Symptoms
- Phone was submerged in ocean, sea, or salty water
- Phone may still power on initially but issues develop over following days
- Salt residue or crust visible on the phone after drying
Likely causes
- CommonSalt residue left behind after drying, causing corrosionEven after the water evaporates, salt crystals remain and continue conducting and corroding.
- PossibleSalt bridging internal contacts and causing a shortMore likely if the phone was powered on or charging during exposure.
What to do
- Power the phone off immediately and do not charge it.
- Rinse the phone briefly in clean, still fresh water (not running water pressure) to dilute and remove salt from the exterior, ports, and speakers — do this quickly, within a few minutes of the saltwater exposure.
- Dry the exterior with a towel and shake out water from ports, speaker facing down.
- Let it air-dry completely for at least 48 hours in a dry, room-temperature area.
- Do not power it on early to 'check' — this is when shorts happen if salt has bridged contacts.
- After drying, if it powers on, watch closely for corrosion signs over the next week: muffled sound, charging issues, or discoloration.
Tools and parts
- Fresh water for rinsing
- Soft towel
When to call a pro
Saltwater exposure has a much higher failure rate than fresh water — if you can, have a repair shop professionally clean the internals even if the phone seems to work, to head off corrosion.
Safety
Generally low risk
Generally low risk for a careful person. Stop if anything looks different from what this guide describes.