One of the most striking features of some new smartphones is water resistance. They are kitted with gaskets and seals, allowing you to live another day if you clumsyly drop them in a puddle or toilet, or flip a nearby water carafe over.
But what if you have an old smartphone that isn’t waterproof? What if the waterproofness is compromised due to aging or damage (cracks on the screen or dents in the frame of the phone or tablet can allow water to seep through the gasket seal)?
Before proceeding, it is worth pointing out that there is no guarantee here.Your device may already be damaged beyond economical repair
It takes a few seconds (at most a few minutes) to extend the life of your smartphone or tablet. Here’s what you need to do to give yourself the best chance of saving it.
Also: How to record a call on your iPhone
Required materials:
- Plastic bag (any one is fine, but Ziploc style bags are perfect), And those who snuggle up are better
- Hygroscopic substance (see below)
- A warm place that encourages dryness
1. Turn off the power-fast!
Please turn it off as soon as possible.
At the time when smartphones had a removable battery, removing the battery was the easiest way. Currently there is no such option. Therefore, you need to use the power button.
Don’t assume that your device will not be damaged just because it is still working. As such, water is a nuisance. Turning it off reduces the chance of permanent damage to your smartphone due to an electrical short circuit.
If the phone is already off, leave it off. Do not turn on or charge until the drying process is complete.
2. Dry the outside
Use something nearby to dry the outside of the device: towels, paper towels, T-shirts, etc.
Shake as much liquid as possible from the port.
The less water on the outside of the device, the better.
3. Emergency drying
This time, emergency drying will come.
The hygroscopic substance that many people recommend is rice. Unfortunately, in my tests it’s garbage and rice particles cause more problems. However, rice is something that many people have at hand, so if you have nothing else to do, use rice to get a better one.
What is better than rice?
Other common household items that are good dehumidifiers are:
- Silica gel packet.. Loose crystals are pinched. Just put them in an envelope and you can keep them from going anywhere.
- Dehumidifying crystals. Common brands DampRid (No fragrance is best), but basically everything is the same and contains a chemical called anhydrous calcium chloride. Again, the type in the bag is best, but if you put it in an envelope and keep it from going anywhere, loose crystals will work.
Not so finesse here … put the device in a bag with a dehumidifying agent, seal the bag and pop it into a warm (not hot-don’t want to hurt your smartphone or tablet) place.
Note: If you have a vacuum sealer in your kitchen (people often use it for vacuum cooking), this may give you an edge. Place the phone and the selected hygroscopic material in a vacuum cleaner paper pack and use a sealer to suck out the air. The partial vacuum causes the water to evaporate a little faster, helping to dry the device faster and more completely.
If you only have rice, use rice first to go to the store. silica gel Also Dehumidifying crystals.. You can then replace the rice with a better dehumidifying agent and continue drying from there.
If you want to be prepared for an aquatic accident, consider buying some. Ready-made moisture-absorbing bag specially designed for electronic devices.. They are only a few dollars and have a long shelf life.
Kensington Eva Prescue Pouch
4. Now you have two options
- The first is to wait. For the hygroscopic chemicals you choose to do the job, 24 hours is good-but 48 hours is better-. Wait as long as you can, cross your fingers, turn on your device and expect the best.
- Alternatively, you can also look for professional smartphone drying services such as: Came backWe are proud of the high success rate when it comes to the resurrection of soaked smartphones. According to Redux, the success rate was 84%, and beer, mud, and even soup-damaged phones were revived.
5. Prevention is better than cure
Not immersing the device in the first place is much more successful than trying to dry the device after the fact.but Cheap waterproof case or bag You can save hundreds of dollars and many headaches and tears.
Kona Submariner Waterproof Case
6. Brine may be the death penalty for the device
Brine is probably one of the worst things you can drop your smartphone on (cola is in the immediate vicinity). Not only is salt water highly conductive and dramatically increases the likelihood of short-circuit damage, but it is also highly corrosive, so even if the device withstands flooding, corrosion damage can result in weeks or numbers. The device may be damaged after a month.
The only guaranteed way to recover a smartphone damaged by salt water in the long run is to disassemble the smartphone, clean and reassemble all components with a safe solvent on the circuit board.
Watch the video here: How to get water out of your phone