It’s happened to the best of us: you’re just getting done using the toilet when whoops — your very expensive smartphone just fell inside the bowl. Or, maybe still, you’ve been having a drink with your mates when all of a sudden you’ve spilled a whole pint of beer on your device. Whatever the case, when liquid gets in your phone’s most sensitive electronics there’s not a whole lot you can do. Still, there are some steps you can take that might get your phone to work like new.

Don't Fret

Just because it’s in water doesn’t mean your phone is a lost cause. Acting quickly can actually prevent your phone from any water damage. Though, please note, if your phone is connected to a wall charger, do not take it out of the water. If you remove it from the water, you may get electrocuted! However, if it’s not connected to a wall charger, then you’re free to remove it as quickly as you can.

Start by Removing the Phone from the Water as Quick as You Can

This might seem like a no-brainer but you really don’t want your phone to be sitting in a liquid for hours on end. Even if you think your device is protected by a case or plastic cover, it’s not. Not really, anyways. Water has a way of finding itself into your phone’s insides via your headphone jack or charging port. What’s more, keeping the phone on can actually cause more damage to your phone! So, removing your phone from whatever liquid its in and turning it off immediately would be the best course of action.

Place Your Phone on a Paper Towel or Soft Cloth to Remove the Battery (Android only)

This is one of the most important steps that you need to follow as doing this can actually save your phone from lasting damage. By removing the battery, you’re preventing water from enter into your device’s power source and thus eliminating the risk of a short circuit. To check if your phone has water damage, take a close look at one of the corners where your battery sits. There’s should be a white square or circle. If the square or circle is white, then there’s no damage. However, if it has pink or red lines, you have water damage.

Remove the SIM Card, If You Have One

If your phone has a SIM card then you’ll want to remove it as well. For many devices, the SIM stores all kinda of important information, so removing this from your phone can save yourself all sorts of headaches down the road. SIM cards can survive water damage, but you’ll want to remove it immediately in order to maximize your chances of it being undamaged. Dry it off gently and leave it somewhere safe in the open air.

Remove Other Accessories

If you have headphones plugged in, a phone case, or whatever then you’ll want to remove them as well as they’ll only serve to get in the way. You’ll want to leave all the slots and gaps of your phone exposed to the open air. This will allow for air drying.

Remove as Much Water as Possible

Your going to want to remove as much water as you possibly can. One drop of water can destroy a circuit which is what you don’t want. Use a soft cloth to gently wipe down the surface of your phone. Try not to move the phone around too much in case there’s water inside. If you removed the battery quickly after the incident, try dabbing the inside of your phone with rubbing alcohol.

After that, use a vacuum cleaner to suck out any excess liquid that’s in your phone. You’ll want to do this for about 20 minutes. It’s the most effective to remove liquid from your phone. But whatever you do, do not use a hairdryer.

Use Rice

Leave your phone is a bowl of rice overnight. You can also use desiccants which can absorb water better than rice. Rotate your phone every couple hours until you go to bed. After that, lay your phone down on a towel to allow water to evacuate your phone.

For best results, try leaving it in the bowl for at least a week.

Test Your Phone

After doing all these steps, try trying on your phone. Does it work? Perfect! If nothing is happening, try plugging it into your charger. If nothing happens after that, then you’ll have to go get your phone looked at by a professional.

Luckily for you, MySCREEN has three convenient locations in Queensland. Just drop us a line and we'll work out the most convenient way for you to have your phone repaired.