Tell us what happened
Bring the phone and tell us what liquid it encountered, when the exposure occurred, what the phone did afterward, and which data matters most.
Liquid damage data recovery · Alameda
Liquid-damaged phone? Focus on the data, not restoring the phone.
For phones exposed to water, drinks, moisture, or other liquids, our goal is usually to recover the important data rather than return a compromised phone to everyday use. Liquid damage can spread, corrosion can continue, and a phone that works today may fail later. We evaluate the original device and use board-level techniques when they are appropriate for data recovery.
What to do first
Stop powering the phone and avoid repeated testing.
If the phone was recently exposed to liquid, unplug it from power and avoid repeatedly turning it on or charging it. Electrical current through contaminated or wet circuitry can cause additional damage and make data recovery more difficult.
Drying the outside of the phone does not remove residue or corrosion inside the device. Rice and similar home remedies cannot clean internal components or reverse electrical damage.
What we evaluate
The original logic board is usually the key to the data.
Modern phones encrypt user data. In many cases, the original logic board and its paired components must function well enough for the phone to unlock and expose the data.
Logic-board corrosion, shorts, and damaged power circuits
Charging and power-path faults preventing startup
Damaged connectors, traces, and board components
Display or touch faults that prevent access to the device
Whether temporary board-level work may allow the phone to boot and unlock
Whether the data can be copied once the original device is functioning sufficiently
A data-first service
We are not trying to make a liquid-damaged phone your daily phone again.
Liquid exposure can create widespread and unpredictable corrosion. Even if a damaged phone can be made to turn on, long-term reliability may be difficult to guarantee. For that reason, our phone liquid-damage work is generally focused on recovering the customer's data rather than restoring the device for continued everyday use.
The work may involve cleaning, diagnosis, temporary component replacement, or microsoldering on the original logic board so the phone can operate long enough to unlock and transfer the important data. Once the data is recovered, we recommend moving it to a reliable replacement device.
How it works
A careful path toward getting the data back.
We evaluate the original device
We inspect the likely affected areas and determine whether board-level work may allow the original phone to boot and provide access to the encrypted data.
Recover and transfer the data
When recovery is successful, the goal is to copy the accessible data off the compromised phone so it can be moved to a reliable device or storage location.
Liquid damage FAQ
Useful things to know before bringing the phone in.
My phone still works. What should I do?
If you can safely access it, back up the important data immediately. Continued use or charging after internal liquid exposure can allow corrosion or an electrical fault to worsen.
Should I put the phone in rice?
No. Rice does not remove conductive residue or corrosion from internal components and can delay proper evaluation while corrosion continues.
Will you make the phone usable again?
That is generally not the objective of this service. Liquid-damaged phones can have unpredictable long-term reliability. Our focus is getting the original device functioning sufficiently to access and recover important data when possible.
Can you recover data from a phone that will not turn on?
In some cases, yes. Modern phones often require the original logic board to function well enough to access encrypted data, so recovery depends on the specific damage and condition of the board.
Alameda
Important data on a liquid-damaged phone?
Bring the phone in as soon as practical and tell us which data is most important to recover.