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iPhone Water Damage Repair - Easy Ways to Check and Fix It

- "Can an iPhone be fixed if it got wet?"

- "I dropped iPhone in water, how can I know if it was water damaged?"

- "How much does it cost to fix a water damaged iPhone from Apple?"

- "How do I dry out my iPhone 6 that has water damage?"

It is a disaster if you dropped an iPhone in water like toilet, bath, sea or other liquid. Sadly, liquid damage to iPhone or iPad is not covered by the Apple one-year limited warranty. As a result, you need to repair the wet iPhone as soon as possible. Instead of asking for help of water damage repair service, you can fix an iPhone dropped in water by yourself through this article.

Fix Water Damaged iPhone

Part 1: How to Tell If Your iPhone has Water Damaged

Have you ever heard that the food dropped on the table is still clean within 5 seconds? The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are Apple's first smartphones designed to be water-resistant, and all the subsequent models are water-resistant to varying degrees as well. To be more specific, the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are rated IP67, which means they are waterproof up to 1 meter or approximately 3 feet. And the new iPhone XS models are rated IP68, which means that they can be exposed in a little more than six feet of water for around 30 minutes. Therefore, it is possible that your iPhone can still survive from water damage.

Most iPhone and iPad are equipped with Liquid Contact Indicators (LCIs), which will be activated when your iPhone dropped in water or a liquid containing water. An LCI is white or silver in most cases. But when it turns fully red, it means your iPhone is water damaged and need to be repaired immediately. In a word, you can check the LCI of your wet iPhone to see if your iPhone has water damage or not. Thus, the most important thing is to find the red liquid contact indicator.

For iPhone XS/X/8/8 Plus/7/7 Plus/SE/6s/6s Plus/6/6 Plus/5/5c/5s, the LCI indicator is in the right side of your Apple device. Use the paper clip or SIM tool to insert into the pinhole. Eject the SIM tray and shine a light to check the red indicator.

Check iPhone X

As for checking iPhone 4/4S/3GS models, the red water contact indicators are in different places including headphone jack and charging port. You can see a tiny red strip if you dropped iPhone into water and got wet unfortunately.

Check iPhone 4

Part 2: How to Fix a Water Damaged iPhone

Now it is time to fix a water damaged iPhone that won't charge or turn on. You can follow operations below to try iPhone water damage repair.

Step 1. Turn off your wet iPhone

Pick up your iPhone from the water immediately. Because the longer your iPhone dropped in water, the less possibility you own to fix and dry out a wet iPhone.

Power off your water damaged iPhone as soon as possible. Remember do not turn it on. Otherwise, it may cause more problems to your iPhone because of its water damage.

Turn off iPhone

Step 2. Remove your SIM card

Take the SIM card out after iPhone dropped in water and won't turn on. Use an unbent paper clip or SIM removal tool, and then press the SIM tray. You had better leave the popping-up tray completely so that water can escape easier.

Remove SIM card

Step 3. Wipe down the wet iPhone

You need to prepare some tissue or a dry cotton cloth to absorb excess water gently and carefully. To dry out water from the charging port and headphone jack, you can use the Q-tip or other tiny cotton. It would be better if you keep the water damaged iPhone stationary during wiping.

Wipe down the Wet iPhone

Step 4. Put the iPhone with water damage in a dry place

Putting iPhone in a soft and warm place is a good way to repair iPhone from water damage. It has been tested that placing an iPhone in a bag of rice is not helpful to fix a water damaged iPhone. And your wet iPhone should not be exposed to the sun directly, or it will be overheating and cause other related problems. So do not leave iPhone in rice and sunshine.

Put the iPhone in Dry Place

Wait at least 48 hours to dry out your iPhone after dropped in water. After that, check its LCI indicator againto see if it is fixed or not, and check if your iPhone is in service (iPhone says no service?). If you have some silica gel packets, then you can fix water damaged iPhone easier than before.

What If iPhone Cannot be Turned on after Water-damaged?

If your iPhone didn't work normally after it's dried out 48 hours later or longer, or you cannot turn it on to access it, things will be more complicated. But before you send your iPhone to Apple Repair Store or decide to buy a new phone, there is one last solution you can attempt.

Apeaksoft iOS System recovery can help you fix iOS system to normal state for various different scenarios: unlocking failure, stuck in recovery mode, stuck in Apple logo, stuck in headphone mode, black/red/blue/white screen death, etc. It fully supports the latest iOS 16. So you can try this software to see whether it can help your iPhone back to normal state.

Step 1. Download and install iOS System Recovery on your computer.

Step 2. Launch the software and click "iOS System recovery" in the main interface.

iOS System recovery

Step 3. Connect your iPhone to the software and click "Start" button to begin iOS System Recovery. The software will judge whether your iPhone has a system problem.

Start

Step 4. Click "Question" button and follow the guide to turn your iPhone into Recovery or DFU mode. Here we put iPhone into DFU mode.

Question

Step 5. Select the proper iOS model according to your device model details and then click "Download" to download firmware. It will take a few minutes to complete the downloading.

Download

Step 6. When the plug-in is completely downloaded, this iOS System Recovery tool will automatically fix issue. After that, your iPhone will get back to normal.

Repair

Part 3: Recover Data from a Water Damaged iPhone

Whether you have fixed a wet iPhone from water damage or not, you can use Apeaksoft iPhone Data Recovery to get deleted or lost data back, as long as you have connected your iPhone to iTunes before it was dropped in water. With wide support to iOS devices, iPhone Data Recovery is highly compatible with most popular Apple products including iPhone 14/13/12/11/XS/XR/X and earlier models, iPad, iPod, etc. Furthermore, you can recover data from an iPhone that dropped into the toilet, fish tank, swimming pool and elsewhere successfully.

Key Features of iPhone Data Recovery to Fix a Water Damaged iPhone

  • Recover data lost for various scenarios including water damage.
  • Recover and export data from any iOS device directly.
  • Selectively recover from iTunes backup to your computer in a snap.
  • Download and select up to 19 kinds of data from iCloud backups safely.
  • Preview and scan lost iOS data before recovery.
Free Download Free Download

How to Recover Data after iPhone Dropped in Water

You can learn that iPhone Data Recovery provides 3 different data recovery methods to help you recover data from water-damaged iPhone. If you have backed up iPhone data with iTunes or iCloud before, then you can run iPhone Data Recovery to get lost iPhone data back selectively and safely. In other words, you are able to recover data from iTunes or iCloud backups without data loss. And if your iPhone can still work after the water-damaged iPhone is dried out, it supports to recover data from your iPhone directly. Just read and follow.

Step 1. Launch iPhone Data Recovery

Download and install iPhone Data Recovery program. Launch it and use a USB cable to connect iPhone with your computer. Then you will locate the default "Recover from iOS Device" mode.

Launch iPhone

Step 2. Scan your connected iPhone

Hit "Start Scan" button to start scanning lost and deleted files including text messages, contacts, call logs, videos, photos and up to 19 kinds of iOS data. It will take you few minutes to detect your iPhone thoroughly.

Scan iPhone

Step 3. Recover data safely from iPhone to computer

All your available files display in categories. Choose any iOS data and then preview in detail. Turn on "Only display the deleted item" if you want to access deleted iPhone files only. Press "Recover" button and then set a destination folder to output those data to your computer without data loss.

Recover Data from Device

As we mentioned above, this powerful water damaged iPhone data recovering tool also enables you to access lost iOS data from iCloud or iTunes backup. In that case, even your iPhone is totally gone, all valuable data will still be easily found back.

Part 4. FAQs for Fixing Damaged iPhone

Can water damage the iPhone permanently?

Yes, water damage can potentially permanently damage an iPhone. Water can cause corrosion in the internal components of the phone, leading to irreversible damage. It is important to take immediate action if your iPhone gets wet.

How do I dry out my iPhone?

Remove your iPhone from any water source the first time and shut it down immediately. Use a dry cloth to wipe off any visible water on your iPhone. Shake your iPhone gently to remove any water that might be trapped in the ports or buttons. You'd better contact Apple Support or visit an authorized service center for further assistance.

How long does water damage take to dry out the iPhone?

Water damage can take different amounts of time to dry out, depending on the severity of the damage. In general, you should keep your iPhone turned off and in a dry environment for at least 24 hours to allow it to fully dry out.

What does water damage iPhone look like?

Water damage on an iPhone can manifest in various ways. Some common signs include a black or blank screen, a distorted display, the presence of water spots on the screen, malfunctioning buttons, or the device not turning on at all. It's always recommended to avoid using a water-damaged iPhone and to seek professional assistance.

Can I dry my iPhone with a hair dryer?

It is not recommended to use a hair dryer to dry your iPhone. The heat from the hair dryer can hurt the internal components of the device. It is better to use a soft cloth to gently wipe off any moisture and then let it air dry.

After fixing iPhone dropped in water and recovering lost data, you can use your iPhone as usual. Remember to remove your iPhone from water immediately, and then dry the wet iPhone out with soft and warm tools. No rice bags and hairdryers, both of them are useless or even damage your water damaged iPhone worse. Visit a nearby Apple Repair Store if your iPhone won't turn on or flicker after iOS System Recovery or iPhone Data Recovery cannot do you a favor.

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