Are you in deep water and wondering who to call when your house floods? More than likely, the list includes a few different pros. Get the details in this guide.
Here’s What to Do if You Drop Your Phone in Water
Rule No. 1 of saving a cellphone from water: Don’t plug it in until it’s dry
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After a phone is dropped in water, you need to turn it off immediately and keep it off, as using or charging wet phones can short-circuit internal components.
Professional phone drying and cleaning costs $70 to $100, and addressing water damage early helps prevent minerals from reacting with internal materials over time.
Let your phone dry for 24 to 48 hours in an airtight container with silica gel packets to pull moisture out before attempting to turn it on.
Hiring a local phone repair professional provides reliable support when you see water marks behind the screen, helping disassemble, clean, and replace damaged parts to save your device.
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Nothing increases your heart rate like your phone slipping out of your pocket … and right into the toilet bowl. It happens. A lot.
To save your phone and all the precious data (and dog photos) on it, you need to act fast. That means getting it out of whatever body of water your phone lands in as quickly as possible. (Yes, that means reaching into the toilet).
How to Save Your Phone
1. Don’t turn a wet phone on. If it’s on when you drop it in, turn it off. It might appear fine, but sometimes wet phones slowly lose function. Trying to use or charge the phone can short-circuit the logic board. So turn it off and keep it off.
2. Remove the phone from its protective case. Remove the SIM card, the battery, and the micro-SD card if possible. (You can’t remove iPhone batteries, but you can find local iPhone repair shops).
3. Give the device a little tap with the port-side down to shake out any excess liquid.
4. Dry the phone gently with a microfiber towel as best you can. Be careful not to push moisture into the phone.
5. Leave your phone to dry for 24 to 48 hours. If you have a silica gel packet from a recent purchase, put that in an airtight container with the phone to try to pull the moisture out. Actually, throw as many as you can in there.
6. After two days, you can try turning it on and see if it works.
If you see signs of water damage, like water marks behind the screen, don’t turn the phone on, just take the device to a smartphone repair shop near you as soon as you can. It will probably cost $70 to $100 to get the phone professionally dried and cleaned.
Even if the phone appears fine, minerals from the water can dry inside the device and potentially react with materials in the phone. At a phone repair shop, they can take the whole thing apart, let it dry thoroughly, clean it, and replace any damaged parts. About 80% of phones are saved this way.
Secret Ingredient: Isopropyl Alcohol
Pros say isopropyl alcohol is the secret to cleaning a smartphone that goes for a swim. Alcohol clears away impurities from the ocean, pool, or toilet water. You can use it to wipe down the outside of your phone, but might want to save any internal circuitry cleaning for a trained professional.
What Not to Do
Popular internet remedies might not be the right way to save your device.
Don’t put your phone in a bag of uncooked rice. You know what happens to rice when water is added—and you don’t want to shove starchy rice into your phone. Even if there isn’t enough moisture for the rice to expand, you don’t want to introduce more minerals that can get inside your device.
Don’t put it in the sun to dry, as heat can damage the internal components.
Similarly, don’t try to dry it with a hair dryer.
Don’t plug your phone in until you’re sure it’s dry.
Phone repairs reviews from real Angi homeowners in Columbus, OH
5.0★ avg. • 1 total reviews
- Julio V.
Positive experience. As previously stated, the replacement/repair could not be completed (no fault of the plumbing tech) b/c misinformation was rec?d by property management maintenance. Thanks to the plumbing tech for your efforts. Appreciate you!
The Waterworks - Brent C.
Carpet repair done well. Scheduling was easy. Showed up on time.
BR Flooring Installation - Austin Y.
I would recommend this company to anyone! He showed up on time, was friendly, completed a very difficult repair on our dryer vent cover, was responsive, and pricing was extremely fair and competitive. I would have him back to do any of our repairs or cleanings without hesitation!
U.S.A. Dryer Vent, LLC - Micki B.
Everything from initial contact to completion was absolutely top notch. We contacted the business during off hours to leave a message, and the owner still reached out to feel out the issue within minutes. We were scheduled and repaired within 48 hours. I cannot say enough about the...
Supreme brick & chimney - Donald L.
Ace Fireplace Services came to the rescue for my chimney repair. They were quick to pinpoint the issue and worked their magic to fix it. My chimney is now in excellent shape, and I'm a satisfied customer.
Ace Fireplace Services - Bob L.
They have no website. The owner is not good at returning phone calls or texts promptly. This is especially troubling when the fall season approaches and you aren't able to ensure you will have service because you're waiting to hear from them. This year I lost patience and found a...
Juniper lawn services - Michael H.
Description says they handle window repair including rotten hardwood - they called me back right away but didnâ t leave a voicemail. I followed up 3 days later and they said they donâ t do that kind of work.
Window-Gurus - Dan W.
This company is a scam. Do not work with them. I had an appointment with this company at a condo that I rent out. The appointment was at 10 am and they did not show up. I waited for over an hour, and called their office 7 times with no answer. I left 5 voice messages and they still never...
Mold Test Company OH - Pantelhs V.
They did an excellent job with the repair, took care of all communication with the insurance company and had car rental service also with a very reliable, quality care
Three C Body Shop - Heber H.
We recently had our office sidewalk repaired and CT Concrete did an "Outstanding" job. They were quick, friendly and the job is "flawless". I would highly recommend CT Concrete for any of your concrete/sidewalk needs.
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