If you have owned or used a Samsung smartphone, you may have encountered a “moisture detected error.” Most high-end smartphones in the various lineups, including A-series, M-series, S-series, and so on, are fitted with IP ratings. However, there’s a possibility that you would still get a notification that moisture has been detected on the USB port, which discourages charging to prevent potential short circuits.
Assuming that you are looking for a fix, here’s what moisture detected an error on Samsung devices means and how to fix it using various troubleshooting methods listed below so read along.
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What is a Moisture Detected Error on Samsung Devices?
Before finding a way to fix an issue, you must know what it is. To get things straight, a hoard of Samsung Galaxy devices have an official IP rating which means they are protected against water and dust to a certain degree. This also means the OEM has protected crucial entry points such as speakers, mic, USB port, and others with seals and gaskets to prevent water from seeping in but in a favorable condition. An IP*8 rating gives your phone protection against water for 30 minutes at a 1.5m depth. Depending upon the IP certification, your phone will also have a certain degree of protection against water.
Samsung smartphones have a moisture detection sensor in the charging port that alerts users if any moisture is detected. Since a charging port is where you connect your charger cable to juice up the battery, it becomes a point where water can cause short circuits. Samsung devices send alerts when moisture is detected and stop the device from charging. It is up to the user to fix it or else he/she will see the moisture notification on the notification panel and a ‘drop’ shaped symbol on the status bar.
Even if it isn’t moisture to be precise, accumulation of dirt and dust can prevent the device from charging. It is also possible that a hot and humid climate caused the moisture to build up, or it could be sweat. Damaged charging port due to careless usage, corrosion when in contact with moisture or water, damage for any other reason, or dust. Here’s how you can fix the Moisture Detected Error on Samsung Devices.
How to Fix Moisture Detected Error on Samsung Devices?
Here are some of the troubleshooting methods that you will find handy. Samsung even recommends some of them, so do ‘em all.
Use a soft and dry cloth
Since you get moisture-detected errors on Samsung devices, you should wipe off any water or moisture. I’ll prefer cotton or a microfiber cloth to wipe off the device and ports, although don’t push it too much as you could damage the charging port. Keep the phone under the ceiling fan. That should help the moisture evaporate sometimes.
Use a toothpick
Water or traces in the charging port can throw a moisture-detected error on your phone. You’ll unlikely use a dry cloth to dig deeper in the port to clean off excess moisture inside it. Using a rubber or plastic toothpick with a tiny piece of cloth or tissue paper will assist you in sucking the moisture out as you can reach deeper into the ports. Again, make sure you have a check on the port first, examine where the moisture is, and gently put the toothpick with a tissue wrapped on it to wipe it off. Be gentle as any damage to any of the pins in the charging port will damage it, and you would need a permanent replacement to fix it.
Blow compressed air
This is a safe method as you are pricking inside the port, although make sure the air you blow is dry as even traces of liquid in the air will escalate the situation.
A hairdryer works
Usually, a hairdryer blows out hot air to dry the water off your hair. Since you are battling water and moisture with your phone, why not deploy a hairdryer? Make sure that the air blown by the dryer is slightly hot but not extremely hot, as it will damage the components inside the port. Adjust the speed to slow and blow the air inside the charging port at different angles to try and dry up moisture. If only the moisture were forcing the ‘moisture detected error’ to go off, this method should fix it up.
Rinse it
It seems counterintuitive that I mentioned rinsing could help fix the problem, but I am not talking about using water to rinse the port. Isopropyl alcohol, petrol, or distilled water can help you rinse the port, removing any moisture. Use a very small amount of the substances above on a paper towel and insert it into the port to clean it up. Once you feel it is enough, keep the phone under a fan and check back in a few minutes.
Keep it under sunlight
Another point that seems counterintuitive is keeping the phone under sunlight. I am not talking about keeping the phone under direct sunlight as it will cause more damage than good. Instead, find a place where there’s enough sunlight that the moisture could evaporate over a few minutes/hours but not much to raise the temperature beyond what it can handle. This should take some time. Plug the charger and turn on the power to check whether the battery is charging.
Use tweezers
This method can be useful if dirt/dust or corrosion due to moisture is preventing the phone from charging the battery. Use the tweezer to rub and remove the dirt and corrosion build-up in the port. I have mentioned it several times, but you must ensure you aren’t causing more damage than good.
Use the rice grain method
This is a traditional method that tech experts usually recommend; however, this is time-consuming. It takes approx 48 hours for uncooked rice to soak any traces of water in a water-damaged phone. Since we are talking about a potentially water-damaged or moisture-affected charging port, you will need at least a few hours. Take some uncooked rice in a ziplock bag, pour it into a container, and keep the phone’s bottom half stuck in the rice. This should assist the rice in doing its magic.
You can use silica gel to do the same; although not in a large quantity, a few packs of silica gel will be enough. Once you remove the phone from the container or bag, use a clean and dry cloth to wipe it and check whether the problem is sorted.
How to verify if the charging port is damaged or not?
Assuming that the charging port has some moisture that would trigger moisture detected an error and cause the charging to stop, you will need to verify if the port is damaged or not. You should do this before proceeding to the last method listed below.
Assuming your phone is not charging, you should verify if the charging port is damaged. You will need another phone; take your charger, and plug it to charge. If the charging doesn’t start, the cable or the charging brick must be blamed. If another phone starts charging, the charging port has been damaged due to water. Take a different cable, try charging the phone using the new cable and check if the phone charges or not.
In such cases, you will have to report the issue to a service center and start charging the phone.
Perform a restore factory
This is the last resort to try and fix the “moisture detected error” on Samsung Galaxy devices before you can walk into a service center near you. This is a potential solution to every glitch or bug where the software is at fault. Here’s how you can do it on your phone.
- Firstly, go to Settings >> Backup and reset.
- Next up, tap on Factory data reset.
- Proceed by tapping on the Reset device.
- Enter the credentials when prompted and hit Continue.
- Tap on “Erase Everything, ” which should delete everything you have on your device for good.
Report the issue
Ultimately, you won’t be able to charge the battery with a moisture-detected error on the screen. Assuming that you are still searching for a method to fix it and nothing mentioned above works in your favor, the final resort is to report the issue to a technician. Since almost all the phones arrive with non-removable batteries, you can’t charge the battery alone, and you will need a charging port. Turns out you cannot use it either, and that just sets off a clock before your phone’s battery dies out.
Reporting the issue to a technician can help repair or permanently change the charging port that is damaged beyond repair. If your phone is under warranty and you want to keep it intact, you can walk into an authorized service center, or a local service center will be a cheaper alternative.