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| Boilerpipe Text | Common advice says that if you’ve dropped your
smartphone
into the toilet—or some other body of liquid—all you have to do is toss your afflicted device into a bowl of rice and everything will be fine come morning.
đź’» Tech can be tricky.
We’ll be your support. Join Pop Mech Pro.
Sadly, this is more a myth than useful advice. But that doesn’t mean you should give up on your waterlogged phone. Before you try going to a
repair shop
(and potentially spend hundreds of dollars), there are plenty of
DIY hacks
you can try out.
Waterproof vs. Water-Resistant
First, it’s worth knowing if your phone is in any real danger.
In recent years, many smartphone manufacturers have made their devices water-resistant. But water resistant
is not
the same thing as
waterproof
.
Waterproof means that a device is impervious to water for any duration, while
water-resistant
means that a given device is graded for water exposure for a given amount of time and up to a certain depth. When we talk about watches, smartphones, and tablets, we usually mean water-resistant.
To figure out how tough your phone stands up against water, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the IP standard, which the International Electrotechnical Commission in Geneva, Switzerland drew up to designate how resistant an electronic device is to
freshwater
and other common materials like dirt, dust, or sand.
IEC
The next digit, following “IP,” is the rating for a device’s resistance to solids. So, all water-resistant phones start out with “IP6” in the code name, which tells you that no harmful dirt or dust will get into the unit even following direct contact for eight hours.
The fourth digit will be either a 7 or an 8, meaning your device is either rated IP67 or IP68. The former standard means that your phone can be submerged in up to one meter of freshwater for about 30 minutes without any seeping into the device, while IP68 means that the device can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.
But if your device doesn’t meet either standard, like the budget-friendly Pixel 3a, you’ll need to jump into action.
First, Turn Off Your Phone
Halfdark
//
Getty Images
After you’ve fished out your phone, immediately power down the device to reduce the chance of any electronic components shorting on you.
Next, use a pin or a
SIM card
removal tool to pop open the SIM tray and remove the SIM card. Water could have gotten into this tiny opening and you don’t want to risk having to replace your SIM card, too. It’s not a huge expense, but it can be a pain.
⚠️ Take out your battery if you can, but there is a good chance that your phone doesn’t have a removable
battery
.
Dry Your Phone ASAP
RapidEye
//
Getty Images
Next up: dry your phone off. This sounds like the simplest step, but this is actually where things get tricky. While rice is that ever-popular urban legend, it might not be the best material to soak up excess H2O.
Don’t even
think
about taking a hair dryer to your handset. Added heat could cause corrosion if there is any water on your phone’s hardware. Instead, start with a soft,
microfiber cloth
—the kind you use to wipe smudges off of your glasses. If you can remove the back panel of your phone, use a cloth to wipe down the components inside.
This should go without saying, but don’t put it in the
microwave
. You’re only going to catch your phone on fire, which certainly will make it dry, but not very operational. Instead, if you want some warmth to coax out whatever water has not yet dissipated, consider letting your phone rest on a windowsill in some sunlight or using air-in-a-can to blast the water out.
So About That Rice...
Mgr. Jakub Cuba / EyeEm
//
Getty Images
You could try powering your phone on at this point to assess the damage, but we recommend taking a further step before risking it. Submerge your phone in a desiccant—a substance that will induce dryness by absorbing water.
Just know that rice isn’t as absorbent as you may think. Gazelle, a company known for buying used and broken devices and then reselling them, conducted a series of experiments to see which desiccants worked best with which phones. In the tests, Gazelle submerged nine different smartphones for ten seconds each before placing the phones into a bowl of some absorbent household material, like rice.
“If a drying agent is used, silica gel is the best of the options tested, followed by couscous and instant rice.”
Six of nine devices did power back on after using the rice method, and another two were recovered enough to at least pull most of the data from the phone. Interestingly, Samsung devices did better with the rice than iPhones.
However, it turned out that rice was still an “inferior” drying agent, coming behind not only silica gel—the packets that come in the package with most electronics to keep moisture at bay during shipment and throughout a device’s shelf life—but also other materials like oats and couscous.
“If a drying agent is used, silica gel is the best of the options tested, followed by couscous and instant rice. Conventional cat litter, oats, and chia seeds are not recommended because of the dust and debris that they deposit inside of the phone,” the company wrote in its findings. “Water damage recovery kits that contain small quantities of silica gel are not recommended because they are unlikely to perform as well as open air. Uncooked white rice is not recommended due to its poor performance as a drying agent.”
So use silica instead of rice. If you don’t have that, try some oats. Never seal the container that you’re using, you want the water to evaporate.
If All Else Fails...
If your phone was submerged for a good amount of time, or your phone short-circuited, you still have options. Apple accepts water-damaged phones as part of its trade-in program, though you’ll have to have tempered expectations for how much money you’ll get on a gift card in return.
If you’re not Team iPhone, you can resell your device on a site like Gazelle, which also accepts water-damaged devices. If those methods don’t yield enough cash to buy a new phone, maybe you can at least buy a waterproof case in preparation for your next one.
What About Tablets and Laptops?
With tablets, you’ll want to follow the same general rules as above, though you may not have a sim card to remove. With laptops, though, your approach will diverge a bit—good luck fitting your laptop into a bowl of silica gel.
While powering down a laptop to avoid short-circuiting, don’t attempt to pull any chargers out of the wall with your bare hands—it’s a serious shock threat. Instead, turn off the power by flipping the corresponding switches in your circuit breaker before you unplug the charger. Take the back plate off and wipe down the components with a microfiber towel. You should set the computer upside down and allow it to air dry. When you power it back on, you should be good to go.
If not, try replacing the battery. If you’re still stuck, well, you’re just going to have to hit a repair shop.
Before joining
Pop Mech
, Courtney was the technology reporter at her hometown newspaper, the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied English and economics. Her favorite topics include, but are not limited to: the giant squid, punk rock, and robotics. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, her black cat, and towers upon towers of books.
Read full bio
This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. |
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1. [New Technology](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/)
2. [Essential How-To](https://www.popularmechanics.com/essential-how-to/)
3. [I Dropped My Phone in Water. Uh, Now What?](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/a30470703/water-damage/)
# I Dropped My Phone in Water. Uh, Now What?
To shove it in a bowl of rice or not to shove it in a bowl of rice? That is the question.
By [Courtney Linder](https://www.popularmechanics.com/author/223442/courtney-linder/ "Courtney Linder")
Updated: Apr 01, 2022 4:54 PM EDT
Save Article
Listen (8 min)8 min
Artur Debat//Getty Images
Common advice says that if you’ve dropped your [smartphone](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/g44626985/best-phones/) into the toilet—or some other body of liquid—all you have to do is toss your afflicted device into a bowl of rice and everything will be fine come morning.
***💻 Tech can be tricky.** [**We’ll be your support. Join Pop Mech Pro.**](https://shop.popularmechanics.com/popular-mechanics-all-access-3.html?cds_tracking_code=popengredirect)*
Sadly, this is more a myth than useful advice. But that doesn’t mean you should give up on your waterlogged phone. Before you try going to a [repair shop](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gear/a38967838/in-support-of-right-to-repair/) (and potentially spend hundreds of dollars), there are plenty of [DIY hacks](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a24816/water-damaged-phone-what-to-do/) you can try out.
## **Waterproof vs. Water-Resistant**
First, it’s worth knowing if your phone is in any real danger. In recent years, many smartphone manufacturers have made their devices water-resistant. But water resistant *is not* the same thing as [waterproof](https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/a34344936/how-to-waterproof-your-basement/).
Waterproof means that a device is impervious to water for any duration, while [water-resistant](https://www.trustedreviews.com/opinion/what-is-ip68-ip-ratings-explained-2947135) means that a given device is graded for water exposure for a given amount of time and up to a certain depth. When we talk about watches, smartphones, and tablets, we usually mean water-resistant.
To figure out how tough your phone stands up against water, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the IP standard, which the International Electrotechnical Commission in Geneva, Switzerland drew up to designate how resistant an electronic device is to [freshwater](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a37182552/history-of-drinking-water/) and other common materials like dirt, dust, or sand.
IEC
The next digit, following “IP,” is the rating for a device’s resistance to solids. So, all water-resistant phones start out with “IP6” in the code name, which tells you that no harmful dirt or dust will get into the unit even following direct contact for eight hours.
The fourth digit will be either a 7 or an 8, meaning your device is either rated IP67 or IP68. The former standard means that your phone can be submerged in up to one meter of freshwater for about 30 minutes without any seeping into the device, while IP68 means that the device can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.
But if your device doesn’t meet either standard, like the budget-friendly Pixel 3a, you’ll need to jump into action.
## First, Turn Off Your Phone
Halfdark//Getty Images
After you’ve fished out your phone, immediately power down the device to reduce the chance of any electronic components shorting on you.
Next, use a pin or a [SIM card](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/apps/a28973562/how-to-wipe-your-phone/) removal tool to pop open the SIM tray and remove the SIM card. Water could have gotten into this tiny opening and you don’t want to risk having to replace your SIM card, too. It’s not a huge expense, but it can be a pain.
⚠️ Take out your battery if you can, but there is a good chance that your phone doesn’t have a removable [battery](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a38349967/solid-state-lithium-batteries/).
## Dry Your Phone ASAP
RapidEye//Getty Images
Next up: dry your phone off. This sounds like the simplest step, but this is actually where things get tricky. While rice is that ever-popular urban legend, it might not be the best material to soak up excess H2O.
Don’t even *think* about taking a hair dryer to your handset. Added heat could cause corrosion if there is any water on your phone’s hardware. Instead, start with a soft, [microfiber cloth](https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/g37542401/best-microfiber-car-cloths/)—the kind you use to wipe smudges off of your glasses. If you can remove the back panel of your phone, use a cloth to wipe down the components inside.
###### Must-Read ⬇️
- [What Right to Repair Reforms Mean for Your Devices](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gear/a38967838/in-support-of-right-to-repair/)
This should go without saying, but don’t put it in the [microwave](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a19567/how-the-microwave-was-invented-by-accident/). You’re only going to catch your phone on fire, which certainly will make it dry, but not very operational. Instead, if you want some warmth to coax out whatever water has not yet dissipated, consider letting your phone rest on a windowsill in some sunlight or using air-in-a-can to blast the water out.
**So About That Rice...**
Mgr. Jakub Cuba / EyeEm//Getty Images
You could try powering your phone on at this point to assess the damage, but we recommend taking a further step before risking it. Submerge your phone in a desiccant—a substance that will induce dryness by absorbing water.
Just know that rice isn’t as absorbent as you may think. Gazelle, a company known for buying used and broken devices and then reselling them, conducted a series of experiments to see which desiccants worked best with which phones. In the tests, Gazelle submerged nine different smartphones for ten seconds each before placing the phones into a bowl of some absorbent household material, like rice.
> > “If a drying agent is used, silica gel is the best of the options tested, followed by couscous and instant rice.”
Six of nine devices did power back on after using the rice method, and another two were recovered enough to at least pull most of the data from the phone. Interestingly, Samsung devices did better with the rice than iPhones.
However, it turned out that rice was still an “inferior” drying agent, coming behind not only silica gel—the packets that come in the package with most electronics to keep moisture at bay during shipment and throughout a device’s shelf life—but also other materials like oats and couscous.
###### 📱Smartphone Hacks
- [How WiFi Could Charge Your Phone In the Future](https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a31982053/wifi-rectification-energy-charging/)
- [9 Ways to Instantly Free Up Space on Your Phone](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/apps/a29210585/free-up-space-iphone/)
- [Apple iPhone SE vs. iPhone 13 Mini](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a39427692/iphone-se-vs-iphone-13-mini-review-budget-iphones/)
“If a drying agent is used, silica gel is the best of the options tested, followed by couscous and instant rice. Conventional cat litter, oats, and chia seeds are not recommended because of the dust and debris that they deposit inside of the phone,” the company wrote in its findings. “Water damage recovery kits that contain small quantities of silica gel are not recommended because they are unlikely to perform as well as open air. Uncooked white rice is not recommended due to its poor performance as a drying agent.”
So use silica instead of rice. If you don’t have that, try some oats. Never seal the container that you’re using, you want the water to evaporate.
## If All Else Fails...
If your phone was submerged for a good amount of time, or your phone short-circuited, you still have options. Apple accepts water-damaged phones as part of its trade-in program, though you’ll have to have tempered expectations for how much money you’ll get on a gift card in return.
###### Dive Deeper ⬇️
- [The Water From Your Tap Is an Engineering Marvel](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a37182552/history-of-drinking-water/)
If you’re not Team iPhone, you can resell your device on a site like Gazelle, which also accepts water-damaged devices. If those methods don’t yield enough cash to buy a new phone, maybe you can at least buy a waterproof case in preparation for your next one.
## What About Tablets and Laptops?
With tablets, you’ll want to follow the same general rules as above, though you may not have a sim card to remove. With laptops, though, your approach will diverge a bit—good luck fitting your laptop into a bowl of silica gel.
While powering down a laptop to avoid short-circuiting, don’t attempt to pull any chargers out of the wall with your bare hands—it’s a serious shock threat. Instead, turn off the power by flipping the corresponding switches in your circuit breaker before you unplug the charger. Take the back plate off and wipe down the components with a microfiber towel. You should set the computer upside down and allow it to air dry. When you power it back on, you should be good to go.
If not, try replacing the battery. If you’re still stuck, well, you’re just going to have to hit a repair shop.
[Courtney Linder](https://www.popularmechanics.com/author/223442/courtney-linder/)
Deputy Editor, Features
Before joining *Pop Mech*, Courtney was the technology reporter at her hometown newspaper, the *Pittsburgh Post-Gazette*. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied English and economics. Her favorite topics include, but are not limited to: the giant squid, punk rock, and robotics. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, her black cat, and towers upon towers of books.
[Read full bio](https://www.popularmechanics.com/author/223442/courtney-linder/)
This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
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| Readable Markdown | Common advice says that if you’ve dropped your [smartphone](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/g44626985/best-phones/) into the toilet—or some other body of liquid—all you have to do is toss your afflicted device into a bowl of rice and everything will be fine come morning.
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Sadly, this is more a myth than useful advice. But that doesn’t mean you should give up on your waterlogged phone. Before you try going to a [repair shop](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gear/a38967838/in-support-of-right-to-repair/) (and potentially spend hundreds of dollars), there are plenty of [DIY hacks](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a24816/water-damaged-phone-what-to-do/) you can try out.
## **Waterproof vs. Water-Resistant**
First, it’s worth knowing if your phone is in any real danger. In recent years, many smartphone manufacturers have made their devices water-resistant. But water resistant *is not* the same thing as [waterproof](https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/a34344936/how-to-waterproof-your-basement/).
Waterproof means that a device is impervious to water for any duration, while [water-resistant](https://www.trustedreviews.com/opinion/what-is-ip68-ip-ratings-explained-2947135) means that a given device is graded for water exposure for a given amount of time and up to a certain depth. When we talk about watches, smartphones, and tablets, we usually mean water-resistant.
To figure out how tough your phone stands up against water, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the IP standard, which the International Electrotechnical Commission in Geneva, Switzerland drew up to designate how resistant an electronic device is to [freshwater](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a37182552/history-of-drinking-water/) and other common materials like dirt, dust, or sand.
IEC
The next digit, following “IP,” is the rating for a device’s resistance to solids. So, all water-resistant phones start out with “IP6” in the code name, which tells you that no harmful dirt or dust will get into the unit even following direct contact for eight hours.
The fourth digit will be either a 7 or an 8, meaning your device is either rated IP67 or IP68. The former standard means that your phone can be submerged in up to one meter of freshwater for about 30 minutes without any seeping into the device, while IP68 means that the device can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.
But if your device doesn’t meet either standard, like the budget-friendly Pixel 3a, you’ll need to jump into action.
## First, Turn Off Your Phone
Halfdark//Getty Images
After you’ve fished out your phone, immediately power down the device to reduce the chance of any electronic components shorting on you.
Next, use a pin or a [SIM card](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/apps/a28973562/how-to-wipe-your-phone/) removal tool to pop open the SIM tray and remove the SIM card. Water could have gotten into this tiny opening and you don’t want to risk having to replace your SIM card, too. It’s not a huge expense, but it can be a pain.
⚠️ Take out your battery if you can, but there is a good chance that your phone doesn’t have a removable [battery](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a38349967/solid-state-lithium-batteries/).
## Dry Your Phone ASAP
RapidEye//Getty Images
Next up: dry your phone off. This sounds like the simplest step, but this is actually where things get tricky. While rice is that ever-popular urban legend, it might not be the best material to soak up excess H2O.
Don’t even *think* about taking a hair dryer to your handset. Added heat could cause corrosion if there is any water on your phone’s hardware. Instead, start with a soft, [microfiber cloth](https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/g37542401/best-microfiber-car-cloths/)—the kind you use to wipe smudges off of your glasses. If you can remove the back panel of your phone, use a cloth to wipe down the components inside.
This should go without saying, but don’t put it in the [microwave](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a19567/how-the-microwave-was-invented-by-accident/). You’re only going to catch your phone on fire, which certainly will make it dry, but not very operational. Instead, if you want some warmth to coax out whatever water has not yet dissipated, consider letting your phone rest on a windowsill in some sunlight or using air-in-a-can to blast the water out.
**So About That Rice...**
Mgr. Jakub Cuba / EyeEm//Getty Images
You could try powering your phone on at this point to assess the damage, but we recommend taking a further step before risking it. Submerge your phone in a desiccant—a substance that will induce dryness by absorbing water.
Just know that rice isn’t as absorbent as you may think. Gazelle, a company known for buying used and broken devices and then reselling them, conducted a series of experiments to see which desiccants worked best with which phones. In the tests, Gazelle submerged nine different smartphones for ten seconds each before placing the phones into a bowl of some absorbent household material, like rice.
> > “If a drying agent is used, silica gel is the best of the options tested, followed by couscous and instant rice.”
Six of nine devices did power back on after using the rice method, and another two were recovered enough to at least pull most of the data from the phone. Interestingly, Samsung devices did better with the rice than iPhones.
However, it turned out that rice was still an “inferior” drying agent, coming behind not only silica gel—the packets that come in the package with most electronics to keep moisture at bay during shipment and throughout a device’s shelf life—but also other materials like oats and couscous.
“If a drying agent is used, silica gel is the best of the options tested, followed by couscous and instant rice. Conventional cat litter, oats, and chia seeds are not recommended because of the dust and debris that they deposit inside of the phone,” the company wrote in its findings. “Water damage recovery kits that contain small quantities of silica gel are not recommended because they are unlikely to perform as well as open air. Uncooked white rice is not recommended due to its poor performance as a drying agent.”
So use silica instead of rice. If you don’t have that, try some oats. Never seal the container that you’re using, you want the water to evaporate.
## If All Else Fails...
If your phone was submerged for a good amount of time, or your phone short-circuited, you still have options. Apple accepts water-damaged phones as part of its trade-in program, though you’ll have to have tempered expectations for how much money you’ll get on a gift card in return.
If you’re not Team iPhone, you can resell your device on a site like Gazelle, which also accepts water-damaged devices. If those methods don’t yield enough cash to buy a new phone, maybe you can at least buy a waterproof case in preparation for your next one.
## What About Tablets and Laptops?
With tablets, you’ll want to follow the same general rules as above, though you may not have a sim card to remove. With laptops, though, your approach will diverge a bit—good luck fitting your laptop into a bowl of silica gel.
While powering down a laptop to avoid short-circuiting, don’t attempt to pull any chargers out of the wall with your bare hands—it’s a serious shock threat. Instead, turn off the power by flipping the corresponding switches in your circuit breaker before you unplug the charger. Take the back plate off and wipe down the components with a microfiber towel. You should set the computer upside down and allow it to air dry. When you power it back on, you should be good to go.
If not, try replacing the battery. If you’re still stuck, well, you’re just going to have to hit a repair shop.
Before joining *Pop Mech*, Courtney was the technology reporter at her hometown newspaper, the *Pittsburgh Post-Gazette*. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied English and economics. Her favorite topics include, but are not limited to: the giant squid, punk rock, and robotics. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, her black cat, and towers upon towers of books.
[Read full bio](https://www.popularmechanics.com/author/223442/courtney-linder/)
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