IPhone 12 Pro Max water damage indicator

If you give everything in this article a try, but you’re still having issues, it might be time to book in a repair with us.

How to find out if your iPhone has water damage?

Finding out if your iPhone has water damage is simple, just look for your water damage indicator. Depending on your model, it will be in a different place. At this link you can find a table that shows you the exact location for each iPhone model.

The water damage indicator is a little white tab which turns red when it is wet enough to damage your device. If this has turned red, it is likely that your phone has a problem.

How to fix water damaged iPhone?

If your iPhone dropped in water and wondering what to do, these are the steps you need to follow to recover from potential damage.

1. Turn the iPhone off immediately. This removes the chance that the phone will short circuit, and need to be repaired.
2. Remove your case if you have one on, or anything that might be trapping water in the phone.
3. Remove your iPhone sim card tray, this could also be trapping water.
4. Give your iPhone a wipe down with an absorbent cloth. Wrap a small piece of absorbent cloth around a toothpick or pin, use this to soak up any water from the charging port, headphone jack, and sim card tray.
5. Leave your phone in a dry place, and let it air for as long as possible without turning it on. Wait for as long as possible. This is the most important step.
6. If none of the above solutions work, you have 2 options:

Option 1: dismantle your iPhone and leave it to dry its interiors (this voids your warranty). Leave it to dry for at least 48 hours.

Option 2: take a safer approach by visiting an authorised technician as iSmash to recover your iPhone from water damage.

Does rice really dry out your phone?

it is not recommended to leave your iPhone in a bag of rice: there is no evidence that this will actually dry the phone. There’s a good chance that dust and grit will make it inside your phone and do the same damage that water would]

If your iPhone has any water in it at all when you turn it on, it could cause the phone to short circuit the phone. Wait for at least 48 hours, however, 72 hours is better. And, if you can wait a week, then there’s going to be an even higher chance that all of the water will be gone.

Common types of water damage

1. My iPhone won’t turn 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 circuitry. Both can be irreversible if the phone isn’t looked at by a technician.

There are a couple of tests you can do to check if your iPhone actually won’t turn on, or if there is another issue.

2. My iPhone won’t charge

If your iPhone won’t charge after dropping it in water, there is probably a problem with your charging port, especially if that was the main place that water entered the phone. The charging port is one of the few places that has exposed electrical components, so there is a lot of potential for corrosion. If you've eliminated water damage as a problem there may be an issue with your iPhone battery.

The first thing you should do to make sure you don’t damage your iPhone charging port further is to make sure the charging port is completely dry before you plug your phone in. Plugging your phone in when there is water in the charging port will definitely lead to corrosion or a short circuit.

3. My iPhone screen is water damaged

You can tell if your screen has been damaged by water if there are lines or dark spots under the glass. It is difficult to say whether this damage is going to be permanent or if it will lead to other complications, so the best thing to do is turn it off and leave it to dry for as long as possible.

However, there is no guarantee that circuitry under the water damaged iPhone screen isn’t going to corrode over time, and the screen will stop working. The only way to guarantee this is to have a certified iSmash technician look beneath the screen and repair any damaged parts.

4. My iPhone's speaker doesn’t work

It is difficult to determine whether your iPhone's speaker has been compromised by water because there are often bigger issues that will stop you from noticing. As with every water-related issue, leave your iPhone to dry for as long as possible. If you manage to turn your phone back on again, backup your data before you try to test the speaker out.

If there is water in your speaker, using it could cause the phone to short. If you’ve turned your iPhone back on after letting it dry for as long as you can, try and play a ringtone or some music through your speaker. This will allow you to identify if there is an issue, however, it should be one of the last things to check in order to avoid your phone shorting and causing more damage.

How can I retrieve data from my water damaged iPhone?

It is possible to get your data back if you have been backing your iPhone up to your computer. If not, then it is more difficult.

If you have been backing it up, here are the steps to retrieve your data on a new or fixed iPhone:

1. Plug your phone into your computer and open iTunes.
2. Click on your device when it appears in the menu.
3. Click restore back-up.

If you haven’t backed up your phone to your computer, you will need to download a third-party data retrieval tool, and this can have a cost attached. If your phone is water damaged, and you want to retrieve your data, it might be worth having the phone fixed by a certified technician, solving both your problems.

Where can I get my water damaged iPhone fixed?

There are a lot of independent phone shops that could help, but they won’t offer you a warranty and you will have to pay a high cost for a service that you can’t guarantee will work.

The solution is to head into an iSmash Service Centre and have one of our certified iPhone technicians repair any issues which are a result of water penetrating your device. We’re so confident in our trained technicians that we will back our repairs up with a 12-month warranty, so you know the phone will be fixed to a high standard.

Find out our 38 nationwide location here

iPhone Water Damage Cost - How much to fix it?

Apple doesn't cover this under their warranty and if you have AppleCare+ you will be charged £79 and a possible excess to get a replacement phone. Alternatively, at iSmash, we charge £20 to run liquid damage diagnostics test which can take up to 48 hours.

Following our analysis, one of our certified iPhone repair technicians will be able to identify exactly where the issue is and whether it can be fixed or a refurbished replacement is the way to go.

Whatever action you take immediately after water coming into contact with your phone, it will only ever delay the breakdown of the iPhone’s circuitry. It may take weeks or months, but eventually, internal corrosion will cause the water damaged iPhone to break. The best course of action is to have it checked over by a trained and certified iSmash repair technician.

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