Did you know that it is possible to tell if your phone has been in contact with water? This can be useful to know for several reasons.

Why is it useful to check whether your smartphone has been exposed to water?

Knowing for certain that your phone has been exposed to water can be useful in several situations.

1. Identifying the source of a malfunction

If your phone is malfunctioning or not working properly, checking for water damage can confirm the diagnosis and allow you to repair your phone accordingly.

There are a few clues that can tip you off. Water damage can lead to the following malfunctions:

display failure
total failure or crackling from the internal and/or external speaker
microphone no longer working properly or at all
water marks on the camera lenses
swelling of the battery
problems with light sensors or facial recognition...

2. If you need to make a warranty claim

Is your phone still under warranty and would you like to take advantage of it?

If it is proven that your phone has been damaged by liquid, the warranty will not apply, even if the damage is unrelated to the fault.

To find out more about the various conditions for claiming under warranty, read this article.

3. If you buy a second-hand phone

Are you thinking of buying a second-hand phone? It's always a good idea to check its condition to avoid scams or future problems.

It is therefore a good idea to check that no water has ever leaked into the device. Water damage can cause a lot of damage and, in the long term, can corrode internal components.

To find out more about how to check the condition of a second-hand phone, read this article.

Tips for checking whether your phone has been in contact with water

Almost all smartphones now have what is known as a "liquid indicator", which changes colour when it comes into contact with water or high humidity.

Depending on the colour of the indicator, it will show whether or not the phone has been in contact with water.

If the indicator is white, your phone has not been exposed to water.
If the indicator has turned pink/orange/red, this indicates that water has entered the phone.

Even though today's phones are manufactured to be waterproof, this waterproofing has its limits. Even if the protection rating (IP) is high, the waterproofing is never total. It depends on the duration and depth of immersion in a liquid. To find out more about the waterproofing of your smartphone, read this article which explains everything.

Liquid contact indicator on iPhone

On iPhones (from series 5 to series 16), you will find the liquid contact indicator inside the SIM card tray slot. Simply remove your SIM card tray using a SIM card ejector tool and look inside the port. The indicator is visible from the outside.

Liquid contact indicator on smartphones from other brands

For phones other than iPhones, it is sometimes more difficult to access this moisture indicator sticker.

First, check the SIM card tray port as you would for iPhones. If you do not see a sticker, it means that it is located inside the phone. The sticker will not be visible to the naked eye.

It can be located in different places:

near the charging port,
next to the battery,
next to the motherboard...

If you want to check whether your phone has been exposed to water, you will need to take it apart. We recommend that you only do this if your phone is malfunctioning or has broken down, to check whether water damage could be the cause.

What should I do if my phone gets wet?

Is your phone no longer working or defective after being exposed to liquid?

You will often hear that you should put it in rice. It may be more complicated than that.

It all depends on the type of liquid involved, as well as the intensity and duration of exposure.

Here are the first steps to take:

Remove the SIM card tray
Rinse the phone with water, if the liquid in question is not water
Wipe your phone with a dry, lint-free cloth (such as a glasses cloth)
Gently tap the phone in a vertical position, with the charging port facing downwards, in your hand to remove as much liquid as possible

DO NOT dry it with a hairdryer or similar device

You can try using rice. Rice is a very good moisture absorber. Completely submerge your device in rice in an upright position and leave it for a few hours. However, this is not a miracle solution!

If your device still does not work properly after this, contact a repair technician who will be able to advise you on the best course of action depending on the damage.