Ever dropped your phone in water? Here is a way out
by Marziah Karch
What happens if you get your Android phone wet? Do you
panic? Do you throw it in a jar of rice? Do you throw it away? It turns out all
of those answers are wrong.
Chances are good if you just splashed a few drops of water
on your screen, nothing bad will happen. So let's just talk about what happens
if you really goof. What if you drop your phone in the toilet or end up caught
in a rain storm with your purse soaking wet.
What if you wash it in the laundry? What then?
Well, there's a small chance you won't need to do anything
if your phone is water resistant enough to avoid damage. For everyone else,
here are a few things to try:
Step One: Turn off Your Phone
Don't just turn of the screen. Power it down completely.
Hold down the power button until it is off, and if possible, open the case and
remove the battery.
Generally, phones don't die just because of water. They die
because the water causes a short in the wiring. In order for that to happen,
you need to have power. If you can power down the phone and dry it out within
48 hours of water exposure, chances are very good that your phone will see
another day.
If you have a case on your phone, remove it at this time.
You want to have as much of your phone exposed to air as possible.
You could try a service like TekDry
at this point if they are available near you.
Wash Your Phone?
If you dropped it in the ocean, wash it. Salt water will
corrode the interior. Same if you dropped it in soup or other materials with
particles. Or a dirty toilet bowl. Yes, wash it off in a stream of clean water.
Do not dunk it in a bowl or sink of water.
Avoid Jostling, Tilting, or Shaking Your Phone
If there's water inside your phone, you don't want to make
it worse by letting it run in new places. Sorry, people who accidentally washed
their phone in the laundry.
Do Not Use Rice
Yes, I know the common thing everyone tells you to do is to
stuff your phone in a jar of rice.
However, stuffing your phone in a jar of rice is more likely
to accidentally stuff rice grains into your phone than it is to aid the phone's
drying process. Rice
is not a drying agent. Do not use rice. Other things not to use include a
hair dryer, oven, or microwave. (Unless you really just wanted to destroy your
phone and you're mad that the water didn't do the job.)
Instead, use actual drying agents, such as Damp Rid
(available in grocery stores) or silica gel (the "do not eat" packets
in vitamins).
Gently pat your phone down with a towel, and then place it
on some paper towels. Place the phone somewhere where it won't' be disturbed.
If possible, place the phone and paper towels in a container with Damp Rid or
silica gel packets. You probably have time to run to the grocery store to buy
some if you don't have any on hand.
Wait.
Give your phone at least 48 hours to dry. Longer if you can.
You may want to balance your phone upright and tilt it, so the USB port aims
down after about 24 hours to make sure any remaining moisture drains downward
and out of your phone. Avoid jostling or shaking.
If you are an adventurous warranty-voider and have the
correct tools, you could also try disassembling the phone as much as possible
before drying it out.
Water Sensors
How do repair companies know you got your phone wet? Your
phone has water sensors in it that can detect if there has ever been water
ingress. The sensors in most phones actually just look like tiny pieces of
paper or stickers. They are white when the phone has stayed dry, and they turn
bright red when the sensor gets wet. If you see bright red on the interior of
your phone, that's probably a tripped water sensor.
Waterproof Coating
Companies like Liquipel can
coat phones that would normally not be water resistant. You send them your
phone, and they coat it and return it to you.
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