Have you ever dropped your smart phone and watched it bounce across the floor? I have too, and it isn’t a very pleasant experience. And if you’ve ever dropped you phone into water the feeling is even worse!
If you act quickly however, you have an excellent chance at saving your phone from a watery death. Here are the key points to remember:
1 – Speed is of the essence. The moment you realize that your smart phone has taken a plunge off the virtual equivalent of a high dive, you need to retrieve it from the water. Do not hesitate while pondering whether the phone is worth sticking your hand into a nasty toilet in order to retrieve it. You need to have that settled in your mind ahead of time.
2 – Immediately after retrieving the phone from the water, quickly wipe the water from the outside of the case with whatever you have available to do the job (yes, your shirt tail will work just fine).
3 – Holding the phone with the battery side down, pop off the cover and remove the battery. Yes, I know this can be difficult to do, but if you spend a few minutes practicing this task on a regular basis you’ll soon be able to do it very quickly.
4 – Remove the battery from the phone immediately after the cover is off. Don’t waste time shutting the phone down with the power button. Just remove the battery as quickly as possible.
5 – Remove both the SD card and the SIM card (if it has one). Important: DO NOT attempt to dry the inside of the phone by wiping it with a rag.
6 – If the phone has a slide-out keyboard, prop it up vertically on its side with the keyboard on the bottom, using a couple of objects as “bookends”. If it doesn’t have an onscreen keyboard, lay it on its back with the battery side down. It’s best to place it across two pencils or ink pens so that air can flow underneath the phone to aid in the drying process.
7 – Prop up the battery, the SD card and the SIM card (if there is one) so that they are standing vertically with the pin connections at the bottom.
8 – Let everything dry out while leaving them in their current positions for a minimum of 72 hours, and do not be tempted to cheat! Actually, the longer you wait the better your chances of being able to use the phone again. I do realize that doing without a phone for several days can be a hassle, but if you like your phone the break will be worth it!
If all goes well, your smart phone should boot up fine and operate normally after re-installing the battery, SD card and SIM card. And remember, good things happen to those who wait!