How to Fix a Severely Wet iPhone

The iPhone is designed to withstand a range of impacts and shocks, but water is often its downfall. If your phone gets submerged or drenched, all is not lost; you can take action to prevent electrical shorts and permanent damage. Because the standard iPhone warranty does not cover liquid damage, it's important that you take steps to dry out the phone immediately.

According to Apple, each iPhone comes with a liquid contact indicator (LCI) that changes color when it touches water or another liquid. If your phone's LCI has turned red, Apple technicians will not be able to repair the phone under the warranty.

Resist the temptation to see whether your wet iPhone still works; the electrical signals you send throughout a wet device in doing so could cause shorts and damage. Just turn the phone off immediately and get all of the water out as quickly as you can. Using cloths and cotton swabs, soak up as much visible water as possible. Then, place the phone in a plastic bag or a sealed container filled with a substance that draws water. OS X Daily recommends dry rice or silica packets. Leave it for two days, or even a week if it was completely doused.