Remove The Liquid From The Outside Of Your iPhone
If your iPhone is in a case, remove it while holding your iPhone horizontally, with the screen pointing at the floor. Imagine theres a pool of liquid inside and you dont want that pool to migrate in any direction.
Next, use a microfiber or other soft, absorbent cloth to wipe away any water on the outside of your iPhone. Dont use a tissue, cotton swab, or anything else that can break apart or leave dust or residue inside your iPhone.
How To Fix Your Water
No matter how smart your phone is, it doesn’t know how to swim. With all the outdoor water activities that go on during the summer, keeping your phone above water can be a tough task. According to Asurion data, more phone repair claims are filed for device water damage between June and August than any other part of the year.
So what is the best way to protect your phone from water damage before you head off to the beach or pool? Asurion Experts recommend investing in a floating waterproof phone pouch, like those made by MPOW or JOTO. It’s also a great idea to take steps to prevent your phone from overheating, as that can cause damage to your device as well. But in case your phone does take the plunge, here are important tips from our experts that you’ll need to know.
Lay Your iPhone On A Flat Surface In A Dry Location
Next, lay your iPhone face down on a flat surface, like a kitchen counter or a table. Choose a location with low humidity. Dont place your iPhone in a container or a bag.
Tilting your iPhone or placing it in a bag with rice will almost certainly cause the water to spill onto other internal components. That could be the difference between life and death for your iPhone.
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Can Salt Water Damage Your iPhone
Newer iPhones are water-resistant, but theyre not saltwater-resistant. Salt water poses and additional threat that regular water doesnt corrosion.
Salt water can corrode the internal components of your device, which adds another obstacle on top of potential water damage. Its incredibly difficult to clean or fix corroded parts of an iPhone. You may have to get the corroded components replaced, or replace your entire phone.
How To Check If Your iPhone Has Water Damage
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow’s Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 154,624 times.
This wikiHow teaches how to check if your iPhone has water damage by looking for special indicators on the device.
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Place It In Uncooked Rice
You might have already heard of this foolproof solution to repair a dropped iPhone in water. Place your iPhone in a bowl or bag of rice in such a way that it would submerge in it. Make sure that it is uncooked rice else your phone might get unwanted dirt. Leave your phone in rice for at least a day to ensure that the water content would be absorbed entirely. Afterward, all you got to do is take your phone out and remove the pieces of rice from it.
Check For Water Damage
Your iPhone has a water damage indicator in the SIM slot. It’s a piece of plastic that changes from white to red when it comes in contact with too much water. Use a flashlight to peek inside the SIM slot to see if you can see the red indicator. If you don’t see any red, then you’re probably in the clear in terms of warranty, though there may still be water damage to other components in your phone that has gone undetected.
Even if your indicator is red, try turning your iPhone on after a couple days. If it works, then great. The indicator was tripped, but your phone still works. If the indicator wasn’t tripped, but your iPhone doesn’t work anyway, then make a Genius Bar appointment and go in playing dumb. Under AppleCare+, the repair cost is generally $99. Outside of AppleCare and warranty, the cost will vary depending on your iPhone model.
The original iPad had a water damage indicator, but that was removed with the second generation, so you’ll just have to wait a couple days for it to dry out and try using it.
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iPhone Water Damage Repair Guide
There is a lot of incorrect information available on how to rescue a water-damaged iPhone. This is why the experts at Digitiqe Fort Collins have put together this guide on diagnosing and repairing your water-damaged iPhone.
First off, water damage does not only happen when a phone is completely submerged in water. Any contact with water, even a single drop, can cause water damage.
Apple has been releasing water-resistant iPhones since the iPhone 7. However, water-resistant does not mean water-proof!
Newer iPhones have water-resistant seals, which do get worn out over time, just like other elements of your iPhone. These seals are especially susceptible to damage from thicker liquids, such as gels and lotions.
Easy Ways To Know If Your Phone Has Water Damage
Smartphones are very useful in everyday life, but also fragile. A little contact with water, heat or force can cause damages you wouldnt notice right away until after some days. However, if you are to address the problem before it gets out of hand, then you should find out how to know if your phone has water damage. Besides cleaning out the water right away, there are spots you should check in the phone to know if something is off, and you should do it as soon as possible.
Now, even if your phone is one of the few water-resistant phone models, it could have some damage. Also, we all take phones around and if you get caught up in the rain, at the beach, pool-side splash, or even a drink spill, then your phone could get some water in without your knowledge. This leaves many wondering how to know if your phone has water damage without necessarily visiting a technician or care center.
Check for moisture under the display screen
The first thing to do is to look at the phone screen and check if there are any signs of moisture under the screen. If the phone fell into water while it was still on, you can quickly check for moisture under the screen before you turn it off.
This should give you an idea of how severe the water damage may be. If the phone stayed in water long enough to get moisture under the screen then it means the liquid entered through every possible opening on the phone.
Check the battery
- Shutdown the device
- Open the back of the phone and take out the battery.
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Dont Turn On Your iPhone
This is the most important thing that you should keep in mind if you have dropped your iPhone in water. Chances are that your Apple device would turn off after being damaged by liquid. If your iPhone wet wonât turn on, then donât panic or try to turn it on manually at this stage. If the water has reached inside the device, then it might cause more damage to your iPhone than good. To start with, keep it ideal and try not to turn it on.
Should I Use Rice To Dry My iPhone O Deal With Water Damage
If you drop your iPhone in water, dry it off with some uncooked rice. This is advice weve all heard before, but its not true.
The idea is simple: rice absorbs water, thus it should be able to pull out and absorb the water from your iPhone. Rice was advised to protect film material from damp surroundings long before iPhones were produced, hence the suggestion was around long before iPhones were conceived.
But that doesnt change the fact that its a myth.
Rice is ineffective in drying your gadget as compared to simply leaving it in an open, well-ventilated area. Furthermore, you face the danger of grains becoming stuck in your iPhone ports. It occurs, and it may break your iPhone, believe me.
When you hear a successful rice tale, chances are that the persons equipment would have been fine if they had just left it alone. In fact, if they had avoided the rice, it would have dried up faster.
Ignore the stories and keep your iPhone in plain sight.
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How To Repair An iPhone From Water Damage
This article was co-authored by Josef Storzi. Josef Storzi is an Apple and Mobile Phone Repair Specialist and the Owner of Imobile LA, a mobile phone repair company based in Los Angeles, California. Josef specializes in repairing screens, charging ports, batteries, water damage, speakers, and microphones on all mobile phone brands including Apple, Samsung, LG, Nokia, and Sony. He also specializes in tablet, laptop, and computer repairs as well as the pros and cons of recent mobile software updates.The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article’s instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 1,093,346 times.
This wikiHow teaches you how to attempt to dry out or repair a water-damaged iPhone. While these methods have been known to improve an iPhone’s chances of working again, there is no way to guarantee a fix for a waterlogged phone.
If The Apple Logo Is Flashing On Your iPhone
One sign that your iPhone has significant water damage is if its stuck flashing on the Apple logo. When it happens, its possible your iPhone is stuck in a restart loop.
Try hard resetting your iPhone to see if you can fix the problem. Heres how to hard reset your iPhone, depending on which model you have:
How To Hard Reset An iPhone 6s and Earlier Models
Simultaneously press and hold the Home button and the power button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears. You can release both buttons when you see the Apple logo on the display of your iPhone.
How To Hard Reset An iPhone 7
Press and hold the volume down button and the power button at the same time until the Apple logos appears on the screen of your iPhone. Release both buttons as soon as the Apple logo appears.
How To Hard Reset An iPhone 8 and Newer Models
Quickly press and release the volume up button, then quickly press and release the volume down button, then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the display. You may have to hold the buttons on your iPhone for 2530 seconds, so be patient and dont give up too soon!
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How To Check Your iPhone For Water
The majority of iPhones released after 2006 include integrated Liquid Contact Indicators . These were designed to provide a convenient method of determining whether or not your device had come into contact with water.These LCIs are located in the same location as your SIM card. Remove the SIM card tray and store your SIM card safely those are fiddly little things to lose! These are typically found around the iPhone’s edge and can be removed using a SIM tool, the back of an earring, or anything similar.Take your flashlight and shine it into the empty SIM slot, looking for a red colour it may be wise to seek the help of someone with good vision or a magnifying glass for this task.If you detect white or silver, you’re good to go there is no evidence of water damage in this area! Unfortunately, if you see red, it means bad news
What Happens If My Lci Is Red
A red LCI indicates that your iPhone has come into contact with liquid, and unfortunately, that means youll have to pay. Youll pay less if you have AppleCare+ or carrier insurance than if you have no coverage at all.
Well get into prices and how to decide whether to repair or replace a water damaged iPhone below. But dont lose hope. Just because an LCI is read doesnt mean an iPhone wont come back to life.
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How Do I Tell If My Phone Has Suffered Water Damage
Water damage to iPhones may be a silent killer. It can cause a variety of irregular or strange behaviors, like low battery life, unresponsive touchscreens, and fuzzy photographs, to mention a few.
Furthermore, the onset of this odd behavior might take weeks or even months. Corrosion of your iPhones internal components continues to grow even after youve dropped it in water. You could assume your iPhone is in good shape, only to have it die a few months later.
How Do I Know If My iPhone Is Water Damaged
An iPhones interior is a technological phenomenon, and its good performance is due to the numerous internal components assembled. Water damage is severe because it could wreck the functions of certain elements. Once that occurs, your iPhones performance will be affected, and generally, wet phones might experience some of the following situations.
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Guide: How To Tell If Your Phone Has Water Damage
We invest so much into getting the perfect phones. But phones go with us everywhere, putting them at risk especially risk of water damage. This leaves many wondering how to tell if your phone has water damage.
Heres a look at how to tell if your phone has water damage, as well as steps to take if and when your phone is damaged by water.
What Should I Do If I Dont Have Applecare
You still have options even without AppleCare. Depending on the extent of the damage, you may want to still bring it in to Apple. You may also find a better deal if you go to an Apple-certified repair technician.
For older iPhones, the repair costs may not be worth it. In this case, you can actually sell your damaged phone to Buyback Boss. to see how much you can get for your used iPhone.
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Examine The Handset Thoroughly
You should also examine every port on the phone. There is the port for headphones, the port where you slot your iPhones memory card, the charging port, the sim slot, as well as other apertures. If you can illuminate those slots, you can determine if they are detached or wobbly when making insertions.
If they produce a corroded noise when you try to do insertions, it could indicate that water has found its way into your appliance. If the ports have bent borders or abrasion, this could also be an indicator of water damage.
Does Applecare Cover iPhone Water Damage
No, Apple doesnt cover liquid damage to an iPhone under its one-year limited warranty. The whole concept of LCI is developed to detect such a situation, and if its red, youll have to chip in for the repairs.
Interestingly, this also brings up an important question. Imagine you have broken the iPhone screen and got it replaced. Would the water resistance, or shall I say the seal is still intact?
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Will My iPhone Be Covered Under Warranty If Its Lci Is Still White
If the LCI is white or silver, the issue your iPhone is experiencing may not be liquid-related. If you dropped your iPhone in the pool before it stopped working, it probably is. The good news is that if Apple cant prove your iPhone was liquid damaged, your warranty might still be valid.
However, just because a LCI isnt red doesnt mean that Apple will cover the iPhone under warranty. If there is any evidence of liquid or corrosion inside an iPhone, Apple techs may deny warranty coverage even if the LCI is still white.
Understanding The Liquid Contact Indicator
The iPhone water damage indicator is a small white sticker built into the phone’s internal hardware to alert the user if any moisture or water has entered the phone. The indicator is designed to change color when it comes into contact with moisture. So if you ever encounter this on your device, leave it off and don’t try to charge or switch it on until you get professional advice on how to proceed. For instance, by booking an appointment with Apple Care.
The water damage indicator is usually located inside your iPhone at the SIM card slot for iPhone models such as iPhone 5, CE, iPhone 7, 7 plus, and iPhone X upwards. However, it may also be found near the charging port and headphone jack for iPhone 4 and other earlier models.
You will need to access the LCI to read it and determine if your phone has come into contact with water. Here are the steps to follow to check if your phone is water-damaged:
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