Phone in water? What to do in the first ten minutes

Everyone knows someone who swears rice saved their phone. It's the first thing most people reach for, and I understand why. It feels like doing something.

The trouble is, it isn't doing much. Rice won't draw water out from inside a phone, and the starchy dust can end up in the charging port and speaker grilles. If a phone survives a night in rice, it's most likely because it was switched off and left alone, not because of the rice.

So here's what actually helps, in the order I'd do it.

 

Switch it off and leave it off

This is the big one. If the phone is still on, switch it off. If it's already off, leave it off.

Don't turn it on to see if it still works. Don't plug it in to charge. Water on its own is bad enough, but power running through a wet phone is what can turn a problem into a dead phone. Checking it "just quickly" is the most common mistake we hear about.

Try not to press the buttons more than you need to, either. You want the phone off, then you want to stop poking it.

 

Get the outside dry

Take the case off. Cases trap water against the phone and you can't dry what you can't reach.

Pop the SIM tray out. It opens up one more gap for water to escape and keeps the SIM card out of harm's way.

Dry the outside with a soft cloth. Then hold the phone with the charging port facing down and tap it gently against your palm to let any water in the port run out. Gently is the word. Shaking it hard just moves water around inside.

 

Things to skip

No hairdryer. Heat isn't good for the battery or the screen, and blowing air at the ports can push water further in rather than out.

No radiator, no oven, no airing cupboard. Same problem with heat.

No rice, as above.

And don't assume a water resistance rating means you're fine. Phones can be water resistant, but that isn't the same as waterproof, and seals don't last forever, especially on a phone that's been dropped or repaired before.

 

When to bring it in

Some wet phones dry out and carry on as normal. Some don't. A few things make it more likely you'll want it looked at.

If it went in the sea, a drink or the bath, bring it in sooner rather than later. Salt, sugar and soap leave residue behind when the water dries, and that residue can keep causing trouble long after the phone feels dry. Corrosion doesn't always show up straight away.

If it was under for more than a moment, rather than a quick splash, the same applies.

If you've already switched it on and it's behaving oddly (flickering screen, not charging, muffled sound, getting warm), switch it off again and bring it in.

 

What to tell us

It helps if you can tell us roughly what it went into, how long it was in there, and what's happened since. Did it get switched on? Was it charged? None of that is a telling off. It just helps us work out where to look.

If the phone does come back to life on its own, back up your photos and contacts while you can. A phone that's had a soaking can seem fine and then start playing up later.

 

In Summary

Switch it off. Leave it off. Case off, SIM tray out, dry the outside, tap it gently port-down. No heat, no rice, no charging. If it was salty, sugary, soapy or under for a while, bring it into the shop in Haverhill and we'll take a look.