If your iPhone has been exposed to water, there are several signs you can look for to determine if water damage has occurred. Acting quickly is important, as water damage can cause serious issues if left unchecked. In this article, we’ll go over the top signs of iPhone water damage and steps you can take to fix water-damaged iPhones.
1. The Liquid Contact Indicator
All iPhones contain a small liquid contact indicator inside the SIM card slot. This indicator is a small white sticker that will turn red if it comes into contact with water. To check it, eject the SIM card tray and look for a small white or red dot. A white dot means no water contact, while a red or pink dot means water has gotten inside your iPhone.
A red liquid contact indicator means water has entered the internal circuitry of your iPhone. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean your phone has been damaged. The indicator is very sensitive and can be triggered by small amounts of moisture, such as humid air or steam. If you see a red dot, continue checking for other signs of water damage.
2. Issues Charging Your iPhone
One common symptom of iPhone water damage is charging issues. This includes:
- Your iPhone not turning on, even when plugged into a charger
- The charger not being recognized
- Charging sporadically starting and stopping
- Charging very slowly or not at all
Water can damage the charging port and internal charging components inside an iPhone. Corroded or shorted out charging ports and cables are a frequent result of getting an iPhone wet. If your phone isn’t charging properly, especially after water exposure, it likely has water damage.
3. Speakers and Microphone Not Working
The speakers and microphone have very delicate electronic components that can easily be damaged by water. If your iPhone’s sound seems muted, distorted, cuts in and out, or doesn’t work at all, water is a likely culprit.
Try cleaning out the speaker and microphone ports with a dry cotton swab to remove any water or debris. However, water may have already shorted out the internal components. The front-facing speaker at the top earpiece and bottom speakers can fail independently or together after water damage.
4. Dim, Flickering, or Unresponsive Screen
If your iPhone screen seems damaged in any way after being exposed to moisture, it’s a strong sign of water damage. Symptoms include:
- Dim, dark, or blotchy patches on the screen
- Flickering, flashing, or jittery screen response
- Sections of unresponsive touchscreen
- Distorted or discolored visuals
This damage is often permanent and progresses quickly if the phone remains wet. Water corrodes the screen’s circuitry and LEDs, leading to irreversible screen failure.
5. Foggy or Bleary Camera Lens
The iPhone camera lens is glass and can easily fog up or appear bleary after sustaining water damage. Debris and residue can be left behind inside the camera housing after the water dries up. If your photos suddenly seem blurry or unfocused, especially right after getting your iPhone wet, water may have seeped into the camera.
Try cleaning the lens gently with a microfiber cloth and check for any remaining moisture or residue. Unfortunately, the internal camera components can also corrode from water, which may require repair or replacement.
6. Rust Around Ports, Buttons, and SIM Tray
When water gets into the intricate electronics inside your iPhone, oxidation can start to occur as metal components are exposed to moisture. This can cause rust to form around exposed metallic parts like:
- Charging port
- Headphone jack
- SIM card tray
- Volume and power buttons
A small amount of discoloration or oxidation may just be cosmetic damage. But heavier rust around ports, buttons, and openings likely means water has reached the internal circuitry and done more extensive damage.
7. Condensation or Fog Under Screen
If you notice condensation or fog that appears to be actually inside or under the surface of the iPhone screen glass, this indicates water was able to seep into the internal display assembly.
Condensation between the screen layers will look like wispy fog, small water bubbles, or streaky formations under the glass surface. This is a clear sign that water ingress has occurred and damaged the sensitive electronic display components.
8. Tinted Pink or Purple Display
An unusual pink, purple, or other seemingly random screen tint can also indicate water damage. This discoloration is caused by corrosion of the display circuitry and anti-reflective coating on the inside of the screen glass.
If your iPhone screen seems to have a colored tint across the entire display, it means components have already started corroding from water exposure. This type of damage is difficult to reverse and usually requires replacement parts.
9. Glitchy or Unresponsive Touchscreen
One of the first symptoms of iPhone water damage is a touchscreen that starts acting erratically. This includes:
- Not registering touches accurately
- Unresponsive sections of the screen
- Typing incorrect letters when swiping
- Apps opening randomly
- Difficulty typing accurately
Moisture corrosion can damage the capacitive touch grid under the screen glass and its accompanying logic board components. If your screen has trouble recognizing taps or swipes, seems to have a mind of its own, or stops responding to touch altogether, water is likely to blame.
10. Distorted or Muffled Speakers
If sound from your iPhone speakers starts to sound distorted, muffled, or lower in volume, water may have reached the speaker cones and damaged the sound quality. Listen closely for:
- Crackling
- Popping
- Rattling
- Buzzing
- Muffled quality
These are common symptoms of speaker damage from moisture exposure. Anything abnormal about the speaker sound after your phone got wet indicates water intrusion and corrosion.
Fixing Water Damaged iPhones
If your iPhone has sustained water damage, prompt action is required to potentially save it and avoid permanent failure. Here are some steps to take right away after water exposure:
- Dry it out – Absorb excess moisture with a microfiber cloth and dry your iPhone with silica gel packs.
- Turn it off – Power your iPhone down to avoid short circuiting.
- Remove case & SIM card – Take off any water trapping case and eject the SIM card tray.
- Clean ports & buttons – Use isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs to clean out wet openings.
- Don’t charge it – Avoid charging until completely dry to prevent damage.
- Dry out for 24-48 hours – Give your phone time to fully air dry before powering back on.
These steps can help dry out your iPhone and minimize water damage in some cases. However, if symptoms persist or worsen, professional repair may be needed. Cell phone repair shops use methods like ultrasonic cleaning and manual electronics cleaning to fix water damaged phones when DIY drying doesn’t work.
Water Damage Repair Costs
The cost to repair an iPhone with water damage can vary widely depending on the severity and components affected. Here are some average repair costs for common water damage issues:
- Liquid contact indicator tripped – $0 if phone still functions normally.
- Charging port replacement – $90-$150
- Battery replacement – $49-$89
- Screen replacement – $129-$279
- Speaker replacement – $25-$50 per speaker
- Rear camera replacement – $50-$90
- Front camera replacement – $60-$150
- Logic board repair – $150-$350+
- Full device replacement – $300-$1,000+
Keep in mind third-party and warranty coverage through your carrier or device protection plan can sometimes offset repair costs for water damaged devices.
Preventing iPhone Water Damage
Your best bet is to keep your iPhone away from moisture in the first place. Here are some tips to avoid water damage:
- Use a protective case – Cases create a barrier against moisture.
- Avoid wet environments – Keep iPhone away from sinks, showers, pools, etc.
- Turn off before wet activities – Power down if going near water.
- Dry hands before use – Don’t handle phone with wet hands.
- Never charge wet iPhone – Only use charger once phone is completely dry.
- Avoid humidity & steam – Keep away from moist, humid spaces.
- Don’t take to beach – Sand and water are not phone-friendly.
- Get phone insurance – Carrier or third-party coverage can offset repair costs.
Conclusion
If your iPhone has sustained any sort of water damage, it’s critical to act quickly to dry it out and stop corrosion from progressing. Look for telltale water damage signs like a tripped indicator sticker, charging issues, rust, screen glitches, and speaker problems. With quick action, minor cases of iPhone water damage can potentially be reversed and further damage prevented. However, significant water exposure will likely require professional phone repair or replacement parts to fix.