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How to Restore Your iPhone or Smart Phone After Water Damage

Dropped your IPhone or Smart Phone in Water? How to restore it to life!

Caleb Brunz, Neighbor

Posted Sun, Oct 7, 2012 at 4:50 pm CT|Updated Tue, Oct 9, 2012 at 8:01 pm CT

PLOP!!

Yep. That’s the sound of the unthinkable happening. Your beloved iPhone, the one you caressed like a baby the first week you had it, has hit the water. If you are reading this article — sigh — you know exactly what we’re talking about. Before you relegate Siri to the junk drawer with your circa 2003 flip phone, try our five tips below to restore your iPhone to its former glory.

Siri’s Prognosis: Still Breathing!

If the stars have aligned and somehow your smartphone only got partially wet, there’s still hope. Turn off your phone (if the water didn’t already zap it off) and try Operation: Traditional Method.

Remove the SIM card, which is on the right side of newer models. Dry the card and your phone gently with a hand towel, then shake the phone to force out any trapped water. Grab your trusty blow-dryer and on the lowest, coolest setting, blow air into the dock-adaptor hole at the bottom of the phone from 6-8 inches away.

Dry for about 10 minutes, then set your phone aside for 72 hours—really! No touching! After the three longest days of your life have passed, you can insert your SIM card and turn on your phone again.

Siri’s Prognosis: Not Breathing

Worried your phone is still soggy after Operation: Traditional Method? It’s time to do some mouth-to-mouth. Spray compressed air into the headphone hole on top and the dock-adaptor hole on the bottom or side of your phone.

This will dry out any remaining droplets, letting you turn on your phone safely.

Siri’s Prognosis: It’s Not Looking Good

Your phone isn’t responding to the above two methods. First, stop crying. Then, turn off your phone (see a pattern here?) and, after drying it, drop it in a bowl of uncooked white rice for 72 hours. The rice acts as a sponge, sucking all the moisture out of your phone and hopefully restoring it to working order!

Siri’s Prognosis: The worst. Just the worst.

Not only did you have to fish your phone out of toilet water (this is not what you had planned for your day!), you tried all the other methods to no avail. Okay. Well. You might need to take it to a tech master to get their advice. Unfortunately, many phone manufacturers don’t cover water damage in any of their warranties, so you’re better off avoiding the Verizon, AT&T or Apple stores completely.

And don’t bother trying to play dumb about the water damage with the Genius Bar geniuses—your phone has internal sensors that change color when they’re exposed to water. Busted! Instead, take your phone to a local electronics restoration specialist and see if they can work their magic on your lifeline. Or, guess what — the iPhone 5 was just released!

At Paul Davis Restoration & Emergency Services of Woodbury & St. Paul, we know a little something about helping people deal with worst-case scenario events. Although we may not be able to revive your smartphone, you can count on us to restore the contents of your home after a water, fire or mold disaster!