Again, don't sit it on the radiator or blast hot air through it with a heater or hair dryer. Give it as long as possible to dry out. Ideally you want to allow 48 hours or more, but at least leave it overnight if you can.
What actually happened is that it took a while for the water to reach sensitive connections inside the phone. Once it did, the water shorted them out. In a small number of cases swamped phones are able to dry out on their own over the course of days or weeks. But it's not common.
Just leave the phone somewhere for 1 – 2 hours to let it dry up. Moisture will naturally evaporate within a few hours when you place your phone in an open room with a warm temperature.
It's no more news that a phone soaked with water won't repair itself until you take the appropriate action. And sometimes, you may not need to rush to the repair centre, as drying out the water may revive your soaked phone.
By taking apart your phone, you can check for water that may have seeped inside. If you see moisture, gently dry it as best you can, without damaging the components. Don't touch it for a while. The air will naturally evaporate water that has gotten inside your phone, helping it dry out as time passes.
Do not -- we repeat, do not -- use a blow dryer; the heat can damage the phone. If you have a phone or a gadget with a cover that comes off, take it off, and take out the battery, the SIM card, and anything else that can easily be removed.
Silica gel beads could help
You could also try silica gel. According to Gazelle, silica gel beads are a good option to absorb moisture out of phones. Silica gel beads can be found in those white packs labeled "Do not eat" many products come packed with.
In a pinch, any desiccant—even rice—is better than nothing. Other options are crystal cat litter (not clay!) or unflavored dry oatmeal or couscous. The instant types of these starches work best, as they're designed to absorb water quickly.
Silica Gel. The best common drying agent is silica gel, which can be found in the pet aisle of your grocery store as “crystal” style cat litter. Couscous. Instant couscous or instant rice are acceptable substitutes for silica.
If there wasn't too much water damage, your phone should start working. Please keep in mind that there is no guarantee that your phone will survive a dunking in water. There is only a 50% chance of your phone working again.
Water will naturally evaporate from the charging port within approximately 1 to 2 hours. If any liquid other than fresh water enters the charging port of your device, you must rinse it in fresh water and dry it thoroughly with a dry, soft cloth.
Check for moisture under the display screen
The first thing to do is to look at the phone screen and check if there are any signs of moisture under the screen. If the phone fell into water while it was still on, you can quickly check for moisture under the screen before you turn it off.
Look for the visual presence of water or evaporation (or dried water markings) behind the screen. Check for corrosion marks visible at ports. Check the Discolored Liquid Damage Indicator (LDI). The LDI is typically located in the headphone jack, battery compartment, or SIM tray slot.
TLDR: It takes about 72 hours for areas affected by water damage to dry completely. But, it only takes about an hour for the water to begin causing damage to your home.
Don't use a hair dryer.
The heat of a blow dryer can damage the electronics inside of your iPhone or Android. If there's still a lot of water in the charging port after using our drying tricks, you can gently blow into the port with your mouth—just don't spit in the port by accident!
If your iPhone won't turn on after coming into contact with water, it can be one of two things; either the iPhone has short-circuited, or the water has damaged or corroded some internal components and compromised the circuit. Both can be irreversible if the phone isn't looked at by an iSmash technician.
Dry your phone in the microwave - Very dangerous and can start a fire. Don't put your phone in the freezer - Once you remove it and the ice melts, you're back to square one. Use a hair dryer to dry your water damaged phone - The heat can fry already blown-out circuits.
At least 24 hours is the minimum, and try for 48 hours or more if you can. Don't hit the power button to “test it out” or “see if it's fixed yet” before that time. If there's still water inside, it can easily conduct electricity to places on the circuit board that it's not meant to go.
In fact, Apple's website touts airflow as a wet phone fix instead of dry rice. According to Apple, you should leave your phone in a dry area with some airflow to help remove moisture. You can even place it in front of a fan blowing cool air to "help the drying process," the company says.
If your iPhone has been exposed to liquid, unplug all cables and do not charge your device until it's completely dry. Using accessories or charging when wet may damage your iPhone. Allow at least 5 hours before charging or connecting a Lightning accessory.
Just as with Samsung and Android devices, if the LCI has made contact with a liquid the white strip will turn red. Unfortunately, a discoloured strip in your brand-new Samsung usually renders your phone ineligible for a standard manufacturer warranty.
There's good news — you can often salvage a phone with water damage. Learn how to determine your phone's water damage repair cost and whether your phone has some more life in it or it's time for a replacement.