6 THINGS TO DO AND NOT TO DO WHEN YOUR SMARTPHONE FALLS IN WATER

5.Don't: Rinse the smartphone in clean water

While there's some chance of saving a smartphone that falls into fresh water, the chances of saving it after a dip in salty seawater are considerably slimmer.

In fact, the salt will cause the metal parts of the device, as well as the onboard electronics, to oxidize much more quickly. Rinsing the device in clean water won't help either. The damage is already done.

6.Do: Back up all your data as soon as the smartphone powers up

Immersion in a liquid is often fatal for smartphones, but in some lucky cases, the device will switch back on and power up as normal.

In that case, the first thing to do is back up all of your data. Certain parts of the device risk rusting very quickly: The smartphone's lifespan will have been considerably reduced by its underwater adventure. You will, however, probably have enough time to choose a new model