I dropped my phone in water: what to do in the first ten minutes
Kevin Muñoz · 2 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Take it out of the water and switch it off. Don't restart it: turn it off completely.
- Do not plug it into the charger under any circumstances.
- Remove the case, SIM card and memory card.
- Dry the outside with a cloth and stand it upright, connectors facing down.
- Take it in for repair as soon as possible. Every hour counts.
Why switching it off matters most
Water alone doesn't destroy electronics. What destroys them is electricity flowing through the water. As long as the phone has power, every drop that bridges two tracks on the board causes a short circuit and corrodes the contacts within minutes.
A phone switched off in time often survives. The same phone left on for twenty minutes almost never does. And plugging it into the charger means even more power: it's the mistake that kills the most devices.
Rice doesn't work
It's the most repeated advice and one of the worst. Rice absorbs a bit of moisture from the air, yes, but it doesn't remove the water that's already inside the phone, stuck to the board. All it does is waste two days while the corrosion spreads unchecked.
On top of that, rice dust gets into the charging port and speaker and has to be cleaned out afterwards. Hair dryers and radiators don't help either: heat warps the adhesives and pushes the water into areas it hadn't reached before.
“But my phone is water-resistant”
IP67 or IP68 ratings are measured at the factory, with a new device, in clean, still water. Three things break that protection:
- Age. Rubber seals harden and stop sealing within two or three years.
- Any previous repair. If it's been opened to replace the battery or screen and the proper sealing adhesive wasn't replaced, it's no longer watertight.
- The type of liquid. Salt water, pool chlorine, coffee or soft drinks attack much faster than tap water. Sugar also leaves a conductive residue as it dries.
And an important detail: the manufacturer's warranty almost never covers liquid damage, even if the phone is water-resistant.
What I do when a wet one comes in
I open it, disconnect the battery to cut the power completely and clean the board with isopropyl alcohol, which displaces the water and evaporates without leaving residue. If there's corrosion, it's removed under a magnifier. Then controlled drying and testing of every component: sometimes the board survives but the camera, microphone or fingerprint reader has died.
This treatment costs between 45 and 70 € and success isn't guaranteed: it's emergency treatment, not a part replacement. I always tell you before I start. What I can promise is that the odds drop with every day that goes by.
The phone that seems to work fine and fails three weeks later. Corrosion keeps working inside even if the screen turns on. If it's been wet, it's worth opening and cleaning it even if nothing seems to have happened.
Frequently asked questions
How much time do I have?
The first 24 hours are what count. After a week, corrosion has usually caused permanent damage.
Can the photos be recovered if it won't turn on?
Sometimes, yes: if the memory is intact it can be extracted even if everything else is lost. It's delicate work and is quoted separately.
It got wet and works fine. Should I do anything?
Yes: have it opened and cleaned. It's much cheaper than waiting for it to fail in a month.
If it got wet today, message me now
It's one of the few repairs where hours decide the outcome. I'm in Matadepera and cover the surrounding area; diagnosis is free.