Mobile fallen in the water? 5 tips!

Published on 07/06/2017 in Tech, tips & tricks

On the building site, on the road, even in the bath … a lot of people use their smartphones near water. So it’s hardly surprising that they take a dip now and again. What should you do if your mobile lands in the water?

Mobile fallen in the water? 5 tips!

  1. Your replacement smartphone is waiting for you

    Running your business without your smartphone... Just impossible, right? No need to worry, pick up your free replacement smartphone from your Business Expert in the Proximus Shop nearby and keep it for a month.

  2. Prevention

    The best way to make sure that your mobile doesn’t end up in the water is of course to never use it near water. Admittedly, that’s not always practical or realistic. It’s fun to quickly check your Facebook updates at the poolside on holiday, but you should do so carefully. 

    The good news is that many modern smartphones are waterproof or at least protected against splashes. So they will survive even a short dip in a toilet. The store where you bought your phone or the manufacturer’s website will be able to give you a definite answer about this. 

    If your device isn’t one of the ‘lucky ones’, waterproof cases are available. They are often quite big, so you do have to give up some convenience in exchange for safety. 

  3. Make a back-up

    Anyone can drop his or her smartphone in the water. If you want to guard against this disaster, it’s handy to have a back-up of all your important data. You can opt for an external hard drive or an online back-up in the cloud, such as OneDrive for Business. This is a very useful and easy cloud app from Microsoft that you can use to make your own “online safe”.

  4. Warranty

    Did your phone stop working properly after you dropped it in water? If so, your first reaction may be: “Luckily it’s still under warranty”. Unfortunately, you may well be disappointed. In the vast majority of cases, your warranty does not apply to phones that have got wet. Manufacturers even fit special sensors (a type of sticker) in phones that indicate whether the device has been in contact with water. And then it’s your responsibility. Even additional store warranties usually don’t cover water damage, although of course it does no harm just to ask.

  5. Never again without a phone thanks to Smartphone Omnium

    Can you really not manage without a smartphone? Then it’s best to be well protected. With Smartphone Omnium, for instance. 

    This not only covers the repairs, but also entitles you to a courtesy device the same day (in Belgium or within the European Union). Protect your smartphone against theft, loss or damage, too. Find out all about it here.

  6. Save what you can

    The fact that your phone has fallen in the water does not mean that it is irretrievable, even if it is not waterproof. This step-by-step plan can help: 

    • Retrieve the mobile from the water as quickly as possible and turn it off. The longer it stays under, the greater the chance of damage.
    • If possible, remove the battery straight away. Water and electricity have never been pals.
    • Take out any memory and SIM cards, as well, and remove the back cover. Shake as much of the excess water out of the device as you can and use kitchen roll to soak it up.
    • Never use a hairdryer: the air is often too warm for the sensitive mobile parts and it blows the water further into the device.
    • Put you mobile in... cat litter for at least 24 hours (and preferably even longer). Cat litter is extremely absorbent and will, as it were, “suck” the water out of your phone. Dry rice and muesli have more or less the same effect, but the absorption level of cat litter is unrivalled.
    • Only then should you try to switch your phone back on. There’s a decent chance that it will work again.

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