Instructions: Repair smartphone with water damage

Water damage to the beloved smartphone triggers panic for most users. The cell phone can often still be repaired in order to use your smartphone normally again. We explain how to do this here.

Water damage to the smartphone - what now?

Water is poison for modern electronic devices, and short circuits usually cause irreparable damage.

• The most important thing is: Do not think long or press and try, but immediately remove the battery from the cell phone. Clear: No battery - no voltage - no short circuit.
• Depending on the make and model of mobile phone, things can get more or less complicated. Try to unscrew the phone and, if possible, expose the circuit board. See if you can carefully separate the display and speaker from the actual circuit board. The loudspeaker is usually connected to the circuit board by means of a cable.
• When you have done all of this, the best thing to do is place the board in isopropanol (available inexpensively from the pharmacy) for a day - this is an alcohol that is water-soluble and evaporates without residue.
• Turn the circuit board a few times so that the alcohol can get wherever there was water. Take them out of the bath, drain them thoroughly, and replace the isopropanol bath to put the board in for another day. Avoid bathing housing parts in alcohol. It is possible that this will loosen the surfaces. This can make the case unsightly and the display go blind.

The next steps for cell phone repair

• After this second alcohol bath, remove the circuit board and let it dry in a warm place. The isopropanol and the water dissolved in it evaporate without residue.
• Make sure that the cell phone does not become too warm: do not place it directly on the heater, as this can sometimes reach 50 degrees and more. It is best to wait a full day again.
• Now screw the device together in reverse order, insert the battery and press the power button. If your cell phone works again, you are lucky.

Does the smartphone guarantee apply to water damage?

By the way, the guarantee is definitely gone. Almost every current cell phone contains moisture indicators that relentlessly show when water has entered the device.

• Even if not all of the indicators in your cell phone accident came into contact with water - the isopropanol causes the same color change as water. The service departments of the manufacturers undoubtedly detect water damage at corroded solder joints and moisture indicators.
• Another little tip: As you are taking your cell phone apart anyway, you can dissolve a few crumbs of rosin (inexpensive in electronics stores) in isopropanol before bathing the cell phone board in it. This acts as corrosion protection for the future.

You cannot easily remove the battery on the iPhone. Here, we explain what you should consider in the event of water damage on the Apple smartphone.