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Oh no! Your phone is wet! What should you do? The most reliable way to get water out of a charging port is to turn off your phone and allow it to air dry completely. While getting your phone wet can be scary, many modern smartphones are now water-resistant or waterproof. However, even if your phone is water-resistant, you'll still need to completely dry the charging port and other components before turning on or charging your phone. This wikiHow article will teach you the safest ways to remove water from your Android or iPhone's charging port and save your phone from water damage.
Things You Should Know
- Turn off your phone immediately and dry it off with a lint-free cloth.
- Allow the charging port to air dry in a well-ventilated area for at least 5 hours.
- To get excess water out of your phone, gently tap it against your hand with the charging port facing down, so water can drip out.
- Avoid using rice to speed along the process. Instead, place the phone in a room with a fan, and/or place silica packets near the charging port.
Steps
Drying the Port Safely
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Turn off your phone right away. No matter how water resistant your phone is, power it down immediately when it gets wet. Don't be tempted to turn your phone back on until you've thoroughly dried the charging port, headphone jack, and other components.[1]
- If there is anything plugged into your phone when the charging port is wet, such as a charging cable or battery-extending case, remove that as well.
- If your entire phone is wet (not just the charging port), remove the SIM card tray, SIM card, and any external memory cards. If you're using an Android with a removable battery, remove that too.
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Use a lint-free towel to dry all visible water. Wipe every part of the phone or tablet with a clean, dry, lint-free towel. Microfiber is a great material for this, as it's highly absorbent and dries quickly. Continue wiping until you've removed all of the water that you can.[2]Advertisement
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Gently tap your phone against your hand with the charging port facing down. Make sure the charging port is facing down before you tap the phone on your hand—if the port is facing up, water can run deeper into your phone. Continue tapping your phone on your hand until you're sure all excess water has dripped out.[3]
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Allow the phone air dry in a well-ventilated area. The best way to get water out of the charging port is to let it evaporate naturally. Air circulation will dry the port faster, so let the phone dry in a room with fans, a dehumidifier, or any other moving air source.[4]
- If you don't have a fan, you can also try drying the charging port near an electrical appliance that has an exhaust vent, such as behind your computer or TV. Just avoid very hot airflow—never use a blow dryer or place the phone too close to a heater.
- Keep the charging port facing down while your phone dries, if possible.
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Allow the phone to dry for at least 5 hours before turning it back on. Apple recommends allowing your phone to dry for 5 hours before turning it back on or connecting a charging cable to the Lightning port.[5] The recommendations for Android models vary, but waiting at least 5 hours should be long enough for the charging port in any phone to completely dry.
- Don't turn your phone on any sooner to avoid damaging your phone.
- Once the charging port has dried long enough, turn on the phone and watch for a "Liquid Detected" alert. If you see this alert, turn off the phone again, and wait another few hours for it to dry.
- Do not select "Emergency Override" to allow your wet phone to charge because this will damage your phone.
- If your phone was submerged, there may be more water that you can't see. Continue drying the phone for 24-48 hours for stubborn cases.
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Speed up the drying process. If there is still water in the charging port, there are a few other tricks you can try:[6]
- If the phone is taking too long to dry, set some bags of silica gel around the base of your phone to absorb excess moisture. You can also place the phone in a sealable bag with a few silica packets (after letting the phone air dry) to absorb more moisture.
- Use a can of compressed air to blow out remaining water from the charging port. Spray in gentle, short bursts, and only once or twice, from several inches away.
Community Q&A
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QuestionWill my device start charging again after the water has dried?RupertTop AnswererIf your device hasn't sustained any significant hardware damage from the water, it will likely start charging again once it's dried. Make sure you wait until it's completely dried before plugging it back in though, to avoid further damage. It's best to wait a few days for it to completely dry.
Video
Tips
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You can wirelessly charge your Android and iPhone instead of using a cable until the port dries.[11]Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/accidents-happe-how-to-save-your-phone-when-its-wet/
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/apr/14/phone-wet-and-wont-turn-on-heres-what-to-do-with-water-damage-hint-putting-it-in-rice-wont-work
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210424
- ↑ https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/7533279?hl=en
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/important-handling-information-iphbbe12ba1/ios
- ↑ https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/accidents-happe-how-to-save-your-phone-when-its-wet/
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/important-handling-information-iphbbe12ba1/ios
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/apr/14/phone-wet-and-wont-turn-on-heres-what-to-do-with-water-damage-hint-putting-it-in-rice-wont-work
- ↑ https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/accidents-happe-how-to-save-your-phone-when-its-wet/