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Can You Waterproof Your Own Phone?

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Can You Waterproof Your Own Phone?

If you’ve been to a swimming pool over the last few years, you’ve probably felt the envy which comes when you see people using their smartphones while in the water. Giving them the chance to take snaps below the surface, not have to worry about water damage, and keep connected while they have fun, this sort of feature is great. Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t come on that many phones. To give you the chance to change this, this post will be exploring a route which can be taken to improve the water resistance of your phone.

Warning: Like any modifications of this type, you will void your warranty when you go through with it. Along with this, you also risk breaking the device, making it essential that you do your research before starting.

The Research

This sort of job will always have to start with some research. Some phones are easier than others to take apart, and this is something which a lot of people don’t realise. There are loads of websites which can help with this, with examples like iFixIt providing you with loads of great guides to make it easier to understand what will go into this. It can also be worth looking up the sort of materials you plan to use, as this will be helpful when it comes to ordering them.

The Tear Down

Once you have an idea of how the phone comes apart, it will be time to get started on it. It’s likely that you’ll need special security screwdrivers for this, along with power tools like a heat gun, but all of these items are fairly cheap. It’s worth collecting your screws and keeping them separately to make sure that you know where they go when you put the device back together. At this stage, breaking something would be very bad, as you will have already voided your warranty.

The Waterproofing

With your device in pieces, it will be time to start working on the actual waterproofing. The bulk of this work will be handled with a spray known as conformal coating, and you can buy items like this from a device coating company. This will protect the sensitive circuits inside your device by applying a layer on top of them. You have to be careful, though, as it can stop contact points from working if it is applied to them. Along with a coating, it could also be worth looking for some rubber bungs which can be used to cover your ports.

Having a waterproof phone opens up a lot of possibilities. Even the idea of being able to use a device like this in the shower is a very novel one, and is something which few people have had the chance to experience. Of course, though, there are some real benefits to this, especially if you spend a lot of time outside. As time goes on, these devices become more expensive, and this is forcing people to care far more about them than ever before.

Comments

B
Bob
2/3/2019 6:19:16 PM
Many good points!
S
Steve
2/3/2019 6:20:32 PM
Agreed!

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