Apple support and IPad troubles

Water and electronics generally do not make happy bedfellows. Unlike recent models of iPhone, your iPad is not designed to be water resistant. While the iPad may survive being splashed with water if immediately dried, it will almost certainly suffer irreparable damage if it is allowed to get wet, or is submerged for any length of time.

If the worst should happen, speed is essential. If the iPad gets wet, it should be immediately dried with an absorbent towel - then set aside in a warm, dry location to thoroughly dry. The iPad should be turned-off - and no attempt made to turn-on, use, or charge the iPad until you are absolutely certain that the iPad has fully dried out. Pay particular attention to the charging port.

While you can safely use Silica Gell sachets to aid the drying process, never use rice to aid the drying process; unavoidable dust from the rice will cause more damage and encourage mould growth.

While the iPad is unlikely to be repairable, if you need the iPad to be assessed and seek assurance that the iPhone is okay, a visit to the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) will provide opportunity for the technicians to test and assess the iPad and iPhone for damage:

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

For practical purposes, in lieu of repairing and returning an iPad, Apple usually exchange a qualifying iPad for a renewed/refurbished iPad of the same model and specification. The cost of the exchange is the same as would otherwise be charged for repair. Unless you have benefit of an active AppleCare plan, an out-of-warranty repair will be expensive but somewhat less than the cost of purchasing a new iPad.

As for out-of-warranty repair costs, Apple offers a fixed-price price repair. You can verify eligibility and cost for your region/country here:

iPad Repair & Service - Apple Support

If you have an active AppleCare+ plan, the cost of repair is reduced to a small excess/deductible fee.

tiffanyfromjefferson wrote:

Believe it or not, as salty as I might sound, I do appreciate it. Wishing there were more situational content, but that’s really okay.

The “situational content” here is “dunked devices are bad, power it off, don’t charge it, and dry using best available local dry-moving-air option for several days”, with “don’t use rice” and a side-helping of “AppleCare+ usually covers this with a deductible and the warranty doesn’t.”

Which is the typical and not-particularly-situational answer for all of these cases.

AppleCare+ replacement requirements and availability can vary, depending on where you are located and where the coverage will be accepted. That’s situational.

well the warranty do not cover devices being exposed to water

Legal - Hardware Warranties - Apple

if it was me then I would put it in a dry place and wait until I got back and then bring it in for service at apple

tiffanyfromjefferson wrote:

You have a sense of humor, that’s good. Lol no I found it not helpful but that’s mainly because it did not actually address any of the restraints I have here where I am. That’s okay. It also feels cooks cutter due to the fact that it’s almost word for word what I found somewhere else, not actually addressing my limitations. But I’m glad someone else found it comprehensive

Information that you find elsewhere - such as Google aggregation and so-called AI - is typically "scraped" information from other sources, such as the Apple Support Communities. As such, for Apple-related questions and queries, the information that you see elsewhere will have likely originated here. For Contributors that make frequent contributions, it is perhaps inevitable that you will encounter their material elsewhere.

Just a point of clarification here....

Your original post infers that your Warranty will shortly expire - and it is perhaps this that you feel is not being adequately addressed within replies here. For avoidance of doubt, your iPad is not waterproof or at all water resistant. Any water damage is explicitly excluded from warranty service. As for iPhone, while recent models are water resistant, water damage will not be covered by the manufacturer's device warranty unless the consequential damage is proven to be as a result of a manufacturing fault.

In both instances, if you have benefit of an active AppleCare+ plan, you will have coverage for accidental damage - which will include damage caused by water. Without an active AppleCare+ plan, water damage will most likely result in complete device replacement - at your cost.

Sorry, but this is a the [perhaps bitter] bottom line.

My IPhone and IPad Air from 2025 got wet, I’m in a country that does not have immediate appropriate and trusted service for Apple products but I’m going to the UK in a month. I have waited 48 hours with a fan on the iPad, I have to limited to no access to appropriate drying agents. The iPad is showing signs of not being able to stay on after the 48 hours, and it is my only current option outside my phone for doing work associated tasks.

I cannot give the iPad to any computer services here because they do not have the right equipment to take care of an IPad. What can I do? I know rice is not suggested but are there other means of addressing water in the mean time.

I’ve tried to reserve something in the UK but because I’m not there now I cannot reserve a time before I arrive. I need to have this issue addressed quickly as my warranty is about to expire. I also have tried to contact support but there is limited options here.

This feels like a copy and paste response, especially when I later mention that I have limited to no access to drying agents, and the fact that I mentioned putting it in front of a fan for 48 hours. But I do appreciate the fact that you took your time to post. I did read up on this subject before posting myself, so I was really asking if there were any special situational hacks when accessing the normal methods are not possible.

I would 100% agree with you if I was in a country where I would have access soon. I unfortunately not in a country that has quick access to, or qualified people to assist. BUT I will be trying to take it to a shop as soon as possible.

tiffanyfromjefferson wrote:

This feels like a copy and paste response, especially when I later mention that I have limited to no access to drying agents, and the fact that I mentioned putting it in front of a fan for 48 hours. But I do appreciate the fact that you took your time to post. I did read up on this subject before posting myself, so I was really asking if there were any special situational hacks when accessing the normal methods are not possible.

No, not a copy and paste response - but a comprehensive reply.

Please don't forget, others that are in a similar situation may also be searching for help - and in so doing may encounter this thread. In providing a comprehensive and qualified reply, those also looking for help will find all the information that they may need.

As for "drying agents", without explicit information as to what you may refer, you may not be aware of the appropriate materials - some of which you may or may not have considered.

<< this feels like a copy and paste response >>

What they wrote sounds to me like a comprehensive, appropriate and thorough response. It is likely based on years of experience answering queries similar to this one over, and over, and over. After writing a few dozen times, some answers do tend to get a polished sound to them.

But that does not make the information any less appropriate.

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If you prefer, someone less methodical can slap together a sloppy off the cuff response that touches only the high points and misses a few.

You have a sense of humor, that’s good. Lol no I found it not helpful but that’s mainly because it did not actually address any of the restraints I have here where I am. That’s okay. It also feels cooks cutter due to the fact that it’s almost word for word what I found somewhere else, not actually addressing my limitations. But I’m glad someone else found it comprehensive

Believe it or not, as salty as I might sound, I do appreciate it. Wishing there were more situational content, but that’s really okay.