This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
Most people will probably agree that dropping a cell phone in water is the ultimate punishment. It hasn’t happened to me personally (I probably just jinxed myself) but I’ve known plenty of people who have dropped their beloved lifeline in a toilet, a puddle, the ocean, a pool, etc. This presents an issue because it’s really expensive to buy a completely new phone and most insurance policies don’t cover water damage. Of course, you’ve heard of the rice method for drying out a waterlogged phone, but set aside the rice and try this method instead.
You know those little silica gel packets that usually come with a new pair of shoes or handbag? Keep them because that’s exactly what you’ll need if you want to save your phone…and money. First things first, what is silica gel? It’s extremely porous and contains millions of tiny holes that absorb moisture, which makes it the perfect solution to a wet phone.
Here’s what you need to do if you drop your phone in water:
Immediately shut off your phone to prevent short circuiting.
Dry the outside with a lint-free towel.
Disassemble the phone and remove any pieces that can trap water like a battery, memory card, etc.
Open the phone (instructions here) to let air in.
Put all the phone’s parts in a zip-top bag with multiple silica gel packets.
Wait at least 72 hours before testing the phone again. Once the time has passed, put the phone back together and power it on.
If you don’t have any silica gel packets readily available, buy them online or go to your local pet store and look for silica gel cat litter, which is usually referred to as “crystal” cat litter. Also, remember that once your phone gets wet, your warranty is void because there’s an indicator inside the phone that will let the manufacturer know it got wet.
Don’t miss how you can charge your phone with a cup of coffee and Apple’s first-ever battery case!
[Photo: Shutterstock]
