Wondering how to fix water damaged iPhone models, but don’t know where to start? Maybe you’re asking yourself ‘can a iPhone with water damage be fixed’, or something along those lines? The good news is – there’s hope.
Here, we will go through the best solution to water damage on your iPhone, and even talk about an iPhone water damage indicator, so that you know what to look out for. At imFixed, we want to give you the tools you need to learn about water damaged phones and offer our services of phone repairs in Manchester and the surrounding area.
So, if you want to learn more about iPhone water damage repair and see what you can do about a water damaged iPhone screen, keep reading.
Are Some iPhone Models Water-Resistant?
iPhone models that can withstand being underwater up to 6m deep for up to 30 minutes; rating = IP68 under IEC standard 60529:
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone models that can withstand being underwater up to 4m deep for up to 30 minutes; rating = IP68 under IEC standard 60529:
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone models that can withstand being underwater up to 2m deep for up to 30 minutes; rating = IP68 under IEC standard 60529:
- iPhone 11
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
iPhone models that can withstand being underwater up to 1m deep for up to 30 minutes; rating = IP67 under IEC standard 60529:
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
Models Older Than the iPhone 7 Are Not Considered Waterproof
Although many of these older models will have some water-resistant qualities, they don’t have resistance ratings. So, while they might survive a quick dunk in the bath while you’re scrolling, don’t count on it.
If you want the security of water-resistant iPhone models, follow the guides we put above to show which models can withstand what.
The Best Solution to Water Damage on Your iPhone
According to Apple, the best solution to water damage on your iPhone is to simply wipe your phone down with a clean, dry cloth, and remove excess water from the ports by tapping it. However, we would advise going beyond this.
No one wants iPhone screen damage from water, or screen damage of any other kind, so you do need to be careful when you are working with your phone. So, how do you fix a water damaged iPhone? Let’s go through some tips that should help you get your phone in good working order again.
Step-by-Step Process for a Water Damaged iPhone
If you dropped your iPhone in water, you can follow the steps we are outlining below. Do this for all iPhones, including the ones that are not considered water-resistant, and you should get results.
- Remove your iPhone from the water immediately
- Get the iPhone out of its case
- Get a clean and dry cloth or soft towel and gently wipe off all the liquid that you can reach
- Direct the lightning port down and give your phone a gentle shake, tapping it to remove any excess water that might have found its way into the speakers and port
- Leave the iPhone somewhere warm and dry to dry out. If you have a fan, place it in front of that with the lightning port facing it, but make sure the fan is not heated
You Might Want to Stick it in Rice, But…
It might be tempting to opt for the go-to method of sticking your iPhone in uncooked rice, but this is not recommended. While this method might be effective for drawing water out, it can also cause more damage to your phone.
According to Apple, if you put your iPhone in rice, it may “allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone.”, which will have a negative impact on the device. The rice could also scratch your phone and cause additional damage to areas like the screen, so it’s not worth the risk.
What Else Can You do?
The perfect alternative to rice is the notably less-available silica gel sachets. You might have loads of these lying around, or none at all, but you can easily get some. These silica gel sachets are more effective for drawing the moisture from your phone and are far less likely to cause additional damage, making them ideal.
You can purchase silica gel sachets from Amazon, both within the UK and out. However, you would likely also be able to find a few of these sachets lying around from PPE equipment, handbags, and various electronic components you have bought. If you can’t seem to find any, then you could also head to your nearest craft shop, where there should be plenty available for sale.
Is Dismantling Your Phone an Option?
You should only consider taking your iPhone apart if you are concerned that there is water or another type of liquid inside it. Even then, we would recommend leaving a job like that to the professionals (like us). It is all too easy for something to go wrong, and you would be the one to lose hundreds of pounds in a flash.
Not only that, but you need to remember that if the Liquid Contact Indicators within your phone haven’t detected any signs of liquid, you opening your phone is probably going to invalidate the warranty coverage you have. So, even if you are confident in your DIY skills and follow detailed tutorials, you still run the risk of messing with your warranty.
Water in Your Phone Speaker
If you suspect that water has worked its way into your phone and is in the speaker, there’s a simple method you could try to get rid of it. There could be a way for you to eject the water from the speakers, similar to how Apple Watches have that ‘eject’ feature built in.
To do this on iPhones, you can download a free app called Sonic – it’s a tone generator that will help you remove the water from speakers by playing a particular frequency. Once downloaded, you can tap the droplet image in the middle of the screen, and the water should get ejected.
Avoid Doing These Things if Your iPhone Gets Wet
Below are a few things that you need to avoid doing at all costs if your iPhone has somehow got wet. Doing any of these can further damage your phone, or kill it completely, so be careful:
- Putting anything into the ports
- Plugging the phone in (if your phone is already plugged in, very carefully unplug it)
- Drying your iPhone with a hair dryer
- Opening the SIM tray
- Switching it on if your device is turned off (doing this can cause it to short-circuit)
imFixed is Here to Help
imFixed can help you with all kinds of repairs in Manchester, Bury, Bolton, Rochdale, and Blackburn. We do emergency phone repairs and call-out phone repairs, so you can get the help you need whenever and wherever you are.
Now that you know the best solution to water damage on your iPhone, hopefully you feel a bit more confident with how to handle it. Dropping your phone in water is never a pleasant experience, and it can be a stressful event – especially considering how much these devices cost.
Follow Apple’s guidelines for drying a water damaged iPhone off, but feel free to go a few steps further if you want to do everything you can to make sure your phone stays in good condition.
