Whether you dropped your phone into a puddle, sink, your glass OR you just spilled something on it, your phone is now wet and you’re worried about what to do.
We see liquid damaged phones all the time, so here’s a list of what you should do to AVOID needing to see us for liquid damage.
Turn it off immediately!
This might seem like a no-brainer, but you need to turn off your phone immediately if it’s still on.
THAT’S VERY IMPORTANT – even if your phone is still functional, but common-sense tells you that there’s water in your phone, you need to turn it off and take the battery out to get the water out. The water may not be eating away at the metals in your phone yet, but if you don’t do anything to stop it, your phone can have real, irreversible damage soon.
Real damage = real money, as legitimate liquid damage repairs are expensive, and sometimes it’s actually not possible to save the phone and you’ll need to get a new one. Your phone WAS working after taking a dip, but if there’s water trapped in there it’ll die a slow death over the next few days.
As a computer repair shop, we’ve seen our fair share of viruses. And when our CEO asked everyone what we all personally believed to be the best way to protect yourself from malware and viruses in general, the answer was pretty one-sided. Common sense.
Common Sense
More than anything else, the best way to protect yourself online is by using common sense. Be careful what you’re clicking on, what attachments you’re opening, what you’re downloading, and who you’re trusting. Common sense is a really ambiguous term though, so here are some specific tips to help you out.
Browse with caution
Browsing with caution doesn’t necessarily mean being afraid to open up Yahoo or CNBC, but if you think a website or email looks sketchy or out-of-place, maybe skip it. Phishing can take many forms: someone asking for money is obviously a ploy, but “Well’s Fargo” sending you an email saying you need to verify your information in the next 24 hours or they’ll close your account isn’t quite as obvious. When in doubt, look for signs to verify the email is legitmate, like a phone number or contact information at the bottom of the email and verify that it matches with Wells Fargo’s actual number.
Make sure you’re on the right website
Take a quick look at a website’s domain to make sure you’re on the correct site before you submit personal information or download anything. If you’re going to download Microsoft Office, make sure you’re on Microsoft.com, not Microsftoff.com. It’s a small detail, but that’s exactly how people get malicious software.
Check for an SSL certificate
An additional security measure on websites is having an SSL Certificate (Secure Sockets Layer). That’s the little lock next to the website’s name:
It essentially just means that any information sent to or from that website will be encrypted and is therefore much harder to access for any 3rd party.
Don’t click sketchy ads
If you’re going to websites to illegally stream your favorite shows or sports, you should probably be cautious, use an adblocker, and don’t click the ads you DO see on the page. But if you’re the type of person to go to those websites, you probably know that already.
When all else fails: use your common sense. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.
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