How to Rescue a Wet Smartphone

Don't give up if your phone gets wet. Even if it falls into a sink, toilet, or bathtub, you can still save your device. The most important thing is to act quickly. Remove the phone from the water as soon as possible. Then, power it off, remove the battery, and take out all accessories. Try to dry the water inside the phone as best as you can using a cloth and a vacuum cleaner. Next, place the phone into a bowl of uncooked rice or another absorbent material for 48-72 hours before turning it back on. With a little luck and fast action, your phone might 'come back to life.'

Remove the phone from water as quickly as possible unless it's connected to a power source. The longer your phone stays in the water, the more severe the damage will be. If the phone has been submerged for too long, it might not be recoverable.

Turn off the power if your phone falls into water while charging. If your phone is charging and gets wet, immediately turn off the power before removing it from the water. Removing a phone from water while charging can lead to electric shock.

Turn off the phone immediately, even if it's still working. Not turning off the phone could cause a short circuit. If the phone has been submerged in water, treat it as if it's been water-damaged, regardless of whether it’s still working or not.

Remove the phone's case and battery, and place them on a tissue. After taking the phone out of the water, use a tissue or soft cloth to lay the phone down while you remove the case and battery. Most phones require a screwdriver to open, but for iPhones, you’ll need a small pin-like screwdriver.

• Consult the phone’s manual if you're unsure how to remove the battery.
• This is one of the most crucial steps in saving your phone. Many circuits inside the phone may still work after being submerged in water if they’re not connected to power (the battery) when wet.
• To check if your phone has been affected by water, look near the battery. You should see a white square or circle. If it’s pink or red, your phone has been exposed to water.

Remove the SIM card if the phone has one. After removing the SIM card, use a tissue or cloth to dry off any water. Place the SIM card on a dry cloth or tissue and let it dry until the phone is reconnected to the mobile network. If the phone doesn’t have a SIM card, skip this step.

• Your SIM card may contain important contacts and other data. In most cases, saving the SIM card is more important than saving the phone itself.

Remove any accessories attached to the phone. Detach any protective cases, headphones, memory cards, or other accessories connected to the phone. Make sure the phone’s slots and trays are unobstructed to allow the water to dry more efficiently.

Place the phone in a bowl of instant rice for 48-72 hours. Pour 4 cups (about 750g) of rice into a large bowl. Next, bury the phone and the removed battery in the rice. The rice will absorb the remaining moisture from the device.

• Rotate the phone every hour until you go to bed. This helps to drain out the water inside and creates space for it to escape.
• White or brown rice doesn’t absorb moisture as well as instant rice and is less effective.

Use desiccant packets instead of instant rice if available. Place a few desiccant packets, the phone, and the removed battery into a box. Wait for 48-72 hours while the desiccant draws out the remaining moisture from the phone.

• Desiccant packets are small packets found in new shoes, bags, instant noodles, and other products.
• Speed remains the most important factor when saving a wet phone; so, if you don’t have desiccant packets, using rice or other drying agents is a great alternative.

Cover the phone with 4 cups (about 750g) of silica cat litter. If you don’t have instant rice or desiccant packets, silica cat litter is another option. Pour a layer of silica cat litter into a box that’s at least 1-2 liters in size. Next, place the phone and the removed battery on top of the litter. Add more litter to completely cover the phone.

• You can find silica cat litter at most supermarkets and pet stores.
• Avoid using clay or other types of litter. Only silica cat litter made from gel beads works effectively.
• Other drying materials like couscous and instant oatmeal can also be effective.

Use a vacuum cleaner to suck the water out of the phone. Attach the hose to the vacuum cleaner, then turn it on at the highest setting and suck the water out of the openings on the phone.

• Wet/dry vacuum cleaners are especially effective for this step if you have one available.
• This is the fastest method, and it can dry the phone completely and get it back working in about 30 minutes. However, don’t turn the phone on that quickly unless it was exposed to water for an extremely short period of time.

Use an air compressor to blow water out of the phone. Set the air compressor to a low psi (pounds per square inch) setting. Blow air over the phone's surface and ports.

• You can also use a can of compressed air.
• Using a higher psi setting may damage the internal components of the phone.
• Do not use a hair dryer to dry the phone. The heat could cause damage to the internal parts.

Wipe the phone and battery dry with a soft cloth or towel. While blowing or vacuuming to dry the phone, gently wipe off any water on the surface. Although drying the inside of the phone is crucial, you also need to dry the external parts of the device.

• Avoid shaking or moving the phone too much to prevent water from spreading inside the device.

Place the phone in a well-ventilated area with a fan as another option. Set the phone on a dry towel or an absorbent surface. Next, if available, turn on a fan and direct it towards the surface of the phone.

Wait around 48-72 hours before turning the phone on. Before powering up the phone, ensure it is thoroughly clean and dry. Wipe or vacuum off any dust from the device and battery. Finally, reattach the battery and power it on.

• The longer you wait before turning the phone on, the higher the chances of recovery.

• Take your phone to a repair shop if you're unable to fix it yourself. They may be able to restore your phone.
• Be cautious when placing the phone in rice, as rice grains can get stuck in the charging or headphone ports.

• Do not attempt to disassemble the phone unless you’ve been instructed to do so.
• Avoid drying the phone with heat, as this could cause further damage.
• Do not unplug the charging cable while the phone is submerged in water, as this may lead to electric shock. Only remove the phone from the water after you’ve turned off the power at the electrical outlet.

• Paper towels or a dry cloth
• Vacuum cleaner
• Vacuum pump (optional)
• A large bowl with a 1-2 liter capacity
• 4 cups (around 750g) of instant rice or silica gel cat litter
• Desiccant pack (optional)