I originally shared this post on how I fixed my iPhone after I dropped it in the toilet a couple of years ago, and since there are so many new readers here, I thought I would share it again, especially since I recently had to use this method again...on my husband's iPhone. So, just in case you drop your phone in the toilet, spill water on it or happen to drop it in a puddle of water...here is one way you can try to fix it!
Okay...so you are probably here for a reason. You either dropped your iPhone or other phone in the toilet like I did, or maybe your cat accidentally knocked over your glass of ice water...right onto your phone. Either way, I hope this post helps you. I have had quite a few friends use this method, and they all say it worked for them. I can't promise it will, but hey, give it a try...it may just save your phone...
Does this image make you want to vomit?
Well, it does me...especially since this is almost exactly what I saw this past Saturday night...except the toilet seat was down, because I am a girl.
So, here is my story...
Matt and I went to an engagement party for some friends of ours. We had a babysitter for Kate, so instead of keeping my phone in my purse, I put my phone in my back pocket...HUGE mistake! I went to the little girl's room to ummm...powder my nose, and as I was "powdering my nose," my phone just happened to slip into the toilet. I panicked! I grabbed my phone out of the toilet...luckily, it was clean...and proceeded to dry my phone and wave it around to air dry it. It worked! Well, it worked for about 15 minutes, then it was dead. I decided there was nothing I could do right then, so I put it in my purse and had a good time with my friends.
As soon as I got home, I went on a search for rice, because that's what everyone told me to put my phone in. Well, we had no rice, so I put my phone in a tupperware container of cous cous. (Cous cous is a very tiny pasta that absorbs moisture quickly.) In the morning, I checked my phone...no power. I went to the grocery and bought rice. I put my phone in a tupperware container of rice, and checked it the next morning...no power. I was so sad, but I am a "let's look at the bright side" kind of girl, so I thought I will just get a new SIM card put in my old iPhone. My old iPhone that didn't have a volume button, and only rang when it felt like it. I pouted a bit, then remembered something Matt had said about putting a watch on the fridge to get water out of it. If your watch gets wet, you are supposed to put it on the top of your refrigerator for a few days, and the vibration of the fridge will dislodge the water and it will evaporate.
So, I thought, okay, if that works for a watch, wouldn't the vibration from the dryer work? I then went a bit further...rice is suppose to be absorbent...what else is really absorbent? Diapers! Of course! So, I put my iPhone in a diaper on top of the dryer, and since I was doing laundry, it ran all day. I know, crazy weird, but guess what? It worked!!! My 3 month old fantastically fabulous iPhone 4 is working again! I'm not sure exactly what did it...it could be the combo of all 3 methods, but I can tell you this...I would have tried 50 things to make it work!
I hope this helps someone, and a word to the wise...never put your cell in your back pocket, unless you are dying to try my methods!
Looking for more tips and tricks?
Life Happens says
Good info to know! So glad it worked for you.
Kate says
I have used a hair dryer for drying I-phone several times. It takes five to seven hours. I used a 10 x 10 cardboard box to contain the heat. Set hair dryer at low, with cell face side down, and aim at cell openings turning phone around over and over again. Be careful as phone does get hot. Do not cover top of box. Keep box within sight range for safety reasons.
Herballistic Garden says
Mine fell into my tea back in the summertime! Don't ask... I had to send mine away after doing the rice thing, etc...but the helpful hint I was given (if ever it happened again...god forbid) was to NOT turn it on until it's totally dried. I turned mine on, of course, as soon as I dried it off with a towel! Hope that helps some of your readers too! xo wendy
Becca says
This totally happened to me, too. I used the rice trick (first in cous cous like you, then in rice when I was able to get some). An Apple specialist told me it's an old wives tale, and I thought my two month old iPhone 4S was destroyed but two weeks and a little patience brought it back to full working order! Who cared what made it happen, my phone was back! :)
Anonymous says
My hubby left his outside in a DOWNPOUR. The kind of never ending rain that lasts 12 hours. Guess what? Paper towel and the heater vent on his truck (he is a carpenter and is in his truck for 8-10 hours a day). Guess what? It worked!! Same type of theory I guess. But we still purchased the insurance this time just in case. ;o)
Anonymous says
I have a question? I keep seeing people suggest you take your battery out since the warranty is already void. My phone has been in rice for over 12 hours now, should I do that? Did you take your battery out or just put the whole phone in the diaper?
Junecleaver131 says
When my daughter's phone wound up with a big dark ominous cloud under the screen on her 3 day old iphone, after putting a screen protector on, we did this. I set it on the edge of the bathroom sink and had the blowdryer on low pointing into the far side of the sink. After about an hour of the indirect warm air blowing on it, thankfully the cloud went away.
TD2011 says
glad the phone got fixed!!! Wondering if this is the junecleaver131 that I used to know??
Lrober04 says
My daughter dropped her phone in the toilet several years ago. I remembered a coworker tell how his daughter was on the school swim team and always had condensation problems with her phone. They used a ziplock bag and desiccant (those little bags found in new purse or shoe box). The visible water in the camera eye went away overnight using this method. If we had waited a little longer before turning the phone on I think we could have saved it.
Patricia justice says
My daughter dropped her I. Toilet my husband grabbed it jerked battery out let set couple hours when turned on try go to my wifi internet says turning wifi on never does anything else it's a Samsung Galaxy j120 what can do to help it any idea gratefully appreciated
Beth Price-Almeida says
So did your waterlogged phone sit for several days before you found the method that worked? I did the same with mine and it didn't work, so it was relegated to the junk drawer.