What to do if your phone falls into water? Advice from an experienced person! What to do if your phone falls? What happens if you drop your phone

Six simple steps to save your device.

Accidentally dropped your smartphone into a sink or pond, left your phone in your jeans while they were going to be washed, or spilled juice, tea or coffee on your phone? This can happen to anyone at least once, and not all phones are protected from moisture, such as Samsung Galaxy S7, Apple iPhone 7 or Sony Xperia Z3 Compact. Spilled liquid is dangerous due to both short circuit and corrosion of the smartphone. If the correct measures are not taken in time, a smartphone that has been in water will experience a complete or partial malfunction. The site’s team of experts has tried all known methods of solving the problem and offers simple steps to save your phone.

1. Get your phone out of the water

The very first thing you need to do if your phone falls into water is to pull the device out of the water as quickly as possible (if you spilled liquid on it, go to step 2 of these instructions). Seconds can count - liquid can easily leak and penetrate into the phone case if it is not protected from water. However, if your phone is being charged from the network at this moment, then under no circumstances touch the device and the charger! It may be dangerous! First, turn off the power to the outlet, and only then remove the phone from the water.

The longer the phone is in the water, the less chance of a favorable outcome. Even if the cover and case elements fit tightly together, water can freely penetrate to the chips, for example, through ports and connectors for charging and headphones, or openings in speakers and microphones. But even if the phone has been in contact with water for a long time, you still have a chance to save the device.

2. Remove the battery, SIM card and memory card

Free the phone from the case (if there is one), remove the cover of the device and remove the battery from the phone case (if the case is collapsible and the battery is removable) so that the chips on the board do not oxidize. Next, take out a SIM card and a memory card - contacts and data on them are sometimes more valuable than the smartphone itself.

Do not turn on your phone under any circumstances. It is better not to press any buttons or keys again, as this may cause the water to go even further into the body. If any peripheral devices were connected to the smartphone, then disconnect them; if the ports are covered with plugs, then leave them open for ventilation.

3. Wipe your phone

Thoroughly wipe down your smartphone and anything you took out of the phone. A dry, absorbent rag or towel is suitable for this. Carefully remove every drop from the surfaces accessible to you (depending on whether your phone has a collapsible case or not), because even one remaining drop can destroy the phone. Be careful not to leave pieces of paper or fabric inside the cabinet, in corners, or in crevices. If there is still water inside the device, you can try to gently “shake” the liquid out of it. However, you should not get carried away and do it with force - there is a risk that water may penetrate even deeper into the device.

4. Disassemble your smartphone

As a rule, it is enough to get by with the cover removed and the battery removed. However, if you believe in your abilities and have experience, then disassemble the phone into the smallest possible individual parts. This is done so that the air (or absorbent substance) has a large contact area for good circulation and drying.

It is worth considering that in this case you will lose the warranty, but most often the warranty on a smartphone does not cover cases of “swimming” in water, so in this regard you will not lose much. We advise you to record or photograph the disassembly process step by step, this will help you quickly and correctly reassemble the device after drying. After you have disassembled the phone, repeat the steps from the previous paragraph.

If you spill juice, tea, coffee, wine or beer on your phone, be sure to wash the stains with distilled water or alcohol so that there are no traces left that can then dry out. These drinks contain many chemical elements that, remaining on the surface of the device elements, destroy them, so they must be removed. If this is not done, then your device will die at the most unexpected moment, taking with it valuable information to the “other world”.

5. Dry your phone

Now all that remains is to dry the smartphone. There is an opinion that it is best to dry your phone with a hairdryer, but we do not recommend resorting to this method. If there is moisture left somewhere, the hairdryer can send it even deeper into the case, which can only “finish off” the phone. Also, do not dry the device in the oven or microwave. For such situations, a vacuum cleaner with narrow attachments is more suitable.

If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner at hand and, at your own peril and risk, decide to use a hairdryer, then turn on the warm stream not much warmer than room temperature and keep your distance (distance to parts). A vacuum cleaner, on the contrary, will draw out moisture. You need to bring it with a narrow nozzle to each of the holes and gaps and hold it for a few minutes. Just in case, make sure that everything is securely fastened and will not go inside the vacuum cleaner (especially if you disassembled the smartphone).

You can also dry electronics in rice, but it is preferable to use silica gel. You can also simply dry the components in a dry room on plain paper for about one and a half to two days. The disadvantage of silica gel and rice is that they themselves quickly become saturated with moisture and over time the rate of moisture absorption decreases. You will have to turn your smartphone or replace the absorbent every couple of hours, so air drying is much easier.

By the way, if you use substances that draw out moisture, it is better to put them with the phone in a small sealed package.

6. Assemble and turn on

After one and a half to two days, you can assemble and turn on the device. First, check your phone to make sure all connectors and parts are dry and clean. If yes, then you can assemble the device. If you have not disassembled the phone in detail, then simply insert the battery. Try turning on your smartphone with or without a battery, but from the mains. There could be several scenarios here. If in both cases mobile phone turns on, then make sure everything is working properly. If not, but the computer responds to it via the USB cable, or the phone turns on or responds to charging from the network, then perhaps a new battery will help. If in both cases nothing works, then you should contact the service center. It may often happen that the phone starts, but does not work correctly; in such cases, you can repeat the above steps (there is probably still liquid left somewhere) or take it to a service center for repairs and tell them that the phone was in water and that you they did to him. Please note that even if the smartphone turns on or works after replacing the battery, a corrosion process may begin inside your device, which will act like a time bomb and “kill” it at the most unexpected moment. It can take quite a long time, and only a service center can help you deal with it by treating the board with an anti-corrosion solution.

By following these simple instructions, you can try to save and revive your phone. However, remember that there is simply no 100% guarantee in such cases. To protect yourself from such situations, you can buy special waterproof cases or follow simple precautions. Take care of your gadgets!

Let us remind you that on our website you can view the results of smartphone tests. Our experts tested the quality of popular models in the laboratory and, based on the test results, compiled a rating of smartphones.

Want to understand other important issues? Read

What to do if your phone falls into water? This is not such a simple question as it might seem at first glance. Especially if the phone is touch-sensitive. After all, such a situation can happen in the life of any person. No matter how confident a person is in his careful and careful attitude towards the telephone, no one is immune from an emergency.

What to do if your phone falls into water, and for what reasons could this happen?

Firstly, it can simply get wet from the rain. But that’s what cases and other accessories are made for. But they don't always save. Your phone may fall into a river or lake while on vacation, or it may be accidentally forgotten in your pants and put in the washing machine. It can also be accidentally dropped into a bucket filled with water while cleaning, or simply doused with tea or juice. All this will lead to malfunctions of the device. But how to deal with this and what to do if the phone falls into the water?

A set of measures to rescue a drowned phone

What to do if your phone falls into water, and what could be the consequences?

By and large, the above methods can completely save the phone. The worst option is liquid getting under the screen, especially if it is touch-sensitive. It will be impossible to restore such a screen, and buying a new one will be very expensive. Salty sea water is especially dangerous - it can lead to rapid corrosion of the circuit boards inside. telephone set. If the above measures still did not bring the desired result, and the phone still does not work or works partially (some functions have failed), then it is better to quickly contact a service center to repair the device.

It is difficult to imagine modern man without cell phone. Unfortunately, no one is safe from juice or tea being spilled on the device. It may also fall into a puddle or bathtub. Few people understand what to do if their phone falls into water. If you follow simple instructions, you can save the device on your own.

Phone rescue

It doesn't matter how much water gets on the phone. Sometimes it is enough to drop the device on a wet floor and it stops functioning. There are cases when the phone works even after falling into a puddle or bathtub, although this is a rare occurrence.

So, if a touchscreen phone has fallen into water, you need to get it out of there as quickly as possible. Delay will have a detrimental effect on the condition of the smartphone and most likely it will no longer be possible to revive it. It is important to note that if the mobile phone remains in water or a wet environment for more than half an hour, it can be thrown away.

As soon as the mobile phone is removed from the water, it must be turned off immediately. After this you need to extract:

• Battery;
• SIM card;
• SD card.

It doesn't matter whether you have a touch or push-button phone in front of you, as the recovery procedures are similar. First you need to remove . A phone that has fallen into water must be completely disassembled to increase the chances of recovery.

How to dry your phone

After your phone has fallen into water and the parts have gotten wet, you need to dry everything thoroughly. First, each element is wiped with a paper napkin. All movements must be careful so as not to damage the microcircuits. It is worth noting that alcohol can be used instead of a napkin. During the process of evaporation, it eliminates all moisture.

Then you need to make sure everything is dry. The best way drying is air flow. There is no need to grab a hairdryer, as hot air will damage the device. It is recommended to use a small vacuum cleaner with a narrow nozzle.

The device turns on at minimum speed. Then each hole is blown out. You need to be careful with the microcircuits so that they do not come off during purging. Each part should be dried for 10 minutes. Remember that the vacuum cleaner should not touch any smartphone components. The device should be kept at a distance of 1-2 centimeters from the surface of the phone.

Traditional methods

Those who have dropped their phone in water or other liquid should know that there is a traditional way to dry your phone. One such remedy is rice. If desired, instead of cereal, you can use absorbent material, which is added to shoe boxes or leather bags.

A little rice is poured into a plastic container, and a smartphone is placed in it. Now all that remains is to add more rice. The cereal should completely cover the gadget. The phone should be left in the rice for at least 24 hours. It is worth noting that a device dropped into liquid from high level It is not enough to dry the acidity, as the destruction of the microcircuits will begin.

After drying, the device should turn on. It is recommended to test all functions of the device. Sometimes users ask what to do if the phone falls into water and does not turn on even after all the manipulations done? In this case, you need to contact specialists.

Mistakes made

When trying to fix a phone, most people immediately grab a hair dryer, trying to get rid of moisture faster. Remember that such an operation can completely damage the device. This happens for the following reasons:

1. A stream of hot air melts the plastic parts of the phone.
2. Droplets of water penetrate into hard-to-reach places.

Since fixing a phone seems easy, smartphone owners don’t think about the consequences. Another common mistake is to use:

• Gaza;
• Hot battery;
• Microwave oven.

Using such tools will cause your phone and battery to overheat.

Fell into the water? With such devices things are a little more complicated. It is not recommended to disassemble smartphones yourself. You can move incorrectly and your smartphone will be damaged.

No matter how much your phone gets wet, there is no need to rush. Every step must be thought out. The phone should not turn on. Otherwise, a short circuit will occur. It is necessary to get rid of excess moisture as quickly as possible.

Home appliance stores sell specialized bags that quickly absorb water and other liquids. It is recommended to purchase such a substance in advance. You may not need it, but it's better to be safe.

Despite the fact that there is a way to resuscitate the phone, it’s not worth doing anything yourself. It is best to contact specialists with a smartphone. If it fell into the water, its place is in the service center.

Specialists will carry out a complete diagnosis and drying, and, if necessary, replace the damaged elements. It should be noted that sometimes repairs are more expensive than a new phone. If specialists managed to revive the phone, then it should turn on.

Video instructions: how to revive a drowned phone

Conclusion

Any phone can fall into water. It should be noted that you can handle push-button devices yourself. If we are talking about sensory devices, then it is best not to take risks. Service will cost no more than 800 rubles, and a new phone costs much more.

If you wish and have some skill, it is possible to revive even a smartphone, but then it is best to follow the instructions. As for folk methods, you shouldn’t trust them too much.

The first thing an owner worries about if they drop their phone is the integrity of the screen. You are lucky if after falling on the asphalt there is not a scratch left on it. But what about internal elements such as motherboard, memory?

Can a blow cause irreparable damage to them, which will immediately affect the entire operation of the device? Or will a metal case with a case provide sufficient protection?

What's wrong with the smartphone screen?

The screen is the most delicate part of a smartphone. It is for this reason that engineers put so much effort into the design of Gorilla Glass and Dragon Glass.

Today, almost all smartphones, even those in the budget category, are equipped with extremely durable glass. In addition, bulletproof glass can be additionally installed on the screen, which will serve as additional protection against cracks.

But even if you picked up the phone from the asphalt and saw that the screen remained intact, do not rush to rejoice.

Everything is intact on the outside, but what's inside?

The impact can also damage the internal elements of the smartphone. A fall can have serious consequences, primarily for the camera module.

Another thing is that damage does not necessarily manifest itself in the first minutes after the impact. Perhaps only after a few days or even weeks, due to damaged soldering, the phone will begin to generate errors, work slower than usual, or even reboot on its own. By this point, you may forget about the fall that happened.

Angle of incidence

It should be noted that the consequences of the impact depend on the angle of impact of the smartphone. If the device is dropped face down, then in addition to visible cracks on the glass and problems with the touchpad, you can detect a malfunction in the front camera or proximity sensor.

If the blow hits the back, you may suffer

• motherboard,
• rear camera or
• flash.

Other problems

As for other violations, due to loss of contact with the antenna, the smartphone may stop picking up the network and Wi-Fi.

Also, if the phone falls quite often, the solder on the board may fall off, and then there will be problems with the headphone or charging jack.

There may be problems with the on-screen keyboard. For example, when you press a certain button, another character is printed - the one that is located above the pressed button. To print the desired letter, you will have to press the button located below.

All these problems can be diagnosed by employees. Therefore, the question “what to do if you dropped your phone” can be answered like this:

If your phone has suffered a serious fall, it would be a good idea to play it safe and take it to a service center for diagnostics.

If possible, before returning the phone to the service center, you need to save all data (photos, videos, contacts, correspondence, etc.) to a computer, SD memory card or to the cloud. There is a high probability that after diagnosis this data may be irretrievably lost.

From practice

A Nokia folding phone fell onto the stairs. It will be even harsher than asphalt. Literally shattered into pieces: battery separately, Bottom part separately, top part separately and next to the SIM card. I thought that the phone would no longer work. I collected everything together and connected it. It still works, oddly enough, for many years. And the battery remains the same in this clamshell. In fact, the Nokia advertisement worked. But the phone is simple, without any frills, perhaps simplicity gives additional reliability in such cases.

I fell at a friend's place on the asphalt. Fell “on an edge”, this edge became rough. After being hit on the edge, the iPhone jumped up and bounced around like a ball, hitting the asphalt on different sides. Ultimately, it will probably have to be replaced. protective glass, it is slightly cracked where the glass connects to the edge. A characteristic stain appeared on the glass, but fortunately in a place where there is no screen yet, and therefore not noticeable during use. The rest still works like clockwork, inside and out. I hope that the iPhone also passed the reliability test when dropped on the asphalt “on its edge.”

Neither I nor my friends had to drop the Android.

In general, the law of universal gravitation, which is taught in school, has not been canceled by anyone; all bodies fall down with acceleration, measured by the little-known variable g = 9.8 m/s 2 . The higher the impact point, the harder the body will hit. By body we also mean a mobile gadget. So, it’s better not to drop it. Because g on Earth is quite large. And, let’s say, on the Moon it is, this is the g, much smaller, you can drop gadgets there with less damage to them!

Electronics are terribly afraid of water. If your phone falls into water, quickly start rescuing the gadget. The sooner you come to the rescue, the more likely it is that the mobile device will “come to life” under your strict guidance. Think less about whether the phone is “alive” or “dead”, start acting faster!

This recipe for salvation mobile device applicable to any hardware. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a phone or a tablet, Android or iPhone. Water can leak into the player, electronic watches, and fitness trackers.

Cases of dangerous water penetration into the phone

• The phone fell (in a puddle, sea/river, etc.) and does not turn on
• You went swimming in the water with your phone, forgetting to take it out of your shorts
• You foolishly dropped it in the toilet while taking a selfie or looking at pictures
• The phone was doused with water
• We washed the phone in the washing machine and it's still intact.
• Ate and dropped the phone in the soup while talking

So, the liquid got inside. What urgent procedures need to be performed with a phone that has fallen into water?

First steps to take if water (liquid) gets into your phone

1. Get out the drowning phone of water as quickly as possible and remove to a safe distance from the humid environment.
2. Do not do it sudden movements so that the liquid does not distribute inside and penetrate even further: into the electronics, under the case.
3. Take action quickly and accurately. Every second counts. In the best case, water will not get on the electronic components of the phone. At worst, if the phone falls into the water, even a waterproof phone or tablet cannot withstand the depth and will fail instantly.

Advice. If you dropped your mobile phone in the toilet, you can put on gloves (don’t be disdainful: the life of your iron friend is at stake).

What not to do with a wet phone

1. Test the functionality of the phone immediately after you saved it from drowning.
2. Leave the battery as is, in the phone, and start making calls different numbers, checking the quality of communication. These thoughtless actions can easily damage your phone completely.
3. Dry your phone at close range. Microcircuits are exposed to thermal effects - they can simply melt. For a hair dryer, select only the cold drying mode!

Turn off your phone and remove the battery

1. Turn off your phone (if it suddenly still works).
2. Remove the case to help your device dry faster.
3. Remove the battery by removing the phone cover. This will prevent short circuiting - one of the main dangers and the reason for the phone to fail.

Disconnect everything possible from your phone

In addition to the battery, you need to remove all parts that can be dismantled. SIM card and SD card - first of all. This is done:

• for the safety of removed components ()
• so that the phone dries faster and there is no interference with the air during drying.

If you know how to remove other, smaller parts of the phone, do so.

Drying your mobile device

The faster the water dries, the greater the chance that it will not penetrate inside.

1. To begin, place the device on a dry surface (table), placing a napkin under it.
2. Gently wipe the phone with a dry cloth, removing all moisture on the surface.
3. To speed up the drying of your phone, a hairdryer or vacuum cleaner is suitable. Use a narrow nozzle so you can dry the holes. The iPhone is especially sensitive to such temperature changes.
4. Dry your phone at a distance that you consider comfortable for yourself. The fact is that a hairdryer can do a bad job if you haven't wiped down your phone. Moisture under air pressure will penetrate inside.

Additional drying of the inside of the phone

The drying process cannot be rushed. After making sure that there are no droplets of moisture on the surface of the phone, leave it alone for 48 hours. Place your phone on a dry, absorbent cloth (such as a towel).

• Advice. For effective drying, dip your phone in a pile of dry rice. It absorbs moisture perfectly. It is advisable not to eat rice after drying. Especially if you took the phone out of the toilet.

What to do if you couldn’t save your phone from water

We hope these tips helped you save money on new iPhone or Android.

Unfortunately, these methods do not always help in cases where the phone is dropped into water and does not turn on (often some component falls off - for example, a microphone or camera - what is located on top).

1. Useful article:
2. If it doesn’t help and the phone still breaks down, contact the workshop to find out the cost of repairs.
3. In any case, don't be upset. You did everything you could.
4. Still have questions? Write questions, share your problem with us.

Note: latest Samsung models and iPhone are de facto waterproof, protected from moisture and dust. There is no need to worry about their performance after liquid contact (see and).