How To Fix Kyocera Water Damaged Smartphone [Quick Guide]

Physically dropping the phone on the ground is different than water damaged smartphone because there is a high probability that physical damage could be...

Abd Razaaq

Last updated on March 12, 2019

Abd Razaaq

Author

I'm a Tech Content Writer and Full-Time blogger. Since I love Android and Google's device, I started my career in writing for Android OS and their features. This led me to start "GetDroidTips". I have completed Master of Business Administration at Mangalore University, Karnataka.

How to fix Kyocera water damaged smartphone?

Before we can get back to the ‘how to fix it?’, let’s take a glance at what things you must avoid doing since it could cause further damage if not help you with it.

What are the things you shouldn’t do?

I can’t stress it enough but you need not panic in case if you spot your phone taking a plunge in water because that will increase response time and for every second the phone is in water, the damage increase in severity. So, first things first, do not panic. Then, do not attempt to press any buttons or press the touchscreen or back panel or wobble or shake the phone to squeeze out the water trapped through the ports, sockets, or other orifices that can allow water to sip into the internal assembly where it can create severe damage.
Further, you shouldn’t plug in the device with charging because of course, water and electricity don’t go hand-in-hand and you would end up in more trouble than ever. You shouldn’t use a blower or even air blower at the moment.

What should you do?

Here is a troubleshooting guide on how you can use it to fix a water damaged smartphone although its effectiveness is not guaranteed and subjective in most cases.

Step 01: Take the phone out

Well, you already know that you shouldn’t panic here in case if you see such a sight. Next is to take the phone out and keep it aside on a dry surface but do not shake it or wobble it much. Wait for a moment before continuing with the next step in this series.

Step 02: Dissemble it

I am not asking you to take a screwdriver and sit down to dismantle the phone but instead, you can remove those components that are removable. It includes back panel, SIM cards, microSD cards, and all stuff that you can remove and keep it aside on a dry surface.

Step 03: Wipe it all with a tissue

Next thing you should do with your water damaged smartphone is to take a tissue or microfiber cloth to soak off excess water at least from the exterior of the device. You can wipe it clean and use the tissue to put it inside the port and sockets to soak off the water around the same as well.

Step 04: Use a vacuum cleaner

Next step to pick is to take a vacuum cleaner and use it to soak any traces of water although you won’t be able to scratch off every bit of water for sure. You need to set the speed to minimum and use the hose to soak water by hovering it across the device such as the ports, sockets, openings, and orifices, etc. This will ensure that there are no traces of water at the moment although you’ll need to use the next step in this DIY procedure to soak moisture off the device which gives a chance towards saving the phone from excessively water damage.

Step 05.A: Utilize ziplock bag & uncooked rice

This particular step is for everyone since it doesn’t include dismantling the device at all. For this method to work, you need a ziplock bag and uncooked rice or its substitute silica gel litter to soak off any traces of moisture onto the device and its internal circuitry. Since uncooked rice or its substitute act as a water absorbent, it will do justice to water damaged smartphone by soaking any traces of moisture as said above. Ensure that you keep the phone in a ziplock bag filled with rice packed for 2 to 3 days without any interference and then, proceed with Step 06.
OR

Step 05.B: Use rubbing alcohol to cleanse

This particular method is not recommended for everyone since it involves disassembling the device and then, reassembling it together in a working condition. Please use this method if you have experience doing it. So, this step need isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol that the user can apply on a tissue or cotton and use it to dab on the electronic components including the motherboard, etc. This allows the alcohol to extract and get rid of any agents that might contribute to corrosion further due to water damage. It also works by evaporating any moisture that might have adverse impact on the device as well.

Step 06: Time for the big reveal (Post-Step 05.A)

Once you have finished doing Step 05.A, it’s time to check if it worked or not. You need to remove the phone out of the bag and keep it aside. Insert the battery (if removable) and press the power button to turn on the device. Now, this is the time where you’ll get to know if the whole procedure worked or not but there are several scenarios here that you must record. Firstly, the phone will turn on so that’s great but you need to watch out for any abnormal behavior hereon. Next, the phone will not turn on and that is probably because of fully drained out battery for which, you need to plug the phone to a charger and charge it for 10 to 15 minutes before giving it another go. Unfortunately, if the phone doesn’t respond, I am afraid that you might have to take the last step of taking help from a professional to resolve the issue.

Step 07: Indulge a professional

Since the warranty on your device has already ceased to exist if you followed Step 05.B, you can report the issue to a third-party service center without any hassle. However, if you followed Step 05.A, you can report back the issue to a nearby authorized service center and get the professional’s help to fix the issue for you. Since it is water damage, it will carry service charges and repair, replacement services will be levied too in case if they are able to fix it.

What are the preventive measures you can take?

Assuming that your phone is not the one taking a nose dive into the water or it did but you somehow were able to fix it either by using the DIY procedure or by taking it to the service center, there are a few preventive measures you must take to prevent it from happening at the first place. Here, if your phone lacks any official or unofficial water-resistant ratings, you need to keep the phone away from water or anywhere the liquid or water could come in contact with it anyhow. Further, you can buy a waterproof phone case or cover that you can easily find on any retail mobile store or an e-commerce site like Amazon and eBay. Yes, it will make your phone awful in terms of appearance but it will surely prevent it from any water damage as per the specifics mentioned on it. If you are looking out to buy a new phone, I would recommend you to pay extra bucks to get a phone with an IP rating because it is always a payoff.

How To Fix Kyocera Water Damaged Smartphone [Quick Guide]