How to Save a Waterlogged Cell Phone

Over the weekend I nearly drowned my cell phone by dropping it in a cup of water (don't ask). Luckily with some quick action I was able to salvage it and avoid having to pay a lot of money to get out of my cell phone contract or buy a new phone. My experience led me to write this article in the hopes that I can help some other poor soul(s) out. Keep in mind that this will not necessarily work for everyone, but it did work for me, so it is definitely worth a shot.

The first step of course is to get the cell phone out of the water as soon as possible. Regardless of how air or watertight the cover may seem, water can get into the phone quite quickly.

Secondly, remove the battery. Eliminating power to the phone is a crucial step in saving it. Oftentimes some components inside the phone can survive water "trauma" if they are not attached to a power source when wet.

Next, if you have one, remove the SIM card. SIM cards survive water damage fairly well, but usually some or all of your valuable contacts and other data are stored on the SIM. Pat it dry and leave it aside. Do not use extreme measures such as blow-drying, etc. to try to dry the SIM card.

After removing the above-mentioned parts, the next important step is to dry your phone. Use a towel or paper towel to remove as much of the water as possible to help avoid the water getting into your phone. After you have accomplished this, it is time to let the phone dry out entirely. Do not try to put the battery or SIM cards back on to see if it works because this can risk damage to the phone via short circuit. The hardest part of this step is the waiting. You must leave the phone untouched, keeping the SIM card and battery out, and allow the phone to dry slowly. This can take several days.

The trick that worked for me was putting my phone in a bowl of dry rice. The idea is that, as when cooking, the rice will absorb the water. Of course you risk getting rice in your phone, but this is a fairly low risk considering there are not really big enough spaces in the phone for the rice to invade. I put my phone in the rice and let it set for 2 days, not touching it or trying to turn it on. On the second day I reassembled the SIM card and battery with the phone, crossed my fingers, and pressed the power button. It worked!

Depending on how waterlogged your phone is the drying time may be longer or shorter. Sometimes the dunk will result in a ruined battery that you have to replace, and sometimes the damage to the phone is beyond repair. However, if you can use these steps to remedy the situation yourself, you will save yourself a lot of money and trouble with the phone company. Good luck!