Water damage
If the iPhone falls into water (sink, rain puddle, washing machine or toilet bowl, it doesn’t matter) it is important to do what is necessary to limit any moisture damage. There are all kinds of ways in which your iPhone can sustain water damage: it falls into water, you pour drinks over it, it gets sweaty during sports or your raincoat turns out to be not completely waterproof. Take action quickly to prevent moisture damage. Below you can read which steps you should take, depending on the type of water damage.
In some situations you are not sure whether there is moisture in the iPhone. Sometimes it seems that the iPhone has only become a bit damp on the outside, but gradually corrosion appears to have occurred on parts. You will only notice the damage later. That is why it is important to intervene immediately if your iPhone has become wet. If it concerns some drops or if you have a somewhat new iPhone, then there is usually nothing to worry about.
- moisture damage
- Switch off
- Open
- Don’t: Rice and hair dryer
- Moisture sensors
- Speaker
- Switch on again
- Still broken?
- Prevent water damage
#1 How serious is iPhone water damage?
First you have to estimate the extent of the damage. If an iPhone has been in the washing machine or on the bottom of the pool for minutes, you can use all kinds of home remedies, but there is a chance that the inside of the iPhone is completely soaked with water. In that case, it is better to consult a specialist who can clean the inside of the device. If the damage has been limited, for example because you have thrown a glass of water over the device or because splash water from rain or the shower has entered the device, there is still a sufficient chance of recovery.
#2 Turn off iPhone
Switch off an iPhone that has gotten wet as soon as possible to prevent a short circuit and further damage. Also remove any protective cover and SIM card. Hold the iPhone upside down and shake gently. This way you remove moisture that may have ended up in openings of the iPhone. Then rub the iPhone dry with a towel, tea towel, kitchen roll, sweater or an absorbent soft cloth.
#3 How waterproof is your iPhone?
Most iPhones are waterproof, so it’s often less of a problem than if you have a model that lets water in easily. Since the iPhone 6, Apple has applied rubber around the buttons and openings, so that water is less likely to enter the device.
Nowadays, the devices are even more sealed, although no iPhone is really waterproof. If a device is in water for a longer period of time, water can still enter the housing. Newer iPhones have an IP68 value, which means that the device has been tested at a depth of up to 6 meters and for a duration of 30 minutes. The longer you use the device, the water resistance may decrease.
#4 Don’t: Put iPhone in rice
You often hear that you have to put a wet iPhone in rice, but according to Ferry Timmer of The Fixables that is not a good idea at all, because the moisture cannot escape:
“It’s the worst thing you can do. What we do is turn off the iPhone and open it first. If corrosion has already occurred, we use contact spray to remove the deposit and then a washing spray. If there is still some corrosion left behind, the iPhone will go to our genius. But in general: the wetter an iPhone comes in, the better.”
#5 Drying with a hair dryer or on the heater? Rather not
You could use a cold hair dryer to blow dry your iPhone, but there’s a risk that you’ll blow moisture inside, which will only make the damage to your iPhone worse. A hot hair dryer is also not recommended, as is placing it in bright sunlight. The heat causes condensation and the hot air from the hair dryer can cause certain plastic materials to melt or deform.
Placing it at room temperature is a great idea, but don’t put your iPhone in an oven, on a stove or boiler.
#6 Check the moisture sensors in the iPhone
After you have let the iPhone dry, you can check whether the moisture sensors have come into contact with water. Every iPhone is equipped with several sensors that turn red when there has been contact with water. If so, Apple may refuse the repair. Moisture damage is always excluded, unless you have AppleCare+. You can easily check this by looking at the sensor, possibly by shining a light into the opening.
The location of the moisture sensor in an iPhone 13.
Do you want to know where the moisture sensor is on your iPhone? View this support page from Apple.
#7 Blowing water out of the speaker
Many iPhones are resistant to water, but water can of course always get into the speaker. A solution has been found for the Apple Watch: the water seal. This allows you to ‘blow out’ the speaker after use by playing a certain tone. This is also possible with the iPhone, but it is not standard. You will have to find a suitable tone yourself or use the Sonic app. This app plays a tone of up to 25,000 Hz. A tone around 160-170Hz is often enough to vibrate the water out. This website is also doing well.
#8 How long should I wait to switch on?
Exactly how long you have to wait before turning the iPhone back on is difficult to say: it depends on where the water has settled and how much moisture is still in the iPhone. You can’t see it from the outside. If you suspect that there is serious water damage, it is best not to switch on your device at all and first have a specialist look at it.
If your device has been in contact with water for a short time and you have an almost waterproof iPhone, you can usually turn your device back on after a few minutes to see if it works as it should.
If the iPhone functions normally and continues to function, then you probably no longer have a problem. But keep in mind that there may still be some residual moisture in the iPhone, which has caused deposits on the connectors and components. To extend the life of your iPhone, you can visit a repairer to have the iPhone checked internally.
#9 What to do if your iPhone is broken?
If your iPhone has not survived its dip in the water bath, iPhone insurance can offer a solution. Sometimes water damage and own mistakes are covered. If someone else has thrown your iPhone into the water, you can use the general liability insurance for private individuals. Almost every private individual has taken out such insurance, often as part of a package.
Water damage is never covered by the iPhone warranty, even with devices that should be virtually waterproof. If you have AppleCare+, you can have the device repaired by Apple fairly cheaply. AppleCare+ also covers damage caused by yourself.
If you don’t have AppleCare+, iPhone water damage is not covered by the warranty. You then have two options: you can go to an external repair company or exchange your broken iPhone at Apple for a refurbished iPhone.
#10 Prevent iPhone water damage: use a waterproof case
If you work in an environment with a lot of water, for example as a sailing instructor or as a lifeguard in the swimming pool, you can prevent water damage with a waterproof iPhone case. In the overview below you can see which covers protect your iPhone against water damage. This is one of the best ways to protect yourself from water damage. If you don’t have such a case at hand and you go to the beach, for example, then a ziploc bag is a good first barrier against sand, dust and water.
Most common iPhone water damage
The following water damage is most common when an iPhone has been in contact with moisture:
-
iPhone no longer turns on: There may have been a short circuit or the water has corroded the internal components. As a result, the electrical circuits can no longer work. You can’t repair this yourself, so take it to a specialist if you want to get the iPhone working again. With a hard reset you can check whether the iPhone really does not turn on anymore.
-
iPhone won’t charge: There’s probably a problem with the charging port. The Lightning port is one of the places where electrical components are visible unprotected, which increases the risk of corrosion. To prevent further damage, make sure the Lightning port is completely dry before plugging the phone back in. This prevents short circuits and further corrosion. If you’re sure it’s not moisture damage, there may be something wrong with your iPhone battery.
- Screen has water damage: this can be recognized by lines or dark spots under the screen. Turn off your iPhone and have a specialist take a look at it. Repairing it yourself is usually not an option.
How bad your device is, also depends on whether your iPhone is water resistant. How water resistant the device is depends on the IP rating. With the newer iPhones this is IP68.
Other possible problems with water damage:
-
The microphone is broken: We have a separate article explaining what you can check to make sure the microphone is broken.
- Buttons do not work: if the volume buttons are broken, you can continue to use most functions. You can then adjust the volume via the software. If you want to continue using your iPhone for a longer period of time, you can have the button repaired.
- Speaker sounds strange: maybe there is moisture in the speaker, which you can vibrate out with tip #7. If the speaker does not work at all, you can still listen via a connected external speaker, earphones or a Bluetooth speaker.
- For the older iPhones with a broken home button: you can get it fixed and use this trick in the meantime: Home button broken, try AssistiveTouch.
