BQ Mobile is one of the many smartphone manufacturers that offer good specs at the low price range and retain existing customers while attracting more unlike a bigwig like Apple who thinks about money only. So, most of the BQ Mobile isn’t water-proof or water-resistant since they aren’t IP rated which is an expensive certified and would definitely add to the cost of the unit. But what would you do if you get your phone water damaged? Would you report the issue to a service center about the water damaged smartphone which of course wouldn’t repair it for free since water damage smartphone is an exclusion to most warranty periods? Well, here’s a procedure that you can perform to try and fix BQ Mobile water damaged smartphone or at least give it a shot before proceeding further.
How to fix BQ Mobile water damaged smartphone?
As you already dropped or slipped your phone in water or if you are someone who likes to be cautious before your phone could get water damaged, here’s what you shouldn’t do beforehand. First of all, do not attempt to turn on the phone after you pick it out of water in case if it is turned off. Also, do not plug in the phone to a charger because water and electricity never go hand-in-hand. Furthermore, you should avoid getting paranoid because that would actually escalate the response time and believe me, the more time your phone stays in the water, the severe water damaged smartphone it becomes so beware.
Once you pick the phone out of water or somewhere it just came in contact with water or any liquid, you should move it to a dry surface but again, shaking or moving the phone harshly can push the water droplets to escape into the internal circuitry and that’s where it can be more problematic. You should also avoid pressing the power or any other button as well as dab or touch the screen trying to squeeze out the water because that won’t happen and because it can have an adverse impact on your device too. Avoid using air blower or vacuum cleaner at this point and follow the procedure mentioned below in order to fix a BQ Mobile water damaged smartphone.
It is great that you referred the ‘Do not do this’ list aforementioned beforehand but if you didn’t, please peep at the list once because knowing what you shouldn’t do is half work done. Here’s what you must do.
1. Take the phone out of water
Duh! Isn’t this common sense that you should take out the phone immediately after you dropped it in the toilet or pool or beachside or if you dropped water on it. Simply pick it out and keep it on a dry surface for now and refer the ‘do not do this’ list.
2. Dry it off
Now, you need a clean cloth or paper towel or microfiber cloth that you can use to dab on the front, side, back surface of the phone trying to soak excess water. But remember, you can’t shake the phone much because that would force the water to go through the openings towards the internal circuitry if in case it hasn’t reached there yet.
3. Use vacuum cleaner for excess water
The cloth you used will soak in excess water on the exterior of the phone but it won’t actually squeeze out the water that escaped inside the phone’s external panels towards the motherboard or other regions. Here, the vacuum cleaner can be of great help as it will enable you to suck out remaining water that will take you a step closer towards reviving a water damaged smartphone.
4. Pros can use rubbing alcohol
In case if you failed to fix the phone with DIY tips explained here, you will report the issue to a service center who would use rubbing alcohol to get rid of moisture, corrosion, and other debris that the water has caused but there are trained for it. If you are someone who doesn’t know how to disassemble a smartphone which isn’t too easy, you shouldn’t do it. But if you know how to dismantle the phone to separate all its components and attach it back, then do the same with your phone. Here, you need to use rubbing alcohol to apply to the components and the circuit that would evaporation quickly. The corrosion, debris, and other elements will be cleared as well.
Since water damage has already void your warranty (check with the manufacturer if it covers water damage), you can dismantle the phone but beware, it ain’t that easy.
5. For all others, use a ziplock bag
For all others who are unaware of dismantling procedure or just don’t want to risk opening a smartphone, they can use a ziplock bag in which, you need to put the phone and fill it up with silica gel litter or uncooked rice which acts as water absorbent. Although the process could take 2 to 3 days, it is still a great way to get rid of moisture that can render the phone useless. You need to keep the phone in the bag for 2 to 3 days and at the end of the period, open it to see if it worked or not.
6. Time to see if it is fixed or not
After two to three days, it’s time to see if the process you just did work or not. If the phone turns on right away, you are good to go although you need to keep a tab on system’s behavior for a few days. But if it doesn’t, it could be because of severe damage or simply because the battery is damaged or just drained. You can charge the battery to check if it works or changes the battery if the battery is damaged. Lastly, report the issue to the smartphone manufacturer to get it fixed professionally although you’ll have to pay for the expenses since water damage is not covered in warranty although you need to check it with the manufacturer first.
What else can I do to make my phone a little water-resistant?
Now, you can simply buy a smartphone with IP57/58 for splash resistant or IP67/68 for water-resistant that could go upwards of 30 minutes in water at a maximum depth of 1 to 1.5m without any problem but subjected to favorable conditions. But buying a new smartphone with an IP rating could be expensive if you aren’t looking for an upgrade or if the current phone is useless or if you want to change it.
Further, you can use a more reliable and inexpensive alternative that is to use a small ziplock bag to keep your phone inside it whenever you use it during rains although that would mean compromised operations on it. If you aren’t fond of ziplock bags, you can also buy water-proof or water-resistant cases and covers that will provide the phone with a layer of resistance against water that must be able to withstand at least some degree of splashes or dips in water but it is a preventive measure, you don’t have to drown the phone in water to check if the phone cases work or not.
