It’s likely that the worst has occurred if you’re urgently searching for ways to remove water from your phone on Google. For a brief moment, you lost control, and your phone fell into the water. And regardless of whether you have one of the greatest iPhones or top Samsung phones, even if it was momentarily immersed, this might do some major harm.
No phone is totally waterproof, which is a sad fact. The majority of contemporary designs are water resistant, but all phones may experience water damage if immersed for a long enough period of time. This implies that even if your phone seems to be operating normally after the drop, you still need to act swiftly.
Reaching for the rice won’t improve the problem, as you will see in this tutorial, so resist the urge to do so. Before it’s too late, use this guide to remove water from your phone.
Also Read: How Much Battery Is Enough For Your Smartphone?
How to get water out of your phone
1. Switch off the power immediately
Additionally, avoid plugging in or charging your phone. Electrical current shouldn’t be sent via it until the inside is 100 percent dry since else, water might short out the gadget.
Turn off your phone even if it is still functional since over time, water may seep deeper into internal parts and cause harm. As a result, anything that functions well today may not do so tomorrow. At least 48 hours should pass with your phone off.
2. Dry the outside
Use a microfiber towel to immediately wipe out any excess water from your phone, and while you’re doing it, thoroughly dry the ports and speakers.
As you do this, try to avoid shaking or moving your phone around a lot since any interior water might flow farther and do further harm. Don’t shake your phone as some websites advice in order to remove water from the speakers.
3. Remove what you can
If your phone case has a cover, gently take it off and, if required, re-dry the outside. If you can, remove the SIM card and battery as well. After removing each, dry it well and set it outside so the phone may breathe more easily.
Replace none of these until your phone has dried enough (48 hours).
4. Let it dry
If possible, stay away from the bathroom and lay your phone flat on a towel or microfiber cloth in a well-ventilated, dry place. For quicker effects, set it next to a window, run a dehumidifier in the space, or direct a fan at it. To give your phone enough time to dry out, let it alone for the whole 48 hours.
Many websites advise drying a phone with rice, however this method isn’t as successful as many assume, and it may also damage and contaminate the phone. Because of this, air drying is the most efficient technique.
5. Use silica gel packets
If you have silica gel packets on hand, you may use these to speed up the drying process. These are the little packets of beads that are often included in new handbag and shoe packaging. Because they are designed to absorb moisture, they are useful in this situation.
As it dries, put them below and on top of your phone. If you don’t have any silica gel packets on hand for situations like these, you can get some from Amazon for about $7 for 100 packets containing 2g of silica (opens in new tab).
6. Switch your phone on
When the allotted time has passed, replace everything you took out and turn your phone back on. Hopefully you will have had enough time to dry it out, and it will be okay to use again.
Professional services
You can always take your phone to a specialist, like Redux(opens in new tab) or TekDry, if you don’t want to deal with the anxiety and ambiguity while you wait for your phone to dry out (opens in new tab). These services may return your phone to you the same day and remove any inside moisture using a mix of heat and suction.
Also Read: How to get water out of iPhone speakers (2022)
Salt water exposure
Because salt water is inherently more corrosive and conductive than fresh water, it may harm a phone considerably more rapidly. The likelihood is that you won’t be able to rescue your phone if it is soaked in salt water and the water gets into the circuits.
It would be better to leave it unplugged, rinse it with new water and baking soda, dry it as described above, and have a professional cleaning done as soon as possible. In case the phone sustains damage over time, backup the data if it is returned in functional condition as well.
Also Read: iPhone 13 Mini vs. iPhone 13 Buyer’s Guide
Tips to prevent it happening again
Invest in a waterproof phone case
Although it may seem like a simple fix, an inexpensive waterproof phone cover can prevent damage costing hundreds of dollars.
Upgrade your phone
In the event that it is too late to save your phone and it cannot be retrieved, think about switching to a more water-resistant model in the future. See our ranking of the top waterproof smartphones.
Pay attention to where you use the phone
It’s time to break your habit of using your phone when in the shower or using the restroom. Ask yourself whether the danger is truly worth it for what you’re looking at.
Invest in a tether
You can also consider purchasing a tether, such as the Nite Ize Hitch plus Tether ($14, Amazon (opens in new tab)), if you often drop or misplace your phone.
