Safely Remove Water from a Charging Port on Android & iPhone

Oh no! Your phone is wet! What should you do? The most reliable way to get water out of a charging port is to turn off your phone and allow it to air dry completely. While getting your phone wet can be scary, many modern smartphones are now water-resistant or waterproof. However, even if your phone is water-resistant, you’ll still need to completely dry the charging port and other components before turning on or charging your phone. This wikiHow article will teach you the safest ways to remove water from your Android or iPhone’s charging port and save your phone from water damage.
Things You Should Know
• Turn off your phone immediately and dry it off with a lint-free cloth.
• Allow the charging port to air dry in a well-ventilated area for at least 5 hours.
• To get excess water out of your phone, gently tap it against your hand with the charging port facing down, so water can drip out.
• Avoid using rice to speed along the process.
Drying the Port Safely
Turn off your phone right away. No matter how water resistant your phone is, power it down immediately when it gets wet. Don’t be tempted to turn your phone back on until you’ve thoroughly dried the charging port, headphone jack, and other components.[1]
o If there is anything plugged into your phone when the charging port is wet, such as a charging cable or battery-extending case, remove that as well.
o If your entire phone is wet (not just the charging port), remove the SIM card tray, SIM card, and any external memory cards. If you’re using an Android with a removable battery, remove that too.
Use a lint-free towel to dry all visible water. Wipe every part of the phone or tablet with a clean, dry, lint-free towel. Microfiber is a great material for this, as it’s highly absorbent and dries quickly. Continue wiping until you’ve removed all of the water that you can.[2]
Gently tap your phone against your hand with the charging port facing down. Make sure the charging port is facing down before you tap the phone on your hand—if the port is facing up, water can run deeper into your phone. Continue tapping your phone on your hand until you’re sure all excess water has dripped out.[3]
Allow the phone air dry in a well-ventilated area. The best way to get water out of the charging port is to let it evaporate naturally. Air circulation will dry the port faster, so let the phone dry in a room with fans, a dehumidifier, or any other moving air source.[4]
Allow the phone to dry for at least 5 hours before turning it back on. Apple recommends allowing your phone to dry for 5 hours before turning it back on or connecting a charging cable to the Lightning port.[5] The recommendations for Android models vary, but waiting at least 5 hours should be long enough for the charging port in any phone to completely dry.
What to Avoid
Don’t place your phone in direct sunlight to dry. It’s okay to dry your phone outside in warm weather, but avoid exposing it to extreme temperatures. Putting your phone in direct sunlight can cause it to overheat and cause more damage.[7]
Don’t put your phone in rice. Even if the water in your charging port is hard to remove, putting your phone in rice will not speed up the drying process.[8] Plus, the dust from the rice or particles from the rice could get into the charging port and other openings and cause damage.
Don’t insert any foreign objects into the charging port. Putting anything inside your phone’s charging port is a bad idea because you could push the moisture further in. Cotton swabs, toothpicks, and paper towels can all damage your charging port.
Don’t use a hair dryer.