Having water damage on your phone can be a frustrating and costly experience. Thankfully, there are several ways you can check your phone for signs of water damage. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through the top methods for detecting water damage on your smartphone.
Visual Inspection
The first thing you’ll want to do is a visual inspection of your phone. This allows you to look for any obvious external signs of water exposure or damage. Here are some things to look out for:
- Water spots or moisture on the screen or casing
- Fogging or condensation under the screen
- Corrosion around ports, speakers or other openings
- Cracked screen or distorted/discolored display
- Peeling or bubbled casing
- Moisture in connectors like headphone jack or charging port
- Muffled or distorted speakers
If you spot any of these warning signs, it’s very likely your phone has suffered water damage. The extent of the damage will depend on the amount of water exposure and how quickly you take action.
Check for Water in Openings
Your phone has various openings where water can seep into, such as the headphone jack, charging port, SIM card slot, etc. Take a toothpick or paperclip and gently insert into each opening to feel for moisture or observe if water drips out.
Be very careful not to scratch or damage any of the ports while doing this. If you detect liquid in any of the ports or slots, your phone has water damage that requires immediate attention.
Assess Functionality
Test all of your phone’s main features and functions to gauge the extent of the water damage. Here are some key things to check:
- Display – Check for dead pixels, distorted areas or flickering screen.
- Touchscreen – Test responsiveness and accuracy across entire display.
- Buttons – Make sure volume, power and other physical buttons work.
- Speakers & Microphone – Place calls and test sound quality; check for muffled or quiet audio.
- Cameras – Open front and rear cameras to check for foggy lens, corrupted images or autofocus issues.
- Charging Port – Inspect charge speed and connection reliability.
- Headphone Jack – Test for cuts in sound or inability to detect headphones.
- SIM & SD Card Slots – Check if SIM is detected and memory card is readable.
- Sensors – Download sensor testing app to verify gyro, proximity and other sensors work.
If you notice major glitches, dead zones or unresponsiveness in any area of the phone, it’s likely water has reached internal components and caused malfunctions. Make note of all problem areas.
Open Phone Casing
For a more thorough inspection, you may need to open up the phone casing to look for internal water damage. This is recommended if your phone has been submerged or exposed to a large amount of water. Here’s what to look out for inside the phone:
- Corrosion on electronic boards or components
- Moisture beads or residue around internal parts
- Oxidation on metal pieces
- Burnt or shorted out circuits or fuses
- Detached or damaged cables and connectors
Water exposure can cause corrosion and oxidation on many internal phone parts, which disrupts connections and circuits. Any sight of moisture, residue, corrosion or burnt components indicates water damage has reached delicate internals.
Check Liquid Contact Indicators
Many modern smartphones contain special liquid contact indicator strips that change color when they come in contact with moisture. These are often located in the SIM card slot, battery compartment or other internal areas. Look for a small sticker or strip that has an “X” or dot pattern:
- White or silver color = no water contact
- Pink, red or blue color = water contact detected
The location varies between phone models, so you may need to search around carefully for them. If you find one that has turned pink/red/blue, it’s a clear confirmation your phone has suffered water damage.
Test Moisture-Detecting Apps
There are various Android and iOS apps you can download that use your smartphone’s sensors and diagnostics to check for water damage. Look for apps like “Water Damage Indicator” or “Water Damage Check” in your phone’s app store. Run the app and check if it detects any moisture or water exposure. The results aren’t guaranteed to be 100% accurate, but can give you another useful data point in your inspection.
Wireless Provider Diagnostic Services
Most major wireless carriers like Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile offer diagnostic services at their stores to test devices for proper functionality. An experienced technician can do a thorough inspection of your phone to detect any inner or outer signs of water exposure.
They have specialized tools and diagnostic equipment beyond what the average user has access to. This allows them to pinpoint any corrosion, functionality issues or problems caused by water damage. Take your phone to a technician for professional inspection if you still can’t confirm water damage yourself.
When to Be Concerned About Water Damage
Any amount of moisture inside your phone can reduce performance and lead to serious issues over time. Here are some general guidelines on when to be concerned about water exposure:
- Splashes – Brief splashes on the outer casing may not cause immediate damage if dried quickly. But moisture could eventually reach inner parts, so don’t ignore it.
- Drops in liquid – Even brief submersion in water or liquid increases risk of short circuiting and corrosion, especially if power left on.
- Use in rain/shower – Using phone exposed in the rain can allow moisture to get in microphone, speaker and other ports.
- Toilet/sink drops – High contamination risk from toilet or dirty sink water can damage phone over time.
- Saltwater – Saltwater is very corrosive and can quickly damage phone if not thoroughly rinsed and dried.
- Long submersion – Anything beyond 30 minutes underwater has likely caused irreversible damage to phone internals.
The longer your phone is exposed to moisture, the greater the risk of permanent damage. Any signs of water in inner hardware need to be addressed immediately to prevent failure.
Drying Out a Wet Phone
If your phone has suffered water damage, it’s critical to dry it out fully and properly. Here are some tips to dry a phone and minimize potential water damage:
- Immediately power off the phone and avoid turning it on until completely dry. Using electronics before they are dried can short circuit them.
- Do not attempt to charge or plug in the wet phone, as this can transmit electricity to water-soaked components.
- Remove SIM card, SD card and battery, if possible. These retain moisture and are susceptible to water damage.
- Wipe away any exterior water gently with a microfiber cloth. Never rub harshly as this can push water further in.
- Use a can of compressed air to blow out moisture from openings like headphone jack, speakers, etc.
- Place phone in a bowl or bag of dry rice overnight to absorb moisture. Rice attracts water and pulls it away from phone.
- Leave phone near fan or dehumidifier on dry setting to circulate air and dry interior.
- Once fully dry, reconnect battery and accessories and attempt to power on. If it works, continue monitoring for issues.
With quick action, it’s possible to dry out a phone and save it from permanent water damage. But the longer moisture sits inside, the greater the risks. If phone won’t turn on even after thorough drying, internal damage is likely present.
Best Practices to Prevent Water Damage
Your smartphone is a major investment, so it’s smart to take precautions against water damage. Here are some tips to keep your phone safe from moisture:
- Keep phone away from sinks, tubs, pools and other wet areas.
- Never use phone when wet, like in the shower or next to a pool.
- Invest in a waterproof case for outdoor use or water activities.
- Turn phone completely off if going near water, since speakers can draw in moisture.
- Never charge phone if wet. Only plug in once 100% dry.
- Back up data and photos regularly so they can be restored if phone is damaged.
- Consider water damage insurance or coverage to reduce repair costs.
- Avoid spills and splashes. If liquid contacts phone, dry it immediately with soft cloth.
- Do not use phone in rain or snow without waterproofing protection.
- Inspect phone ports and openings regularly for moisture or dust buildup.
Staying mindful of these habits will help you avoid the headache and cost of a phone damaged by water or liquids.
Water Damage Repair Options
If your phone has stopped functioning properly due to water exposure, you have a few repair options to consider:
- DIY repair – If experienced with electronics, you can open the phone and dry out components, clean corrosion, replace damaged parts, etc. This requires technical skill.
- Local repair shop – Many independent phone repair pros can assess damage, dry phone internals, and swap damaged ports or parts at decent prices.
- Phone manufacturer – Companies like Apple and Samsung can do official servicing of water-damaged phones, but costs are usually high.
- Insurance claim – If purchased insurance for your phone, you can file a claim to get repairs covered or phone replaced at lower personal cost.
- Buy refurbished phone – Often cheaper to buy a refurbished replacement phone of same model rather than repair severely water damaged one.
See what repair options are available for your particular device and the extent of its water damage before deciding on how to fix it.
Conclusion
Dealing with a water-damaged phone can be a major hassle, but armed with the right inspection tips you can detect and address issues promptly. Key things to look for are visual damage, fluid in ports and openings, glitchy functionality, moisture indicators and corrosion under the casing. If phone has only mild exposure without internal damage, quick drying can potentially save it and prevent failure. But significant moisture in integrated circuits will likely require professional repairs or a replacement phone.
While water damage is never completely avoidable, following cautious habits and practices can reduce the likelihood of it occurring. Invest in protective cases, keep your phone away from moisture, and act quickly if liquid gets on your phone. A bit of prevention goes a long way in protecting your phone and wallet from the costs of water damage down the road.