What to Do Immediately After Dropping Your Phone in Water – Terabyte Electronics blog image showing a smartphone splashing into water, illustrating phone water damage and repair awareness.

What to Do Immediately After Dropping Your Phone in Water

Accidents do occur, and one thing that stops your heart is when your phone slips out of your hands and crashes into water. It may be a sink, a pool or even a toilet, but immediately, water may jeopardise the health of your device.

But don’t panic. It takes a massive step to act immediately and act in a smart way in order to save your smartphone. Your reliable mobile repair partner, Terabyte Electronics, will provide you with this full guide on how to perform the effective water damage rescue.

What Happens when Your Phone Gets Wet?

The current smartphones are constructed in such a way that they have some water resistance, but they are not waterproof. Water on the internal circuits may cause short circuits to the parts, corrode the motherboard and may kill your screen or battery. 

Although the phone may look okay immediately after falling into water, internal damage may take hours or days to emerge.

That is why the initial several minutes following the incident are of the essence. The actions you are about to take will determine the fate of your phone.

Step 1: Be Quick – Take It Out of the Water.

The more time your phone stays in water, the more likely it is to suffer serious harm. Take it up now and switch it off. There is no need to press any buttons unless it is necessary to do so because it may force water deeper into the device.

When your phone is plugged in or in any of the chargers, disconnect it at once to prevent the short circuits. Do not forget that electricity and water make a fatal combination.

Step 2: Switch It Off Right Away.

Never attempt to verify whether your phone is still functioning by switching it on. It is one of the largest mistakes that people make. A single spark inside may even break the motherboard forever. Switch the phone off until it is completely dry and examined by the professionals.

In case you are not able to switch it off normally, press the power button till it switches off, or replace the battery, should it be removable on your device.

Step 3: Eject the memory card, accessories and SIM card.

Then remove the SIM card tray, SD card and any other removable device, such as the phone cover, screen cover or earphones attached. These sections have the potential of retaining moisture, a factor that augments the chances of internal corrosion. Their removal assists in air circulation and acceleration of the water damage rescue process.

Step 4: Wipe It Gently – No Shaking or Blowing.

Wipe the visible water with a clean and soft cloth. One should not shake or blow into the ports, as it may spread the liquid to other parts that had not been affected initially. Do not use hair dryers or heat guns because the hotness may distort the inner components or destroy the screen.

Wipe the device dry with a microfibre towel or absorbent paper, when possible.

Step 5: Absorbent Materials.

Forget the old rice trick. Uncooked rice can take in some of the moisture, but it is not efficient enough to dry fully inside. Rather, you put your phone in a closed container with silica gel packets – the ones that come with shoe boxes or electronic devices. They are much more efficient in moisture absorption and can increase your phone liquid fixes considerably.

In case of lack of silica gel, synthetic drying pouches that are designed specifically to dry electronics, available in repair stores or online, can also be used.

Step 6: Do Not Plug It In or Charge.

However tempting it may be to check whether your phone is working, never plug it in or even try to charge it until a professional check has been conducted. When power is applied to a wet circuit board, it may blow inboard components immediately.

You should wait a minimum of 24 to 48 hours before trying anything. In case your phone still does not show any signs of life after that, consult Terabyte Electronics at the earliest to obtain assistance, as there are trained personnel who specialise in services such as water damage rescue and phone liquid fix.

Step 7: Leave it to Professionals.

Moisture can also be trapped inside the small parts of such items as the battery, camera, or charging port, even after the surface has been dry. Such concealed areas of moisture may lead to rust or oxidation with time. This is the reason why the most secure step is to leave your phone to a professional.

We possess sophisticated diagnostic tools and ultrasonic cleaning at Terabyte Electronics so that even microscopic traces of liquid are eliminated. Our phone liquid fix service guarantees that all internal components of your phone are thoroughly cleaned, dried and tested before it is sent back to you.

Final Thoughts

It does not always imply that your phone is dead when you drop it in water. Its destruction can be prevented by a fast response and professional assistance. It is not to panic, not to do home remedies which may complicate the condition, and to enlist expert help as quickly as possible.

When your gadget has gone swimming, leave your water damage salvaging to Terabyte Electronics. Our certified technicians have a specialisation in a full phone liquid fix service – have your phone functional again.

Back to blog