Having a phone damaged by water is a common problem that many people face. Whether it was an accidental drop in the pool, leaving it in your pocket before a wash, or getting caught in the rain, water can cause serious damage to the internal components of a smartphone. However, there is still hope for some water damaged phones to start working again if the right steps are taken quickly.
What causes water damage in phones?
Water itself does not damage phones directly. The real culprit is the minerals, salts, and deposits dissolved in water. When water gets inside your phone, these contaminants are left behind as the water evaporates. This leads to corrosion and buildup on the circuits and components inside the phone over time. The water also shorts circuits and connectors instantly. Both the immediate short circuit and the gradual corrosion can prevent a phone from powering on or working properly.
Which phone components are most vulnerable to water damage?
The most vulnerable internal components of a smartphone that are likely to be damaged by water include:
- Battery – Water can short circuit the battery connections
- Logic board – Water can short and corrode integrated circuits
- Buttons – Water gets trapped under buttons and corrodes contacts
- Speakers and microphones – Water gets into the sound components
- Dock connector – Corrosion builds up on connector pins
- Cameras – Water collects in camera lenses and hardware
- Displays – Water seeps under the display and causes issues
Factors that determine if a water damaged phone can be revived
There are several key factors that play a role in determining the extent of water damage and whether a phone can be revived after water exposure:
- Amount of water exposure – The more water gets inside the phone, the more components are likely to be damaged.
- Freshwater vs saltwater – Saltwater is much more corrosive and conductive, causing more permanent damage.
- Depth and duration of submersion – Deeper and longer duration of submersion allows water to reach more components.
- Contaminants in the water – Soap, chemicals, minerals and deposits can leave more residue.
- Speed of drying – Quickly drying the phone limits corrosion and mineral buildup over time.
- Phone model – Some phones have more water-resistant components and sealing.
Signs that a water damaged phone can potentially be revived
If your phone experiences a minor water exposure incident, there are some signs that indicate it may be possible to revive it:
- Phone was only exposed to freshwater, not saltwater
- Minimal water exposure and phone was dried quickly
- Phone shows signs of life like LED lights, sounds, or vibrations
- Displays a charging battery icon when plugged in
- Power button controls volume when held down
- Minor glitching, freezing, or unresponsiveness
These are indicators that minimal damage was done and revival may be possible with professional cleaning and maintenance.
Immediate first steps after water damage
It is crucial to take the right immediate action after a phone is exposed to moisture. Here are the very first steps to take:
- Immediately power off the phone – This limits further short circuiting.
- Remove any cases, covers, or accessories.
- Dry off excess moisture with a clean towel or cloth.
- Do not try charging or powering on if wet. Wait for it to dry first.
- Consider removing the SIM card and SD card to dry separately.
- Place the phone in front of a fan to air dry any moisture.
Taking these steps can prevent moisture spreading deeper into the phone before disassembly and cleaning.
Cleaning and drying procedures to revive a wet phone
After the initial emergency drying steps, you can take the following measures to deeply clean and dry the phone if there are signs of life:
- Use 99% isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs to clean connectors and ports.
- Vacuum camera, buttons, speakers, mics, and other openings.
- Do not apply heat directly, but place in a sealed bag of rice to absorb moisture.
- Leave in rice for 24-48 hours, replacing rice as it becomes saturated.
- After drying, reconnect battery and attempt powering on before reassembling.
- If powered on, run diagnostic tests to identify any irreparable damage.
Professional water damage repair options
For phones with more extensive water exposure, your best chance of revival is to take it to professional phone repair experts. They have specialized tools and techniques that improve the chances of success. Professional options include:
- Ultrasonic cleaning – Uses ultrasonic waves to deeply clean interior components.
- Vacuum drying machines – Sucks moisture from tight crevices and dries the phone’s interior.
- Isopropyl alcohol wash – Dissolves and washes away residue and corrosion.
- Circuit board reconditioning – Repairs damaged chips, connections, and ports on the logic board.
- Full disassembly – Allows thorough cleaning and replacement of damaged parts.
Factors that can prevent a water damaged phone from working
While water damage does not necessarily mean a phone is beyond saving, there are some circumstances where the phone is too far gone to be revived. Here are factors that indicate permanent water damage:
- Complete submersion in freshwater or any saltwater exposure
- No signs of life whatsoever when trying to power on
- Visible corrosion, mineral deposits, or residue buildup
- Physical damage like distorted or cracked components
- Short circuit has melted solder or components on logic board
- Key components like the processor or baseband chip are damaged
In these cases, the phone is likely beyond economical repair. The cost of replacing all damaged parts would exceed the value of the phone. Water damage can be unpredictable, but these signs indicate the phone has suffered irreparable failure.
Outlook if phone won’t turn on after water damage
If your phone will not power on whatsoever after drying out, the prognosis is not good. However, there are still a few options:
- Leave it to dry for several days just in case there is residual moisture inside.
- Try alternative charging methods like wireless charging if available.
- Have the battery checked and replaced if faulty.
- Attempt jump starting the logic board by an expert.
- Replace any visibly corroded ports, connectors, or buttons.
- Look into professional data recovery to salvage photos, videos, and files.
While unlikely, some phones can still be revived even if unresponsive. But if no signs of life remain after extensive drying, the phone is likely beyond repair.
Cost of professional phone water damage repair
The cost to professionally repair a water damaged phone can range quite a bit based on the severity of damage, phone model, and what needs replacement. Here are some average costs:
| Cleaning and drying service | $20-$100 |
| Battery replacement | $40-$90 |
| Charging port replacement | $60-$140 |
| Screen replacement | $100-$280 |
| Motherboard repair or replacement | $150-$500+ |
Full repair costs can easily exceed $500-600 for newer flagship phones if the motherboard is damaged. At that point, replacing the phone may be a better investment.
Data recovery from a water damaged phone
If the phone cannot be revived, professional data recovery can potentially salvage photos, videos, documents, and other files from the storage memory. Here are some data recovery options for phones:
- Chip-off – Physically removing the flash memory chip to read in a special reader.
- JTAG – Soldering a connection to read the raw NAND flash memory.
- Micro-soldering – Repairing damaged storage chip connections.
- Clone logic board – Transferring storage chip to an undamaged logic board.
Expect to pay $500-$1000+ for professional phone data recovery depending on the method needed. But for many, retrieving their data is worth the high cost.
Preventing water damage to phones
While there are some chances of reviving water damaged phones, prevention is always better. Here are tips to keep your phone safe from moisture:
- Use a water-resistant phone case when outdoors near water.
- Never use phones near sinks, tubs, pools, or ocean water.
- Have phones serviced at authorized shops to maintain water seals.
- Keep phones away from areas prone to floods or pipe leaks.
- Turn off and stow away phones during extremely wet or rainy conditions.
- Consider investing in waterproof pouches for outdoor activities.
- Inspect phone charge ports and openings for collected moisture regularly.
Conclusion
Water damage is one of the most common ways phones can fail, but all hope is not lost. With quick action, thorough drying techniques, professional cleaning services, and some luck, some phones can be revived after light water exposure. But extensive water damage often requires expensive component-level repairs and data recovery efforts, if possible at all. Preventing water damage in the first place is far more effective than attempting to fix it afterwards. Use protective cases, keep phones away from water hazards, and act quickly at the first sign of moisture exposure to maximize your chances of getting a wet phone working again.