You lot've dropped your iPhone in h2o, and right at present yous want to dry it out, appraise and fix the damage, and recover the data within. You've come to the right place for communication.

Water is the second nigh mutual type of damage faced past iPhones (subsequently smashed screens, which we discuss in our article on getting a broken iPhone repaired). But a dunk isn't necessarily a death penalty. No guarantees, but with our tips in that location's every take a chance your telephone will survive to fight (and get wet) another day.

In this commodity we explain the best strategies for dealing with a wet or water-damaged iPhone.

What to do if your iPhone gets wet

What to do if your iPhone gets wet

Get the iPhone out of the water right away, if you lot haven't already.

Do non plug in the iPhone. If it's plugged in already, unplug information technology (very advisedly).

Do not turn it on. This tin cause short circuits.

If the wet iPhone is in a instance, accept it out. Remove the SIM carte du jour likewise. Water can linger in these nooks and crannies.

With a soft towel or cloth, wipe liquid off everything you can accomplish. Turn the iPhone upside downwards and give it a gentle milk shake to clear the ports and sockets.

Power off the wet iPhone

Power off the wet iPhone

Yous want to avoid activating the circuits inside the iPhone, because this is likely to cause short circuits and long-term damage.

If the iPhone is switched off already, go out it off. Don't be tempted to power on to come across if it still works. It might, and then promptly stop working forever precisely considering you took a look.

If your iPhone is switched on, y'all're looking at two unappealing options: power downwards (but in the process cause the screen and operating system to wake up briefly before switching off) or leave the device in sleep mode and hope you don't get whatsoever notifications.

It's your decision, but after discussions hither in the Macworld offices we've decided that the lesser of two evils is to wake the iPhone briefly in lodge to practice a full power off - and that's what we suggest in the video at the top of this article.

If you were lucky enough to be in Aeroplane Mode when you dropped the device, nevertheless, or are confident that nothing will wake your iPhone in the next 48 hours, leaving it alone might exist the better pick.

Dry out your iPhone with uncooked rice

Dry out your iPhone with uncooked rice

Now we need to draw as much interior liquid out as possible. Resist the temptation to utilize a pilus dryer or other oestrus treatment, as this can damage the iPhone's internal components.

(A few iPhone users propose the use of a non-heated fan, which at least shouldn't brand things worse, even if we think the beneath techniques are likely to be more effective.)

To get moisture out of the iPhone's interior, you lot demand a desiccant. Many people swear by uncooked rice, advising owners to put their damp iPad or iPhone in a big bowl of the stuff (encompass information technology completely) and go out it there for 48 hours or so.

The rice volition blot the moisture finer, and well-nigh of us have some uncooked rice in our homes (or can get hold of some fairly hands). Just it may go dust or even entire grains into the ports. Exist warned.

We discuss this method in more detail in our commodity: rescue a soaked iPhone with the rice fob.

Photo by Steven Depolo; used (unmodified) under Creative Commons Licence. Information technology's an iPod touch, in fact, simply you get the idea.

Dry out your iPhone with silica gel

Dry out your iPhone with silica gel

A better option than uncooked rice if you lot've got it is silica gel - those footling (and inedible) packets that come with some electronic components, especially if they've been shipped from a land with a humid climate.

You lot need plenty of them to embrace the iPhone. You may be able to purchase them en masse from a craft shop, and bag shops are a great source - inquire the staff if they mind you lot fishing out the sachet that yous'll probably find zipped into each handbag's interior pocket.

Silica gel sachets should dry out a wet iPhone out more efficiently and less messily than rice. You should yet give the iPhone at least 48 hours to dry out out completely, however.

Dismantle your iPhone

Dismantle your iPhone

If y'all're actually confident about doing DIY repairs on your iPhone, the all-time fashion to deal with a moisture iPhone is to unscrew the bottom screws (on most models of iPhone this will require a proprietary type of screwdriver head, bachelor every bit part of some iPhone repair kits sold by unofficial third-party accompaniment makers) and access the interior.

Merely bear in mind that this is likely to invalidate any warranty coverage you lot've got, and there's a chance that your DIY work will cause damage rather than repair it.

Even so: the most effective way to get water from the inside of an iPhone is to become right in in that location and dry out it out from inside.

You'll want to accept the battery out, for instance (this as well minimises the potential for short circuits), and go water out of all the internal nooks and crannies. Use a soft dry cloth to all interior surfaces while endeavouring to be every bit gentle as possible.

We're not sure we'd recommend this approach, primarily because of its potential to exacerbate the trouble. But in some situations it may exist the but manner to save the mean solar day - and if aught else works and you're out of warranty, y'all may find yourself with nothing to lose.

What to practice adjacent

What to do next

Once you've waited a couple of days and call back you've successfully dried out your iPhone, you lot tin can endeavor switching it on. If it still doesn't work, or if y'all desire to get the internals checked out, you can inquire an Apple Genius to accept a await, simply bear in mind that iOS devices have internal liquid detectors, so they will know what happened.

One terminal warning: a bad submersion may cause long-term impairment, particularly to the battery, that only becomes apparent months later. In ane famous instance, an iPhone 3GS spontaneously overheated more a year afterward being dropped in a pool. The possessor had used the rice technique and the iPhone had worked fine afterwards... initially.

We would therefore advise that, if you're lucky enough to be able to become your iPhone to run afterwards a dip, you should dorsum up all of import files on the device in case information technology packs up again in the future. Its recovery, nosotros're sorry to say, may only exist temporary - although nosotros hope not.

Waterproof cases & emergency kits

Waterproof cases & emergency kits

Hopefully the steps to a higher place helped you revive the drowned iPhone in your life, but at that place are way to avert the state of affairs in future.

Water's not good for iPhones and iPads, penetrating deep within their circuitry and leading to dissentious short circuits. Then those (extremely common) hazards so many iPhone owners risk - taking photos on the beach, browsing the web in the bath, fifty-fifty reading email on the loo - are best avoided. Nigh of us only cotton wool on to the dangers after our first soaked iPhone.

If you really want to read e-books by the pool or in the bathroom, consider buying a waterproof iPhone case. Another option to conduct in mind is some kind of handle or wrist strap so yous're less likely to drop the device in the first place.

Y'all might like to buy an emergency package for drying out an electronic device - obviously it's all-time to have information technology ready in advance, instead of waiting for the crisis to occur and so queueing at the shops.

The AF Tech Rescue Kit is an affordable option bachelor on Amazon.

Which iPhones are water-resistant?

Which iPhones are water-resistant?

If ownership a waterproof case doesn't appeal, you might consider upgrading the phone itself. In recent years Apple's handsets have got amend and ameliorate at h2o resistance.

Water (and dust) resistance is commonly expressed by the IP rating arrangement. Before 2022 Apple tree didn't disclose IP ratings for its phones, but that yr's iPhone vii and 7 Plus were certified as IP67 - an excellent score which indicates they should survive submersion in up to 1m of water for thirty minutes.

In 2022 the iPhone XS and XS Max went one step farther, scoring IP68. This extends the immersion to 2m, and you volition very rarely see a consumer product get a higher rating than this.

Here are the IP ratings of Apple's telephone range:

  • iPhone 6s and before: not rated
  • iPhone vii: IP67
  • iPhone 7 Plus: IP67
  • iPhone 8: IP67
  • iPhone 8 Plus: IP67
  • iPhone X: IP67
  • iPhone XR: IP67
  • iPhone XS: IP68
  • iPhone XS Max: IP68
  • iPhone eleven: IP68
  • iPhone 11 Pro: IP68
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max: IP68

You lot can buy a new iPhone handset on Apple'south website, or browse our roundup of the best iPhone deals.

How to eject water from an iPhone speaker

How to eject water from an iPhone speaker

While the iPhone seven and subsequently are water-resistant, it doesn't stop h2o from getting into the speaker grille. The Apple tree Sentinel Serial 2 and later have a similar issue, although they come with a congenital-in characteristic that can be toggled to 'eject' the water by playing a specific frequency.

Why the iPhones don't characteristic a like option, we're non quite sure - but in that location is a relatively easy fashion for users to eject water from within an iPhone 7 or later speaker, and information technology's past using a complimentary app called Sonic.

But download the app and tap the water droplet icon in the middle of the screen. This should crusade the water to 'jump' from the speaker and then you can blot it with a tissue.