Did you accidentally spill water on your phone or drop it in water? Happens to a lot of us. These days, water-resistant devices are more popular than ever, but they’re still not immune to water damage. Especially if the charging port is moist, any device can malfunction. 

Even if you’re unaware of how water got into your charging port, most smartphones give you a liquid-detection alert. Luckily, there are some easy ways to get your phone or tablet dry as quickly as possible. So, let’s quickly jump into how to get water out of the charging port on all devices. 

Charging your phone when the port is still wet can lead to unwanted consequences. Hardware components, like the pins and the cables, can get damaged. As a result, your charging cable or the port may stop working.

Additionally, you might also get electric shocks while trying to charge your phone.

However, if you accidentally charged your phone and are worried, you can check the IP rating of your phone.

Ingress Protection denotes how effective your phone is in terms of water resistance and dust particles.

There are two numbers in the rating, for instance, IP68. The first number represents the level of protection against solid particles, and the second number refers to liquid. The more the numbers, the better the protection.

So, the ideal IP rating is IP68, as it refers to full protection against both dust particles and liquid. If your phone is either iPhone 12 or Samsung Galaxy S21, you can rest assured as both phones have IP68. Nevertheless, such phones cannot continue functioning properly while being immersed in water for an average of more than 30 minutes.

If you just dropped your phone in water or somehow got the port wet, firstly don’t panic. There are ways you can save your phone from serious damage quickly. Carefully follow these steps: 

Important Note: Always wear gloves while dealing with issues around the charging ports, cables, and plugs. Do not use any sharp objects to apply pressure into the port. This is to ensure you don’t get any electric shocks or accidentally damage the charging port.

Firstly, shut down your phone and give it a gentle tap to get the excess water out. We can now proceed to further solutions.

First, you’ll need to get rid of the moisture. You can do this by taking a tiny piece of soft cotton cloth. Now, gently try to clean the charging port by rubbing the cloth inwards.

Then, you can let your phone dry on its own for up to half an hour or more. Be sure to not apply a lot of pressure as it can push the water inside the port. 

One most effective method is to let the phone dry naturally. Usually, the water inside the port will evaporate in a few hours. While you’re doing this, make sure you’re keeping the phone upright. Also, it’s best to place your phone in an area where it’s well-ventilated. 

If your phone is not charging with a cable despite using the methods above, try using a wireless charger. However, we recommend making sure the phone and the wireless charger are dry before charging. 

If the above solutions didn’t work and you believe the charging port is damaged, you can try contacting customer care service. For Samsung users, you can contact their Support page, or you may even visit their walk-in service center. If you have an iPhone, you can contact the Apple Support page. 

You may even take your phone to a local repair center if your phone is not turning on after trying the fixes above. 

It’s natural to panic and take quick measures when trying to save your phone from water damage. But not all tricks work the same. Let’s look at some of the don’ts while trying to dry your phone.

It’s common to believe it’s a good idea to let your phone evaporate in the sun. However, prolonged sun exposure can cause permanent damage to your phone. Your phone’s battery can overheat, and the hardware components, like the miniature circuit board, can get damaged. Additionally, your phone’s screen might also crack due to the high temperature. 

Placing your phone inside dry rice overnight is an old method to dry your phone. However, it doesn’t always work properly. Tiny dirt particles in the rice or even the rice grains can get inside the charging port. Instead, you can use other methods above or place silica gel sachets near the charging port. 

Using cotton swabs to get rid of excess moisture from your phone may seem ideal, but it’s not. Rubbing the swab in the port can get the tiny cotton dust particles inside. The swab may also push the water further inside. 

If you use a paper towel inside a wet charging port, the towel will also get wet, and it can get inside the port. It’ll be difficult to take out wet tissue particles from the port. So, it’s best not to use this method. 

Using a vacuum hose might get some water out, but the air pressure can interfere with the internal components inside your phone. Additionally, a vacuum hose can’t get rid of other liquid dirt from the port. 

A hairdryer blows the air directly inside the charging port of your phone. This will push the water further inside, which can cause more harm than good. You can instead just use it diagonally at the lowest speed and in a cold air setting. 

If you’re unsure what to do, you might feel like letting your phone sit for extended periods of time, like a few days. However, this can lead to a problem called Corrosion. It is the slow damage to electronic components due to environmental changes. It might take up to a few weeks to notice symptoms of corrosion on your phone. 

Shaking the phone will not get rid of the moisture. Instead, it might push the water further inside the charging port. This can cause more damage, and it might take more time to dry your phone. 

Any sharp objects, like a toothpick, can cause more damage inside the charging port. So, it’s best not to use toothpicks even if you wrap cotton around them. 

As mentioned above, if you notice symptoms of corrosion on your phone, it signifies that it’s too late to apply simple solutions. Since corrosion causes permanent damage, it might be difficult or costly to fix your phone. 

If you’re no longer getting moisture or liquid detection alerts on your phone, you can figure that your phone is completely dry. Additionally, if you’re not noticing any minor glitches, your phone is completely dry. 

If you can confirm that your phone is completely dry, but you are still getting liquid detection alerts, here’s how you can fix it. 

You can also simply turn off the moisture notification from your settings. Here’s what you’ll need to do: 

Power Cycling is like a hard reset option. It’s a method of shutting down and restarting the phone’s hardware. You can do this by simply switching off your phone, waiting at least one minute, and then powering it on. 

You can always fix minor bugs, like false alerts on your phone, by updating the OS. Simply check and install any available software updates. 

There’s a chance you might get false alerts if there’s water in your charging cable or if it’s damaged. So, just switching to another charging cable might prevent your phone from giving you such alerts. 

If you’re still getting moisture alerts even after power cycling, you can restart your phone on Safe Mode. 

If there are still dirt particles or rust inside the port, you might get false moisture alerts. You can use flashlight to look into the port.

If most solutions aren’t working, you can try performing a full factory reset on your phone. However, please note that this will clear all your data. So, it’s best to make sure you have backed up all your data. Since this step can be risky, please try this method at the end. 

Please note that the settings may differ depending on your current Android version. 

If the above solutions are not working, you can try replacing the charging port. You can do this at a local electronics repair shop. 

If your phone is now dry and working fine but there’s no sound, there might be a problem with the speakers. Check if there’s water in the speaker area. You might also not hear any sound if it’s connected to another device via Bluetooth. 

You can also check the volume level and whether it’s in Do Not Disturb mode. Alternatively, try rebooting your phone. If nothing is working, you can get your phone repaired at a local electronics shop. 

Firstly, turn off your phone and take it indoors where it’s warm. Then, with a clean, soft towel, get rid of the excess snow. You can then try the methods above to remove moisture and dry your phone. Alternatively, you can also take it to a local electronics shop. 

If none of the solutions are working and your phone doesn’t seem to turn on at all, it’s best to call for help. A dead phone after such accidents signifies that there’s been serious damage. You can take your phone to any local repair shop or contact the respective Support page of your phone’s brand. 

I'm a Content Editor, freelance Voice-Over artist, and a self-proclaimed singer. When I'm not scrutinizing grammar online, you can find me scribbling on a canvas, writing a poem, or in a corner with a book. If you want to talk about the meaning of life, I'm always ready with a cup of coffee and a pair of eager ears.

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