Phone fell in water: what to do right away and what can be repaired

First, find out what is actually broken

The phone works normally after the water

Everything may still not be fine. Water that got inside can slowly corrode the board and connectors, and problems may only show up days or weeks later. Make a backup straight away. If the phone was in salt water, a pool, coffee or a sugary drink, or its glass was already cracked, have it checked before something stops working.

It won't charge or warns about liquid in the port

iPhones and many Android phones block cable charging after contact with water and show a moisture warning for the port. That is a protection, not a fault — let the port dry and try again in a few hours. If the warning doesn't go away even after a day, or the phone won't charge even when dry, the contacts are probably corroded and a charging port replacement will fix it.

Sound is quiet, muffled or crackling

Until the speaker and earpiece grilles dry out, sound is muffled — that is normal. If it hasn't improved after a day, or people can't hear you on calls, the water has damaged the speaker, the earpiece or the microphone. The fix is a sound repair or a microphone replacement.

There are spots or lines on the display, or the picture flickers

Moisture has got under the glass or to the display connector. Spots under the glass rarely disappear on their own, and the fix is usually a display replacement. After water damage, though, a damaged board has to be ruled out first — otherwise you could pay for a display that doesn't solve the problem.

The phone won't turn on, restarts on its own or gets hot

The water has probably caused a short circuit or corrosion on the main board. Don't turn the phone on or charge it again. Choose Diagnostics: we inspect the phone and send you the exact repair price within 24 hours of receiving it. Diagnostics are free if you approve the repair; if you decline, we charge €35 for diagnostics and shipping the phone back.

Your photos matter most

Choose data recovery. It costs €65 for every model, and you only pay if the data can be recovered. If the board is damaged by water, we repair it just enough for the phone to turn on and be unlocked — we agree the price of that repair with you first and do nothing extra without your approval. Even with a damaged board, the data can mostly be recovered.

What a repair after water damage costs

The price depends on the model and on what the water reached. Often it's the main board — the table shows where a board repair starts within each brand. A charging port replacement starts from €30, a sound repair from €45. You see the exact price for your phone once you pick the model; if you don't know what's damaged, you get it after Diagnostics.

The price you see for your model is final: part and labour, no hidden fees. It includes a 12-month warranty on the part and the work. If the water damaged more than one part, we write to you after inspection with what we found and a price — nothing extra is repaired without your approval.

What to do right now

• Take the phone out of the water and switch it off. If it switched off on its own, don't turn it back on "to check" — every power-on with water inside can cause a short circuit.
• Don't charge it or connect it to a computer until it is completely dry.
• Take off the case, wipe the phone with a soft cloth and tap it gently against your palm, port facing down, so the water runs out of the openings.
• Don't dry it with a hairdryer, on a radiator, in the oven or in the sun. Heat doesn't dry the water inside, but it can damage the battery and the display adhesive.
• Don't push cotton buds, paper or a needle into the port and grilles, and don't blow compressed air into them — that pushes the water deeper.
• Rice doesn't reliably help. It doesn't draw moisture out of the phone, and its dust and starch can get into the port. It's better to let the phone air-dry in a dry, ventilated place.
• If it was sea water, pool water, coffee or a sugary drink, don't put it off — salt, chlorine and sugar speed up corrosion. Send the phone as soon as possible and write in the order what happened.

Why not to wait

Corrosion doesn't show right away, but it doesn't stop on its own either. While moisture and residue sit on the board, the contacts gradually oxidise — first the port or the sound stops working, later the phone may not turn on at all. The sooner the phone is opened and checked, the better the chance that a smaller repair is enough and that your data is preserved too.

How the repair works

1. You pick the model and the repair and order online. Nothing up front if you pack the phone yourself; a protective box for €5 is optional. Shipping is free.
2. We email you a drop-off code (or send it with the box to your chosen Packeta point). You hand the packed phone in at a staffed Packeta point.
3. Within 24 hours of receiving your phone, the repair is done. If you chose Diagnostics, we send you the exact repair price within 24 hours of receiving your phone.
4. Once the repair is paid, we send the phone back to the same Packeta point. Return shipping is free.

Related problems

• Screen not responding to touch, flickering or showing a green line
• Can't hear calls or they can't hear you
• Phone won't charge

Frequently asked questions

My phone is waterproof. How did water get in?

An IP67 or IP68 rating means the phone passed a lab test in fresh water under precisely defined conditions when it was new. The resistance isn't permanent: seals and adhesives age over time and drops weaken them. Salt or chlorinated water, hot water, steam and jets of water are outside the test. That is why manufacturers generally don't cover liquid damage under warranty — treat water resistance as protection against accidents, not as permission to go swimming.

Can a phone always be repaired after water damage?

Not always, but often — especially if nobody kept turning it on and charging it after the accident. After inspection we tell you what is damaged and what the repair costs. If the phone can't be repaired, you don't pay for Diagnostics and we can look at recovering your data.

Will I lose my data?

Not through the repair — we don't touch the phone's storage. If the phone won't turn on, choose data recovery; we need your unlock code for it. Data you deleted, or data after a factory reset, can't be recovered.