If you take your cell phone with you despite your legendary clumsiness, it may end up at the bottom of the toilet. The most airheads can also sometimes forget it in a pocket before putting it in the washing machine or accidentally let it fall into a sink or a puddle of water. The touch screen can then begin to flash like a Christmas garland (minus the festive atmosphere), internal damage is never far away and malfunctions can quickly manifest themselves. To save a phone that has fallen into water and ensure that it restarts without doing more damage, there are fortunately tips, but also actions to avoid (sometimes very common!). With all that, you are guaranteed not to damage it.
How to react when his phone fell in the water?
After moving your phone away from the water source, do not attempt to turn it on or charge it. This could indeed cause a short circuit and further damage your telephone. so prefer turn it off immediately. Then follow these steps:
1) Moisture can reach electronic parts inside the phone itself, causing the device to shut down. It is therefore important not to rush things and to give it enough time to dry. To help him, remove all removable parts of the phone (shell, battery if possible, memory card, SIM card, etc.). This will help trapped water to escape.
2) Briefly rinse your mobile with clean water if it has been in contact with salt or dirty water. This will not wet it any more than it already is and will eliminate any residue that may settle inside the device during drying. After that, shake it to remove as much water as possible.
3) Of course wipe off all visible water on the outside to prevent it from sneaking inside. To do this, use a cloth lint free. Don’t forget the gaps (micro USB socket, headphone socket, etc.).
4) Now put your phone to air dry. To help the drying process, you can put the phone in a container with moisture-absorbing sachets (obtained from shoeboxes). You can also use a cold air fan to help the water evaporate faster.
5) Let your mobile phone dry for at least 24 hours. Ideally, wait 48 to 72 hours for more security. The hardest part is the wait, but it guarantees you to find a functional phone. After that, you can turn it back on.
If nothing helps, try charging it or changing the battery. If necessary, try to synchronize your phone with your computer to recover your data and keep your SIM and SD cards which contain valuable data. Another trick, download the Fix My Speakers application which generates sound waves to eject water from the phone and find intact speakers.
Tips to avoid for a wet phone
Rice to save your wet phone: the false good idea
We hear a lot that you have to put your phone in raw rice to absorb the water. However, this trick is nowadays often discouraged in many respects. Already, most cell phones cannot be taken apart and have few crevices. As a result, the rice will have no access to the internal components and as such will not have no effectiveness on the absorption of residual moisture. The Gazelle site had also tested several absorbents (cat litter, couscous, etc.) and had discovered that rice was the least effective. Worse still, the rice contains starch or may come in small pieces that can seep into the device and damage the internal circuits and installations.
In general, it is better to avoid using any material that can leave fibers and particles (towel, cotton, paper towels, etc.) to dry your wet smartphone.
Dry, heat or freeze your phone that has fallen into water: a big NO
Forget the hair dryer (even on cold air), direct sunlight, the radiator or even the microwave. The heat weakens the electronic components of the mobile and may even melt certain parts. As for the trick of putting your phone in a towel and freezing it, it’s not no more useful. In fact, it just puts the water in a solid state while it freezes. However, once taken out of the freezer and thawed, your phone will be just as moist as before!
Pressing buttons: to avoid
We are tempted to turn on the phone, but also to press the buttons. However, this only aggravates the situation, risking putting water in contact with elements that had not been in contact until then. So, even if it blows off steam, no need to tap on all the buttons. You would do more harm than good…
No need to lie to claim the guarantee
Didn’t manage to save your phone that fell into the water and want to claim the warranty? Tempted to omit the reasons for the sudden malfunction of the device? However, when it is made, your phone receives an immersion sensor that changes color on contact with water, indicating an accidental oxidation. If your contract does not cover this type of problem, then this will be a reason for breach of warranty. In short, no need to lie: the technicians who take care of the repair will see it immediately.
In the future, consider opting for a waterproof device…
