How To Save A Wet Cellphone

So you got your Blackberry wet. Blackberries tend to be rather sensitive to moisture, so even if you didn’t fully submerge your device in the water there could still be damage. Just leaving a Blackberry lying around in a steamy bathroom during a shower can sometimes be enough to make your smart phone act quirky. Keypad problems, faulty roller-balls and blank screens are all signs that your Blackberry could be suffering from water damage. If you suspect this is the case with your phone, don’t panic! Many Blackberries are salvageable even after they’ve been exposed to water. There are a few simple steps you can take to get your device functioning as good as new again.

First, remove the back cover and the battery from your wet Blackberry ASAP! Don’t play around pressing a lot of buttons and turning the device on and off. This can cause short circuits from which your phone will never recover. Now that the battery has been removed, you can also check for tell-tale signs of water damage. There are small stickers located inside the space where the battery is placed. If any of these stickers are pink instead of white, your suspicions have been confirmed.

Now with a soft towel or cloth, not a paper towel because particles of the paper may stick inside your phone, gently wipe dry both the keypad and the area where the battery rests. Do not reinsert the battery at this point, tempting as it may be to test and see if it is working. You still run the risk of short circuiting your phone at this point.If you consider yourself tech savvy and are comfortable taking your Blackberry apart, you can do this at this point to expedite the drying process. Every phone has is disassembled differently, but instructions on how to take most models apart can be found on the internet.

The next step in drying your Blackberry out involves heading to your pantry or to the supermarket to procure a box of white rice. Don’t use any rice with flavoring or other particles that might get into the inner workings of your phone. Fill a small bowl with a thin layer of rice then place your Blackberry, keyboard facing down, inside the bowl. If you have disassembled your phone, place the components in the bowl. Then pour rice into the bowl until it your Blackberry is completely covered. Here comes the tough part of restoring your wet Blackberry to a functional state. You must now wait at least full 48 hours with the phone submersed in the rice. Rough as it may be to part with your smart phone for two whole days, this is the only way of ensuring you do not short circuit the phone inadvertently. If you have an old phone that is still functional, you can call your carrier and have them temporarily restore service to your old device.

After 48 hours have passed you can test your phone. Remove the device from the rice, shake out any rice particles that may be stuck in it. Reassemble the Blackberry if you have disassembled it. Reinsert the battery and power on the phone. If your Blackberry works again, great! If not, don’t despair! Simply remove the battery again, and return the phone to the rice. Every 24 hours you may check on your phone again. There have been instances where it has taken up to two weeks before a water damaged Blackberry returned to fully functional condition! Hopefully, by following these steps you will be able to save yourself the expense of purchasing a new Blackberry. If not, check with your carrier to see if you are eligible for an upgrade. Even if you are not eligible, some carriers offer certified pre-owned refurbished phones which can definitely take the edge of the expense.