.

Once you power the phone off, the chances of saving your phone are much greater. Not only that, but the wiring has time to dry before the water can conduct harmful electricity to it.

Remove Any Detachable Parts

If you’ve dropped your cell phone in water, you need to remove any parts that come off. You shouldn’t need any tools for this. In fact, if you use a tool without knowing what you’re doing, you could do more damage than good.

You can tell pretty quickly which parts are meant to come out. Your case should come off if it helps to hold in water.

If your phone has an SD card, that’s one other thing you can take out. You may still be able to use the card even if the phone loses functionality. This also allows that part of the phone to “breathe” and dry out faster.

You might be able to remove the battery, but in most cases, this isn’t possible. If you aren’t sure, you can call us and we’ll check the phone’s parts out for you.

Wash Your Phone Carefully

If your phone was submerged in saltwater, beer, or another damaging liquid, you may need to clean it off. Saltwater corrodes the parts that make your phone work, and other liquids can become sticky when they dry up.

Once you are sure you’ve removed every detachable part, gently run a small stream of clean water over the phone. You won’t need much. Avoid submerging the device in a bowl or sink—this could allow more water to seep in.

If you don’t have immediate access to clean water, consider bottled water. You mainly want to get rid of any other liquid.

Carefully Pat Dry With a Soft Towel

This part is pretty self-explanatory. Avoid applying too much pressure on any part of the device. Use a soft, absorbent towel to remove as much moisture as possible.

Don’t insert anything into the ports or any crevices. The towel’s fibers will get any moisture residing there, moisture any deeper will take time to dry out.

Another don’t: avoid pointing a hairdryer at your device. Some people have used this method along with the rice method with disappointing results.

Place Phone Somewhere Safe and Dry

The next step: letting your phone dry out. A phone in water will have drawn in moisture.

You might be tempted to try some more quick fixes here. The best thing you can do for your phone is to wait patiently while it dries out.

When letting your phone dry, do not try to power it on. It may take a day or two for the phone to completely dry, and you don’t want to power it on while there is still moisture present.

Keep your phone at room temperature, if possible. Laying it out to dry in the sun can lead to other problems, as phones don’t typically handle extreme heat well.

A cool, but not cold, flat surface is best. Keep it far away from any water sources, especially if you’re feeling superstitious. You may want to put it in a locked drawer or cabinet, away from curious hands.

Monitor for Performance Issues

If your phone dries out completely, you can now try turning your device on. Make note of what your phone does, including anything out of the norm.

Some phones power on and then display unusual quirks. You might notice display or touch problems with your screen. Others show progressively-worse performance over time.

Sadly, some phones never turn on. If your phone was submerged in water for a long time, this is the most likely scenario.

When Nothing Else Works, We’re Here to Help

Still not sure what to do if you drop your phone in water? If you don’t want to risk making things worse, it’s best to call a professional. You could end up saving your phone, and your wallet, too!

Someone who has dealt with a lot of broken or water-damaged devices will know what signs to look for. They may also have other unusual tips that only work for your type of device.

Don’t wait. Contact us for a quick-and-easy consultation. We’ll get your phone back in good shape and ready for your next outing!

You stand up from the toilet when plunk! Your phone falls out of your pocket and lands in the bowl. You’re fast to pull the phone out but you’re worried that it might have sustained some kind of water damage.

You’re not sure how to tell if your phone has water damage but your device is acting kind of weird since the incident. The touch screen isn’t responsive and the speaker is acting a little strange.

These are indeed two obvious signs that something’s wrong. Keep reading to learn what all the signs are and how to fix your phone if it’s undergone some water damage.

How to Tell If Your Phone Has Water Damage

If you’ve dropped your iPhone in the toilet take off the case right away and find your SIM tray. Most of the time it’s going to be on the right side of the phone somewhere. 

Once you’ve found it, use a SIM removal tool to press into the hole on the bottom of the tray and pull it out. If you don’t own a SIM removal tool, a straight paper clip will work as well. 

Take a flashlight and shine it into the SIM slot. If you see red in the slot this is a bad sign. It means that it’s taken on quite a bit of water damage. 

Checking your Android phone for water damage is pretty much the same process unless it has a removable battery. If this is the case, the water damage indicator will be somewhere on the battery. 

Other signs of water damage on a phone include a wide array of hardware issues. The touch screen may act strangely and even open apps. 

The microphone or speaker might not work as it should. You could have problems opening up web browsers and other applications. Sometimes the phone displays an actual error message.  

What to Do About it?

Now that you know for sure that your phone has water damage, what can you do about it? Before you take it to your local repair shop, there are a few things you can try to dry out your phone. 

Take the Phone Apart 

When we say take the phone apart, we don’t mean take a screwdriver to it and dismember the phone. What we mean is that you should take out anything that’s removable. 

Remove the battery if you’re able to along with the SIM card and SD card. Lay them on a paper towel to dry off. 

Dry the Exterior

While the removable parts of your phone are sitting out to dry, take a dry cloth to the rest of your phone. You want to be a little gentle about this. 

If you move the device around too much while you’re drying it out, you may push the water deeper into the phone. 

Try a Vacuum

Speaking of water deep in the phone, there are places where a paper towel isn’t going to be able to reach. For these stubborn areas, you can actually use a vacuum cleaner. 

The vacuum can suck little droplets of water out of the phone without doing any real damage to the device. Make sure that you use one of the smaller attachments on your vacuum cleaner for this purpose and again, try not to move it around too much. 

Dry it Out 

There are quite a few methods you could use to absorb the remaining moisture in the phone. You could just leave it out on a counter but that’s not as effective as putting it into a bag full of rice. 

Rice is something that you probably have up in your cabinet and if you don’t it will be pretty cheap for you to pick some up. Leave your phone in the bag of rice for two to three days so it can do its job of absorbing moisture. 

If you don’t have rice on hand, silica gel packets will work as well. Once your phone has been sitting in either rice or silica gel packets for a few days take it out, put it back together, and try turning it on. 

What Not to Do!

It’s important to also know what you shouldn’t do when your phone is exposed to water. First of all, don’t attempt to turn it on or plug it in. This might fry some of the electrical components. 

Don’t push any keys. If you do, it might force the water deeper into the phone. You don’t want to blow into the phone or jostle it too much for the same reason. 

You shouldn’t expose your phone to excessive amounts of heat so avoid using a blow dryer to dry it out. 

How to Avoid Water Damage in the Future 

Of course, the best way to avoid water damage is to prevent it from happening in the first place. No matter how waterproof a phone claims to be, prolonged exposure to water will damage it. 

Give the phone a little boost by investing in a waterproof case. If all else fails, make sure that you always back up your data. This way, if your phone does take a plunge into a toilet and can’t be fixed, you still have all your data. 

Save Your Phone from Water Damage 

Not sure how to tell if your phone has water damage? You’ll know when you take the SIM card out. The red indicator will inform you. 

If you can’t find the indicator, your phone will tell you in other ways in the form of hardware issues. If you act fast enough and follow this guide, you’ll be able to save your device. 

Have your repair efforts proven ineffective? Let us take a look at it. Go here to schedule your phone repair today. 

Water spills are a common mistake anyone can make. While usually harmless, one moment can have a huge effect and cost you hundreds in computer repairs.

We’re all waiting for the day when every laptop component is waterproof and protected from simple mistakes. While many types of phones are waterproof to help protect against damage, laptops haven’t caught on to the same need.

Until then, find out what to do when you spill water on your laptop.

What to Do When You Spill Water on Your Laptop

You might have moved your hand just slightly and come into contact with a cup. It might not have even been your fault – pets and kids have been known to stumble into full cups of water and leave them crashing onto surfaces.

When it happens, it only takes the blink of an eye. If water spills on your laptop, the first thing to do is remain calm. While it feels like a disaster, it’s a common problem that many laptops have come back from.

Keep in mind that you’ll need to move quickly when your laptop is exposed to any moisture. If you follow these five steps, you may be able to prevent the water from seeping into your laptop’s essential components:

1. Isolate the spill
2. Remove as much liquid as possible
3. Take the laptop apart
4. Use as much air as possible
5. Wait patiently

Executing each step quickly and calmly is your best bet toward saving your laptop.

1. Isolate the Spill

When there’s spilled water on a laptop, chances are the puddle is spreading fast around the site of the accident. Immediately unplug your laptop from any components and remove it from the spill area.

The longer your laptop sits in a puddle of water, the more likely it is to retain damage. If you leave your laptop plugged in, the damage can also affect other devices like a mouse or monitor.

Furthermore, water near power sources can lead to electric shock. Turning off your laptop and isolating it from the spill is essential to protecting yourself just as much as the laptop. If you get water near your electrical wiring, you can cause big problems beyond laptop damage.

If you have a case on your laptop or are using any USB drives, remove those as well. The goal is to get your laptop as isolated as possible so you can isolate the spill and deal with the laptop quickly.

2. Remove as Much Liquid as Possible

To prevent as much water in the laptop as possible, grab a clean cloth or towel to immediately start wiping the outside. Focus on your keyboard since it’ll be easy for water to slip through the spaces in between the keys.

Work quickly, but try not to miss any spots. The more water you can remove from the outside, the less damage it might cause on the inside.

As soon as you’re done wiping off the laptop, open it as wide as you can and set it down upside down. By letting the laptop sit in this position, gravity will do its job to pull any water away from the essential internal components.

Let the laptop sit down for at least 15 minutes to let as much water move away from the inside as possible.

3. Take the Laptop Apart

If wiping and holding your laptop upside-down isn’t enough, it’s time to deconstruct your laptop as much as possible and get directly to the inside. The most you may be able to do is pop out your laptop battery, as the rest may be difficult to get to.

If you aren’t sure how to take your laptop apart successfully, hold off on this step. You may cause even more damage to your laptop or may even be left without knowing how to put it back together.

If you can remove your laptop battery or other components, carefully dry these parts with a towel as well.

4. Use as Much Air as Possible

Whether you’ve been able to deconstruct your laptop or you’re still on step two, use air to dry the rest of the laptop. The best method to use is compressed air since you’ll get a powerful, targeted stream.

If you don’t have compressed air, you can also use a hairdryer. Just be sure you’re using the hairdryer on the cool setting so you aren’t overheating any of the laptop’s components.

If all else fails, keep your laptop as open as possible and sitting upside down. Try to bring it as close as possible to a fan or other source of air.

5. Wait Patiently

The last step is the hardest. After you’ve done everything you can, leave the laptop alone in an upside-down position. If there’s any liquid left inside, you’ll need to wait for it to drain out before you can determine the damage (if any).

You might think that there’s more you should be doing, but there’s not much you can do if you’ve already followed the four steps above. 

After at least 24 hours, check your laptop by turning it on and making sure it’s working properly.

Reach Out to Professional Laptop Repair Services

Knowing what to do when you spill water on your laptop is the best way to prevent serious damage. Unfortunately, we can’t always prevent simple mistakes like knocking over a cup of water.

If the water damage immediately seems severe or your laptop isn’t working after following our step-by-step guide, it’s time to reach out to professional services. A professional laptop repair technician is trained to work quickly and protect the key components from water damage.

Contact Fruit Fixed today for comprehensive laptop and computer repair services. Technicians are available to offer quality laptop repair in Virginia.