How to Save a Wet Cell Phone

Co-authored by Josef Storzi and Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: September 28, 2024 Fact Checked

Oh no! Your smartphone is soaking wet! Don't panic—if you've dropped your smartphone into the sink, toilet, or any other body of water, you may be able to save it. The most important thing you can do is act fast. Unplug it (if it's plugged in), remove it from the water, and power it down as quickly as possible. Try to remove as much water from it as you can with towels and a vacuum cleaner. Then, put it in a bowl of instant rice or other absorbent material for 48-72 hours before turning it on. With a little luck and fast action, your cellphone may survive its brush with death.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Drying Your Phone

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1
Wipe away water with a lint-free rag or towel. If you have a microfiber cloth, that will work best. In a pinch, a clean towel (even paper towels) will do. Use the cloth to remove as much moisture from your phone as possible, taking special care not to push any water into the charging port, headphone jack, or card slots.^{[1]
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- Do not use a blow-dryer or try placing the phone into an oven, microwave, clothes dryer, or any other device—the heat will damage your phone!
- Avoid shaking or moving the phone excessively, so as to avoid moving water through it.
2
Suck water out with a vacuum cleaner. If you have a wet/dry vacuum, that's great! If not, a standard vacuum with a hose attachment will probably be fine as long as you don't suck up too much water. Fit the hose attachment onto your vacuum cleaner, set the vacuum to its highest setting, and then vacuum near all your phone’s openings.^{[2]
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- You could also try sucking out the water with your mouth. This is very gentle and allows you to be close enough to your phone to hear where the water is. Just don't breathe any spit back into the phone, as that will do more damage.
  - Listen for trapped water while doing this to focus on water-logged areas. Continue to remove water there until the 'trapped water sound' is all gone (would sound like only air flow then).
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3
Use compressed air to blow water out of your phone. If you have a mechanical air compressor, you could set it to a low psi (pounds per square inch) setting and use that to blow out remaining liquid. If not, a can of compressed air will do just as good of a job. Blow the air across the surface of your phone and its ports in short bursts.^{[3]
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- Using a higher psi may damage the inner components of your phone.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Using a Desiccant

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1
Use silica gel packets to dry out your phone. Yes, you've probably heard of using instant rice, but rice is actually not the most effective way to dry out your phone! According to a test performed by refurbished phone dealer Gazelle, silica gel is more effective than instant rice, and virtually every other drying method. This will only work if you already have a stash of silica gel packets—you know, the little bags that come inside pill bottles shoe boxes, and electronics packaging that say "do not eat." If you've been stocking up, place your phone (and battery, if you removed it) into a large bowl, and then cover it with several silica gel packets. Let the phone sit for 48-72 hours to give the gel time to absorb any moisture remaining in your phone.^{[4]
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- You can buy silica gel online or at a store, but remember: Speed is the most important element in saving your wet phone. If you don't have silica gel, move to the next step.
- There’s no need to open the packets. Simply place them in the container with your phone.
2
Cover your phone with 4 cups (about .5 kg) of crystal cat litter. Crystal cat litter is made from silica gel, which is the best substance for drying out your phone. It's very important that you use the crystal form of cat litter, not litter made from clay or other materials—it's the silica that draws moisture out. Clay will just make things messier. Pour a layer of crystal cat litter into a container that’s at least 1–2 US quarts (0.95–1.89 L) in size. Then, lay your open phone and its detached battery on top of this layer. Pour in the rest of the litter to fully cover your phone, and leave it there for 48-72 hours.^{[5]
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- You can find crystal cat litter at most grocery stores and pet-supply shops.
- Other desiccants, like couscous pearls and instant oatmeal, will also work just as well.
3
Put your phone in a bowl of uncooked instant rice, instant couscous, or instant oatmeal. The keyword here is instant, as regular rice, couscous, or oatmeal will not absorb enough liquid from your phone in a short enough amount of time. If you have all three foods, opt for oatmeal or couscous, as they both absorb better than instant rice. Pour 4 cups (900 g) of rice, couscous, or oatmeal into a large bowl, then bury your phone (and its disconnected battery, if you removed it) into it. All of these instant varieties of food will help draw out any residual moisture in your phone.
- If you're using couscous, look for the larger pearls, often called "Israeli" couscous. The finer-cut variety can make its way inside your ports. Obviously, don't add any included seasoning packets.
- When using instant oatmeal, don’t use the kind with flavors or added sugars.
- If you don't have any of these foods and plan to make a trip to the store, go for the crystal cat litter instead of any food item. It will work much better.
If you've run out of options, place your phone on top of a dry towel or other absorbent surface, and position an electric fan to blow air across your phone’s surface. The more powerful the fan, the better. Leave the fan running (and the phone off) for 48-72 hours, just as you would using a desiccant.^{[6]
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5
Reassemble and turn on your phone after 2 to 4 days. Before turning on your phone, check to see that it’s clean and looks dry. It's really important that you want until the phone is completely dry before turning it back on—the longer you wait, the more likely it is to survive.
- If your phone turns on, use it while continuously feeling the backside for overheating (to prevent spontaneous shut offs). Every few minutes (or if it shuts off), remove the back casing (if possible) to wipe off the water droplets that ooze out. Put it back, turn it on, use it, and repeat again, incrementing to more demanding tasks, like video, each time, until the water is all gone (as heat facilitates water out from core electronic parts, which is a part of the recovery process).
- If nothing happens, place the phone back into a desiccant and give it another day or two before trying to turn it on again. This may need to be repeated multiple times.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Acting Quickly to Minimize Water Damage

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1
Turn your phone off immediately, even if it seems to be working. Leaving it on can cause it to short-circuit. If it’s been in water, assume it is waterlogged whether it is still working or not. If the phone is plugged in while submerged, unplug the cable at the outlet! If you don't unplug it first, you could get a shock when removing it.
- If your phone is modern and/or a flagship model, there's a good chance it's water resistant. Water-resistant phones have ratings that begin with "IP6," followed by the number 7 or 8 (e.g., IP67, IP68). The phone's IP rating represents how much water it can handle.^{[7]
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  - IP67-rated phones can generally be submerged in up to one meter of water for 30 minutes without water making its way inside. Some phones that are rated IP67 are Google Pixel 2, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone SE (2020), iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone X, and iPhone XR.
  - IP68-rated phones can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. Some IP68-rated phones are iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 12 models, iPhone 11 models, Google Pixel 3 and later, Samsung Galaxy S7 and later, Galaxy Note8 and later, Sony Xperia 1 II, and LG Velvet.
- Don’t turn on your phone and/or open apps to see if it’s working.
Quickly gather some lint-free cloths or paper towels, then lay your phone on top of them while you remove anything that's connected. Anything that remains connected to your wet phone can further trap water inside and/or become damaged.
3
Remove the SIM card and battery (if possible). If your phone has a removable battery, remove the battery cover and take out the battery. If the SIM and/or SD card is under the battery cover, remove it as well. If your phone has a SIM tray, pop it out and remove the SIM card.^{[8]
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- Pat down your SIM card, memory card, and/or SIM tray with a dry paper towel or cloth, and then it down to dry. These parts tend to not get water damage and can be kept for recovery.
- Some phones have water damage indicators that can tell you if water made its way inside. If you have a phone with a removable battery cover, you'll usually find a water damage indicator behind the battery, or on the battery itself. If your phone has a removable SIM tray, you may find an indicator on the tray. Look for a small white, pink, or red dot or square. If the dot is pink or red, that means the water damage indicator senses water has made its way into the phone.

Expert Q&A

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Question

Can I still save my phone if I can't remove the battery?

Josef Storzi
Mobile Phone Repair Specialist
Josef Storzi is an Apple and Mobile Phone Repair Specialist and the Owner of Imobile LA, a mobile phone repair company based in Los Angeles, California. Josef specializes in repairing screens, charging ports, batteries, water damage, speakers, and microphones on all mobile phone brands including Apple, Samsung, LG, Nokia, and Sony. He also specializes in tablet, laptop, and computer repairs as well as the pros and cons of recent mobile software updates.

Josef Storzi

Mobile Phone Repair Specialist

Expert Answer

For many newer devices, the battery is not user-removable. In cases where the battery is not user-removable, visit your local repair shop as soon as possible in order to have the device professionally disassembled and inspected. If you have an Apple device such as an iPhone, you should inquire whether you have AppleCare on the device. AppleCare is insurance for your device. If you do not have AppleCare, visiting your local repair shop is advised as Apple does not service liquid damaged components—they either replace the device in its entirety (which is more expensive for the customer) or replace the component as a whole instead of repairing it, which also results in higher cost to the customer.

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Question

Are there any risks to using rice?

Josef Storzi
Mobile Phone Repair Specialist
Josef Storzi is an Apple and Mobile Phone Repair Specialist and the Owner of Imobile LA, a mobile phone repair company based in Los Angeles, California. Josef specializes in repairing screens, charging ports, batteries, water damage, speakers, and microphones on all mobile phone brands including Apple, Samsung, LG, Nokia, and Sony. He also specializes in tablet, laptop, and computer repairs as well as the pros and cons of recent mobile software updates.

Josef Storzi

Mobile Phone Repair Specialist

Expert Answer

In many cases, rice can cause even more damage. When the rice is exposed to enough liquid, it can leave a residue. I have seen this residue in the charging ports of devices. It's better to take your phone to a repair shop.

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Question

If my phone turns on and seems to work fine does that mean it's not damaged?

Josef Storzi
Mobile Phone Repair Specialist
Josef Storzi is an Apple and Mobile Phone Repair Specialist and the Owner of Imobile LA, a mobile phone repair company based in Los Angeles, California. Josef specializes in repairing screens, charging ports, batteries, water damage, speakers, and microphones on all mobile phone brands including Apple, Samsung, LG, Nokia, and Sony. He also specializes in tablet, laptop, and computer repairs as well as the pros and cons of recent mobile software updates.

Josef Storzi

Mobile Phone Repair Specialist

Expert Answer

Even if your phone seems to be working, it can still be damaged. Sometimes devices can function for a day or up to a week before the liquid causes enough damage to decommission the device. You should visit a repair shop even if your phone seems to be working. The longer the liquid is inside the device the more damage it can cause.

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Tips

Take your cell phone to an authorized dealer if you can’t get it to work. They may be able to fix it.

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Suctioning is the easiest, safest way to find trapped water and where it is.

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Even if the water contact indicator is red, the phone may still work.

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When your phone gets wet, you need to act quickly — power it off immediately, even if it seems fine. Leaving it on risks short circuiting.
Use short bursts of compressed air to blow water out of ports and openings. Just don't hold the can too close or use high pressure.
Make sure to remove any cases, batteries, SIM cards — anything detachable. The less connected, the less water trapped inside.
After drying, look for signs of water damage before turning your phone back on. Water indicators are often behind the battery.

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Warnings

Do not expose the phone to extreme temperatures, such as heat from a blow-dryer or cold in a freezer.

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Don’t try to unplug a phone that’s sitting in water, as it could lead to an electric shock. Remove your phone from water only after you cut off power to the outlet.

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Don’t try to take your phone apart unless you’ve been trained to do so.

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Be careful when putting phones in rice, since the grains can get stuck in the charging/headphone ports or cause other damage.

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