It's never a great experience to see your phone roll off your hand, and suddenly, it's lying in a pool of water, a toilet sink, or any other water body. Even if it's just minimal water spilling on your phone, it feels bad because you know nothing good comes out of it in most cases. However, have you ever thought of what happens to your phone when exposed to water? Like…, what parts or components actually get damaged after it is water-damaged?
In this article, we'll tell you everything you need to know about these questions, so you know what to do when your phone get damaged by water. Let's take you on a ride!
What components get damaged in a phone when exposed to water?
The smartphone contains a series of components liable to get damaged by water. So, it depends on how long the phone is spent in the water and how permeable or resistant your phone is to water. Do not worry, though, if your phone got damaged after being immersed in the water, as most of these components are repairable.
For a start, the SIM and SD card slots, headphone jacks, charging ports, and microphone holes are the common ingress point for water to damage your phone. When water enters through these holes, it goes straight to the internal parts of the phone, and that's where it gets to damage the vital components.
And talking of the "vital components", it doesn't really have to be the motherboard at first. Liquid damage can range from your phone's charging port not working to the entire device not powering on. And when your phone won't power on, there's nothing more brutal than that, as the water or moisture content could have affected the mainboard.
Currently, the motherboard is one of the most expensive and delegate parts of the smartphone. When damaged by water, replacing it can be on the steep side. However, the motherboard is not the only component damaged when your phone comes in contact with water. Liquid and moisture content can affect virtually any component of the phone, including the charging port, screen, RAM, camera, processor, speaker, microphone, battery, transistors, and other electronic components. The craziest part is that all of these components are connected to the motherboard. So, once water damages the motherboard, most of the remaining components are in trouble.
Related: What to do if your phone falls into the water?
The big picture is, depending on the duration the phone spent in water, the damage can go from mild to severe. In most cases, you may be able to salvage your phone or have little issues by rescuing the phone at your earliest chance. That means, the faster you are, the more chance of saving your phone from water damages.
How to fix a water-damaged phone
Of course, looking for "What part or components gets damaged in a phone when exposed to water" is not enough; learning "what to when your phone gets immersed in water" and "how to fix a water-damaged phone” is better.
And talking of how to fix a water-damaged phone, you probably have read or heard about the good old technique of keeping the phone inside a bowl of rice for days, isn't it? But hey! That's a pretty old technique that won't fix a damaged motherboard or could cause more harm than good.
So, how do you fix a water-damaged phone? Here are some tips to engage in when your phone slips inside the water accidentally.
1. Recover the phone as fast as you can, and be cautioned!
The first step to fixing a water-damaged phone is to try your best to pick out the phone from the water as soon as you can – the more time it remains inside the water, the more it gets damaged.
Once you rescue the phone, you need to turn it off quickly, and if possible, remove the battery. Though most phones come with a permanent cover and inbuilt battery these days, remove the battery if you can. Next, you need to be cautioned:
- Try not to switch on the phone
- Do not charge it either.
- Don’t press any button.
- Don't shake or swing the phone to get rid of the water. It causes more harm than good.
Once you put these in place, then consider the other fixes below.
2. Remove everything you can
After saving the phone, the next thing you want to do is to detach everything you can from the phone. These include the phone cover, SIM and SD cards, removable battery, and other attached accessories. Doing so helps keep the phone free and ensures your SIM and SD cards don't get spoiled as well.
Still, you need to do that with caution. Avoid tilting and shaking the phone too much, so the water doesn’t spread across. Do you get that?
3. Try to dry up the phone
While trying to fix a water-damaged phone, the last thing you can do is dry up the phone. First, you need to get rid of the water remaining at the back and front of the phone. You can do that with a soft cloth. However, as said earlier, ensure you don't tilt or shake the phone heavily to avoid spreading the water around.
Once you’re done with the exterior part, you can try using a vacuum cleaner to suck off water from inside the phone (if you can). Also, do it gently and ensure you use a moderate vacuum cleaner and settings.
After that, it's time for the hardest and most necessary part that requires you don't turn on your phone for a specific period – usually two days or more! Just remove all the SIM cards and others (as said above!) and place the phone to where it can dry easily. You can place it in front of a fan, but not under a hot sun. More so, try not to dry the water with a heater or hair dryer as they could damage the screen and other internal components.
Truth be told, you need to visit the repair center.
To be candid, a water-damaged phone isn't what you can easily fix at home. It either requires you don't use your phone for a long period or allow a technician to repair it in under few minutes. More so, if your phone was deep inside the water, storing it at home to dry likely won't repair it.
So, the best you can do when your phone is damaged by water is to visit the repair center and let specialized technician access the problem.
If you own an Infinix, TECNO, or itel mobile phone, and it gets damaged by water, bring it down to the Carlcare Service center near you. Our experts would access the damage with our modern equipment and tell you what that water has damaged, then get it fixed for you.
As the official repair center for these brands, we're always at your service, and you can expect nothing but excellent repair service when you bring your water-damaged device to our office.
