Water damage is the most time-sensitive repair we handle. Two phones can take the same swim; the one whose owner did the right things in the first hour walks away, the other becomes a board-level rebuild. Here is exactly what to do.

Step 1: Power it off. Now.

Water itself rarely kills a phone — electricity moving through water does. Every second the device stays on, current can short across corroding traces. Do not check if it works. Do not plug it in “to test”. Power it off immediately and resist the urge to turn it back on.

Step 2: Strip it down

Remove the case, eject the SIM tray, and unplug anything connected. These openings let water escape instead of trapping it inside. Wipe the exterior dry with a lint-free cloth.

Step 3: Drain, don’t shake

Hold the phone with the charging port facing down and let gravity work. Gentle pats are fine; vigorous shaking spreads water deeper into the device. Never use a hairdryer — heat pushes moisture inward and can warp seals.

Forget the rice

Rice is a kitchen myth that survives because sometimes phones would have dried anyway. It pulls almost no moisture from inside a sealed device, and the starch dust can lodge in the port. If you have silica gel packets, those actually help — seal the phone in a container with a handful of them.

Step 4: Get it opened professionally

Even if the phone seems fine after drying, minerals left behind keep corroding for weeks — that is why “it worked for a month, then died” is our most common water-damage story. A proper treatment means opening the device, disconnecting the battery, and cleaning the board with isopropyl alcohol under a microscope.

Bring it in within 24–48 hours and our success rate is above 90%. Wait a week of “it seems fine” and the odds drop fast. If your phone just took a swim, power it off and come see us — walk-ins are always welcome.