Article

How to tell if your phone has water damage

By Marcus Brown, phone technician

Published

No single test proves water damage. But you can check five things yourself with a light, a SIM tool and the free tests on this site.

This guide shows how to tell if your phone has water damage after it gets wet: a spill, a drop in the sink or a day in the rain. Do the five checks below in order. They use what Apple, Samsung and Google say in their own support pages, plus the free tests on this site.

The five checks:

  1. Make the phone safe and let it dry before you open anything.
  2. Look at the liquid damage indicator in the SIM tray slot.
  3. Note any liquid warning the phone shows when you plug in a cable.
  4. Test the speaker, the earpiece and the microphone.
  5. Check again over the next days, because some problems show up later.

Check 1: Make the phone safe first

If the phone is hot, smokes, steams, bubbles or swells, do not hold it. iFixit gives this warning because liquid can short-circuit the battery.1 Put it on a surface that cannot burn and get help.

If the phone looks normal, dry the outside first. Apple says to make sure the iPhone is dry before you open the SIM tray.2 Samsung says to turn the phone off before you take out the tray.3 For the full first-hour steps, see wet phone first aid.

Check 2: The liquid damage indicator

Most phones with a SIM tray have a small sticker inside the tray slot. It changes colour when liquid touches it. Apple calls it a Liquid Contact Indicator (LCI). Samsung calls it a Liquid Damage Indicator (LDI).

To see it, take out the SIM tray (with the SIM card in it) using the tool that came with the phone. Then shine a bright light into the slot.

Phone Where to look Dry After liquid
iPhone Inside the SIM tray slot4 White or silver Fully red
Samsung Galaxy Inside the SIM or microSD tray slot3 White, or white with light marks Solid pink, purple or red
Google Pixel Google’s help page does not describe an indicator5 Not stated Not stated

Apple shows a drawing for every model.4 We checked the drawings for iPhone 7, 8, 11, 13, 15 and 17. Each one shows the LCI inside the SIM tray slot, on the side of the phone.

Samsung says the indicator is on most Galaxy S, Z Fold, Z Flip and A models. The tray position differs by model.3

No SIM tray? Some iPhone models are sold eSIM-only in some countries. Apple says those phones have no SIM tray and no LCI that you can see from the outside.4 On those phones, skip this check.

What a red indicator does and does not tell you

A red indicator shows that liquid reached that spot. iFixit calls it evidence of “local liquid intrusion”.1 It does not show which parts, if any, are damaged. A white indicator shows only that liquid did not reach that one spot.

Humidity alone should not turn it red. Apple says an LCI does not activate from humidity and temperature changes within the phone’s environmental limits.4 The colour change is permanent.1 So a repair shop can see it later, and so can the maker.

This matters for cost. Apple’s one-year warranty does not cover liquid damage, although consumer law can give you other rights.4 Google’s warranty does not cover water damage either.5

Check 3: The phone’s own warnings

Many newer phones check the charging port for liquid when you connect a cable.

  • iPhone: a liquid-detection alert appears if there is liquid in the Lightning or USB-C connector, or on the cable. Apple says to unplug both ends of the cable. Try again after at least 30 minutes. Full drying can take up to 24 hours.6
  • Samsung: a “moisture detected” warning stops cable charging while the port is wet. Samsung says the water usually evaporates in about 1 to 2 hours. Samsung calls the block a preventive measure against corrosion.7

A warning shows that the port is wet now. It is not proof of damage. If the warning stays for more than a day, that is a reason to have the port checked. Our guide to water in the charging port has the full steps.

Check 4: Speaker, earpiece and microphone

The speaker and the microphone sit behind small openings in the frame of the phone, so water can get into them. Test them next.

  1. Run the speaker and earpiece check. It plays a sweep, low and high tones, and a sound for each side.
  2. Run the microphone test. Record 5 seconds and play it back. Nothing is uploaded.
  3. Compare with how the phone sounded before the water. A clear test with normal volume is a good sign.

If the speaker sounds muffled right after the phone got wet, water may still sit in the grille. Play the water eject tone, let the phone dry, and test again. Read what the water eject sound can and cannot do before you rely on it.

If a part still fails after the phone has dried in airflow for a day, the speaker problem finder helps you narrow down the cause. It also tells you when to get service.

Check 5: Signs of water damage in the next days

Water damage does not always show at once. iFixit says liquid damage tends to get worse with time, and that a shorter contact with the liquid means less corrosion.1 So run the speaker and microphone tests again a few days later. Watch for a port that stops charging, a speaker that gets quieter, or a camera that fogs.

A foggy camera lens can have a simple cause. Samsung says fog inside the camera can come from condensation, and that it is temporary.8 If the fog stays for a long time, Xiaomi says to contact service.9

When to get the phone checked

Get the phone checked by the maker or a repair shop when:

  • the indicator is red and a part does not work after a full day of drying,
  • the phone got hot, smoked or swelled,
  • a liquid warning stays on after a day,
  • the phone was in salt water, a pool or a sugary drink. Samsung says salt water causes faster liquid ingress.10

Tell the technician what liquid it was and when it happened. Do not open the phone to dry it. To prevent liquid damage, Apple says to avoid taking the iPhone apart, including removing screws.2

Frequently asked questions

Can a repair shop tell if my phone had water damage?

Often, yes. The indicator stays red after contact with liquid, so anyone who opens the SIM tray can see it.1 A repair shop can also look for corrosion inside the phone.

Can a water-resistant phone get water damage?

Yes, it can. Apple says water resistance is not permanent and can decrease with normal wear.2 A rating also does not cover every liquid or every kind of exposure.

How long does it take for water damage to show?

The makers give no fixed time. iFixit says liquid damage tends to get worse with time.1 Test the phone right after it dries, then again a few days later.

Sources

  1. iFixit, “iPhone Liquid Damage Repair”. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  2. Apple Support, “About splash, water, and dust resistance of iPhone 7 and later”. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. Samsung Saudi Arabia, “How to Check the Liquid Damage Indicator on Your Phone”. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. Apple Support, “Water and other liquid damage to iPhone or iPod isn’t covered by warranty” (LCI colours, drawings per model, eSIM-only models, humidity). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  5. Google Pixel Help, “Help prevent water damage to your Pixel phone”. ↩ ↩2

  6. Apple Support, “If you see a liquid-detection alert on your iPhone”. ↩

  7. Samsung Malaysia, “How to fix moisture detect warning in your Samsung device”. ↩

  8. Samsung US, “Fix blurry or poor photo and video quality on your Samsung Galaxy device”. ↩

  9. Xiaomi Support, “Why does the camera lens of the Xiaomi 14 fog up in special scenarios?”. ↩

  10. Samsung Gulf, “What Do IP Ratings Mean on Galaxy Devices?”. ↩