Phone fell in water? What to do in the first hour.
Toilet, pool, sink, a drink on the table: liquid gets into phones every day, and most of them can be saved. What happens in the first hour matters more than anything a shop does later. Here is exactly what to do, and the three things that quietly kill a wet phone.
Do this right now
- Power it off. If it's still on, hold the power button and shut it down. Electricity plus water is what destroys the board, not the water alone.
- Take out the SIM tray and any case. Wipe the outside with a dry cloth, ports included.
- Stand it upright with the charging port facing down so liquid drains out instead of deeper in.
- Bring it in the same day. Corrosion starts within hours. The sooner the board is opened and cleaned, the higher the odds.
Three things that make it worse
- Charging it to "see if it works." Sending current through a wet board is the fastest way to turn a cheap cleaning into a dead phone.
- Rice. It dries a little surface moisture while the liquid already inside keeps corroding the contacts. A phone can seem fine for a week, then fail.
- Heat. Hair dryers, ovens, radiators and car dashboards push moisture further in and can warp the screen and battery.
What we actually do
We open the phone, disconnect the battery, and clean the logic board and connectors with isopropyl alcohol under magnification, removing the minerals and corrosion the liquid left behind. Then we dry it properly, reassemble, and test every function: screen, touch, charging, cameras, speakers, microphones and Face ID. If a part was already damaged, usually the screen or the charging port, we tell you before replacing it.
Salt water, pool water and soda
Not all liquids are equal. Fresh water is the kindest. Pool water, salt water and sugary drinks corrode much faster and leave residue, so the clock runs faster. If it was anything other than clean water, treat it as urgent.
What recovery looks like
Most phones that come in powered off within a day of the accident recover fully. Phones that were charged while wet, or left for a week, often have board-level damage and the odds drop. Either way, diagnosis is free and we give you an honest answer before any work.
Quick answers
Should I put my wet phone in rice?
No. Rice only dries the outside while corrosion continues inside. Power it off, don't charge it, and bring it in the same day.
Can I charge my phone after it got wet?
Don't. Charging a wet phone can short the board and turn a simple cleaning into an unrepairable phone. Wait until it has been opened and cleaned.
My phone still works after falling in water. Do I need to bring it in?
Yes. Liquid left inside keeps corroding even when the phone works. A cleaning now prevents a failure in a few weeks.
How long does water damage repair take?
The cleaning is usually same-day. If a part like the screen or charging port was damaged, it may take a bit longer depending on the part.
Is my data safe?
A board cleaning doesn't touch your data. If the phone is beyond saving, we can often still recover photos and contacts; ask us.