How to Fix & Retrieve Pictures/Videos From a Water Damaged iPhone That Won’t Turn on

This article guides you in detail, how to fix such water-damaged iPhone and recover lost photos and videos when the device is not turning on.
The damage caused by water or any other liquid on iPhones is unpredictable. Your iPhone may or may not turn on and there is a high possibility of losing your data including photos and videos on it.
Even if your iPhone is under the one-year warranty, Apple does not cover liquid damages to iPhone. So now you are in a crazy situation of double loss, of owning a faulty device and losing precious photos and videos stored in it.
First, a piece of advice: Stay calm. Before trying to retrieve lost photos through any method follow the essential dos and don’ts to fix your iPhone and avoid further loss.

DOs for Water Damaged iPhone

• Try drying
  Remove excess water off the iPhone by rubbing it dry on a towel. Gently shake it to clear the water in the sockets and ports of the phone.
• Do not plug it in or turn it on
  Do not plug or turn on the wet iPhone as this can cause a short circuit. Even if it turns on, it will stop working forever after sometime. If the iPhone is in Power on or Sleep Mode, switch it off completely and leave it to dry for at least two days.
• Remove the SIM card
  Take out the SIM card from the iPhone to avoid damage to key components and rub it dry on a clean cotton cloth.
• Dry with silica gel sachets
  Use silica gel packets to dry your wet iPhone and leave it for at least 48 hours.

DON’Ts for Water Damaged iPhone

• Do not press any buttons of wet iPhone
• Do not try to switch on your iPhone to avoid short circuit
• Do not use a hairdryer or other drying tools to dry your phone
• Do not place your iPhone in raw rice to avoid foreign particles entering inside

How to Recover Data from Water Damaged iPhone

After doing above essential hacks, once you power on your water damaged iPhone, there are two possibilities, either your phone starts working but you have lost your data or iPhone does not switch on at all!
Do not panic, as in either case, you can recover your lost photos and videos from a water damaged iPhone via two methods

Method 1: Recover from iCloud and iTunes backup
Apple has this remarkable feature in which all iPhone data is automatically saved in iCloud and iTunes backup. You just you need to sign in to iCloud or iTunes through your Apple ID on the new iOS device. Next, select and transfer the desired files to the new device from the list of available backups in iCloud/iTunes.

Method 2: Recover from third-party application
In case you are unable to restore photos from the iCloud and iTunes backup files or have deleted your desired files from the backup, opt for a third-party application to recover photos or videos from your water damaged iPhone.
From a plethora of iPhone data recovery software available in the market, experts recommend to pick only the trusted and secure data recovery tool, specially designed for the iOS device.

Use iPhone Data Recovery Software by Stellar
One of the commonly used third-party data recovery software is Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone. The easy-to-use interface and 100% safe download makes it a popular choice among iPhone users.

 

If your iPhone is synchronized with iCloud and iTunes backup, you can retrieve lost photos and videos from water damaged iPhone using Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone. In the situation when your iPhone is not detected by the system or do not switch on at all, after it is damaged due to water, the software offers two ways to recover photos and videos:

1. Recovery from iCloud Backup
2. Recovery from iTunes Backup

Step-by-step: Recovery from iCloud Backup
Step 1: Install and Run Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone and select “Recover from iCloud Backup” from the main menu.

Figure 1: Illustrates the main screen

Step 2: Enter the Apple ID and password to sign in to iCloud.

Figure 2: Illustrates the credential screen

Step 3: After entering the credentials, the software displays the list of all backup files. Select the desired files and click Scan

Figure 4: Illustrates backup files list

Step 4: Preview the selected files and press Save. You can save recovered photos or videos at the desired location.

Figure 5: Illustrates the preview of the files

Step-by-step: Recovery from iTunes Backup
Step 1: Select “Recover from iTunes Backup” option on the main screen

Step 2: The software displays all iTunes backup files. From the Tree view, select the file categories from which you want to recover photos/videos. it will list all files under that category.

Figure 6: Illustrates the backup files list

Step 3: Preview the existing and/or deleted files

Figure 7: Illustrates the Preview of files under the selected category

Step 4: Click ‘Save’ to recover the file. You can either choose to save all or a few files by selecting the checkboxes.

Figure 8: Illustrates the file saving process

Conclusion
The safest way to recover lost photos and videos from water damaged iPhone is through a secure third-party tool.
The easy-to-use interface along with scanning and recovery precision makes iPhone Photo Recovery Software by Stellar most sought by iPhone users. It comes as a blessing, especially when the iTunes and iCloud backup files become inaccessible or unreadable.

 

Try the Free Demo Version of the software to recover your lost and deleted pictures/videos in Mac or in Windows.

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About The Author

Sumona Chatterjee

Sumona is a tech blogger, avid photographer, & technogeek with vast experience in writing about media file recovery tips and tutorials. She has over 10 years of experience in media file recovery/media file repair technology. She is passionate about Photography, Creative Designing, Music, and Exploring lesser-known destinations.