To identify if your device has water damage, review the following: Corrosion, discoloration, or fuzzy growth on the charging set, headset, SIM or memory port. Moisture under the display 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. If your phone has water damage, the LDI will appear red or maroon.
Most iPhone and iPod devices are equipped with Liquid Contact Indicators (LCIs) that you can see from the outside. An LCI will activate when it contacts water or a liquid containing water. The indicator's color is normally white or silver, but when it contacts water or a liquid containing water, it will turn fully red.
Like rust on a car, it slowly starts to grow over the course of a week, a month, or 3 months. It will begin to spread until one day your wifi won't work, your camera goes out, your phone stops charging, the screen goes black, or some combination of all those things.
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.
Bury the device in rice or in an air tight container
Wait for at least 48 hours to let the device dry out completely and then try turning it on. If the damage is minimal, your device should start functioning again, or at least boot.
Place your phone in an airtight container and completely cover it with your choice of desiccant. Leave the container for 24-48 hours for the material to draw all the moisture out of your handset.
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. Dry all those things off.
Does Water Damage Happen Immediately? Water damage happens quickly, usually within 24 hours. If you notice any signs of water damage, it normally isn't something you can fix on your own.
Leave your phone in an airtight container full of silica gel packets (those small packets you get inside new shoes and bags), or another drying agent. These help absorb the moisture.
Signs of internal damage can include a touchscreen that doesn't work properly, random phone reboots, or a screen with blacked-out pixels.
A) Leave Your Phone to Evaporate.
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. If you're on a typical warm day, put your phone by the window to catalyze the drying process.
Water Stains
An obvious, telltale sign of water damage! Water stains are one of the major signs of water damage in walls. Stains and slight color discolorations that appear on the wall, floor or ceiling without any apparent reason are most likely due to an undetected water leak in your roof or walls.
If you charge your iPhone while the Lightning port is wet, the pins on the Lightning port or the cable can corrode and cause permanent damage or stop functioning, causing connectivity issues for your iPhone or accessory. Although you shouldn't charge your iPhone when it's wet, you might need to in an emergency.
The most common ratings you'll come across are IP67 and IP68. Smartphones with an IP67 rating can withstand being submerged in just a tad bit more than 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. IP68 means the phones can be submerged in 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes.
The most obvious sign that you have a leak or a burst pipe somewhere in your home is large water stains on your walls or ceilings. If you have a water stain on your ceiling, it indicates a leak on an upper level. These types of water stains are most common in areas that contain either a bathroom or a kitchen.
Peeling, bubbling, or flaking paint. Small hairline cracks or a larger, spiderwebbed pattern of cracks. Water rings, usually a light brown color. Mold growth, especially in corners where walls and ceilings meet, and often in humid rooms or locations such as basements.
Both manufacturers also say if you drop your phone in a liquid other than clean water -- like soda or pool water -- you should quickly rinse your phone using tap water before drying with a towel and then air drying. Apple and Samsung say to never use a heating source, like a blow dryer or oven, to dry your phone off.
Use silica gel packets to dry out your phone.
Let the phone sit for 48-72 hours to give the gel time to absorb any moisture remaining in your phone. You can buy silica gel online or at a store, but remember: Speed is the most important element in saving your wet phone.
Instant couscous or oatmeal, crystal-based cat litter, and synthetic desiccant packets are all good alternatives to rice. Place your phone in a large container and fully cover it in your drying agent. Leave it for 2-3 days. When the phone is dry, wipe it down, reassemble it, and try turning it on.
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.
To dry your iPhone, tap it gently against your hand with the Lightning connector facing down to remove excess liquid. Leave your iPhone in a dry area with some airflow. Placing your iPhone in front of a fan blowing cool air directly into the Lightning connector might help the drying process.