Restoring a sunken phone. I drowned my touchscreen phone: what to do? How long before you can turn on your phone after drowning?

You bought a new phone, handle it with care, blow off specks of dust from it, but one fine day you might accidentally spill water on it. Perhaps it’s just when it’s lying on the table and you knock over a glass of water or drop it into a pond, or maybe it rains heavily while talking on the device and you don’t have time to hide it. Circumstances vary, but statistics show that everyone has ever experienced their phone getting wet, but didn’t know what to do. No matter how it happens, try not to panic and do everything right. In any case, the situation is not pleasant and you need to make every effort to maintain functionality and not lose important data and information. And the faster you find all the necessary materials for rescue, the greater the chances of saving everything. Time is working against you. So, what to do if your phone drowns?

On the Internet you can find millions of ways, such as: blow dry, put in the oven, put in a bag of rice, put in the microwave. All these methods have one big disadvantage - you can do even more harm. The effectiveness of rice has not yet been fully proven, and all other methods are absurd, but they are actively being spread. Write down our advice, because If forewarned, it means forearmed.

Step 1.

The first thing to do immediately after an accident is de-energize the device. Simply put, turn it off as soon as possible, otherwise a short circuit can immediately destroy the chip or damage it. Ideally, it is better to immediately open the back cover and remove the battery. But if it’s an iPhone and the cover is not removable, then the only option is to turn off the phone.

Step 2.
We film everything What can be removed and removed: covers, cases, battery, SIM card. We wipe everything and wrap the phone in paper napkins or a towel, you can wipe it with a T-shirt so that externally visible moisture is absorbed. In a minute we move on to the next step.

On the Internet you can also find a very interesting accessory that was presented at CES 2014. This Bheestie Bag. We haven't seen it in stores yet, but it can be purchased on eBay starting at $17. Designed specifically for cases with a wet phone. The special granules in the bag perform the function of silica gel and, according to the developers, can save any phone, even an iPhone.

Step 4.

The hardest part is wait. Many people can’t wait to turn on their phone and finally check their social networks for updates.

Step 5.

After 72 hours have passed, you can start to really worry. Put the SIM card and battery back in place and turn it on. If you did everything correctly, most likely everything will be fine and the phone will return to its original state. usual state.

And now a few comments.

1. Remember that the phone’s warranty is in any case voided when exposed to moisture or water. While you bring the phone to the service center, you can lose precious minutes and not have time to save the device.
2. There are cases that users take their phone and say during warranty repairs that the phone does not turn on. It will not be possible to deceive experts. Devices of this kind have a moisture sensor installed, and it turns red or any other color if any liquid comes into contact with the device. And you won’t be able to accidentally wet the indicator. Disgrace yourself, and the specialists will refuse to repair it.
3. Not all Service centers take care of such phones. It's basically like a "drowned car." Once the device breaks down, it will remind you of your failure with spilled water. Restoration at a service center is a very labor-intensive and expensive process. It can all start with drying out and end with a complete replacement of parts. And sometimes repairs are simply impractical.

The method described here may not be suitable for everyone. It all depends entirely on luck and the specific case. Agree that not everyone can have silica gel on hand. But still, it is necessary As soon as possible Turn off and disconnect the battery and SIM card before any liquid can cause irreparable damage.

Even if you manage to turn on your phone, it may still stop working over time. It all depends on the type of liquid that got inside. If salt was present in it, it may begin to corrode the parts over time. Therefore, if your phone starts to refuse to work after a year, then you will know why this happened.

Unpleasant situations happen in life. For example, if you handle it carelessly, you can drop your brand new smartphone into a bathtub of hot water, or, even worse, into the toilet. If the phone falls into water, this will not have the best effect on its operation. How to recover a drowned phone? In this article we will give seven tips, following which you can provide first aid to your smartphone.

If your phone does not have protection against water and an unpleasant force majeure happened to it. Tips that in practice helped to revive a drowned smartphone.

Quickly remove your phone from the water

The first step is to quickly remove the phone from the water and turn it off. If it remains on, it may cause a short circuit. Please note that the USB cable connector and headphone connector can quickly leak water into the device. The same goes for its back cover.

When you take your phone out of the water and turn it off, remove the memory card, SIM card and battery (if it is removable).

Remove moisture from the surface of the phone

The next step is to remove any visible moisture from your phone. You will need a soft cloth or paper towel.

Be careful when drying, try not to let moisture get into the visible holes of the phone. Remove the moisture as carefully as possible, then wipe the screen dry using a paper towel or napkin. Be careful not to let the paper get into the gaps on the phone body.

Use a vacuum cleaner

All means are good in the fight against moisture. So, if there is a lot of moisture on the smartphone, it can be removed with a vacuum cleaner. It will help clean hard-to-reach places from liquid droplets.

Before you start drying with a vacuum cleaner, you should make sure that the memory card, SIM card and battery are removed from the smartphone.

Phone in pic

Rice absorbs water well, so place your phone in rice to dry it and quickly remove excess moisture from its surface.

All you need to do is immerse the device in a bowl of dry rice and then put it in the refrigerator. The rice will remove all moisture from your phone, and the temperature in the refrigerator will allow it to dry quickly. When using this method, you should remember to constantly change the location of the device in the plate so that the water comes out through the holes in its body.

Place your phone on a dry towel

When the phone is dry, it should be placed on absorbent material. This is necessary so that the smallest particles of moisture are removed from the device.

The towel should be changed regularly, every 4-6 hours. If moisture remains after drying with a towel, dry again using a vacuum cleaner and rice.

Let your smartphone sit for a couple of days

After complete drying, let the phone sit for a couple of days without turning it on. After the period has passed, you can turn on the device. If it turns on, then you can start charging the reanimated smartphone for the first time. If charging does not occur, the battery is most likely damaged. Try using a different battery.

Conclusion

Now you know what to do if your Xiaomi phone falls into water. If, after drying and replacing the battery, the phone still does not show signs of life, it should be taken to a service center.

In any case, such prevention will not hurt. As Xiaomi repair specialists say, if there is a recessed phone and at least a drop of moisture remains in it, then over time it will make itself felt when the process of oxidation of the contact surfaces begins.

Articles and Lifehacks

According to statistics, water is one of the most common causes of failure of communication devices. So what to do if your touch phone drowns? The answer is simple: you need to contact specialists as soon as possible.

Providing first aid to a drowning person: what to do if the sensor drowns

It may happen that the repairmen are far away, but the phone is already wet. What to do in this case:

Get the device out of the water as quickly as possible. The less he stays there, the better.
Remove the battery. No need to turn off your phone using the power button! This will cause a short circuit.
Pull out the SIM card and memory card.
You can try to disassemble the device as much as possible to dry it, but if you don’t have the necessary skills, it’s better not to try.
Wipe the gadget with a dry cloth that absorbs water well. Do not use cotton wool or cotton pads, otherwise the cotton fibers will get caught on the contacts.
Wipe buttons and connectors to remove as much moisture as possible. You can use cotton swabs or a toothpick
Place raw rice or silica gel balls into a dry container. Place the device there and leave it for several hours. Rice, like silica gel, perfectly absorbs moisture.

After this, there is a chance that the cell phone will turn on. But you still need to visit the service center. Only there they know exactly what to do if a touchscreen phone drowns and have everything necessary to clean it of moisture and salts, dry it thoroughly, and check all the insides.

Basic myths about rescuing drowned touch phones

The network is filled with many “folk methods”. Many of them are nothing more than myths. Besides, myths are harmful. By following these tips, you can lose your sensor forever.

Rice is the head of everything.
“Experts” claim that if you place your phone in rice, it is guaranteed to save it from moisture. Yes, rice is an excellent absorbent, that's true. But the main enemy of microcircuits and contacts is not water, but the salts and minerals it contains. They are the real enemies of electronics. But rice will not save you from them.
The harder you shake, the more water will flow out.
Due to the intense shaking, the water will move, flooding those parts that have not yet been damaged.
The longer you blow dry, the faster it will dry.
You shouldn't use a hair dryer at all! Air can only drive the water deeper, and sensitive microcircuits will melt under the influence of high temperatures.
Fill your smartphone with alcohol or vodka.

Under no circumstances should you do this.

It is better to entrust saving your smartphone to professionals. Even if the cell phone turns on and works without failures, this may not last long. And certainly not forever. After “bathing” he will definitely not be the same as before. Over time, various problems and glitches will begin. Therefore, timely contacting the service center will save time and extend the life of the gadget.

What to do if your mobile phone has been dropped, taken a swim or washed in a washing machine? What are the chances of his recovery? Is it possible to simply dry it with a hairdryer at home? Will the warranty on it be lost and how much will it cost to restore the phone of a drowned person at a repair service?

Answers to these and other questions are posted below.

Methods and stages of restoring the phone of a drowned person.

When the phone falls into the water and stops working, the first thing the owner does is put the mobile phone on the battery, or if there are no batteries, they are cold, in the summer, he will dry it with a hairdryer. I did this myself once. This is not the right approach.

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If water has penetrated under the body of the phone, then oxidation reactions and corrosion begin under the body, on the board, which will lead to a short circuit and failure of some part or microcircuit of the phone. Therefore, the phone must be de-energized, the battery removed, and disassembled and dried as soon as possible. It is better to do this not at home, but in a service center, in a specialized place for telephone repair, for example in remont-telefonoff.ru. This link contains an address in the city of St. Petersburg and a telephone number where you can call and find out prices for the repair and restoration of phones that have been in the water. At the time of writing the review, the cost of repairs at remont-telefonoff.ru is from 800 rubles, they provide a guarantee for a refurbished phone for 30 days. A drowned phone can be repaired immediately, within 30 minutes.

Drowned phone, restoration, repair.

For this cost, service center specialists must disassemble the phone. Inspect for corrosion and chemical reactions at the soldering and connection points of the cables. Then the most noticeable oxides are soldered off. After this, the phone undergoes ultrasonic cleaning. I put the motherboard in a bath in a special solution and turn on the device. Under the influence of ultrasonic vibrations, the board is cleaned of residual water and oxides, chemical compounds formed as a result of corrosion. The next stage is drying. The board is heated, dried and again checked under a microscope for corrosion spots. Where necessary, they are finally soldered again. Then they assemble the phone, check its functionality and give it to the customer. These are the methods used by drowned people to restore their phones at phone repair services.

If the phone falls into water. The first thing to do is get it out of the water as soon as possible and remove the battery. If everything is done quickly, then the chances of recovery will be high.

If you want to restore a drowned phone at home, then you need to keep in mind that there is no point in drying the phone without disassembling the case; on the contrary, you will only harm it. The phone must be disassembled as soon as possible and the parts and circuit boards must be dried. After hot drying, it is better to leave it for some time, do not assemble it and let it lie disassembled for 3-4 days.

Video: Professional cleaning of a drowned man.

If a question arises about the warranty, such phones will not be repaired free of charge under warranty. Due to the fact that the damage to the phone occurred due to the fault of the owner, and not the manufacturer, the warranty does not apply to such a phone.

Every day, thousands of people drop their smartphones into water, mud or snow, and then puzzle over how to bring their favorite gadget back to life.
Fortunately, in most cases, the phone can be saved, but due to the fact that people do not take all the necessary measures in a timely manner or, out of ignorance, do something completely different from what needs to be done, many smartphones still become unusable.
There is a very popular misconception among people that a drowned smartphone should be placed on the battery as soon as possible to dry it. So, remember - if your mobile phone has swallowed water, never dry it on the battery, much less in the microwave. If you do this, the contacts will oxidize and the phone will completely fail. Also, you should not dry a wet smartphone with a hot hairdryer or other device that provides a strong flow of warm air, as this may cause the contacts to desolder. Immersing a wet smartphone in a refrigerator or freezer, contrary to existing belief, is also unlikely to bring any benefit, but rather only harm.
But what then should you do if your smartphone drowns? How to save him?
The first thing you need to do is disassemble the smartphone - remove the back cover, remove the battery, remove the MicroSD and SIM cards from the phone. Then, using napkins or paper towels, you should try to remove moisture from the open parts of the smartphone case. If there is too much water inside and it has managed to penetrate into the cracks inside the smartphone, you can carefully use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the moisture.
After this, in order to dry the smartphone, you need to put it in an available sorbent that absorbs moisture. The simplest sorbent that is available to almost everyone is rice.

Many people have probably heard about this method, but not everyone knows the nuance that under no circumstances should the phone be placed in rice in a horizontal position, but only in a vertical position. An ordinary liter jar is perfect for this. Place the phone in the jar in an upright position, and then fill it with rice. After that, leave it to dry in this way for a day, or better yet, two, and in 99% of cases your smartphone will be revived. An exception may be those cases when the smartphone has been in water for a long time or if it is not water that gets into it, but a liquid of a different consistency (sticky, viscous, etc.).
By the way, if after drying it with rice you cannot turn on your phone, this does not mean that you have lost it forever. Try putting it on charge or using a different battery - it is quite possible that the battery has deteriorated, but the phone itself is quite working. If this does not work, contact the service center, perhaps they will help you there.
So if you drop your cell phone in water, don't panic or get upset prematurely. Instead, take all the necessary measures and, most likely, you will not have to buy a new smartphone.