iPhone Water Damage (FULL Guide) : Follow The Steps Below

There are several situations where your iPhone unexpectedly comes in contact with water or another liquid. Through performing an effective solution can save your iPhone Water Damage. However, it doesn’t matter how fast you act if you don’t know what to do. Some of the more popular iPhone Water Damage “repairs” actually do more harm to the device in a short time. If you are facing iPhone Water Damage, place it on a flat surface and follow the steps below.

Before we begin with the guide for iPhone Water Damage, we would like to warn you that do not tilt or shake your iPhone as the can overflow onto other components and cause further iPhone Water Damage.

Rescue iPhone Water Damage

Step 1: Take your phone out of the water immediately. The longer your phone is underwater, the more likely it will be short-circuited. Quick reflexes can signify the difference between a working phone and an idle phone.

Step 2: Turn off the phone – To do this, press and hold the Power button, then slide the button to the right at the top of the screen when prompted. The sooner you can turn off your iPhone, the better the chances of recovery.

• Remove the battery if you have an older phone.
• When the phone is connected, quickly unplug the charger.
• If the screen is off but you are not sure if the phone is on, quickly press the power button to see if the screen turns on.
• If so, continue to turn off the phone.
• If not, leave it out.

Step 3: Remove the cover that is on the iPhone – If your iPhone has a case, it may contain moisture; when you remove the case the phone seems to breathe in the fresh air.

Step 4: Remove the SIM card and tray from your iPhone – To do this, insert a SIM card removal tool or unfolded paper clip into the hole in the SIM tray to lift the SIM tray. Remove the tray completely to allow the water to drain out.

Step 5: Wipe the phone with a dry absorbent cloth – Remove excess moisture with an absorbent cloth. Make sure to remove moisture from the charging port, volume buttons, headphone jack, and any other indentations.

Step 6: Clean the connectors with a toothpick and cloth – Take a thin piece of cotton, like an old shirt, and wrap a single layer around the end of a toothpick. Make sure that it absorbs excess water from the charging port and headphone jack.

Step 7: Place the iPhone in a warm and dry place – Let your phone air dry in a warm place for as long as possible by placing it in a bag of rice so that water dries out of it. This has been wrongly proven to be the most effective way to simply let the iPhone air dry.
Additionally, rice can leave residue on the charger, which can further damage your device.
Air drying is most effective when you can remove the battery from the iPhone.

Step 8: Wait at least 48 hours – The longer you wait, the more successful the drying process will be. If you can wait more than 48 hours, 72 hours could be even more effective. Consider taking your phone to a local repair centre for immediate service, or contact Apple if you have AppleCare.

Step 9: Check the water damage indicator – Every iPhone contains a small indicator that indicates to a repair technician that the phone has suffered water damage. The indicator is a piece of plastic that turns red when exposed to too much water.
You can check this indicator yourself to see if your phone is damaged.

Use a flashlight to see inside the harbor.
This indicator generally means that you are unlikely to qualify for a free repair.
If so, you may want to repair the phone yourself.

iPhone 5 and above looks for a red indicator on the SIM tray connector which is available on the side area of the phone screen.

iPhone 4S looks for a red indicator on the charging port or headphone jack.

Working Process for iPhone Water Damage

Step 1: Back up your iPhone immediately after turning it on – Backing up your iPhone as soon as possible will ensure that the information can be installed on a new device even if your iPhone stops working a few days later.

Step 2: Use Assistive Touch when the home button stops working – A common symptom of water damage is a non-working start button; the solution to this problem is to enable the Assistive Touch accessibility option, which places shortcuts for hardware buttons on your screen. Assistive Touch also allows you to lock your screen, change your phone volume, and take screenshots.

Step 3: Use a USB cradle or Bluetooth headset for sound – You may need to use an alternative audio output device instead of traditional headphones if your phone’s headphone jack malfunctions due to water damage.

Try connecting a USB cradle compatible with your iPhone to the charging port on the bottom of your iPhone.
It should be recognized automatically.
If your phone’s charging port does not recognize any input, your phone will not be able to charge.

Step 4: Keep your iPhone charged when the power button stops working – When your power button stops working, turning your iPhone on and off becomes very difficult. You must keep it charged and turned on to continue using it.
If your iPhone battery is empty and it turns off, it will turn on again when you connect it to the network.

Step 5: Check if you are entitled to warranty services – Standard AppleCare doesn’t always cover water damage, but you may be able to get your phone repaired if it’s new enough or if you have a good reputation.

Also read: iPhone slow on WiFi (Causes & Best Solutions)

Performing Advanced Repairs for iPhone Water Damage

Step 1: Turn off the phone. To do this, press and hold the Power button, then slide the button to the right at the top of the screen when prompted.

Step 2:

Step 3: Remove the screws from the bottom of the iPhone. You will need a 5-point pentalobe screwdriver to remove the screws. The screws are located to the left and right of the charging port.

Step 4: Use a suction cup to remove the front cover. A strong suction cup is one of the easiest ways to remove the front of the iPhone case. This will prevent scratches when trying to separate the halves. Attach a suction cup to the front and hold the back of the case with your other hand. Once the suction cup is in place, remove it from the rear half.

Step 5: Use a Phillips screwdriver or other flat tool to remove the battery. For now, keep your battery aside.

Step 6: Remove the cable connectors. Several cable connectors must be removed before the logic board can be accessed. Some of these will come off while others may require a Phillips screwdriver.

Step 7: Remove the logic board from the plastic case. Once you have completely loosened the logic board, you can remove it from the plastic case.
Step 8: Immerse the logic board in 97% isopropyl alcohol. Let it soak until any visible residue dissolves.

Step 9: Remove visible residue with a soft brush. Be sure to clean all contacts and connectors. Rub the chips on the logic board. Repeat the cleaning process if necessary.

Step 10: Allow the logic board to air dry completely before reassembling. If it’s still wet, then it will cause more damage to the smartphone.

Step 11: Clean the LCD screen with isopropyl alcohol. Any remaining liquid can be removed by cleaning the LCD screen. Avoid submerging the screen, as this can permanently damage it.

Step 12: Wait for your components to dry. Isopropyl alcohol takes a while to get fully dry, so leave all components outside for at least four hours before reassembling the iPhone.

Step 13: Reassemble your iPhone. Reassemble your iPhone by reinserting all the connectors and replacing the screws in the reverse order that you removed them.

Step 14: Turn on your iPhone. When you are sure the iPhone is dry, you can try turning it on. If you’ve done a thorough cleaning and the parts weren’t too corroded, your phone may work again.

Also read: iPhone not charging (6 BEST Fix)

Conclusion for iPhone Water Damage

These steps will help you to repair your iPhone Water Damage instantly soon after you take out your phone from the water. All the possible steps to repair your iPhone Water Damage are given above so you do not need to browse different websites to get a reliable solution as everything is jotted by us under the same roof. Now give it a try and solve your problem instantly.