iPhone dropped in the pool: the first 48 hours decide everything
Still working? Good, but it isn't over. Switched off? Not over either. In both cases, corrosion has started.
Water doesn't destroy a phone instantly. What destroys it is the reaction between water, the metals of the logic board and the battery's current: corrosion. It eats away at traces and component legs for days, silently. The sooner it is stopped, the better the phone's chances.
Do right away
- Switch the phone off if it is still on, and don't switch it back on “to see”.
- Remove the case and the SIM card, wipe the outside.
- Don't charge it. Ever.
- Call or book an appointment, or send it the same day.
Don't
Rice: it doesn't dry the inside of a sealed phone and leaves dust in the ports. Hairdryer: heat warps the adhesives and pushes water further in. Waiting two weeks “to see if it comes back”: the fault then arrives with corrosion well established.
What we do at the workshop
Full teardown, battery disconnected, ultrasonic bath for the logic board, controlled drying, inspection under the microscope, then reassembly and tests. That is the corrosion removal, 49 €. If a component is corroded (port, screen, battery, or a chip on the board) we tell you the price before replacing it. And if the phone doesn't come back, we can often at least recover your data.
Pool water and sea water
Chlorine and salt corrode far faster than tap water. Even if the phone works, have it cleaned: that is what avoids the logic-board failure a month later.
Also worth reading
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