Phone dropped in water? What to do in the first hour

Every monsoon, from July to September, our repair bench sees a steady stream of phones that have been caught in the rain on a bike, dropped in a bucket or carried through a flooded street. What you do in the first hour makes a real difference to whether the phone can be saved.

First, switch it off at once, even if it still seems to work. Water and electricity together cause the damage, so the sooner the power is off, the better. Do not try to charge it to see if it is working, and do not press buttons repeatedly. If the phone has a removable back or a SIM tray, take out the SIM and memory card.

Next, dry the outside with a soft cloth and gently shake out water from the ports, holding the phone with the charging port facing down. Do not use a hair dryer, which can push water deeper and melt adhesives, and do not put it in the microwave or in the sun. Putting it in a bag of rice is a popular idea, but rice does very little and leaves dust in the ports. A dry, airy place is better than rice.

Then bring it to us, or any repair shop, the same day. We open the phone, clean the board of moisture and corrosion and dry it properly. Most phones that reach us within a day can be saved, at least long enough to recover photos. A water-resistance rating on a new phone helps, but seals weaken with age, so do not rely on it after a year or two.