Everything you need to know about water damage in phones
Whether it joined you for a dip in the sea or swimming pool, made a break from your pocket and ended up in the toilet or bath, or became submerged in your drink, a phone getting wet is one of the more common ways it can be damaged.
While a lot of modern smartphones have fairly good protection against water, that’s definitely not to say that they are immune from water damage. But what is water damage when it comes to a phone, and what are the chances of it recovering? That’s what we’re looking at today.
What is water damage in phones?
Water damage in a phone means that there is some issue or malfunction caused by exposure to liquid which has entered the device’s circuitry. It can take several forms, including discolouration, corrosion, distorted sound or images, and others.
There are different severities of water damage in phones, and how badly a phone is damaged will depend on several factors, including:
- The phone model and how resistant to water it is
- Whether the phone was completely submerged and for how long
- The type of liquid that entered the phone
- How quickly action was taken afterwards
One way to identify if your phone has water damage is to check the Liquid Damage Indicator (LDI). Most phones will have an LDI which changes colour, generally from white to red, if water has penetrated the internal workings of the phone.
If you’ve dropped your phone in water and are wondering if it has water damage, then issues with charging, discolouration or moisture behind the screen, poor touchscreen functionality or muffled sound all tend to indicate water damage. Sometimes this can be permanent.
Is it possible that my phone didn’t get any water damage when wet?
In some lucky situations, your phone might be completely fine following a dip!
If your phone appears to be working correctly, you can’t see any evidence that water has entered the phone via the charging port or microphone, sounds and images are clear, and no water droplets are visible, it might have escaped unscathed.
However, one of the problems with water damage is that it can happen over a period of time following the incident when it got wet, even if immediately afterwards there are no obvious signs of damage.
That’s why we would usually suggest that you take it to a professional to be inspected properly and allow any issues to be diagnosed.
Can a water damaged phone be fixed?
Yes, it is absolutely possible to fix a water damaged phone in some cases.
However, how successfully this can be done is all down to the severity of the water damage, the level of resistance your particular device has to water, and how quickly you are able to take action.
Some phones resist water better than others, and this is measured using IP (Ingress Protection) ratings. A high IP rating indicates that a phone holds up well against dirt, dust and water, and often this means that the device is more likely to be recoverable. Do note that the test is validated for fresh water, not liquid in general, so a high IP rating does not necessarily mean your phone will fare well with things like salt water, hot drinks, soap or bleach!
If the damage is severe, and you don’t have it dealt with by a specialist, it might be permanent – or it can theoretically be fixed, but it is not cost-effective to do so.
How much does it cost to fix a water damaged phone?
The price of fixing a water damaged phone varies enormously depending on the situation. With simple cases, getting the phone dealt with by a professional can be very cost-effective, starting from around £30 and working upwards from there based on complexity and parts. At Armafone, our starting price for water damage cleanup is £29.99, but there are many variables that influence the final cost.
Replacing internal elements such as the motherboard can drive the price up, and this expense can sometimes be extreme enough that it is more economical to buy another phone than it is to fix your waterlogged one (there’s a good reason to do all you can to avoid your phone going for a swim!).
Is it worth repairing a water damaged phone?
Whether you feel it is worth repairing your water damaged phone will usually depend on a few things:
- How intensive the repair is and whether this makes it prohibitive
- How old your phone is, since sometimes the cost of the repair ends up being even higher than the value of an older phone
- Whether the data is able to be recovered and if this is a priority for you. If the data could be recovered with some repairs made, even if those repairs cannot restore it to full working order, you might want to go ahead for the purpose of being able to do a data transfer
Fixing a water damaged phone
It is possible for a phone to dry out on its own over time, but it is not advisable to rely on this, as often damage could be happening behind the scenes while you wait to see if it will work again. Many assume that they have been lucky because their phone still seems to be working after being submerged, however in the following hours, electricity could be flowing through the water inside and corroding important internal components over time.
Even if a phone appears dry on the outside, water can remain trapped beneath these internal components, such as under the motherboard or inside small connectors. The hidden moisture can encourage ongoing corrosion over time, potentially leading to delayed malfunctions. Without external factors like controlled drying techniques or professional cleaning, this trapped water can continue causing damage long after the initial exposure.
When it comes to water damage, it is best to take immediate action.
The first thing to do in cases of water damage
If you have dropped your phone in water or it has been exposed to liquid in some other way, your first steps should be to turn it off, remove any cases or accessories, and gently tap out any excess water.
It can take anything from a few hours to a couple of days for water to evaporate from a phone, so if you aren’t taking it to a professional, you may need to leave it to air dry for 24 – 48 hours.
Ideally, you should get it to a technician as soon as possible. Your phone may stop working if it gets wet, even if that doesn’t happen straight away.
In other cases, you may be able to tell immediately that something is very wrong. For example, if your phone is so water damaged that the screen is visibly broken or inoperable, then it’s very unlikely to fully dry out on its own – at least not without causing bigger problems, as water trapped inside the phone can corrode other internal elements too.
The fastest way to repair a water damaged phone
Either way, we would recommend having it looked into. Many professional phone repair stores have special machines that can dry out your phone, and they do this by using controlled heat to remove moisture and prevent further damage to the circuitry. We use one in our ArmaFone stores to quickly get the process underway and it makes the possibility of recovering a submerged device much more promising.
Water damaged phones: the risks
Water and electricity famously do not mix well, so naturally there are some risks to consider when they’ve coincided.
What happens if you charge a wet phone?
Charging a wet phone is not a good idea. Water creates a path for electricity, so if it has penetrated your phone, it can cause short circuits. If there is water in the charging port and you go to charge it, it can lead to corrosion, electrical failure or even an electric shock!
How long does it take for water to corrode a phone?
Corrosion occurs when metal is combined with water and oxygen. There is no specific timeframe for water corrosion in phones, as there are lots of different factors that can influence this. Some of these factors are things like the level at which it was submerged and how long it was submerged for. In extreme cases, corrosion can happen in a matter of hours, but it’s also possible for it to occur over a period of several weeks.
The type of water that it was dropped into will also play a part. For example, salt water will have an impact much quicker than tap or fresh water.
Water damage is one of the most common ways a phone can be damaged, and while some devices are more resistant than others, no phone is completely immune. Ultimately, the best approach is to keep your phone dry in the first place, but if the worst happens, knowing what to do can make all the difference. Remember – act quickly, even if it seems fine!
Need help with a water damaged phone? Use our simple form for a phone repair quote, or visit us in store today.
