What to do if you drop your iPhone in the water?

Although a rumor is circulating again that speaks of the arrival of a liquid-resistant iPhone, the truth is that we still have to be careful if the iPhone got wet. The iPhone 6s / Plus included design changes that give it greater resistance to water, but it is not yet IPx7-8 certified, which would indicate that it can be used "without fear" (in quotes, because some guarantees do not cover it). than our iPhone falls into the water. But in the meantime and with all the iPhones released to date, we have to be careful.

The moment our iPhone falls into the water, the first thing that will happen is that there will be a panic, and it is no wonder. A device that is not prepared to get wet can be damaged if we do so, but we can always try remove the water from inside. There is a method that usually works, which is that of rice. We explain this method and other questions below.

Usual solution if your iPhone has gotten wet

As I have mentioned before, the best known, simplest method that usually works is the rice method. If an iPhone gets wet, we have to do the following:

1. We turn off the device as quickly as possible. It is important not to check if it works at that moment if we do not want to take any unnecessary risks.
2. We extract the SIM card.
3. We dry the iPhone with a soft napkin, a cloth or a towel.
4. This is the important step: we put the iPhone in a container with rice. This container must be large enough to cover the iPhone completely.
5. The next step is to wait until the rice absorbs any moisture that may have entered the iPhone. Except for urgency, we will not use the iPhone until after about 24 hours.

If everything went well, the phone should work, but it is likely to have suffered some damage and that there is some component that does not work as it should. For example, the camera may lose quality due to the lens getting wet and leaving a residue, or the home button may go harder or make noise. But hey, the important thing is that it is not totally unused.

At this point it seems important to mention that this method only works with fresh water. If our iPhone falls into salt water, this process should not work. Salt corrodes and dirties, so the inside of the device will almost certainly be affected. We can always try, but in this case we would have to do the last step three times and put a couple of candles on the patron saint of our town.

Related article:

How to find out if your iPhone or iPod has been damaged by liquids

My iPhone got wet and won't turn on, is it broken?

The first thing I would tell you is that you remember the first step of the previous method. If we drop our iPhone into the water, like any other electronic device, we do not have to try to turn it on. I know it is difficult, because the first thing we want to check is if it works, but electricity does not get along with water and it is not a good idea. That being said, if your iPhone has been dropped into the water and won't turn on, you've likely suffered irreversible damage.

In this case, we can still have a bit of luck and that the fault has only affected the screen, as we will explain in the next point.

My iPhone goes, but the screen does not work

You have to be honest and say that the thing it doesn't look good. If the screen of a device that should turn on does not turn on after getting wet, most likely something is broken. The first thing we can think of is that the water has damaged the contact that joins the screen with the motherboard, that at least. But how do we know that the iPhone works if the screen does not turn on? Well, we have to make it ring. If we have an iPhone 4S or higher, a good idea would be to invoke Siri. If you speak to us, we know that the iPhone is not totally dead. If we have an older iPhone, we can have someone call us.

In this case, I I'd take it to an Apple Store, where they would tell me exactly what is wrong with it and give me a quote for its repair. If you are crafty or know someone who can repair it, you can also try it on your own, as explained later.

How to dry a wet iPhone

The best we can do is rice method explained above. I have personally done it on various electronic devices, such as the remote control for the TV that I have at my side at the moment, and it has always given me good results.

The most important is do not use it until it driesregardless of what we do to you. I remember a true case in which we had a computer next to an open window in summer, in a house where we did not live, it started to rain heavily and when we went to the house to see how everything was, the computer was ... as if he would have fallen into a swimming pool.

I remember my brother telling me to drop it and write it off for a while. We didn't do anything to him, just wait about a week. When we hit the power button, the computer ran as if it had never gotten wet.

Can I dry a wet iPhone with a hairdryer?

Power you can, but not recommended. As you already know, a hair dryer is designed to dry your hair. If we think about blowing hot air on it, taking into account that the circuitry is usually delicate, we can burn the internal components. In fact, electronic devices should not be more than 40º, so blowing hot air that is probably around 60º is not the best idea in the world.

It is also true that we can use Cold air, of course depending on the dryer. In this case it could turn out well, but who assures us that we are not going to move the water and make the situation worse? The best in these cases is rice.

How can I repair an iPhone that has gotten wet?

Logically, it will depend. What has been broken? My first answer to this question would be to do the rice method again, but we start from the base that we have already done it. The next thing we have to do is find out what is wrong. If a specific thing fails us, the best thing we can do is visit the web consult the manual to repair an iPhone iFixit and clean, repair or replace the component that has been damaged.

For example, if the screen does not turn on, we can buy one, visit the iPhone section on the website of iFixit, find how to repair the screen and do what we see on the web. Two things must be taken into account: the first is that what we see in iFixit is the work of professionals and is aimed at professionals or people who have a good hand to repair this type of device.

If we are a little clumsy, it is best to forget us and ask for professional help. The second thing we have to take into account is that we will need special tools to repair any device of this type, such as special screwdrivers or the two suction cups that serve to remove the screen without damaging it or the case.

If I bring my wet iPhone to Apple, will they know?

Most likely, yes. Electronic devices like the iPhone have indicators, markers or "snitches" that change color if they detect moisture. Technicians rely on these indicators to determine whether the warranty is still in effect or is voided due to misuse of the device by the user. We may think that if it gets a little wet they will not notice it, but we would be wrong. Rare but still occur cases where these indicators change color even when a device has not gotten wet, just from being in a very humid area for a long time. It is not the most normal thing, but it is a possibility. The bad thing in these cases is that the technician can do nothing more than report that we have wet it, although we can always try to talk to a superior and see if we can convince him that the fault that we have brought our iPhone has not occurred. by the humidity that the indicators have detected.

In any case, it would not be a good idea have it wet, take it to an Apple Store and lie and insist in a bad way denying it. As the saying goes, "you get more by licking than biting" and if we get "cool", the technician will get defensive and will soon close the part informing that the iPhone that we have taken him had gotten wet, lost the warranty and , if they take care of the repair, we would have to pay.

Conclusion

Getting our iPhone wet is not a tasteful dish for anyone, or at least even that supposedly waterproof iPhone 7. If it gets wet, it is best to put it in a container with rice for about 24 hours.

If after that time we turn it on and it does not work, we will have to find out what is broken. It may be a good idea to take it to an Apple Store to have it repaired, but it is not such a good idea to lie saying that we have never wet it because the "snitches" will give us away. In any case, if your iPhone got wet, good luck. Maybe you need it.