Dropped Your Phone in Water? What to Do (and What NOT to Do)

Water damage is the second most common phone repair we handle at iRepair Auckland, right behind cracked screens. Whether your iPhone slipped into a sink in New Lynn, your Samsung went for a swim at Piha, or your toddler dropped your phone in the toilet in Blockhouse Bay, what you do in the first 30 minutes determines whether the phone can be saved. Here is a step-by-step guide from our technicians at 391 Rosebank Road, Avondale — based on over 10 years and thousands of water damage cases.

The First 60 Seconds: What to Do Immediately

Speed matters more than anything else with water damage. The longer liquid stays inside the phone, the more corrosion occurs on the logic board. Follow these steps in order:

1. Get it out of the water immediately — every second counts. Do not wait to finish what you were doing on screen.
2. Power it off — press and hold the power button and shut down completely. If the phone is already off, do not try to turn it on. Electrical current flowing through wet circuits causes short circuits and permanent component failure.
3. Remove the case and SIM card tray — cases trap water against the phone body. Pop the SIM tray out with the included pin (or a paperclip) to create an opening for moisture to escape.
4. Shake it gently — hold the phone with the charging port facing down and give it several gentle shakes to encourage water to drain from the port and speaker grilles.
5. Pat dry with a lint-free cloth — absorb any visible moisture from the exterior, ports, and buttons. Do not use paper towels as the fibres can break off and enter the ports.

These first steps take under 60 seconds and can make the difference between a $150 repair and a phone that is beyond saving.

What NOT to Do: Common Myths That Make It Worse

The internet is full of water damage "fixes" that actively harm your phone. At iRepair, we see the consequences of these myths regularly. Here are the big ones to avoid:

• Do NOT put your phone in rice — this is the most persistent myth in phone repair. Rice does not draw moisture out of sealed electronics. What it does is introduce starch dust and small rice particles into the charging port, speaker grilles, and any cracks in the screen. A 2024 study by Apple officially warned against using rice, confirming what repair technicians have known for years. We regularly have to clean rice debris out of ports before we can even begin the real repair.
• Do NOT use a hair dryer or heat gun — heat can warp internal components, melt adhesives that hold the screen and battery in place, and push moisture deeper into the phone rather than drawing it out. The adhesive holding iPhone screens starts softening at just 70 degrees Celsius.
• Do NOT charge it — plugging a wet phone into a charger is one of the most damaging things you can do. Water in the Lightning or USB-C port creates a direct path for electrical current to short-circuit the charging IC chip on the logic board — a repair that costs significantly more than a simple dry-out.
• Do NOT press buttons repeatedly — pressing the volume, power, or home buttons can push water deeper into the phone through the button seals.

After the First Hour: Getting Professional Help

If you have followed the immediate steps above, your phone is off, dry on the outside, and sitting port-down on a towel. The next step is getting it to a professional repair shop — ideally within 24 hours. The longer corrosion has to develop on the internal circuits, the lower the chances of a successful repair.

At iRepair Avondale, our water damage service involves opening the phone in a controlled environment, disconnecting the battery, and using an ultrasonic cleaning machine to remove corrosion from the logic board at a microscopic level. This is not something you can replicate at home with isopropyl alcohol and a toothbrush. Our ultrasonic cleaner uses a specialised solution heated to a precise temperature to dissolve mineral deposits left by water without damaging the fragile solder joints on the board.

We service customers from across West Auckland — Avondale, Rosebank, Henderson, Mt Albert, Waterview, and Green Bay — and offer a free nationwide courier service for those who cannot visit in person.

Is Your Phone Actually Waterproof? IP Ratings Explained

Modern phones carry IP ratings that suggest water resistance, but these ratings are widely misunderstood. An iPhone 15 carries an IP68 rating, which means it is tested to survive submersion in 6 metres of fresh water for up to 30 minutes under laboratory conditions. However, there are critical caveats:

• IP ratings degrade over time — the adhesive seals that provide water resistance weaken with normal use, temperature changes, and minor drops. A 2-year-old iPhone 14 has significantly less water resistance than the day it left the factory.
• Chlorine, salt, and soap reduce protection — IP testing uses fresh, still water. Pool water (chlorine), ocean water (salt), bath water (soap), and hot tub water (heat plus chemicals) all accelerate seal failure and cause different types of corrosion.
• Apple does not cover water damage under warranty — despite advertising IP68, Apple's standard warranty explicitly excludes liquid damage. Every iPhone has internal liquid contact indicators (small white stickers that turn red when wet) that Apple checks before approving warranty claims.

The bottom line: IP68 gives your phone a fighting chance if you drop it in water briefly, but it is not a guarantee. Treat it as an emergency safety net, not a feature to rely on.

Success Rates and What Affects Them

At iRepair, our water damage repair success rate sits at approximately 70-80%, depending on several factors. The biggest variables are:

• Time between exposure and power-off — phones brought in within 2 hours of getting wet have a significantly higher success rate than those left powered on overnight.
• Type of liquid — fresh water (tap, rain) is the easiest to clean. Saltwater is the most corrosive. Sugary liquids (coffee, juice, soft drink) leave sticky residue that causes ongoing issues even after cleaning.
• Whether the phone was charged while wet — this single mistake reduces success rates dramatically because it causes immediate damage to the charging circuit and can cascade to other components on the logic board.
• Phone model and age — newer iPhones (13 and later) and Samsung Galaxy S series (S21 and later) have better internal sealing, which tends to limit water ingress to fewer components. Older models with more entry points are harder to save.

If a phone cannot be repaired, we can often still recover data from the device — photos, contacts, and messages — which for many people is more valuable than the phone itself.

How Much Does Water Damage Repair Cost in Auckland?

Water damage repair pricing varies based on the severity and what components are affected. At iRepair, our assessment fee starts from $49.99 NZD and includes chemical cleaning of the logic board to prevent rust and ongoing corrosion. If components need replacing (charging port, speaker, battery), those parts are quoted separately, and no further work begins without your approval — see our liquid damage repair service page for full pricing and turnaround details.

Compare this to replacement: a new iPhone 15 starts at $1,749 NZD from Apple. Even with additional part replacements, professional water damage repair is typically 80-90% cheaper than buying a new device. All water damage repairs at iRepair come with our standard 90-day warranty, and we use genuine Apple parts as an Apple Independent Repair Provider.

Preventing Water Damage: Practical Tips

Prevention is always cheaper than repair. A few practical steps that genuinely help:

• Use a waterproof pouch at the beach — universal waterproof pouches cost $15-30 NZD and work reliably. Look for IPX8-rated pouches from brands like Catalyst or LifeProof.
• Keep your phone out of the bathroom — steam from hot showers is an overlooked cause of water damage. The humidity condenses inside the phone over time and gradually corrodes internal contacts.
• Check your case's port covers — if your case has port covers or flaps, make sure they are sealed properly. A good case with port covers adds meaningful water protection on top of the phone's built-in IP rating.
• Invest in a quality screen protector — a cracked screen compromises the water resistance seal entirely. Even a hairline crack provides an entry point for moisture. See our screen protection tips guide for more details.