I have dropped an iPhone in Water! What should we do now? These are the two questions that haunt the device owners that don’t have enough time and money to buy a new phone & transfer all data to the new device. We are going to look at the harsh reality and how we can go through it with the best results by the end of the day.
Do Water Damaged iPhone Survive?
The answer is a big “YES” and the damage is decided by the actions that you take immediately. It’s all about the level of water damage and how you take proper measures to get the water out of the system for good.
Let’s look at several things that you should do immediately after the iPhone contacts with water.
Note: We are going to treat that the iPhone water seal has weakened or it doesn’t have a seal at all. Millions of Apple device owners are using iPhones, and it is important to cover for them as well.
Turn off or Power off the iPhone
The iPhone should be turned off instantly because the electrical surge will go through the veins of the board and smaller components. Of course, the water protection might have weakened, or it’s not present there anymore, but it will prevent water from reaching the mainboard for some time. You should take that luxury time to shut down the device using the power button and if it is not working then shut down using the software button.
Your iPhone will shut down even when the power button is not working. Fortunately, Apple worked on the display & digitalized it, where it will work even when water is occupied by the surface.
Get the water out of ports
It takes less than a couple of seconds to wipe the liquid from the surface with a cotton cloth. However, it is not easy to remove the liquid droplets from smaller ports like charging port, speaker vents and 3.5mm jack (if it there in the iPhone), and more. You should spend a couple of minutes removing water droplets using cotton buds because it reached smaller areas and soaks droplets instantly.
Note: Do not spend a long time trying to get every last drop out of the ports because every minute is important.
Dry the iPhone (naturally)
Water vaporizes in thin air and even from smaller places, and that applies to iPhone & other devices. You have to let the iPhone dry on its own, but you can speed up the process.
- Use a table fan to dry the iPhone from inside.
- Do not use hair dryers because it can damage the device instead.
- Do not use professional air blowers because it can cause permanent damages because of the airspeed and flow.
You can use this time to find a certified engineer to take a look at the device and work on it immediately. Readers should spend this time to look for a service center and they should have good engineers & humble to the customers. Do not push yourself into going to a random service center and read the reviews for the best outcome.
Alternative: You should also keep a list of third-party service stores because Apple might ignore the water damaged device.
There have been cases where Apple service center has quoted absurd repair costs. A third-party service store will cost you much lesser and inexpensive compared to the authorized store.
Book an appointment to the service center
Do not waste any time because engineers have advanced equipment and chemicals that can release water from the components. They have the tools to remove the housing and take a look at the device at an in-depth level, which will save the iPhone.
- The service center should have legit positive reviews online.
- The service center must have certified engineers because that matters a lot in this case.
- The Apple engineers should be responsive because they might ignore a water damaged device.
You can approach third-party repair stores but make sure they are legit and you trust them wholeheartedly because there have been reports of parts replacements.
Let the experts take it from here
Don’t try to be an expert at iPhone repair by reading a guide online because water damage is a severe state of the device. One mistake can lead to permanent damage to the important components in the iPhone.
Follow the simple steps explained in the guide and reach out to the device engineers with the best situation. You might get charged a few hundred dollars, but it is worth sticking to the iPhone because it will survive and come back to its normal state.
However, you should compare the cost of repair & the cost of the device at the end of the day and see what works for you.
Water Damaged iPhone: Things you shouldn’t do
If you have dropped an iPhone in water, then there are things that you shouldn’t do. Thousands of Apple device owners read guides online and believe that they can fix it at home, so it is important to know that you shouldn’t push your luck.
- Do not push your luck thinking that you can fix it at home because water is the natural enemy of electrical goods.
- Do not use desiccant and put the iPhone in desiccant for many days because it takes less than a minute for the iPhone to die.
- Don’t wait longer than half an hour to leave the house to certified engineer.
- Do not use a hairdryer or professional air blowers to dry the device.
- Don’t rush over things because you will make mistakes.
- Do not think that your iPhone is dead because it is repairable, and we have one device that is water damaged & running smoothly.
You should reach the authorized iPhone service center and if they are quoting a higher price or asking you to buy a new one, then seek assistance from a third-party repair store.
Note: Be careful of third-party repair stores because they may steal good parts from the device.
Final Words
You may have dropped an iPhone in water accidentally, but you can bring it back to life. If your luck is good and then it is repairable at a cheaper cost with minor damaged components.
