Wet cell phone remedies

What happens to a wet cell phone?

Immediate attention is crucial for wet cell phones due to their sensitive electronic components, which are prone to rapid damage from corrosion. In the short term, there is a risk of component short-circuiting, as water, although not conductive on its own, can contain impurities that enable electrical conductivity. As time passes, the water evaporates, leaving behind these impurities. These residues not only hinder electrical conductivity but also contribute to corrosion, gradually eroding metallic parts and even irreplaceable components. Typically, the longer one delays treating a wet cell phone, the more severe the corrosion can become. One reason why people hesitate to seek help promptly is that the phone may appear unaffected by the moisture it has been exposed to. While a minor splash may not necessarily mean that liquid has penetrated the phone’s interior, submerging the phone in water often indicates that the circuitry inside has come into contact with moisture despite the manufacturers claims regarding water resistance.

I don’t have a wet cell phone but my warranty stickers are red

We frequently encounter malfunctioning phones that have suffered from liquid damage, often surprising their owners when we show them evidence of moisture exposure. Surprisingly, many people are unaware that their phones have come into contact with moisture. How is this possible? The truth is that it takes very little to cause the moisture-sensitive sticker inside your phone to turn pink or red. To test the sensitivity of these warranty stickers, we conducted an experiment where we placed a phone in a poorly ventilated bathroom with a closed window while running hot water in the shower. In just ten minutes, enough steam had accumulated inside the bathroom to affect the warranty stickers inside the phone. This experiment leads us to the conclusion that in certain weather conditions, such as high precipitation or humidity, the environment alone can void your warranty and cause moisture damage to your phone. Even walking through raindrops can allow water to enter the headset jack and trigger the liquid damage indicator. Similarly, using your phone on a foggy day can potentially yield the same outcome. Other common reasons for unexpected red indicators on warranty stickers include placing your phone in a cup holder with condensation from an external beverage container or setting your phone on a surface, like a countertop, that has liquid on it but may not be readily visible.

Rice won’t help a wet cell phone

Contrary to what some people think, putting your phone in a bag full of rice will not cure moisture problems. This legend has been perpetuated by luck so it’s easy to understand how some people will swear by it. Let us assure you that rice simply does not possess the absorbency strength to suck the water out from the inside of your phone. It might help to prevent more from getting in but once your phone has moisture trapped inside of it there are only a few possible outcomes.

If you are lucky the amount of moisture may be so small that it evaporates over time and your phone starts working again. This could theoretically happen while it is surrounded by rice leading one to believe that yes the magic rice did in fact do its job. We hate to break it to you but the rice had nothing to do with your good fortune and you have wasted a perfectly good side dish.

Your phone may retain partial functionality. This happens on occasion and is still indicative of a moisture problem or damaged component. Often microphones, speakers, and batteries stop working due to liquid damage. Once these are replaced you might regain full functionality of your device. It’s still a good idea to get the inside cleaned though as other problems may develop over time.

Your phone may not work at all. Sorry rice we know you gave it your best but no luck. In this situation you have unfortunately wasted precious time by waiting for the phone to holistically heal itself and there is a chance that the damage is even worse than it was before. Getting the water out of your phone and cleaning the internal components as soon as possible is crucial. If you want to save your phone and the information stored on it be sure to get it cleaned up immediately. The longer you wait the worse things may get.