What actually happens to a water-damaged phone (and why rice does not work)

Rice is dry starch. It does not pull water from under a shield or out of a connector. It does waste the hour when corrosion is still easy to stop. Power the phone off. Do not charge it. Do not put it on a radiator. Bring it in.

Water on a logic board does two things. First it bridges contacts that should stay apart — that is why a wet phone might boot once and then die. Second it leaves minerals that keep eating copper after the phone “feels dry.” A week on a windowsill does not finish the job. It finishes the board.

On the bench we open it, look at the connectors, and often clean with isopropyl or an ultrasonic bath. Then we tell you what actually failed. Charging ports and display cables die first. Sometimes the board is stained and still works. Sometimes a power rail is gone and a repair is not honest value. We would rather say that than sell you a new screen on a phone that will not stay on.

Sea water and sugary drinks are worse than tap water. Mention what it fell in. It changes how aggressive we are with the clean, and how honest the prognosis is.

Inspection has a price. The repair itself stays no-fix-no-fee: if we cannot bring it back, you do not pay for a miracle. Pack it without rice. Post it if you cannot reach Wigan. And skip the bag of basmati.