My iPhone fell in water by accident – how to fix it?

Dropped iPhone in water accidentally?-Here’s how to avoid water damage

My iPhone fell in water by accident and how to avoid water damage – is a query you may often hear from iPhone users.

Dropping iPhone in water or toilet by accident is not an uncommon occurrence. However, there is no need to panic in case you dropped iPhone in water or any other liquid accidentally. With a little luck, it is often possible to avoid iPhone water damage and bring the device back to normal operation by drying it out by following the steps mentioned in the post.

The steps mentioned below to get water out of your iPhone to save the device from water damage, are also applicable to iPad or iPod Touch.

Steps to prevent water damage if you dropped iPhone in water 

Just because your iPhone dropped in water doesn’t mean it is gone forever and cannot be recovered. You have quite a good chance of bringing your wet phone back to life provided you follow the steps mentioned here without losing any time.

Here are the steps to follow to save your device from water damage when your iPhone fell in water accidentally.

Step 1: The most important thing to do after you dropped iPhone in toilet or in any kind of liquid by accident is, to get your phone out of the water as quickly as possible and dry out the water in the device. Leaving your iPhone submerged in water even for a few seconds more might cause water damage to your iPhone beyond repair. iPhone like any other electronic device may suffer permanent damage when it comes in contact with any kind of liquid if not immediately removed from it;

Step 2: After you get your iPhone out of the water turn the wet phone off if it has not already turned itself off. This would prevent the possibility of a short circuit of the electronic circuitry inside, which would render the iPhone useless.

Do not charge the phone or turn it on for at least 24 hours. Turning it on after your iPhone fell into water always poses a risk of damage;

Step 3: Next to wipe out the water in your iPhone follow the steps given below on how to get water out of your iPhone;

You may also like to read this post: iPhone Green Screen? Here are 6 easy fixes for the issue

How to get water out of your iPhone to dry out the device?

Follow the steps below to dry out the device after you dropped iPhone in water:

Step 1: Remove phone cases or covers, if any, since they can trap moisture. Take out the SIM card and the Battery and place them on a paper towel to dry them off;

Step 2: Use a clean cloth or some paper towels to wipe off as much of the exterior water as you can from your iPhone. In order to clear the ports and sockets turn the iPhone upside down and give it a gentle shake. Don’t move the phone excessively while you do this as otherwise the water inside would move around and do further damage to the phone. Don’t be tempted to power on your iPhone and see if it still works. It might stop the phone from working forever;

Step 3: After completing the above steps to get water out of iPhone, remove any headphones, ports, chargers, USB cables, or other accessories immediately;

Step 4: With all the visible water on iPhone removed you are to dry out your device. Now how to dry out an iPhone without rice?

Silica gel is an incredibly moisture-absorbent substance often found in Arts and crafts shops or in electronics stores. Put your iPhone in an air-tight plastic bag surrounded by a bunch of Silica gel packets to draw out the moisture.  You can find Silica gel packets even at a local shoe or department store. You may also be able to buy them from craft and handbag shops. Some hardware stores sell a product called DampRid, which you can put in a sealed bag with your iPhone for 24 hours to suck the moisture out of it.

If you can’t get hold of the Silica gel sachets or any moisture-absorbent substance immediately after you dropped iPhone in water, place your wet iPhone in rice (in a bag of uncooked rice. Avoid enriched rice as it leaves a lot of white residual powder). This will keep the phone as dry as possible in the intervening period. Make sure the phone is fully immersed in the rice.

However, placing your wet iPhone in rice may not help much. Transfer the phone as early as possible to the bag of Silica gel sachets after you procure them. You should keep your phone surrounded by the Silica gel packets without turning the iPhone on or charging it for at least 24 hours.

You may find online several other suggestions to prevent iPhone water damage that have been tried by people whose iPhone fell in water or who dropped iPhone in toilet by accident. However, some of those solutions may even aggravate the damage to your iPhone instead of saving the device.

Some people have tried to dry out their phones with a hairdryer after they accidentally dropped iPhone in water, which is not generally recommended as the hot air from it could fry up the delicate internal parts of the device.

Taking the phone apart after you drop iPhone in water to dry the interior parts, may appear a good idea, but this will also annul any warranty you have left on your device;

Step 5: Now let the iPhone dry in a warm place like in an airy cupboard or somewhat near a radiator (but not on it) for 48 hours or more. A lesser time may work but sometimes it also could be not enough, therefore longer is better;

Step 6: After you have waited at least 48 hours, open the rice/silica gel bag and take a look at your iPhone. If you think there is any left-over water in the iPhone, do not power it on and continue drying for some more time;

Step 7: Wait for at least 72 hours after you accidentally dropped iPhone in water, before charging the battery or attempting to plug it into power and turn it on.

It’s a good practice to replace your iPhone’s wet battery just as a precaution (not a must) and this should always be done for all water-damaged devices;

Step 8: If everything appears well, go ahead and turn your iPhone on normally. Now your phone should power on as usual, and hopefully, it has survived the water damage;

 You may also like to read this article: 5 Easy Steps to Fix iPhone touch screen not working

How to check iPhone water damage in case I dropped my iPhone in water?

As Apple’s regular warranty doesn’t cover liquid damage (not covered by Apple’s one-year limited warranty or an AppleCare Protection Plan) users often make the query – how can I check for any water damage to my device in case my iPhone fell in water accidentally?

To check for any water damage Apple has equipped its device with an iPhone water damage indicator. The indicator turns from white to red if water or any kind of liquid has accessed one of its ports.

When iPhone falls into water you can check these water damage sensors by looking at the table below to find your product and locate the LCIs (Liquid Contact Indicators) in your device

iPhone water damage indicator.

However, if your device is damaged within the warranty period, you can always take the phone to Apple and see if they are going to replace or repair the phone free of cost. Though chances are fairly slim, you may be eligible for iPhone water damage repair free of cost in view of Apple’s new relaxed water damage policy for iPods, which probably includes the iPhone also. The newly relaxed water damage policy states that if a customer disputes whether an iPod with an activated LCI has been damaged by liquid contact and there are no external signs of damage from corrosion, then the iPod may still be eligible for warranty service.

Nevertheless, if you have extended coverage of AppleCare+, Apple will replace the device at a reasonable cost in case your iPhone fell in toilet or any kind of liquid accidentally and gets water damaged. This will use up one of your two incidents of accidental damage. However, if you are not covered by any of the above, and in rare cases, if none of the above steps works for you, you have no other alternative but to go to any mobile service shop for iPhone water damage repair.

Frequently asked questions

Now that I have explained in detail how to get water out of your iPhone and dry it out in case you dropped iPhone in water or your iPhone fell in toilet or any kind of liquid by accident, let me also address some of the related questions often asked by iPhone users.

I dropped my iPhone in water  – what to do?

Here’s what to do if your iPhone dropped in water or the toilet accidentally:

1. Take the phone out of water immediately and turn it off;

2. Remove phone cases or covers, if any;

3. Take out the SIM card, Tray, and Battery;

4. Use a clean dry absorbent cloth to wipe off as much of the exterior water as you can from your iPhone;

5. Wipe out ports with a toothpick and a piece of cloth;

6. With all the visible water on iPhone removed dry out your device as dry as possible in a warm, dry location;

7. Silica gel being an incredibly moisture-absorbent substance put your iPhone in an air-tight plastic bag surrounded by a bunch of Silica gel packets, at least for 24 hours, to draw out the moisture;

8. Wait for at least 72 hours after you dropped your iPhone in water or the toilet before charging and turning it on;

How to get water out of iPhone speaker?

Here’s how to get water out of your iPhone speaker using sound frequency:

1.  With an App:

i. Download ‘Sonic app‘ from the App Store;

ii. After the download put your iPhone on a flat surface and open the app;

iii. Swipe up and down the app to set a frequency between 100-200 Hz;

iv. Tap on the ‘Play’ button;

v. Drops of water will start coming out of the speaker grills;

vi. Take a clean cloth and wipe the speaker grill;

vii. Repeat the process till you see no more water coming out of the speaker.

2. With Siri Shortcuts:

i. Install the ‘Shortcuts‘ app on your iPhone from the App Store;

ii. After the app is downloaded install the shortcut called Water Eject;

iii. Run it from the Shortcuts app;

iv. It would play a sound that will not be audible to you;

v. The sound frequency will force the water out of the speaker grill instantly;

3. Using a Website:

i. Go to the Website – fixmyspeakers.com

ii. Tap the big button on the web page to initiate a sound sequence;

iii. Water will start spitting out the speaker grills;

iv. Tap the button again to stop the sound, once the water stops spitting out;

How to fix water damaged iPhone screen?

Water can get into the display screen of the device when your iPhone dropped in water accidentally. To fix water damaged iPhone screen follow the steps below:

1. Half-fill a bowl with uncooked rice;

2. Place your iPhone in the bowl with the display screen facing down;

3. Cover the phone with enough uncooked rice;

4. Leave the phone covered with rice  overnight;

5. The rice will draw the moisture out of your phone’s display screen;

How long should I leave my phone in rice?

Leave a wet phone in uncooked rice for 24 hrs. The dry, uncooked rice acts as an absorbent material, and 24 hrs. is enough time for the rice to absorb the water in iPhone.

 Conclusion

On going through the post you must have by this time realized what to do when you dropped iPhone in water by accident.

There is no reason for unnecessary panic after your iPhone fell in toilet or any kind of liquid, slipping from your hand. The steps suggested in the post on how to get water out of your iPhone, if followed properly, have been found to prevent iPhone water damage in almost all cases. However, as already mentioned, you should take the phone out of the water as quickly as possible otherwise, the probability of its recovery will diminish significantly if you allow your iPhone to submerge in water while turned on for a considerable period after your iPhone dropped in water (for 15 minutes or longer)

There will be much better retrieval chances if your iPhone fell in water that is fresh and salt-free than you would with salt water which is more corrosive. Soft drinks and sticky beverages are more challenging as they leave more residues around.

If you have any other important tips to prevent iPhone water damage, please share your ideas in the comments section below to help other readers.