Nokia has published this semi-humorous guide to saving a Lumia Windows Phone from being permanently damaged by water. Should you so happen to drop your Lumia device into a swimming pool or a bath, then these simple steps might just turn your bad luck (or clumsiness) into a gigantic sigh of relief. So how does one go about rescuing a drowning Lumia Windows Phone?
Firstly, one must remove the device from its watery hell as quickly as possible. The faster it's removed from water, the lower the chance of permanent damage. You should then remove the SIM card and battery (if possible) to prevent further damage to components.
Next up is actually drying the handset. To carry this out effectively, one should use a dry cloth or towel - don't attempt to use paper towel, toilet paper or even a hairdryer (do we need to explain why?). Ensure all excess water has been removed from the Windows Phone. Of course this wont completely dry the device inside-out, so a nights rest next to a radiator (or in a bag of rice / wrapped in a towel) is required.
Once the phone has had time to shake off, re-insert the SIM and battery to check if it boots up. If it's successful then congratulations, if not then you're looking at the possibility of irreversible damage. We're pretty sure this guide can be applied to all sturdy Windows Phones, just remember not to go swimming with your handset in your pocket.
Via: MonWindowsPhone
Reader comments
Nokia guide to saving a Lumia Windows Phone from drowning
Can confirm this works from first hand experience.
Whenever I hear of a friend dropping a phone in water, the next thing I hear is to put it in a bag of rice. I hear it so much that as soon as I read the title, I figured rice could be involved~ I have not tried it myself, but I know it has worked for several friends.
Seen this already but still cool
Y isn't it just water proof
Because it an electronic device which gets hot and needs to "breathe". A water proff touchscreen would also not be affordable. That's why they make Otterbox.
They left out the step where you bleach the water indicators then make a warranty claim with ATT.
hmm yeah then send it out for repair , they open the phone , find metal corrosion and AUTOMATICLY charge you full price for a phone for water damage.
unless you open up the phone and clean it with a tooth brush and robbing alcohol to prevent corrosion.
lol. cute.
I once dropped my iPhone into a full bathtub, but was able to reach in and grab it before it reached the bottom of the tub with my ninja reflexes. Turned it off, towel dried it, and stuck it in a bag of rice for two days. No problems at all.
Ninja Reflexes! Awesome!!!
If you had bijna reflexes, than you had catch it before it hit the water.
Robertottink....pahahahahHAHAHAHA. That was a brilliant response.
Bag of rice experience really works... Did on my bud's WP
I've never drowned my phone, but could anybody please explain why I shouldn't use toilet paper? It's much more flexible and I can reach all the tiny spots on my phone, so why shouldn't I use it?
I got the point with the hairdryer (heat, vaporizing water, water spots, etc.) but paper?
The answer to this question is simple, really. How many times have you wiped yourself with toilet paper and had that "OH S***" moment when it tore a little due to the moisture from wiping? Or, how many times have you wiped and noticed little bits of balled up TP stuck in your crack. Using toilet paper on your device to reach those 'hard to reach' spots, will more than likey ensure you will then have bits of TP stuck in those 'hard to reach' spots.
They should have a guide for different situations and what you're likely to have on hand. i.e. when dropped in the ocean vs pool vs filthy pub toilet :P
I used the bag of rice trick on a Kindle Fire that fell in the pool...worked great.
Nokia riped off my WAter damage guide! :( ROLF!
http://forums.wpcentral.com/windows-phone-7-os-discussio/187398.htm#post...
well the heat in my house isn't on yet, nor do i have a bag of rice, so lets hope a towel and an electric fireplace will work!
Radiant heat will dissipate the moisture in the phone, but will leave residue and oxidation from where the water laid on the phones circuits, etc.
MY lumia 720 phone is on but my screen is not responding .
what shoud i do , it is still sitting in the bag of rice .
If your phone got wet and your are comfortable with taking your phone apart, follow my advice. Depending on how soaked your phone was with water you may be able to either soft boot or hard boot the phone. Its possible that your phone got slightly but not severely wet and "froze" the touch screen. Hold volume down and lock button together for 15 seconds. Phone will soft boot. This will work in most "hanging" touch screen situations.
This is an old school "trick" that DOES actually work when executed correctly. Rice is very absorbent, but the phone has to be completely submerged deep into the rice. I personally like to save those little silica gel packs that you may commonly find with a newly purchased pair of shoes or other packaged items which may be sensitive to moisture. Silica gel packets are a highly effective in absorbing moisture. I sometimes use a combination of rice and silica. Unless circuits are shorted out in the phone, experienced and technologically advanced users may follow my procedure...open case>remove battery>remove sim card> remove sd card>ricebag/silica everything for 24 hrs
!!! Do not attempt to charge the phone. Do not try to power it by battery until at least 24 hrs of standing time in absorbent. !!!
Advanced repair advice after 24 hrs standing rice/silica dry time....
Disassembly is pretty simple. 7 screwsin back under battery(one hidden), two screws on the side, the rest is a cake walk. Use caution when removing ribbon cables as they break easily. Nylon tweezers work best. Compressed air like keyboard duster is essential. Spray some air in the casing and components. Follow through by cleaning all components with CONTACT CLEANER. This will clean circuits and contacts, chase away residual water and clear light to moderate oxidation. Reapply compressed air to thoroughly dry off parts. Re-assemble and test by powering phone on by battery power, not AC wall charger Most of the Lumiamodel series phones are simple in construction.
Has anyone had an ideas or experience on using a food dehydrator to dry out a phone? Just my own 2 cents...