How to Repair an iPhone from Water Damage: 7 Steps

How to Repair an iPhone from Water Damage: 7 Steps

Anyone who has dropped their iPhone into water knows the panic that can set in from the damage that water can cause to your iPhone. This guide is a step by step guide to save your iPhone from water damage with over a 95% success rate.

Steps

1. After your iPhone has been subjected to moisture/ water damage, do not try to turn your device on. This is the #1 cause of a dead phone after exposure to liquid damage. If you turn on your device while it still has moisture/ liquid in it, you can very easily short-circuit your iPhone which will fry the iPhone's motherboard.

2. As soon as you get the phone out of the water, or whatever liquid it may have been exposed to, dab off as much of the liquid as possible from the outside of the phone.

3. Using a pentalobe (5-point) screw driver, remove the two screws at the bottom of the iPhone (this is for the iPhone 4/ iPhone 4S/ iPhone 5.) If you don't have the screw driver, skip to step #6.

4. Remove the battery, motherboard, and any other components that were exposed to liquid damage.

5. Clean off the motherboard and other components with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) a lint-free microfiber. Be sure to carefully clean off the connectors on the motherboard and accessories to remove the corrosive properties of the liquid.

6. Place the motherboard and other components inside of a closed Tupperware container with silica gel for 24-48 hours. Place the entire phone in silica gel if you could not remove the back to get to the components.

7. After reassembling the iPhone, turn it on to see if it works. If the iPhone turns on, but the LCD is cloudy, that means it has absorbed water, and you will need to replace the LCD. With this iPhone water damage procedure, we have had a 95% success rate on iPhone 4/ iPhone 4S/ and iPhone 5.