What to do if Galaxy S9 Plus (S9+) drains battery fast and showing moisture detected error

Samsung’s water resistance protection for its flagship devices like the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus is overrated. There has been many instances wherein users report to us that their device became problematic after exposing them to water. In this post, we include two problems that describes what we’re talking about. If you have a Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus that has a battery drain issue or moisture detected error after it got wet, learn how to deal with it below.

Problem: Galaxy S9 Plus (S9+) drains battery fast and showing moisture detected error

I own a Samsung Galaxy s9+. I recently went swimming and took a couple of pics and videos with the phone and submerged it in water a couple of times,no more than 15 minutes did i use it in water and soon after i dried it with a cloth but it just started to power itself down up till today,it only stays on for like 10minutes then powers down,i have also noticed that its begun to feel quite a bit hot at the touch so im not sure if this is all being caused by putting it under water,it does get warm time and again depending on how heavy im using it but this extreme,kindly please help me with solutions on how to fix this. Thanks a lot.

 

Hi. we went to the beach earlier today around 10am spent probably an hour swimming but the phone isn’t fully submerged for the whole hour as my wife can’t swim and just kept on taking photos. This is not the 1st time we’ve submerged the phone in water although it is the 1st time we tried submerging it in salt water. Anyways, we left the beach at 11am and until now 8pm the phone still says its detecting moisture. Normally it takes about 3 to 4 hours and the phone is dry and we can charge it normally. We’ve used blowdryer still no go… Please help!

Solution: Although labeled water-resistant, the Samsung Galaxy S9 is not fully waterproof. It’s not meant to be used in ocean or when swimming. High pressure around the device when moving in water can overwhelm its water resistance protection. This means that seawater may have penetrated the device’s defenses causing damage inside. Unfortunately, the only way to check for sure is by opening the phone and doing a full physical check. For this to be successful, you must let a Samsung-certified technician to do the job.

Residue in the port

Another possible reason why exposing your S9 to seawater is a big no-no is the fact that salt residue may form in the charging port afterwards. If you are not careful and don’t wash the device with regular or tap water (not distilled or bottled water), residue may form in the port causing “moisture detected” error. In some cases, residue or moisture in the charging port may prevent the phone from charging properly or not at all.

Dry the phone properly

It’s very likely that you haven’t dried the phone properly and there’s remaining liquid or moisture in the charging port. “Moisture detected” error is a warning and reminder that the charging port is still wet, and as such, unable to charge. Phone makers design their water resistant devices to prevent charging when there’s water or liquid in the charging port. If charging proceeds when the port is wet, it can damage the system. Needless to say, drying the phone properly is important.

So how do you dry your phone properly anyways? Here’s how:

1. Wash the phone with clean, tap water. Make sure that you also wash the charging port. Be careful not to use high-pressure water when washing the port. Your goal is to remove by water any salt or residue that’s in the charging port.
2. Wipe the phone with clean, soft cloth.
3. Leave the phone standing so any remaining water in the port falls down for a few hours. If possible, leave the device in a place with room temperature. Alternatively, you can place it near a source of indirect heat like the back of a TV or computer. Water naturally evaporates in room temperature after a few hours.
4. After a few hours, check how charging works, or if moisture detected error remains.
5. Another way to dry your phone is to cover it with rice in a sealed container and leave it for at least 48 hours. This should allow rice to absorb water or moisture from the device. You can also use silica gel desiccant in place of rice to effectively absorb water or moisture. Again, leave the device in a sealed container for 48 hours to allow chemistry do its thing.

Contact Samsung support

Should the problem remain after drying your Galaxy S9, you should consider contacting Samsung for help. As mentioned above, there’s a chance that water may have entered the device causing a problem. Let Samsung repair the phone for you.

 

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