Avoid heat, shaking, and button-pressing on a wet phone

Several instinctive reactions to a wet phone actually make the damage worse. Knowing what not to do is just as important as the recovery steps themselves.

What to Avoid

• Do not use heat. Hair dryers, ovens, microwaves, and direct sunlight can warp internal components, melt adhesives, and crack screens. Heat does not speed safe drying.
• Do not shake the phone vigorously. Gentle tilting to drain ports is fine, but shaking spreads liquid deeper into the internals.
• Do not press buttons repeatedly. Each press can push moisture further inside or trigger a short circuit if residual power is present.
• Do not blow into ports. Breath contains moisture and blowing forces liquid deeper into the device.
• Do not plug it in or charge it. Introducing current to wet circuits causes corrosion and short circuits almost immediately.

Tips

• The goal is to minimize liquid movement inside the phone until proper drying can begin.
• If the screen is still active, resist the urge to check for damage -- power it off and leave it off.