Dropped Your Phone in Water? Do These 5 Things First

Do These 5 Things Immediately

• 1. Power it off now — do not check if it 'still works'. Running it while wet causes short circuits.
• 2. Do not plug it in to charge — this is the fastest way to fry the board.
• 3. Dry the outside, remove the case and SIM tray, and shake out water gently.
• 4. Keep it upright and cool — don't apply heat from a hairdryer or leave it in the sun.
• 5. Bring it in as soon as possible for professional cleaning before corrosion sets in.

What NOT to Do

• Don't put it in rice — it doesn't pull moisture from inside and wastes critical time.
• Don't charge or turn it on to 'test' it — the single biggest cause of permanent damage.
• Don't use a hairdryer or oven — heat warps components and pushes water deeper.
• Don't shake it hard or blow into the ports — you spread water across the board.

Why Water Damage Gets Worse Over Time

Even after a phone dries, minerals and impurities left behind corrode the circuit board and connectors. A phone that seems fine for a day can fail later as corrosion spreads. That's why professional ultrasonic cleaning within the first day or two makes the biggest difference — it removes the residue before it eats through the board.

How Water Damage Is Repaired

A proper water-damage repair isn't just 'drying it out'. The board is disassembled and ultrasonically cleaned to remove corrosion, then inspected under a microscope. Corroded chips — Power IC, Audio IC, Charging IC — are repaired or replaced at component level, and water-affected batteries or charging ports are swapped. Every function is tested before the phone goes back to you.

Possible Causes & Repairs

• Corrosion / short circuit → Water damage repair (RM 200–800, 1–3 days)
• Dead board chip → Power IC / Audio IC repair (RM 200–700, 1–2 days)
• Water-affected battery or port → Battery / charging port replacement (RM 180–650)
• Phone won't boot but data matters → Data recovery (RM 200–1,500, 1–3 days)