Dropped Your Phone in Snow or Slush? Do This Now

Why slush is worse than snow

Clean, powdery snow is mostly frozen water. If you get it off quickly, before it melts into the seams, many phones come through fine. Slush is different. In Ontario, roadside slush is full of road salt, sand and grit, and it's already liquid, so it gets into ports and speaker openings right away.

Salty water conducts electricity better than fresh water and leaves crystals behind when it dries. Those crystals can keep corroding contacts inside the phone long after it looks dry. That's why a phone that seems fine after a dunk in slush can start acting up later.

Water-resistance ratings don't change this much. They're tested with fresh water in lab conditions, they weaken as phones age and take drops, and a cracked screen or back means the seal is already compromised.

Do this right now

1. Get it out and shake off the snow. Brush snow off with your hand or a glove while it's still frozen. The less that melts on the phone, the better.
2. Wipe off slush. Use a dry cloth, scarf or your sleeve to wipe the outside, paying attention to the charging port, speaker grilles and buttons.
3. Take the case off. Slush trapped between the case and the phone keeps the phone wet. Dry the case separately.
4. Turn it off if it's acting strangely. If the screen flickers, the phone gets warm or you know liquid got inside, power it off.
5. Don't charge it. Not by cable and not on a wireless pad. If your iPhone or Galaxy shows a liquid or moisture warning when you plug in, unplug and wait.
6. Don't press buttons repeatedly. Pressing pushes moisture past the button seals.

Coming indoors: the condensation problem

When something cold comes into a warm house, moisture in the indoor air condenses on it, the same way your glasses fog up. A phone that's been in the snow is cold inside and out, so condensation can form on the inside too.

• If the phone got cold but stayed dry: before you head inside, put it in a closed bag or a zipped inner coat pocket and let it warm up gradually there. Moisture will tend to collect on the bag rather than the phone.
• If the phone actually got wet: skip the bag. Getting it dry matters more. Bring it in, take the case off and let it warm to room temperature in open air.
• In either case, let it warm naturally. Don't hold it over a heat vent, put it near a fireplace or use a hair dryer on hot.

Dealing with road salt and grit

Once the phone is at room temperature, check the outside for a white, chalky film or sandy grit, especially around the port and speaker openings.

• Wipe the outside with a soft cloth very lightly dampened with clean water to lift salt residue, then dry it straight away with a dry cloth. Keep the cloth away from the openings.
• Don't pour water into the port or rinse a phone that's cracked, older or not water resistant.
• Don't scrape grit out of the port with a pin or anything metal. Tapping the phone gently against your palm with the port facing down helps loosen loose grit and water.

Drying it properly

1. Hold the phone with the charging port facing down and tap it gently against your palm a few times to shake out liquid.
2. Set it on a dry towel somewhere with good airflow at room temperature. A fan on a cool setting is fine.
3. Leave it for several hours, ideally longer, before you try to charge it.
4. Don't use rice. It doesn't pull water out of a phone and can leave dust and starch in the port. Our post on the wet phone rice myth explains why.

Signs it needs a check

Salt corrosion doesn't always show up right away. Watch over the following days and weeks for:

• Charging that's slow, intermittent or only works at an angle
• Moisture warnings that keep returning after the phone has dried
• Muffled or crackly speakers, or people saying they can't hear you
• Fog inside the camera lens
• Screen flicker, lines or touch problems
• The phone getting warm or the battery draining quickly

If the phone went fully into salty slush, it's worth a check even if it seems fine, because cleaning out salt residue early is easier than repairing corrosion later. Back up the phone as soon as it's working so your photos and data are safe either way.

For a full walkthrough of liquid damage, see our water damage guide.

When to call a technician

If your phone took a dip in slush or is showing any of the signs above, a certified woman technician can come to your home, workplace, parked car or condo lobby to open it up, check for salt and corrosion and clean or repair what's needed. You get a free quote before any work starts. See our water damage repair page and the areas we cover, or call or WhatsApp (365) 351-4247.

Frequently asked questions

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