Get this right: dropping your phone into a bowl of water doesn't mean you're careless. It's just a normal, painful circumstance that has happened to many phone users. It gets even more painful when your phone doesn't have any sort of IP ratings for water resistance. That's when you ask yourself questions such as "Will a water-damaged phone fix itself?" "What do I need to revive my phone damaged by water?" "Where can I repair a water-damaged phone?" and many more.
Truth be told, we all wish our smartphones have self-healing powers to repair themselves when they get damaged. Unfortunately, it just won't happen. If you've dropped your phone into the water mistakenly and you're unsure if it'll repair itself over time, you'll get your facts right below.
Will a water-damaged phone repair itself?
Hitting the nail on the head, we’d like to tell you that a water-damaged phone cannot repair itself. It might only work for some time if the water didn't penetrate sensitive components of the phone. So, it's best to turn off your phone once it drops into the water and let it dry completely before attempting to turn it on. Or better still, take it to a professional to check if it's not faulty and ensure it won't develop faults later.
Thankfully, most modern smartphones (even ones with no certified IP ratings) come with seals that protect water splashes and dust from penetrating the device. However, if your phone is not waterproof, water might penetrate and damage its sensitive parts phone quickly through the headphone jack, USB port, microphone, and other holes.
By the way, because your phone has high IP ratings for water resistance doesn't mean it can't get damaged by water. Smartphones with waterproof have a specific duration and depth in which they can withstand water damage. So, it's best to let a technician check up your phone after dropping it into the water, even it's certified with a high IP rating.
How to dry out a water-damaged phone
It’s no more news that a phone soaked with water won’t repair itself until you take the appropriate action. And sometimes, you may not need to rush to the repair centre, as drying out the water may revive your soaked phone. Here’s how.
First things first, make sure you get the phone out of the water as soon as you can. The more your phone stay inside the water, the more it's likely to get damaged, even if it's rated as "waterproof".
If the phone is still active after rescuing it, ensure you turn it off straight away to avoid damaging the internals. Also, if you've got a phone with a removable battery, you can remove it.
The next thing is to eject everything attached to the phone; these could include the charger, earphones, SIM cards, microSD card, bumper cases, etc.
Now, you’ve got to start the wiping/cleaning in proper! Grab a lint-free cloth and clean the water on the phone as much as you can. Start from the back cover, then to the screen, and other parts. After that, you also need to wipe out any water inside the charging port, headphone jack, SIM/micro SD slot, and other holes you can reach with the cloth.
That's what you need to do for a start. And you might be tempted to dry out the water with a heater, hairdryer or place it inside an oven. Dare not do that! It's going to damage your device even further. Also, if you sense that the water has gone deeply into the phone, ensure you minimize shaking it to get rid of the water. The water may spread, penetrate and damage more sensitive components while shaking it.
Even with that, you still can’t turn on or use your phone. You need to keep it somewhere and wait for a few days (usually 2 or 3) to let it dry out completely. Some suggest placing the phone inside a bowl of rice for a day or two to absorb the water thoroughly. But that doesn’t work all the time. You may also need to wait for several more days for it to dry completely.
If that’s your primary phone, then placing it somewhere to dry for days is not ideal. And you probably don’t want to go for several days without your phone. So, why not give your phone to a technician to have it repaired over the next few hours?
How to repair a water-damaged phone
Most of us use our smartphones for several purposes during the day. And with that, leaving it to dry for a day or two is almost a disaster. However, you don’t need to worry about that if you choose to repair your water-damaged phone.
Here at Carlcare, we can bring your soaked TECNO, Infinix, or itel phone back to life as fast as possible. Whether it's completely soaked or just a light splash, a Carlcare-accredited technician would help you diagnose your phone and make sure it's not faulty or won't develop faults later.
And if peradventure the water have damaged the sensitive parts of the phone, we’ll repair them at the shortest possible time, with genuine spare parts (if needed).
Our great advantage is that we're certified by TECNO, Infinix, and itel to repair your damaged phone. Plus, you don't need to travel far away to get your phone fixed by the official service provider. You can book an online reservation with us, then visit any of our service centres near you to repair your water-damaged phone.
