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How to fix water damage iPhone & iPad

iphone liquid damage
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! 
iphone won't charge


What shoud i do if i drop my iphone in water?

So I hear you ask, what to do if the unfortunate happens? 

First of all, turn off your phone and do not plug it in on charge. You don’t want to be supplying electricity to a phone full of liquid, it could create more damage making the repair costly!

Forget what mainstream media says about using rice. Unfortunately rice does not magically suck out the water from the inside of your phone and actually leaving it in rice can create more damage than good by getting tiny bits of rice stuck inside ports.
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.
iphone teardown


What happens during liquid damage diagnostics? 

A skilled technician will take your phone apart and further dry out any wet areas. They will remove any corrosion, then when the phone is all clean they will turn it on to check if all functions are working. That is why it’s crucial you provide the passcode you may have to access the phone so they’ll be able to run these tests to fully complete the diagnostics.
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.
how to check for water damage

How To Check the iPhone & iPad for Water Damage

The best way to check for iPhone water damage is to look at its liquid contact indicator, or LCI. On newer iPhones, the LCI is located in the same slot as the SIM card. On iPad models you’ll find LCI's either in the headphone jack, charging port, or both.

If the sticker is red it indicates that your iPhone or iPad has come into contact with liquid, and unfortunately, that is not covered by the manufacturers warranty.
medrepairs

What if i want to book a liquid damage repair with medrepairs?

Last but not least, if you were to have your liquid diagnostics done at MEDRepairs,we will give you 1 month warranty on any parts that had to be changed as parts can be found faulty and three months is usually enough time for any imperfections to come up to the surface.


Why not 12 months warranty like other repairs? 

Well, damage by liquid can always progress no matter how well we try to remove the liquid and corrosion, meaning parts may go faulty despite there not being any manufacturing problems. In

 any case, we are always here for you. You can always contact us for advice or book in for further diagnostics.
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 
  • 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.


  • Can i recover my data ?
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.
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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

ipad microsoldering

My iPad Won't charge! Here's the fix

by websitebuilder • 7 January 2021
Is your iPad having a charging problem and you don’t know what to do? You plug it in expecting it to charge, but the screen remains completely black or is stuck at the battery sign? In this post we will explain what to do when your iPad is not charging and show you how to fix the fault. When the iPad stops charging you should check the following: The iPad charger: make sure the charging adapter is plugged in the wall plug try with another device that you have on hand use only MFi-Certified charger try to charge your iPad from a usb port such a computer/laptop can be very slow, we would recommend using a usb port that supports 2A 10w minimum. The charging port If you tried other lightning cables and the charging adapter, now is time to look inside of the port and specifically, we’re looking for any dirt or lint that could be preventing your Lightning cable from making a clean connection to your iPad’s charging port. This is quite rare on iPads but more commonly seen on iPhones. If you feel the connection is loose when the cable is plugged in it could mean the dirt is getting in the way or a more serious fault with the charging port that may need repairing. This could be caused by wear and tear after months or years of usage and inevitably the charging port will need replacing. If you're not sure, send your device to us for diagnostics. See below how we conduct diagnostics. How do i clean my charging port? See the links below on how to clean the port yourself. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8026378 https://appletoolbox.com/iphone-not-charging-lightning-port-problems-fix/

Why iPad battery drains so fast?

by websitebuilder • 5 May 2020
Out of the common signs your battery is failing - slow charge, not lasting all day, dying unexpectedly, a swollen battery is the most urgent and dangerous. Battery swelling happens due to "outgassing", which occurs when a battery gets overcharged, damaged, or simply old. Under those circumstances, the chemical reaction that keeps your battery running breaks down and, just like the name suggests, outputs gas. The battery casing is built to contain that nasty gas—so, inevitably, it bloats up. The iPad batteries are lasting a lot longer than the iPhone ones, understandably, we are glued to our phones all day long these days unlike the iPad that may accompany us half the time an iPhone would. from our experience we have seen that the iPads that have 2+ years and over 400 load-cycles start showing signs of needing a battery replacement. How do i know if the iPad battery is swollen/expanded How could you tell a battery is swollen? It’s not always obvious but it may show by rising your screen. That’s when the screen looks like it’s separating from the rear housing. Another symptom is when screen sensitivity is impaired by the battery inflating and pushing up the screen which is pulling the cables out of their place. You may also see pressure marks on the screen. Once the device is open, you may see the battery’s wrapping is wrinkly or inflated.
macbook screen repair

Why are MacBook screen replacements expensive?

by websitebuilder • 4 May 2020
MacBooks tend to have two different types of screen replacements. Some models will need to have the LCD and the screen (or in some cases bezel) replaced separately. Some LCDs and screens are bonded together therefore the whole lid will need to be replaced. Costs vary depending on the type of repair that is needed that is why it’s so important to know the model number of the device we are about to fix to ensure we have the correct parts ready for it.
medrepairs

How much is a iPhone / iPad Repair

by websitebuilder • 4 May 2020
We understand that in today’s times no one wants to be left alone without their device for a long period of time. This is why we offer super fast mail-in repairs that are completed on the day we receive the device and we send it straight back the same day *(most repairs) via first class signed for Royal Mail service or Special Delivery.
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