How to Save your iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 from Water Damage

Drop your iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS in the ocean? If that's so, here's what you need to do immediately to save your iPhone. If this doesn't do the trick, there's notes at the bottom on how to ask Apple to repair your iPhone 3gs/iPhone 4 and how to receive a new one at the Apple Store.

Simple Steps to Follow For Your Water Damaged iPhone 3GS/iPhone 4.

1. POWER DOWN THE IPHONE NOW!
2. DO NOT TURN ON THE PHONE until finishing all of the steps. Switching on the iPhone when you have any water in the phone will cause the phone to short circuit.
3. Strip off your iPhone case and then take out the SimCard.
4. Shake out any extra water.
5. Use a blow dryer on the lowest heat for 15 minutes and make an effort to heat up the phone lightly so that any existing water can easily escape from the phone. Use low heat!
6. Place the iPhone in a bag of uncooked rice and be certain that it is 100% covered. Change the rice every day. The uncooked rice should soak up moisture and will help remove any extra water inside the iPhone. Leave your iPhone in the rice for 48-72 hours for best results.
7. Remove the iPhone out from the rice, and confirm to see if it works. If it does not work for you or if you see excess water in the iPhone, redo steps 4, 5, and 6. Keep the iPhone in rice for an additional 4-5 days and check again repeating the method until the iPhone functions correctly.
8. This method is most effective if the iPhone was submerged in water under 30 minutes. If the steps above do not work after multiple attempts...

Apple's Policy for iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 Water Damage:

Apple has defined the place that the water indicators are found. To see the image of the water indictators' location, please see the website below for more detail. iPhones are built with Liquid Contact Indicators at the base of the headphone jack. iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 models in addition have an indicator at the base of the dock-connector housing. These indicators will be activated and switched PINK once they come in direct exposure to water or even a liquid containing water. They are designed not to be triggered by humidity and temperature changes. See the image of the water indicators at the author's website.

If the pink indicator is visible, it means that your service for liquid damage is not insured by the Apple one (1) year limited warranty or AppleCare Protection Plan (APP). On the other hand, you can switch out your malfunctioning phone with a refurbished iPhone for $199 at the Apple Store as opposed to the full priced iPhone. Also, in the event purchased your iPhone from Best Buy or used a credit card which offers protection/insurance on your iPhone, you may be able to get some money back or even a new iPhone without cost. Check all of the options before you repurchase a new iPhone.

Having your iPhone Professionally Serviced at a Third-Party Store:

If your sensors are pink and your iPhone is simply not working even after trying to dry the iPhone of all water, you can you could try and take it into a repair shop. They will charge you a small service fee to calculate the damage and then offer you a quote of the price it will cost to repair the iPhone. You can figure out if you'd like to work with them to resolve it. To search for a list of reputable third-party repair shops, please visit the author's website.

Prevention:

A great way to protect your iPhone from possible damage is to find a good quality case. To view a list of top rated cases, check out the author's website for more details.

About the Author:

If you’re serious about learning more about water damage or any other DIY iPhone issue, check out the . The has great step-by-step videos and slideshows.