6 Things We Can Do To Save A Water Damaged iPhone

“Hey there! I accidentally spilled water on my iPhone 14 Pro yesterday and it won`t turn on anymore. I was pretty sure I retrieved the phone within 10 seconds, yet it’s not working! Is there a way to save and fix water-damaged iPhone?”

If you’ve ever accidentally dropped your phone in water or drenched it in rain, then you’re not alone. From a split cup of coffee or water to dropping it in pools, bathtubs or toilets, your iPhone can be water-damaged due to various reasons.

With new-generation Apple devices, water exposure isn’t an immediate death sentence for your iPhone as it used to be. But it can still create issues in your iPhone, such as:

• Liquid droplets flowing inside the iPhone screen
• Issues in the charging port or the iPhone won’t charge.
• No audio or ruffled audio.
• Blurry images due to moisture in the camera lens.
• The internal part of the device gets corroded.

While the new iPhones have good water resistant capabilities, this doesn’t mean they are totally immune to water. Being electronic devices, water can seriously damage them.

This article shares several best practices that can help you save a water-damaged iPhone. But first, let’s understand how water resistant your iPhone is.

Is my iPhone water resistant?

The water resistance of the smartphones is rated by the “ingress protection” code, also called IP rating.

This rating includes two number: the first number indicates protection against solids, such as dust, whereas the second demonstrate resistance to liquid, mainly water. For example, the iPhone 12 has a rating of IP68, which means it provides six levels of protection from solid and eight levels of protection from liquid.

There are multiple types of IP ratings, but IP67 and IP68 are mainly applied to iPhones.

• IP67  – A device with this rating can withstand being submerged in up to 1 meter of water for a maximum of 30 minutes
• IP68 – iPhone with an IP68 rating can survive submersion in water up to 2 meters for a maximum of 30 minutes

Here’s the list of last few generation iPhone with their IP rating

• iPhone 15/15 Plus/ 15 Pro/ 15 Pro Max – IP68
• iPhone 14/14 Plus/ 14 Pro/ 14 Pro Max – IP68
• iPhone13/ 13 Mini/ 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max – IP68
• iPhone12/ 12 Mini/ 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max – IP68
• iPhone 11/ 11 Pro / 11 Pro Max – IP68
• iPhone XS/ XS Max – IP68
• iPhone X/XR /8/8 Plus /7 /7 Plus/ SE (2^nd generation) – IP67

What Not to Do?

Most iPhones offer certain level of water resistance, but it doesn’t mean an iPhone dropped in swimming pool or a bucket full of water is immune to any damage. Moreover, not every repair step will help you fix water-damaged iPhone; and some can complicate things further. Before, we start on potential steps to save your water-damaged iPhone, let’s first look at some absolute things that worsen the cause and should be avoided at all costs.

1. Don’t turn on your iPhone

Your iPhone will turn off automatically after being dropped in water. However, you should manually turn it off if it doesn’t turn off. Turn your phone on only if you are sure water or moisture content from the exterior and interior is completely dry. Turning on the water-damaged iPhone might cause water to reach inside the device, causing it to malfunction.

2. Plug it in or Use the Charging Port in Any Way

Moreover, don’t charge your iPhone battery as it can result in an electrical short circuit or even combustion, resulting in a fire. No matter how water resistant the iPhone is, it’s better to not plug it in when wet or water-damaged.

3. Don’t use hot air to blow dry your iPhone

Blow-drying your iPhone with hot air can damage your device further. Hot air may heat your iPhone to an unbearable degree, making it unsuitable for device hardware. Also, avoid using a space heater or furnace sidewall exhaust to dry your iPhone.

Steps You Can Take to Potentially Save Your Water-Damaged iPhone

If you drop your iPhone in water, the following methods can save your iPhone from potential damage.

1. Take it out and turn it off immediately

Remove your iPhone from the water right away. Once retrieved, turn it off immediately. If there is any iPhone cover and screen guard to protect your phone, remove them as they might hold moisture. Use a paper towel or cotton cloth to wipe the iPhone’s exterior.

2. Evacuate the SIM card

After drying the iPhone’s exterior, remove the SIM card tray, if not using an e-SIM. Although SIM cards have a watertight seal, getting them out helps. Use a paper towel to dry the SIM card and the tray.

3. Dry your iPhone

While Apple recommends simply wiping the iPhone dry or tapping excess water out of the ports, we recommend the below-mentioned ways to ensure your iPhone is as dry as possible.

• Place it in a dry place

You need to place the iPhone in a warm and dry place so the water inside the phone can evaporate. Place it in a nearby window with proper sunlight, but do not expose the device to harsh sunlight.

• Place it in uncooked rice

The uncooked rice trick used to be the go-to method to dry any visible liquid in iPhone, as rice absorbs moisture quickly. Place the iPhone in a bag or bowl of rice for a day or two to ensure the water traces inside the phone are absorbed entirely. However, this method is slightly risky, as uncooked rice can push grains and dust in the charging port of your device.

• Dry it with silica gel packets

If the water has seeped into the internal parts of the iPhone, try burying it in a heap of silica gel bags in an airtight container. This helps in absorbing the moisture from the inside of your iPhone. Using silica gel packets is a safer alternative to the uncooked rice method for drying a wet iPhone, as nothing will get clogged in the ports.

• Use a hairdryer (if it has a cool wind setting)

If your hair dryer has a cool wind setting, you can use it to dry wet iPhone. While drying the iPhone, keep the hair dryer in low mode and keep your iPhone at a distance so that air blowing doesn’t cause any damage.

Or, you can keep your iPhone under a cool air fan to dry it.

4. Disassemble the phone and let it air dry

If drying the iPhone via uncooked rice method or silica gel packet doesn’t work, consider dismantling it as your last resort. You can use DIY repair tips to open the device to dry it out or go to any trusted tech expert.

Caution: We wouldn’t recommend dismantling the iPhone using DIY tips as it may worsen the problem.

Dismantle your iPhone carefully, air dry its interior, and assemble it back after a few hours. Also, if the Liquid Contact Indicators inside the iPhone have already detected water damage, opening the phone invalidates your warranty coverage.

5. Check if your warranty is still valid

If all the above efforts fail to fix the iPhone from water damage, you must check if the device’s warranty is still valid. If it is, call your manufacturer and request a repair or replacement. If it is invalid, visit an Apple Genius bar to repair your cell phone.

6. Take the phone to an approved repair shop

The longer you wait to take your iPhone to an Apple Genius bar, the more damage it incurs. If you cannot dry the wet iPhone by following the manual methods mentioned above, rush to an Apple Genius bar to get it repaired and minimize the chances of further damage.

How To Find Out If Your iPhone Has Water Damage?

Liquid Contact Indicator, or LCI, is the new way to determine whether or not your iPhone is exposed to water damage. An LCI is generally of white or silver color; however, when it comes in contact with water or other liquid, it turns red.

See the table to learn where the indicators are planted in your respective iPhone, depending upon its model.

How To Recover Data From Water-Damaged iPhone?

Once you have powered on your water-damaged iPhone after drying, it is possible to recover data from it. There are two ways to recover lost data from water-damaged iPhones: backup services or professional iPhone data recovery software .

Let’s see various scenarios where you can recover data from a water-damaged iPhone:

iPhone won’t turn on

If your iPhone won’t turn on even after drying the wet iPhone using the tips mentioned above, it has short-circuited or water has eroded some of its internal components. In such a situation, use any backup service to recover your iPhone data.

If you have enabled iCloud backup on your iPhone, you can easily restore your data. You can visit the official iCloud website and log into your account to save the lost data on your computer. Or, set up your new iPhone using the existing iCloud credentials to restore the data of your previous iPhone.

iPhone starts but data is lost

If you turn your iPhone back on again, but its data is lost, try setting up your phone with existing iCloud account to recover the data. However, if you haven’t enabled iCloud backup, it is recommended that you use reliable iPhone data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone. This software recovers deleted/lost photos, videos, audio, messages, voice memos, calendars etc. from iPhone, iPad, iTunes, and iCloud backup files.

The software supports recovery in all data loss scenarios like water-damaged devices, accidental deletion, failed iOS updates, iPhone stuck in recovery mode, etc. This iPhone recovery software is compatible with all variants of iPad and iPhone, including the series of iPhone 15/14/13/12/11 and below.

Conclusion

We hope you fix the water-damaged iPhone after following the above suggestion. However, it would be best if you were extra careful to protect your iPhone from any type of water damage. Here are some best practices you must follow:

• Use a waterproof case to provide an additional layer of protection to your iPhone against water.
• Keep your iPhone away from sinks, bathrooms, toilets, etc.
• Be mindful in rainy conditions, and put your phone in a waterproof bag or safe pocket.
• Refrain from touching your iPhone with wet hands.
• Take regular data backups, as it is handy in data loss situations.

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FAQs

What do I do if my iPhone speaker doesn’t work after falling into water?

If there is water in your iPhone speaker, it may not work. In such a situation, try drying your iPhone and turning it on to take a backup of your data before testing the speaker. You can even visit Apple Genius Bar to get the help of a tech expert to fix your iPhone.

How to Recover Deleted Data from iPhone using Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone?

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone is an ideal tool for efficiently recovering deleted data from iPhone devices. This software can recover photos, videos, messages, call history, calendar, notes, etc. The tool uses an advanced algorithm, which scans through the memory and recovers data from any cases of data loss. In addition, this iPhone data recovery software  also uses a very simple and easy-to-use graphical user interface, making the entire process very easy to perform. Therefore, you can follow the below-mentioned steps to recover deleted photos and contacts from an iPhone device using Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone.

 

Note: Run the latest version of iTunes services before launching the software.

1. Connect your iPhone to a computer via USB cable for recovery from iPhone. Once you launch the software, you have three options to choose from. Recover from iPhone, Recover from iTunes backup and Recover from iCloud backup.

2. Once Computer detects your iPhone, select ‘Recover from iPhone’, choose what you want to recover, and click “next”. It will show you the iOS devices connected to your system. Next, select your device and click “scan.”

3. After scanning the device, you will see details of all the recoverable items listed in the left-hand side panel.

4.   Now select and preview the required items by clicking the corresponding checkbox in front of each item.

5.   Click on ‘Save’ option to save the recovered items either on the Computer or iPhone depending on chosen location

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone® Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone® is the best DIY software to recover missing or accidentally deleted Contacts, Messages, Calendar, Photos, Videos, Call History etc directly from iPhone or iPad.

Solved: Photos Disappeared from iPhone Suddenly

‘I noticed that over 500 old photos from iPhone 11 have disappeared and now only the recently shot pictures are showing! I lost almost all of my best memories saved in my phone. I am sure I did not delete them. Where did the pictures disappeared from iPhone? How do I get back photos missing from iPhone? Please help.’

Photos suddenly disappearing from iPhone or random photos missing from Camera Roll or Gallery is a common complaint. Usually, photos get disappeared after iOS update, iPhone reset/restore, or when the device storage is full. You may also lose pictures after installing any new software, or jailbreaking. Sometimes, running an iPhone cleaning software without checking what it is deleting on your iOS device can also result in loss of photos.

The situation is stressful, even more when you don’t have any copies or backup of lost photos.

So how to recover the missing or lost photos on iPhone? This post shares the effective methods to get back the missing photos from Camera Roll, Gallery, or iCloud on your iPhone.

In any such sudden photo loss situation, the best solution is to use a secure photo recovery tool for iPhone that can recover photos lost due to any reason. Besides, there are free methods that might restore disappeared photos from iPhone, which you should try once.

Method 1: Restart your iPhone

If your photos suddenly disappeared from iPhone, first restart the iOS device. Then open the Photo app, Camera Roll, or Photo Stream to see if the missing photos are showing or not.

You can check here the steps to restart your iPhone model .

Method 2: Restore photos from Recently Deleted folder on iPhone

You might have accidentally deleted the photos on iPhone. Check and recover the photos from the ‘Recently Deleted’ folder of your Photos app.

Steps to recover photos on iPhone from ‘Recently Deleted’:

• On your iPhone, click to follow Photos > Albums.
• Scroll down to Utilities and click Recently Deleted.
• Look for your missing photo, tap on it and choose Recover. If there are multiple photos, click on ‘Select’ followed by ‘Recover’.

Note: Photos deleted on iPhone stay in your ‘Recently Deleted’ folder only for 30 days, after which they are permanently removed from the iOS device.

Method 3: Unhide photos on iPhone

Photos disappeared from iPhone can be in the hidden folder in Photos app. Simply, check the Hidden folder on your device and unhide the required photos.

• Open Photos app on iPhone.
• Click on Albums.
• Under Utilities click on Hidden folder. In case you don’t see the ‘Hidden’ folder, go to ‘Settings’ of your iPhone. Click on ‘Photos’ and toggle on ‘Hidden Album’.
• If you see the disappeared photos, select and click on the ‘Share’ button (the arrow icon).
• Next, tap Unhide to move the pictures to their original location on iPhone.

Method 4: Enable iCloud Photos

iCloud Photos store images in iCloud and syncs them to your iPhone, iPad, iCloud.com, iPod touch, Mac, and Apple TV. This means that any changes done to pictures library on one device will show up on your other iOS devices as well. If the photos are disappearing from iPhone only, may be the iCloud Photo is not synced or turned on. So enable iCloud Photos to get back the disappeared pictures on iPhone.

Steps to enable iCloud Photos on iPhone:

• Turn on Wi-Fi of your iPhone.
• On iPhone, navigate to Settings.
• Click on your name and tap iCloud > Photos.
• Toggle on iCloud Photos.

Now check if the missing photos are showing up on iPhone or not.

Method 5: Recover iPhone photos from iTunes backup

If you have created iTunes backup, restore the disappeared photos on iPhone from it. However, this will replace your existing iPhone data with iTunes backup data.

Steps to recover photos from iTunes:

• Connect your iPhone to computer.
• Launch iTunes.
• Select your iPhone under the device list and click on Summary.
• Click Restore Backup.
• In the Restore from Backup box, select the backup date that contains your photos.

• Click Restore. Wait until the process finishes and your iPhone restarts. All your disappeared photos will be recovered on iPhone.

Method 6: Restore photos from iCloud Backup

You can restore the previous iCloud backup that has the missing photos. However, like iTunes, this method will also replace the current data on your iPhone.

Steps to recover disappeared photos from iCloud:

• On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Reset.
• Click on Erase all Contents and Settings. In the dialog box, choose Erase Now.
• On the Apps & Data screen, click Restore from iCloud Backup. Enter your Apple ID. In case you have forgot your Apple ID, click here to know how to recover it.

• Select the recent backup and click Restore. The lost photos should now appear on iPhone.

Method 7: Recover lost photos with an iPhone data recovery software

The advanced iPhone recovery software — Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone, can restore photos lost, deleted, or missing due to any reason. Whether your photos disappeared from iPhone after update, due to low storage, or any other reason, the software can recover in all situations.

The biggest advantage of using the software is that it doesn’t remove your existing iPhone data. Further, the software shows the preview of the recoverable photos. Hence, its easy to select and recover only the required disappeared pictures from Camera Roll, iCloud Photo Library, Gallery, or those shared on chat messages, etc. Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone is compatible with the latest iPhone 14/13/12/11, iPad, and iPod touch.  The software supports recovery from the latest iOS 16 and older versions.

Quick steps to recover disappeared photos from iPhone:

• Download Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone on PC or Mac.
• Connect your iPhone to computer.
• Launch the software and select Recover from iPhone option from the left panel.

• Select the Camera Roll or Photo Stream from where the photos have disappeared and click Next to the start the scanning process.
• Now preview the recoverable photos, select them, and click Save to restore on iPhone or computer.

Note: You can also recover the lost photos from backup by choosing Recover from iCloud backup or Recover from iTunes backup , options in the software.

Conclusion

When you find suddenly photos disappearing from iPhone try any of the above 7 methods to get back the lost pictures. However, of all we recommend solutions Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone software is quick and easy to use. It is also of great help when you don’t want to recover from iCloud or iTunes backup that removes the existing data on iPhone.

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How to Recover FaceTime Call History on iPhone

Summary: Have you deleted or lost FaceTime calls from your iPhone? Once deleted from the call history, the Facetime calls are removed from the app’s history and vice versa. This post shares quick methods to restore FaceTime call history from any series of iPhone 15, 14, 13, 12, X, XS Max, XR, X, 8, 8 Plus, 7, and below versions and iPads’.

‘Just noticed, that the FaceTime call history suddenly disappeared. Cellular calls history is fine. I am using iOS 16.2, iPhone 14. I don’t have iTunes backup and don’t want to try iCloud backup as it will remove my current data. Is there any other way to get back FaceTime call history?’

‘I deleted the call history on my iPhone and without realizing that FaceTime calls will also be erased. How can I recover deleted FaceTime history?’

You love using FaceTime — Apple’s popular calling app, on your iOS device. It’s a free and easy way to connect with family and friends anywhere in the world through audio and video calls.

But what if ever you accidentally delete or lose FaceTime calls from your iPhone or iPad. They may be important calls you wanted to keep.

Since FaceTime calls are integrated into your recent calls list on iPhone, once deleted from the call history, the calls are removed from the app’s history as well and vice versa.

Here we share various methods to restore FaceTime call history on iPhone 14, 13, 12, 11, XS, XS Max, XR, X, 8, 8 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 6 and below versions and iPad.

How to recover the lost or deleted FaceTime call history?

1. Restore FaceTime call history without iTunes/ iCloud backup

Deleted FaceTime history can be recovered by using Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone software. The software can restore lost FaceTime call history after accidental deletion, factory reset, app crash, jailbreak, and other issues.

The DIY software thoroughly scans your iPhone or iPad to recover the lost FaceTime call history.

In contrast to iTunes and iCloud backup, Stellar iPhone data recovery software lets you select and restore specific iPhone deleted call history along with the details like name, date, call duration, source country. This saves you from restoring other unnecessary data.

Step-by-step: Recover deleted/ lost FaceTime calls from iPhone

• Connect your iPhone to the computer
• Launch Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone
• Select Recover from iPhone on the left
• Select Contacts & Call Logs under What to Recover

• Click Next
• Preview and choose the FaceTime calls you want to restore from the list. Note: All the calls marked in red color are the deleted calls

• Click You can save the call history either on your computer or iPhone.

2. Recover FaceTime call history with iCloud

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone can also restore FaceTime calls from iCloud backup on your iPhone or iPad. This method allows you to select and recover only the lost FaceTime call history from iCloud instead of restoring complete backup data.

Two methods to restore FaceTime log from iCloud:

1. Restore lost/deleted FaceTime calls from iCloud without losing existing iPhone data
2. Restore FaceTime call history from iCloud backup for free, deleting the current iPhone data

Method 1: Restore lost/deleted FaceTime calls from iCloud without losing existing iPhone data:

• Download Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone on your PC/ Mac
• Select Recover from iCloud Backup on main screen of software

• Select Contacts & Call Logs and click Next
• Enter the Apple ID and password. List of all available iCloud backup files appears. Select the relevant backup of your iPhone
• Click Scan

• Click Call History on the left window. Preview the existing and deleted FaceTime calls. Click Deep Scan, if you don’t find your required calls.

• Click Save to save the recovered call history either on iPhone or computer

Method 2: Restore FaceTime from iCloud backup for free (this deletes the current iPhone data)

• Go to Settings > General > Reset> Erase all Contents and Settings

• On Apps & Data screen, tap Restore from iCloud Backup

• Sign in to your iCloud account

• Choose the last backup and Restore

Note – The drawback of this method is that it deletes all your existing data from the iPhone.

Recover FaceTime calls from iTunes Backup

3. Recover FaceTime calls from iTunes Backup

FaceTime recovery from iTunes backup is also possible if you have enabled the backup in iTunes.

Restore FaceTime call log from iTunes either with the help of Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone or directly from your system without the help of software.

However, if you don’t want to part ways with your iPhone’s existing data and lose all the current photos, videos, etc. with the old backup file, take the help of Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone.

The software protects your current data on iPhone and recovers only the call history as required.

Two methods to restore FaceTime call history from iTunes

1. Restore FaceTime call history from iTunes without losing existing iPhone data
2. Restore FaceTime call history from iTunes backup, deleting the current iPhone data

Method 1: Restore FaceTime call history from iTunes without losing existing iPhone data

• Download Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone software on your PC/ Mac. Note: Connect your iPhone to a computer, if want to save the recovered FaceTime call history on iPhone.
• Select Recover from iTunes Backup on the main screen of the application.

• Select Contacts & Call Logs
• Click Next. From the list of the iTunes backup files, select the relevant iTunes backup

• Click Scan
• Click Call History. Preview the existing and deleted FaceTime calls. Click Deep Scan, if you don’t find your required calls.
• Click Save. You can save on your computer or iPhone

Method 2: Restore FaceTime call history from iTunes for free (this method deletes the current iPhone data)

• Connect iPhone to PC/ Mac
• Launch iTunes on your computer
• Select your iPhone under the Device list and choose the recent backup entry date

• Click Restore Backup

4. Contact Apple

Apple uses end-to-end encryption in FaceTime calls. It will not decrypt the content of your conversations. Apple may record and store information, such as to whom you had called and your iPhone/ iPad network configurations. It stores this information for up to 30 days. You don’t get the details like the content of the conversation or whether your call was answered or not.

Nevertheless, you can contact Apple requesting for FaceTime call logs by clicking on this link and submitting the request – Read More

Apple will get back to you.

Conclusion

iCloud and iTunes backup are the natural way for Apple users to recover FaceTime deleted call history. However, Apple’s solution though workable is not efficient when it comes to the recovery of specific types of data. The iTunes or iCloud backup recovery methods replace every existing data on your iPhone with an old/recent backup. You lose your current photos, videos, call history, messages, chats, etc.

Whereas Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone tackles this recovery issue more effectively. It recovers lost FaceTime calls and also keeps your current data intact on the iPhone.

The software works in all data loss situations due to deletion, jailbreak, water damage, factory reset, etc. You can restore FaceTime call history from any iPhone including series of iPhone 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, X, XS, XR, iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 6 and older versions. It is available for both Windows and macOS computers.

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