In this blog, we will learn the causes of iPhone water damage and how to check your iPhone water damage. Also, we will let you know the symptoms of water damaged iPhone and what are repair options which you can opt for, and how to decide whether to repair it or buy a new one.

Know your iPhone, is it really Waterproof!

Don’t get into the advertising trap made by Apple to increase its iPhone sales. Though it’s a wonderful tactic to advertise iPhones are water-resistant we need to be aware of what exactly they meant water-resistant to be. iPhones are rated by Ingress Progression, which is called an IP rating. This rating tells customers exactly how water and dust-resistant their phone is, with different specifications for each rating.

iPhones 6s and before are not rated. The iPhone 7, 8, X, XR, and SE 2 have IP67 ratings. This means that these phones are dust-resistant and water-resistant when submerged up to 1 meter in water or less.

Every new iPhone since the iPhone XS (excluding the iPhone SE 2) is rated IP68. Some are designed to be water-resistant when submerged no deeper than 2 meters for up to 30 minutes. Others, like the iPhone 12 Pro, can resist water when submerged up to six meters!

Once again, Apple doesn’t cover liquid damage for iPhones, so we do not recommend intentionally testing these standards on your own!

The below table clarifies which iPhone models can support dust or water resistance

How to check whether your iPhone is water damaged?

Many of you may know how to check the water damage on your iPhone from the outside. But, for those who are not aware here is the best way to check for iPhone water damage is to look at its liquid contact indicator or LCI. On newer iPhones, the LCI is located in the same slot as the SIM card. On older models of the iPhone (4s and earlier), you’ll find LCIs in the headphone jack, charging port, or both.