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Water Damage Recovery

Water-Damaged iPhone Data Recovery

If your iPhone just got wet, do not plug it in. Do not try to charge it. Do not put it in rice. Follow the first aid steps below, then send it to a board-level repair lab for ultrasonic cleaning and data recovery.

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First Aid for a Water-Damaged iPhone

Follow these steps in order. What you do in the first hour matters more than anything else.

  1. 1

    Do not plug it in or charge it

    Plugging a wet phone into a charger causes rapid electrolysis that destroys board components and traces. The voltage from the charger accelerates corrosion on the logic board from hours to seconds. Leave the cable out.

  2. 2

    Power it off and dry the exterior

    If the phone is still on, power it off immediately. Dry the outside thoroughly with a towel. Remove any case. Do not shake the phone; you risk pushing water deeper into the housing.

  3. 3

    Do not open the SIM tray yet

    If the phone is dripping wet, opening the SIM tray breaks the water seal and channels water directly onto the logic board. Wait until the exterior is fully dry before ejecting the SIM tray.

  4. 4

    Skip the rice and hairdryers

    Rice does nothing to address corrosion forming under BGA chips on the logic board. It absorbs surface moisture while the real damage continues underneath metal shields. Hair dryers push hot air that can damage the battery and melt adhesives without reaching the corrosion that matters.

  5. 5

    Send to a board-level repair lab for ultrasonic cleaning

    Ultrasonic cleaning is the only method that reaches corrosion under BGA chips and RF shields where a towel or rice cannot. A board-level repair lab will remove the shields, clean the board in an ultrasonic bath, then diagnose and repair any damaged power circuits.

Why Water Kills iPhones

Water itself does not destroy the phone. Corrosion does. When water reaches the logic board, it reacts with metals on component pins and traces. This creates conductive corrosion that shorts power circuits. The phone may work for hours or days after exposure before enough bridges form to kill a critical power rail.

The most vulnerable areas are under the RF shields, where water gets trapped and cannot evaporate. Tiny capacitors and resistors on PMIC power lines corrode first because they carry voltage. Once a power rail shorts, the phone shuts down and will not turn back on.

Plugging in a wet phone is catastrophic. Applying voltage to a wet board causes rapid electrolysis. Components that would have survived hours of passive corrosion are destroyed in seconds when current flows through water bridging their pins.

How We Recover Data From Water-Damaged iPhones

  1. Shield removal and ultrasonic cleaning: We remove all shields from the logic board and place it in an ultrasonic cleaning bath. This reaches corrosion under BGA chips and in crevices that manual cleaning cannot access.
  2. Microscope inspection: After cleaning, we inspect every power rail under a microscope to identify damaged components.
  3. Microsoldering repair: Damaged capacitors, resistors, and ICs are replaced with microsoldering to restore the power circuits.
  4. Data extraction: Once the power circuits are restored, we boot the phone, enter the passcode, and copy all data to external media. The phone only needs to stay alive long enough to complete the transfer.

Pricing

Pre-X iPhones (5s through 8 Plus)$300 - $450
FaceID models (X and newer)$450 - $650
EvaluationFree
No data recoveredNo charge

Phone Worked After Getting Wet, Then Died

This is the most common water damage pattern. The phone appears fine immediately after exposure because the corrosion has not yet bridged enough connections. Over hours or days, the corrosion spreads under shields and along power traces until a critical rail shorts. The phone powers off and will not come back.

If your phone died days or weeks after water exposure, the data is still on the NAND storage chip. The chip itself is not damaged by corrosion unless the phone was powered on repeatedly while wet. The board needs cleaning and repair, then the phone can boot long enough to copy your files.

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly should I send a water-damaged iPhone for repair?
As soon as possible. Corrosion starts within hours of water exposure and spreads to more components over time. Phones treated within 24-48 hours have better recovery rates than phones that sit for weeks. Do not wait to see if it dries out.
Why doesn't rice work for a wet iPhone?
Rice absorbs surface moisture but does not reach the corrosion forming under BGA chips and metal shields on the logic board. The real damage is microscopic corrosion on power circuits and signal traces. Rice cannot address electrical damage that has already occurred. Time spent in rice is time corrosion keeps spreading.
My iPhone worked after getting wet but died days later. Why?
Water wicks under RF shields and corrodes capacitors, resistors, and IC pins on critical power lines. The phone may work initially because the corrosion has not yet bridged enough connections. Over hours or days, the corrosion spreads until a power rail shorts and the phone shuts down.
Is saltwater damage worse than freshwater?
Yes. Saltwater is more conductive and causes faster, more severe corrosion. Ocean water, pool water (chlorinated), and other contaminated liquids cause more aggressive damage than clean freshwater. But all water damage requires professional cleaning.
How much does water-damaged iPhone recovery cost?
Water damage recovery at Rossmann Group costs $300-$650 depending on the model and severity. Pre-X iPhones are $300-$450, FaceID models are $450-$650. Free evaluation, and if we cannot recover your data, you pay nothing.

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