Anya Zhukova · April 16, 2024 · 4 min read Most high-end smartphones have some degree of water resistance. But even if your phone has an official IP rating, it’s not immune to water damage. Submerging your smartphone can get your phone’s sensitive internal components wet and cause damage.
If you accidentally get water inside your phone’s charging port, here’s what you can do to dry it out and avoid permanent damage.
How to Get Water Out of Charging Port
Since Apple’s warranty doesn’t cover water damage, here are a few things you can try to dry off your iPhone’s charging port before contacting Apple Support for help. The following methods work for Android smartphones as well.
Before moving forward, we recommend you turn off your phone, remove accessories (like a phone case or headphone cables), and set your wet phone upright with the USB port facing down. The latter can help stop the water from moving further inside your smartphone.
Allow Your Phone to Dry Naturally
When you get your phone wet, your first instinct might be to dry it with your hairdryer, using the highest heat setting. However, using an external heat source or compressed air can damage your phone components.
Instead, after gently removing excess water from the outer part of your USB port, it’s best to leave your phone to air dry. You can also leave it next to an open window or in any warm and dry area. Make sure not to leave your phone in direct sunlight to avoid overheating.
If you want to speed up the drying process, leave your phone in front of a fan overnight.
Put Your Phone in a Bag with Silica Gel Overnight
Are you familiar with silica gel packets that come with almost everything you buy? If your smartphone gets wet and you have some packets lying around, you can use them to get the moisture out of your phone’s USB port.
When your phone gets wet, put it into a bag with several packets of silica gel and close the bag.. Leave it overnight and let the silica gel do the job.
Note: Many people suggest packing your phone in dry rice to absorb moisture. We don’t recommend this method. First, rice isn’t that great at absorbing water. If it was, you could cook rice by leaving it sitting out on a humid day. More importantly, the dust and starch from dry rice can damage sensitive components.
Wet Charging Port: What You Shouldn’t Do
Now that you know how to dry the charging port on your phone, here are a few things you should never do if your phone gets wet.
Never Ignore Your Phone’s Warning Messages
When they detect moisture in the USB port, some phones send out a liquid detection alert to warn you about a potential problem. If you see an error message of this sort pop up on your screen, pay attention to it and deal with the issue.
Don’t Charge Your Phone While It’s Wet
One of the most important things to avoid is charging your phone with a wet charging port. Connecting a phone with a damp connection port to an electrical outlet is dangerous, not just for your phone but for your life. On top of that, when you connect a charger to a wet charging port, the pins on the charging port can corrode and stop functioning. This means you’re risking breaking the charging cable as well.
Don’t Shake Your Phone
One of the first things you might be tempted to do when you notice your phone got wet is to shake it. That’s something you should never do. Shaking your phone isn’t practical and won’t get any moisture out of your charging port. In the best-case scenario, it won’t help; in the worst-case scenario, you’ll accidentally cause more damage to your smartphone.
Don’t Insert Foreign Objects Into Your Phone
Don’t try to get the moisture out of your USB port by inserting objects like a paper towel, cotton swab, or a toothpick. You’ll likely achieve the opposite effect, as they only push the water deeper inside your phone. You might even loosen or damage the port.
Save Your Phone From Corrosion and Permanent Damage
Remembering these simple rules should help you quickly solve the problem of a wet charging port. If you notice any issues with your phone’s charging port after drying, use a wireless charger for wireless charging, and meanwhile, have a professional look at your smartphone.
