When water makes its way into your phone, your first instinct is to panic, and then try to dry out the device in any way possible. While you may have the right intentions, the steps you take after your Smartphone has taken a plunge may be doing more harm than good. There are a few absolute do’s and don'ts when dealing with a water-damaged phone:
The DO’s When Your Device is Wet
The first thing to do when your phone comes in contact with water is to remove it from the water immediately. The less time spent underwater, the less damage it will experience overall.
One of the most crucial actions to take after your phone has gotten wet is to turn it off and do not attempt to power it back on. If the phone appears to be working, consider it a false sense of security because eventually, the device will shut off for good.
The next step would be to remove the battery and any other pieces like an SD Card or sim card to eliminate any chance of electrical damage. Not only will this give your phone a chance to dry out without the pieces inside, but will give you a better chance at saving your data from being lost.
Finally, attempt to gently dry the phone with a towel or soft cloth. The more moisture you can soak up, the better chance the phone has at drying out.
The DONT’s When Saving Your Wet Device
Some tactics used to dry wet electronics are not going to give you the best results. Do not attempt to power on the device after it has come in contact with water. Turning your phone on after it has sustained water damage will cause it to short circuit and the corrosion of internal parts will only speed up.
A well-known tactic for most people is to try the “rice trick” where the phone is put into a bowl of rice to absorb the moisture. There a few problems with this theory. The rice may absorb some moisture, but will not be able to reach every area within a phone, especially the smaller spots. While the majority of the water may be gone, there is still a chance that the phone will fail from the remaining water drops that were unreachable. Additionally, it can introduce starch and dust into the phone, which does more damage.
While other theories include putting the device in cat litter or silica gel, these solutions are only temporary and will not save your phone from eventual failure. Studies show that setting your phone on the counter to dry by itself with just air removes more water.
When drying the device, also avoid using any source of heat such as ovens or hair dryers. These will only overheat your phone and damage the components by adding heat to a water and electrical issue.
Follow the Best Practices and call a Professional
There are several types of water damage that can negatively affect your Smartphone. Water removal techniques will only go so far when dealing with the sensitive electronic components of a mobile device. By following the above steps, you will give your device a better chance of a successful recovery of its photos, contacts, and files. After your Smartphone has experienced water damage, call the experts at Secure Data Recovery at 1-800-388-1266. Our engineers specialize in mobile phone recovery and we have Mac Certified Technicians on staff for iPhone-specific cases.
See related posts:
This is What Happens When Your Smartphone Gets Wet
Why Your Phone May Not Be as Waterproof as You Think
