No matter how good and expensive a smartphone is, it doesn’t know how to swim. With all the outdoor activities that go on in our daily lives, keeping your phone above water can be a tough task.
As a Nigerian, you probably have heard a popular song by Fela Kuti. Water no get enemy.
Well, that might be true in most cases. Because without water, we would all be dead today. But some things are water enemies. One of these things is your smartphone. You can say that a smartphone’s greatest enemy is water. Because once the water enters the phone, the phone goes off immediately.
What Happens to a Phone When it Falls in Water
Before I show you the steps to take, I need to explain what happens to your smartphone when it drops in water.
When your smartphone drops into water, the water flows into a phone’s kryptonite. Then it works its way into the ports, jacks, and speakers. Once inside, it flows into the circuits.
What is the result of this?
The water, which acts as a conductor, would carry a current which then overloads on the phone with energy, frying and damaging the circuit board.
Here are lists of thing you don’t do when your smartphone falls in the water
- Avoid drying the phone using the microwave- this is very dangerous and can start a fire.
- Don’t turn it on-in fact don’t press on any buttons or keys
- Don’t put the phone in the freezer- because once you remove it, the ice melts and you are back to square one
- Do not take the phone apart, this could void your warranty.
- Do not shake, tap, or bang the phone: This is a Nigerian thing. When things don’t work, we tend to bang or shake it. But doing this can cause further damages to the phone
- To our beautiful ladies, do not use a blow or hair drier- Heat could cause further damage
- Do not blow it- This could send water into other internal parts of the phone that it hadn’t already reached, causing more damage in the process
Immediate steps to take when your Smartphone drops in water:
Now that you know what happens when your smartphone falls into water, here are the immediate steps to take after the incident:
Step 1: the first step is to remove it from the water as quickly as possible. The longer it stays there, the more water or liquid will seep through the cracks and openings.
Step 2: once its out, remove your sim card and memory card if you have one.
Step 3: if you have an older phone, you might be able to open up the back and remove the battery. However, most news phones do not have removable batteries. So the best step would be to take the phone to a repair shop before attempting to take it apart.
Step 4: use clean cloth or paper towel to dry the phone. You must dab the cloth, to avoid spreading the liquid around.
If the water damage is extensive then consider using a vacuum, silica gel packs, or pone drying pouch to dry the phone
It is important to note that time is of the essence, so get your phone dry as soon as possible.
Wait for 24-48 hours
After you have followed the above procedure, then you need to wait for 24-48 hours before your phone moisture dries out completely.
If you have another phone, we recommend you use this phone during this waiting period. But ensure you dry the sim card before putting it into the extra phone you want to use.
Or you can simply take a break from your texting, tweeting, networking, and instead read a book.
Do not attempt to switch it on during this 24-48hurs to see if it works.
Check the phone
After two to four days of allowing the phone to dry, try turning the phone on. If the phone doesn’t turn on, try charging it.
If it doesn’t work, consider taking it to a repair shop to be checked by a professional.
But if the phone comes on and it’s running as it should, keep an eye on it for the next few days. Play some music to check the speakers and ensure that the screen touch still responds as it should.
Here is the truth:
Simply allowing your phone to dry off on its own is not a good idea. Remember that water does its damage under the surface where your hands can’t reach.
So if your phone works, with glitches or not, you need to take it to a phone repair shop.
Drop your comment and get professional aid.
