What should I do if my phone gets wet and will not turn on? Down the toilet, into the bath, caught in a downpour — it happens to millions of us. Your heart sinks, you press the power button hopefully, nothing happens, and panic sets in. I’ve rescued two drowned phones in my time (and lost one), and the difference was entirely about what happened in the first hour.

Here’s the honest, no-nonsense rescue plan — including why the famous bowl-of-rice trick is mostly a myth.

What Should I Do Immediately After My Phone Gets Wet?

Step 1: get it out and power it OFF. If it’s on, turn it off immediately — electricity plus water equals short circuits, and short circuits kill phones. Don’t press buttons repeatedly “to check”; every press risks pushing water deeper or sparking across wet components.

Step 2: remove everything removable. Case off, SIM tray out (use the ejector tool or a paperclip), and if you have one of the rare phones with a removable battery, take it out. Open every port and flap. Shake the phone gently, ports facing down, to coax water out — don’t shake it violently.

Step 3: dry the outside thoroughly. Pat — don’t rub — with a soft lint-free cloth or microfibre. Pay attention to the charging port, speaker grilles and headphone jack. A cotton bud works well for ports. Then leave the phone upright in a well-ventilated spot, ideally with airflow from a fan. Do not use a hairdryer on hot — heat warps seals and damages batteries; cool air only, if anything.

The Rice Myth and What Actually Dries a Phone

Let’s kill the rice myth: uncooked rice is a poor desiccant. Tests have repeatedly shown it absorbs moisture barely better than open air, while rice dust and starch get into your ports and cause their own problems. Apple itself advises against it. The rice bowl persists because sometimes phones left in rice for 48 hours recover — but they’d have recovered left on a shelf for 48 hours too. Time and airflow did the work, not the rice.

What actually works: silica gel packets (the little “do not eat” sachets from shoe boxes — start hoarding them) sealed in a bag or tub with the phone. They’re dramatically more absorbent than rice. No silica? A bowl of crystal cat litter (the silica kind) works in a pinch. Otherwise, just time: 48 hours minimum in a warm, dry, ventilated spot before you even think about charging it.

The single most important rule: do not charge it and do not turn it on until you’re confident it’s dry inside. Plugging in a wet phone is how you turn a recoverable soaking into a dead motherboard. I’ve seen people kill an otherwise fine phone by “just checking” after six hours. Wait the full 48. What Internet Speed Do I Actually Need for Working from Home Apple’s official advice on liquid damage to iPhones

• Power off immediately — electricity + water = dead phone
• Remove case, SIM tray, and anything else detachable
• Pat dry, don’t rub; use cotton buds for ports
• Silica gel beats rice every time (rice dust harms ports)
• Wait at least 48 hours before charging or switching on

When It’s Dead Despite Everything: Next Steps

After 48+ hours of drying, try charging with a known-good cable and charger for 30 minutes, then attempt to power on. If it boots — brilliant, but back up everything immediately, because water damage can cause delayed failures weeks later as corrosion creeps. If it shows charging but won’t boot, try a forced restart (the button combo varies by model).

If there’s no sign of life at all, a repair shop is your next stop — and be honest that it was water damage, because the liquid-contact indicators inside will tell them anyway. An ultrasonic cleaning of the board costs far less than a new phone and revives a surprising number of drowned devices. Expect £30–£60 for a proper clean.

Check your cover: manufacturer warranties never cover water damage (even “water-resistant” phones — the IP rating is tested in labs with fresh water, and warranties exclude it anyway). But home contents insurance or dedicated gadget insurance often does, minus the excess. And salt water or fizzy drinks are far worse than fresh water — if it went in the sea, rinse gently with fresh water first, counterintuitive as that sounds, because salt corrosion is the real killer. Is it Cheaper to Buy a Printer or Use a Print Shop for Occasional Printing Which? on water-resistant phones and warranties

Salt Water, Swimming Pools and Other Special Cases

Not all water is equal. Salt water is the worst — salt accelerates corrosion dramatically, and corrosion continues even after drying. If your phone went in the sea, rinse it gently in fresh water as soon as possible (yes, more water — counterintuitive but correct), then dry thoroughly. Chlorinated pool water is next-worst; rinse with fresh water too. Fizzy drinks, coffee, beer: sugar and residue cause sticky corrosion — a gentle fresh-water rinse helps here as well, though it feels wrong.

Fresh water (rain, tap, toilet — unpleasant but clean-ish) is the best-case scenario and the one most likely to end well. Whatever the liquid, the 48-hour rule stands, and be extra patient with salt or sugary immersions — give it 72 hours. And a note on “water-resistant” phones: the IP rating is tested with fresh water in lab conditions on new seals. A two-year-old phone’s seals have aged, and no rating covers salt water, soap, or pressure (like a swimming pool dive). Treat water resistance as splash insurance, not a swimming licence.

Key Takeaways

• Turn it off instantly — don’t keep pressing buttons
• Forget rice; silica gel packets actually absorb moisture
• Never charge a wet phone — wait a full 48 hours
• Salt water is worse than fresh; rinse with fresh water first
• Back up immediately if it revives — corrosion can strike later

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the rice trick actually work?

Barely better than air-drying, and rice dust can clog ports. Silica gel packets in a sealed container work far better. Time and airflow matter most.

My phone is water-resistant — am I covered?

Water resistance helps with splashes but isn’t a guarantee, degrades as seals age, and — crucially — water damage is excluded from manufacturer warranties regardless of IP rating.

How long should I wait before turning it on?

At least 48 hours in a warm, ventilated spot. Longer for a full submersion. Patience is the entire game.

Should I put my wet phone in the airing cupboard?

A warm (not hot) airing cupboard with airflow is actually ideal — gentle warmth aids evaporation. Just avoid direct heat sources like radiators or hairdryers on hot, which can damage the battery and warp seals. Warm and ventilated is the formula.

Wrapping Up

Off. Dry. Disassemble what you can. Silica gel, 48 hours, no charging, no “just checking”. That sequence saves more phones than any trick in the book. And if it doesn’t wake up, an ultrasonic board clean at a repair shop is worth trying before you write the phone off — water damage looks fatal far more often than it is. What is the Best Dash Cam for UK Motorways Under 100 Pounds