Wet Cell Phone Tips & How Silica Gel Can Save a Wet Cell Phone

Have you ever gotten your cell phone wet and then freaked out because you thought it was dead forever and couldn’t be saved? I know I’d feel that way if it ever happened to me because my Samsung Galaxy S7 is pretty much my favorite accessory and living without it for even a few minutes would be difficult. If my precious smartphone ever got wet I’d probably panic and then do all the wrong things, which is why I’m so glad my friends at U.S. Cellular shared some great wet cell phone tips in the event of an unfortunate water accident. First and foremost, don’t freak out and panic like I would because believe it or not your phone is probably totally salvageable. The most important thing to do is stay calm and act quickly because the faster you act the more likely you’ll be able to minimize the damage and save your device and all the precious information stored inside of it.

The First Thing You Should Do If You Drop Your Phone in the Water

As hard as it might be to suddenly see your smartphone floating in the water, don’t panic. Your instinct might tell you to push a bunch of buttons on your phone, try to save it with a hairdryer, or stick it in the oven to dry, but the truth is that none of these methods have been shown to actually work. Instead, stay calm and remove your device from the water as quickly as possible.

Tips to Save a Wet Cell Phone

1. Do not push any buttons because this could actually force the water further into your cell phone.
2. Remove the battery immediately, but if your phone doesn’t have a battery simply shut it down to prevent a possible short circuit situation.
3. Take the phone out of its case and remove any covers and accessories you might have attached to it, like a charger or headset.
4. Remove the memory card and SIM card and carefully dry them. Even if your phone ends up damaged from being waterlogged, the SIM card might contain vital information that could be saved.
5. Use a clean, soft cloth to carefully dry off your phone being especially cautious around cracks and crevices so you don’t unintentionally force more water into the device. If you can see trapped water try using a can of compressed air to blow it out, but again be careful not to blow the water further into your smartphone.
6. Place your phone in front of a fan for several hours and allow it to blow out any remaining water and help to dry it out.

If you follow all these steps and your phone still isn’t working, don’t worry because you still might able to save it. Take it to your local wireless carrier and tell them exactly what happened and explain what you’ve done to try and fix it. The more honest you are, the more likely they might be able to help you.

A Wet Cell Phone – What NOT to Do

Do not ever use heat to try saving a waterlogged cell phone. Even though your instinct might tell you to use a hair dryer, warm oven, or microwave, these are all things that could cause more harm to your device.

Bheestie Bag Wet Cell Phone Kit Review

Even though I’m really grateful to have never dropped my phone in water it will happen to a lot of people at some point, so it’s not a bad idea to be prepared just in case the unexpected occurs. Here are a few more tips to help you keep your cell phone and all the important data stored in it safe at all times.

Keep a product like the Bheestie Bag or Dry-All Wet Cell Phone Emergency Kit on hand so you’ll always be prepared and ready for a wet emergency.

• Save those little desiccant packets (or silica gel) that often come in packages, like shoes or electronics. Instead of throwing them out, store the contents in a sealed container and if your phone ever gets wet you can put it in the container and the desiccant will absorb the water.
• Make sure you save and back-up important information, including photos and contacts, regularly, so you’ll always have them even if irreparable damage happens to your phone.
• Consider purchasing insurance for your device to give you a little peace of mind.
• Make sure you have everyone in the family sign a Cell Phone Contract so you’re all on the same page, especially if damage occurs to a phone.

Have you ever dropped your phone in water? If so, was it saved? If not, yay, and do you have a plan in case of an accident?

Disclosure: I’m a compensated member of the U.S. Cellular Blogger Brigade, but I all thoughts and opinions are my own.