Database Users

Samsung FTW

So I do a lot of reading on this forum but rarely post.
Last night, my phone fell out of my hands while I was sitting outside the hottub and went right into it. It was like how something falls to the bottom of the ocean in a movie. I got it out right away dried it off, took out the battery and sd card and looked at it.
It seemed that no water got into the system at all. The phone works just as it did when before the dive. The only thing that is touchy is the charger now, but oh well.
Samsung ftw

My friend dropped his Incredible in tea. He thought the same thing, but now, the phone reboots itself when it gets warm at all, and if it gets cold, the touchscreen becomes unresponsive. It was stupid to turn it back on. You should have immediately stuck it in dry rice and never turned it on, as that can prevent damage from happening.

Yeah, regardless of manufacturer/model, never turn a dunked phone on until you're 100% sure it's as dry as you can possibly get it.
Pull the battery and SD card, then shove the whole mess into a bag of white rice for AT LEAST 24 hours, more if you can. The longer it sits in the rice with no power, the more likely it is to survive the dunking.

Nah dehumidifier is better lol
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

Anyone know of any cell phone shops that have a wet phone recovery service?
I would place the phone inside a small pressure vessel and pull a deep vacuum for 15-20 mins (or until I archived 1000µm). Then break the vacuum with dry nitrogen. Repeat 3x's.
This is the method for pulling moisture out of refrigeration systems and it does work well.
I would think a small phone shop could easily get $50 a pop to save someones phone.
Hope yours stays happy! good luck

Hair dryer.
Sent from my CM7 SCH-i500

dw77x said:
Anyone know of any cell phone shops that have a wet phone recovery service?
I would place the phone inside a small pressure vessel and pull a deep vacuum for 15-20 mins (or until I archived 1000µm). Then break the vacuum with dry nitrogen. Repeat 3x's.
This is the method for pulling moisture out of refrigeration systems and it does work well.
I would think a small phone shop could easily get $50 a pop to save someones phone.
Hope yours stays happy! good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would worry about the screen in a vacuum.
If it were my phone though, I would completely disassemble it and make sure I got all of the water out that way, maybe hit it with some 99% isypropal to help get any water out from under chips and in tight places, and let it dry for a few days in silica beads.

A hairdryer is a horrible idea. It can't pull the water out. On the contrary, it's more likely to force the water into worse places.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

xmrbonesx said:
A hairdryer is a horrible idea. It can't pull the water out. On the contrary, it's more likely to force the water into worse places.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And cook the inside components. hehe forgot the /sarcasm tag. I'm not stupid
Sent from my CM7 SCH-i500

I'm not so sure about the phones, but my samsung led tv survived a house fire... Pretty proud of that little purchase.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App

sageDieu said:
And cook the inside components. hehe forgot the /sarcasm tag. I'm not stupid
Sent from my CM7 SCH-i500
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that, but there are people that will blindly follow anything they read on these boards, and I've seen a hairdryer suggested before.

AlexDeGruven said:
Pull the battery and SD card, then shove the whole mess into a bag of white rice for AT LEAST 24 hours, more if you can. The longer it sits in the rice with no power, the more likely it is to survive the dunking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rice is a good option and works well, but the small silica packets that are used as desiccant work even better and can be purchased very cheaply.
Putting your phone in some sort of vacuum or near-vacuum is probably a bad idea because the hardware was likely not designed to withstand such conditions.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Ok guys update.
So its been what a couple of days now, and my phone is working pretty good. all the main things work. the only thing that is a little touchy is the charger, and it keeps saying usb connected, but i can live with that.

I uses to work at a sign shop and my bosses kids were terrible about throwing phones in water so he found the little pink water detector strips so I know if you do that you can put it on and trade out your phone
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App

Golgotha theskull said:
I uses to work at a sign shop and my bosses kids were terrible about throwing phones in water so he found the little pink water detector strips so I know if you do that you can put it on and trade out your phone
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably super illegal or at least in violation of like everything in the contract you sign about insurance and replacements. Lol
Sent from my CM7 SCH-i500

sageDieu said:
Probably super illegal or at least in violation of like everything in the contract you sign about insurance and replacements. Lol
Sent from my CM7 SCH-i500
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second that LOL.
Anyways, I just want to say Samsung FTW because this phone has just been amazing in so many ways. Abilities to super customize in any way, shape and form, awesome screen...I was VERY hesitant on buying an all touch screen phone. Coming from a Blackberry Tour I was very use to a real keyboard and buttons. Yes this phone has it's up's and downs, but all in all the pros really out weigh the cons.
I'm in absolute NO rush to get a new phone any time soon. I love my Fassy

Wife's Focus - Dropped in water...

My wife dropped her phone.....in the toilet.
I tried turning it on today, and it sits at a screen that has a picture of the phone pointing at a laptop. I tried running the Windows Phone Support Tool, and I get this:
Update device 055ec22b - 332fe4fd - a812e651 - 640069c7 Complete with error code: 801812C0, error message: The update failed because your phone started improperly (in the main OS instead of the SLDR, or system loader).
Is there any way to get the phone reloaded with the default OS, or is her phone toast?

The best way to fix it....... Drop it again in the toilet and buy new phone
Sent from my Xperia Arc using XDA App

maybe try a factory reset by using volume up+camera+ power button to boot..if not you can always try flashing one of the stock firmware available in these forums..assuming your hardware isn't toast these things will work
Sent from my SGH-i917 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

wilcoholic5 said:
maybe try a factory reset by using volume up+camera+ power button to boot..if not you can always try flashing one of the stock firmware available in these forums..assuming your hardware isn't toast these things will work
Sent from my SGH-i917 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried a factory reset, as well as trying to flash the stock firmware on the phone. However, I end up at the same spot with the picture of the phone tethered to the laptop. I have a feeling it's a lost cause at this point. Thanks for the advice.

/ignore background noise
Quick questions:
1. Was the phone on when it was dropped?
2. Was the battery removed immediately?
3. How was it dried and for how long?

It could be worse - mine just took a magical trip through the washing machine in my pants pocket. :/ Anyone know of a good parts supplier that stocks the mainboard? That's the one component I can't find for sale, but I want to make sure I CAN get it before I take apart my other Samsung Focus to troubleshoot the broken part(s).

from my experince with a samsung jet,
I dropped it also in water too, i tried t oturn it after few days, strange things happned too me!!! so decided to get a new phone.
I didn't through my jet, and after few months, I charged the phone, and test it found it working without problems
I believe was just a matter of when al lthe electronics inside the phone gets really dry
try it out

I heard pulling out the battery, and putting everything buried underneath dry rice helps. Probably for a couple of days, then see what happens.

Dieabolical said:
I heard pulling out the battery, and putting everything buried underneath dry rice helps. Probably for a couple of days, then see what happens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a proven method.
Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk

My Focus is VERY sensitive to any dampness at all. If it gets damp in my pocket (sweating, lawn sprinkler, etc.), it will ding constantly with the sound when you connect the USB cable to it. I have to take a hair dryer to the micro-USB port.
A method I heard, but have never tried, is to wrap the phone in a full sized thick bath towel and bind it closed (duct tape, bungee, whatever) and then put it in the clothes dryer on low heat for an hour.

Thanks for all the info. I will be trying it again tomorrow once I get my USB cable back. I know the cable for my Inspire will work on it as well but I forgot that at work today. Thanks again all.

lekhwani said:
This is a proven method.
Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no its not... Its a myth. The liquid evaporates unless you took it all apart and the rice actually touched the liquid and absorbed it. Taking the battery out and leaving the door off and placing the unit in front of a fan will do 1000 times more for the process than rice... Moving air is the perfect evaporator. Plus rice dust gunks up ports... Sorry to burst the experts bubble around here but facts are facts...

Water damaged Incredible

A question for some of the folks in xda land.I have a friend who has an incredible that she dumped in the toilet and it half works on its own whim.She was actually told by someone to put it down in a bag of rice in an attempt to draw out the remaing moisture.Does this really work and if so how long should she leave it in the bag of rice?I had never heard of this and thought I would ask.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App

bob24260 said:
A question for some of the folks in xda land.I have a friend who has an incredible that she dumped in the toilet and it half works on its own whim.She was actually told by someone to put it down in a bag of rice in an attempt to draw out the remaing moisture.Does this really work and if so how long should she leave it in the bag of rice?I had never heard of this and thought I would ask.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sorta works. There's better ways to do it faster... as in rice can take a week or two at least.

loonatik78 said:
It sorta works. There's better ways to do it faster... as in rice can take a week or two at least.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would appreciate any advice you could give.My friend is on a very limited income,single with 3 kids so I'm trying to help her avoid getting another phone.She's had that phone since about a week after its release and it still looks like it just came out of the box.Very well taken care of except for the toilet incident.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium

I've done the bag of rice technique before with success. Not with an Incredible, a Samsumg feature phone, but it does work.

crondable said:
I've done the bag of rice technique before with success. Not with an Incredible, a Samsumg feature phone, but it does work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any idea how long to leave it in bare minimum?
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium

A while back I dropped my phone into my bowl of cereal and it was somewhat damaged by the milk. It was never completely submerged, though, so I think damage was minimal. The charging light wouldn't turn off, but it seemed OK otherwise.
Anyway, I took off the battery cover, removed the battery and SD card and started by using a towel to soak up as much moisture as possible. Then, I grabbed a small Tupperware and poured in a bit of rice. I placed the phone (just the phone, no cover, battery, or SD card) in and poured some more rice in (enough to cover the phone). I snapped the lid on and left it alone for a day. When I put it all back together and turned it on, everything was fine and phone is still going strong.
Depending on the extent of damage I'd think she might need to leave it in longer than a day, but I'm not sure. Her best bet would probably be to leave it as long as she is able to.
Good luck!
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App

Wisegy84 said:
A while back I dropped my phone into my bowl of cereal and it was somewhat damaged by the milk. It was never completely submerged, though, so I think damage was minimal. The charging light wouldn't turn off, but it seemed OK otherwise.
Anyway, I took off the battery cover, removed the battery and SD card and started by using a towel to soak up as much moisture as possible. Then, I grabbed a small Tupperware and poured in a bit of rice. I placed the phone (just the phone, no cover, battery, or SD card) in and poured some more rice in (enough to cover the phone). I snapped the lid on and left it alone for a day. When I put it all back together and turned it on, everything was fine and phone is still going strong.
Depending on the extent of damage I'd think she might need to leave it in longer than a day, but I'm not sure. Her best bet would probably be to leave it as long as she is able to.
Good luck!
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really appreciate your help.She depends on that phone and is on a limited budget.Had got it in better times.Thanks again.I'm open to all suggestions.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium

bob24260 said:
Any idea how long to leave it in bare minimum?
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A week at the minimum. Also tell her to do not touch it while it is in the rice, and especially not to turn it on.

N-Forced said:
A week at the minimum. Also tell her to do not touch it while it is in the rice, and especially not to turn it on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Genuinely appreciate it!
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium

Commercial desicants with a moving air flow works the best. I used to use these reusable desicant packs for storing guns. Those things would suck moisture out of a popcorn fart.

loonatik78 said:
Commercial desicants with a moving air flow works the best. I used to use these reusable desicant packs for storing guns. Those things would suck moisture out of a popcorn fart.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 I worked for a shipping company a while back and I took some 6pack desiccants because my friend dropped her iPhone in the toilet. She put it in a plastic back with the desiccants and left it in front of a fan over night and it worked in the morning. About 8 hours. Plus if you can take the back off and remove the battery place the phone on top of the pack(battery side down) it should speed it up.
Sent from my sexy assistant. (AMOLED HTC Incredible)

loonatik78 said:
Commercial desicants with a moving air flow works the best. I used to use these reusable desicant packs for storing guns. Those things would suck moisture out of a popcorn fart.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know the ones your speaking of...the ones that say "Not a food do not eat!!!"Lol.You know somewhere someone has gave it a whirl.lol
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium

bob24260 said:
I know the ones your speaking of...the ones that say "Not a food do not eat!!!"Lol.You know somewhere someone has gave it a whirl.lol
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol. Yep. Warning labels only exist because someone did something stupid.
Sent from my sexy assistant. (AMOLED HTC Incredible)

synisterwolf said:
+1 I worked for a shipping company a while back and I took some 6pack desiccants because my friend dropped her iPhone in the toilet. She put it in a plastic back with the desiccants and left it in front of a fan over night and it worked in the morning. About 8 hours. Plus if you can take the back off and remove the battery place the phone on top of the pack(battery side down) it should speed it up.
Sent from my sexy assistant. (AMOLED HTC Incredible)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really appreciate the advice.I have passed along the tips and hopefully the device can be saved.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium

Yeah you gotta be ready when stuff like this happens... The very very VERY first thing to do when it becomes submerged is take the battery out and leave it out until the phone is dry

+1 Yep the faster you can remove power the better off you are. And the rice trick has worked for me and other before when a phone/camera/etc has been dropped in water. Once you start getting into soda and other liquids I think the success rate goes down.

^yeah, IIRC if it gets submerged in other liquids you're actually supposed to wash the device off carefully in water because there's no current to short anything (if you have the battery out) and water is the least corrosive

DustinBooyah said:
^yeah, IIRC if it gets submerged in other liquids you're actually supposed to wash the device off carefully in water because there's no current to short anything (if you have the battery out) and water is the least corrosive
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you "wash" the phone. Please do it in distilled water. Water wont hurt the phone its the minerals in water that does it. Your phone will turn on under distilled water.
Sent from my sexy assistant. (AMOLED HTC Incredible)

Need reassurance!!!!

So I just dropped my beloved vibrant ok the toilet and need reassurance, anyone whos done it before, will it live? So far its working ok, random color spasms and headphone port sounded distorted for a second but stopped when I paused music. It hasnt happened in about 15 minutes and the phone fell about an hour ago and dryed for about 30 minutes. I ran it over with a bike before on accident and it still worked and I love this phone so hopefully it will survive. Anyway worst damage to happen to your phone and it still worked?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App

Turn off your phone, take out the battery and put it in a bag of rice. Good as new in about 2 hours.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA App

Before you put it in rice, might want to clean the ports and anything that you can access with distilled water. This will hopefully prevent corrosion from rusty, particle ridden toilet water.

I was at an Ace Hardware where they were selling, for five or ten bucks, a plastic bag with some dessicant for wet-phone rescue. Rice or any dessicant should work fine. I would make sure no rice dust gets into phone.
If you have any kind of blower or compressed air, blowing it out gently on no heat first might be a good idea. Also, I would first take phone somewhat apart, remove battery, sim, sdcard. Dry loose parts by hand, then blow out phone, especially all ports and contacts.
Some kind of tuner-cleaner might be an option if needed.

Thanks guys I took the whole phone apart yesterday and air dryed/ blew air in to dry it out and its working great. Only issue is the volume down rocker doesnt work 100% I have to press it a couple times to make it work. Any way to fix that?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App

your phone has been through hell haha!
unfortunately there isnt much anyone here can tell you. there are certain things you can do to get as much water out as possible like the rice trick, swabbing all ports, etc. but in the long run, theres really no way of telling if any water got in deep enough to go unnoticed/uncleanable, and actually reached a point where it could cause damage <--- and if thats the case, like Woodrube said, you may experience issues somewhere down the road, even long enough to the point when youve totally forgotten about dropping it in the toilet, and youll say "how come this started happening all of a sudden?"
sucks man, gotta be careful...i went to the bathroom one night to relieve myself, after 1 or 2 drinks , and for some reason i thought that holding my phone in the same hand that was aiming wasnt the worst idea ever......yup, i ended up pissing on my blackberry

sneakysnake16 said:
Thanks guys I took the whole phone apart yesterday and air dryed/ blew air in to dry it out and its working great. Only issue is the volume down rocker doesnt work 100% I have to press it a couple times to make it work. Any way to fix that?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it was my phone, I'd get some tuner-cleaner and shoot it into the switch and hope.

TopShelf10 said:
i went to the bathroom one night to relieve myself, after 1 or 2 drinks , and for some reason i thought that holding my phone in the same hand that was aiming wasnt the worst idea ever......yup, i ended up pissing on my blackberry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol. No really I laughed out loud and these ladies sitting next to me turned and looked. Brings new life to the phrase "piss on blackberry".

Woodrube said:
Lol. No really I laughed out loud and these ladies sitting next to me turned and looked. Brings new life to the phrase "piss on blackberry".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100% true story...not my highest point haha, although it did ultimately lead to me getting my vibrant, so i guess it can be considered a win of sorts

[Q] Lg nexus 4 fell into seawater..

So basically the title says it all, I fell into the sea while on vacancy trip with my nexus 4 in my pocket. Its been dead ever since and I am unable to switch it back on.
Any solutions and also ideas please
Thanks

adnaan146 said:
So basically the title says it all, I fell into the sea while on vacancy trip with my nexus 4 in my pocket. Its been dead ever since and I am unable to switch it back on.
Any solutions and also ideas please
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sea water is bad. The salt corrodes electronic contact points really fast.

adnaan146 said:
So basically the title says it all, I fell into the sea while on vacancy trip with my nexus 4 in my pocket. Its been dead ever since and I am unable to switch it back on.
Any solutions and also ideas please
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Open it up, blow-dry.. and hope. Its all you can do at the moment.

MrDarkKV said:
Open it up, blow-dry.. and hope. Its all you can do at the moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
May be worth flushing with distilled water to clean the salt. I realize it's more water but it should help.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

You can also try putting it in rice for that to soak up the moisture as well.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Take the entire thing apart and clean it with rubbing alcohol it will work, trust me
Sent from my Nexus 4 @1.72 GHz on Stock 4.2.2

Nexus 4 ROM-SaltWAterTaffy

If you tried turning the phone on already then the device is gone and can't be Fixed with rice. Plus, seawater adds more to injury with salt.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

zephiK said:
If you tried turning the phone on already then the device is gone and can't be Fixed with rice. Plus, seawater adds more to injury with salt.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like I'm done. Back with my old Gnex. Thanks guys, I'll try to open it and rub with alcohol; can't risk anything anyway.
Could you please explain why trying to turn it on does damage it more?

U can try all the above things but I don't think it would work in this case. Because u didn't pull the battery (not really possible very fast) your phone got short circuited and is probably dead.
Also, if it works your phone will get all sort of other problems after a while. This can be everything from reboots till cam failure.
My advise, sell it and get yourself a new one!
a pigeon delivered this message.... ** your welcome **

gohan040 said:
U can try all the above things but I don't think it would work in this case. Because u didn't pull the battery (not really possible very fast) your phone got short circuited and is probably dead.
Also, if it works your phone will get all sort of other problems after a while. This can be everything from reboots till cam failure.
My advise, sell it and get yourself a new one!
a pigeon delivered this message.... ** your welcome **
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^^this... even if the phone turns on. Most likely you will have problems with it.
btw, why you making poor pigeons deliver messages. You Freak!!! ;P

Very good chance its a goner but might as well try alcohol as mentioned. Just make sure everything is dry after cleaning.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

MrDarkKV said:
Open it up, blow-dry.. and hope. Its all you can do at the moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea... don't use heat tho. just air. DO NOT USE HEAT WITH A HAIR DRYER!!! I REPEAT, NO HEAT!

badboy47 said:
^^this... even if the phone turns on. Most likely you will have problems with it.
btw, why you making poor pigeons deliver messages. You Freak!!! ;P
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm u got a point there.... The pigeon is starting to behave a little weird lately........

adnaan146 said:
Could you please explain why trying to turn it on does damage it more?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You understand how electricity works, right?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

chrisrozon said:
You understand how electricity works, right?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yups, I meant with the seawater, but I already got my answer now. Thanks

michael_ta315 said:
yea... don't use heat tho. just air. DO NOT USE HEAT WITH A HAIR DRYER!!! I REPEAT, NO HEAT!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Out of curiosity, why is heat bad for his phone?

Mohit12 said:
Out of curiosity, why is heat bad for his phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Too much heat is bad for any kind of electric devices. A little warm to dry up is pretty okay, but I recommend no heat at all. Heat will causes expansions that could misshape the devices and leads to other issues (such as disconnect in the mainboard, durability decreased, battery probably wears out faster). Higher temperatures also increase the electrical resistance of the conducting lines, slowing the signal speed and reducing performance.
Learned from my mistake with the ipod touch lol :silly:

adnaan146 said:
So basically the title says it all, I fell into the sea while on vacancy trip with my nexus 4 in my pocket. Its been dead ever since and I am unable to switch it back on.
Any solutions and also ideas please
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey dude did the alcohol worked out? My N4 just got wet in seawater today and right now is in a tupperware full of alcohol (I didn't pull out any screws but is completely submerged)

unfortunately
simondva said:
Hey dude did the alcohol worked out? My N4 just got wet in seawater today and right now is in a tupperware full of alcohol (I didn't pull out any screws but is completely submerged)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mate... Unfortunately my nexus 4 never turned back on. But then the above tips are very legit, at worst it won't turn on again, but if you're lucky everything could be alright except for your camera which most probably has been short circuited. Did you try to turn it on since it fell in the water?
As for my galaxy nexus which was in my pocket when I fell into a pond full of fish at a hotel, it was fortunately not salt water, survived with my camera short circuited and I think part of my board as well as it became slower but then its still works. It was completely drenched as well.
Well its none of my business, how come yours fell into water? My dad's nexus 4 fell down and the screen was completely shattered :'( we are unfortunate with nexus phones here, phones only as my nexus 10 never had any problems since purchased xD
All the luck be with you