Cell Phone Water Damage: Can It Be Fixed?

Waterproof cell phones and smartphones are a hot topic right now. As the cost of smartphones continues to rise, it is important to protect and keep your phone in good condition. Though it sounds simple, avoiding phone damage can be a challenge. About 30% of iPhones suffer from some form of damage over the course of a year, and about 25% of smartphone owners report that damage happened to their phone because of a child using it.

While phone cases are a good start to help protect the investment of your cell phone, many phone cases don’t protect against water damage. If you are looking for a phone fix because your phone has water damage, here are a few tips, although it may be best to just bring it to a professional so further damage doesn’t occur.

Water Damaged Phone Repair Tips

Repairing water damage on your own can be risky and potentially cause further damage. Water damage could short circuit your speakers, or it could fry your entire motherboard. It isn’t quite the same as a simple iPhone battery replacement.

With that being said, you assume full risk when attempting to repair water damage by yourself. Here is what you shouldn’t do when attempting water damaged phone repair at home:

• Do not turn the phone back on. Electricity and water don’t mix well.
• Do not plug it in. Plugging in the phone — even if it is off — will add electricity to the mix.
• Do not press any keys or buttons. This can lodge water further into the phone.
• Do not blow into the device or shake it. Shaking the phone or blowing into it can push water deeper into the phone. Try to move the phone as little as possible.
• Do not heat up the phone. While heat may evaporate water, it can also further damage your phone.

Fortunately, there are some things you can do to get your phone back into working condition. Even if you decide to take your phone into a shop for water damaged phone repair, some of these items can be good to do beforehand:

• Paper Towel Dry: Take a paper towel and hand dry the exterior of the phone as much as possible. Again, no need to be too vigorous here, just get all of the water off the surface.
• Use a Vacuum: You can try to use a vacuum to suck water off the phone and, if possible, from inside of it. This method isn’t the most effective for water damaged phone repair, though it can help slightly.
• Time and Rice: Water will evaporate over time. Just as pool toys eventually dry off when exposed to air, water in your phone will mostly evaporate over time. Putting your phone in a zip lock bag of rice may help speed up this process. Because rice is so dry, it tends to pull humidity out of the air. Putting rice and a water damaged phone in a zip lock back creates a controlled environment where the only humidity is coming from your phone.

After a couple of days you can try to turn your phone back on. However, bringing your phone in to be repaired professionally can be a safer way to handle a phone with water damage. It can also better guarantee that your phone will work again.