How to fix water damage iPhone & iPad
We have heard it all… the usual toilet swim, jumping in the pool with the phone in your pocket, washing machine spin and loads more. There are also less obvious ways in which your phone can get liquid damage that you wouldn’t think of such as using your phone in the rain, listening to music while in a steamy shower or even taking your phone with you to the sauna… yes, your phone would sweat just like you in there!
If you can’t immediately go to a specialist repair shop that could do liquid diagnostics, the next best thing to do is :
- Power the device off if it’s not already turned off.
- Wipe all the excess water using a tissue paper or cloth.
- Leave your phone in a dry area, top of the radiator is fine to let the water dry out slightly.
- If you prefer another method to dry out the iPhone or iPad use silica gel packs.
Just remember, the sooner you take the device to a technician the better the chance of your phone recovering fully.
What are the most common parts affected by water damage?
What is usually most affected by liquid is the battery and screen which could show signs of liquid from behind the LCD. Your tech may suggest to replace the battery - to make sure it supplies correct power to the phone, and/or the screen, usually for cosmetic purposes but sometimes touch might be affected so it may be essential to change the screen for that reason.
If the phone is left without the deep clean for a longer period of time, liquid/corrosion may reach other components. This is when parts on the motherboard may be affected such as audio, microphone’s, button functionality, camera’s, proximity sensor, power IC, etc. If that is the case, your technician will give you a quote for the motherboard fix before he attempts to fix the issue.
Another thing to remember is to back up your device regularly before the liquid damage happens as sometimes it is essential to restore the software or the device may not be reparable meaning all data will be lost.
If you have any questions about the liquid damage process check our
FAQ’s
or send us a message via our
contact us
page.
Common faults after water damage - Help! My iPhone/iPad won’t turn on
If your iPhone won’t turn on after coming into contact with water, it could mean any of the following:
1)The iPhone or iPad has a short-circuit caused by a faulty component.
2) Corrosion on the internal components on the motherboard that compromised the circuitry.
3) In some rare cases the device may go into default factory mode (DFU) if damage is detected.
The fault mentioned above can be irreversible if the phone isn’t looked at by a qualified technician.
- My iPhone/iPad screen is water damaged
There are various ways you can tell if your screen has been damaged by water. You might find there are transparent spots or lines under the glass. Also having a dark screen but being able to still hear sound or vibration is quite common when a device is damaged by water and most of the cases a simple screen replacement will fix the issue.
- My iPhone/iPad won’t charge
If your iPhone won’t charge after dropping it in water, it could mean there is a problem with your charging port, especially that liquid can corrode the charging pins or damage the entire charging port. The port in question is one of the easiest ways that liquid can travel and create damage, just like the sim tray. If you've eliminated water damage as a problem there may be an issue with your iPhone battery, charging IC circuit or a motherboard fault.We always recommend to book for a liquid diagnostics
- My iPhone/iPad is looping on apple logo
Liquid damage is the most common cause for advice to die. Second most common is an Apple loop. That’s when the device is infinitely stuck on the Apple Logo. That can be caused by a faulty battery, faulty connection or a short on the motherboard. What we would recommend is to immediately shut down the device so the NAND/Data doesn’t get corrupted, and contact your repair specialist or us.My Camera is not working
If your rear camera is blurry, foggy or is simply not displaying any image (output is dark) then it will require a liquid damage clean and most likely a rear camera or front camera replacement is needed in order to get the function fully working again. In some rare cases the rear camera replacement may not work because of a motherboard fault.
- Can Rain Cause iPhone Water Damage?
Yes, rain, is actually one of the most common water damage causes found on smartphones. Although every iPhone since the iPhone 7 is water- and splash-resistant(IP67), even the slightest amount of liquid can cause damage. Even if your iPhone is in perfect condition, we highly recommend that you avoid using your iPhone in rainy weather. Rainwater can enter the ports and cause a lot of damage.
- How Quickly Can Water Damage Occur?
You might be thinking "but it was only a few seconds! I took it out and dried it!”. You’d be surprised by how much water can get inside of an iPhone, even after just a second of submersion.
- But I Thought My iPhone Was Waterproof!
Advertising phones as water-resistant is an effective sales tactic, because it makes people believe that they’re actually water-proof. There is a difference between the two. Water-resistant means the smartphones can survive small splashes of water, rain, sweat, a drop in the snow, or a spill but nothing is guaranteed.
Waterproof means the phone will be fine if it's completely submerged or soaked, so it'll be fine if you accidentally drop it in the pool for example.
Both waterproof and water-resistant iPhone are not covered for liquid damage by the manufacturer’s warranty.
If your iPhone or iPad turns on, back it up right away using iCloud or iTunes. Water damage can sometimes harm your device, and you may only have a small window of opportunity to save your photos, contacts and other personal data.
.
Here’s a quick guide on ways to backup:
iTunes Backup
1) Connect iPhone to your computer using the lightning USB cable.
2) In the iTunes app on your PC, click the iPhone button near the top left of the iTunes window.
3) Click Back Up Now (below Backups)
iCloud backup
1)Go to Settings > [your device name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
2)Turn on iCloud Backup. iCloud automatically backs up your iPhone daily when iPhone is connected to power, locked, and on Wi-Fi.
3)To perform a manual backup, tap Back Up Now.
Please bear in mind that iCloud backup may require additional storage (extra cost) and is not as fast as iTunes backup(depending on your internet connection).
- Where can I get my water damaged iPhone & iPad fixed?
Unfortunately Apple does not repair liquid damaged devices. They may offer you a new device at a discounted price. If however, you would like to pay a lot less money and retain any important data, booking in for a repair is the way forward. There are a lot of independent third party phone repair shops that could help, but they may not offer you a warranty or offer the highest quality repair service.
The solution is to book a repair with
MEDRepairs
and have one of our trained technicians repair any issues which are a result of water damage to your device. Our repairs on water damage devices are backed-up by 30 days warranty.
Whatever action you take immediately after water coming into contact with your phone is crucial as it will only delay the breakdown of the iPhone’s circuitry. It may take days, weeks or months, but eventually, internal corrosion will cause the water damaged iPhone or iPad to give up if not properly dealt with. The best course of action is to have it checked over by a trained and certified MEDRepairs technician. Book your repair
HERE
