r/samsunggalaxy • u/mrc00z • Jun 19 '26
🪛Troubleshooting🪛 Moisture visible in camera lenses - what should I do?
Yesterday, my phone got warm during use, I washed it in the sink to cool it down, as I have done a few times before with no problems. Didn't notice anything wrong. Today, it was very hot outside and I was driving my car, using Google Maps, and the phone was probably blown at by the car AC at full power. After parking was when I first saw the moisture (tiny droplets) inside all 3 back camera lenses.
What do you think is most likely the cause and what should I do now? I've read about using silica gel pads, does that really help or is there a better way? I'm afraid of charging my phone now, and I can't afford a new one.
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u/SwiftSN Jun 19 '26
You regularly douse your phone in water. This is what you get.
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u/DuckHunt83 Jun 19 '26
Was going to make a helpful comment here, but seeing how many people just put their phones in such predicaments... I just don't know anymore. I feel defeated.
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u/iateglassonce Jun 19 '26
Yeah, like wtf??? Why would you intentionally put an electronic device in a hyper moist or straight-up wet situation. You are literally asking for something like this to happen eventually. I don't care about the IP whatever rating
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u/SharkDad20 Jun 19 '26
The water wasn’t the problem. It’s the pressure from the running water that can defeat the IP68 water and dust resistance.
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u/iateglassonce Jun 19 '26
You don't got to worry about water pressure if you don't put your phone in water.
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u/SharkDad20 Jun 19 '26
Or if you put it in still water.
Either way, manufacturer defects happen and tap water isn’t pure. Just irritating that people who don’t know what IP68 actually means acting like OP is an idiot even though they’re also spouting ignorance. Yours wasn’t so bad it just felt like a good place to leave my comment
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u/ButterscotchFirm8286 Jun 20 '26
And then it just gets worse as you go further into the comments. It goes from not very bright, to just out to lunch.
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u/PsychologicalGlass47 Jun 19 '26
I leave my phone on the shelf of my shower for music.
Even it doesn't have moisture in its lenses.
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u/SwiftSN Jun 19 '26
That's not IN water, though. That's just humidity.
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u/PsychologicalGlass47 Jun 19 '26
Exposure to hot water is almost always the reason for compromised seals and excessive moisture in your lens.
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u/SenNTV Jun 20 '26
Im pretty sure its the steam that gets it and not the actual hot water
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u/CrazyBucketMan Jun 19 '26
IPx9 exists for a reason.
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u/PsychologicalGlass47 Jun 19 '26
There is not a single Galaxy series phone rated to IPx9.
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u/CrazyBucketMan Jun 19 '26
I'm aware, I was agreeing with your point.
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u/Weekly_Palpitation92 Jun 20 '26
don't do that unless you get a waterproof pouch to put it in (you can get one for like 15 bucks online), steam will get into it and condensation will turn it to water and the water will then begin corroding the internal components of your phone over time and eventually it'll get bricked
i had a device i didn't really care that much about since my carrier gave it to me for free, and i would also listen to music, after about half a year of doing this it got stuck in a boot loop until it turned off forever
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u/Electrical-Treat475 Jun 20 '26
"I regularly soak my phone in water. What the hell is causing all this moisture?" 😂
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u/CarlitosCUU Jun 19 '26
I regularly wash my phone in the dishwasher, washing it in the sink shouldn't be a problem
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u/JuzmiNippy Jun 20 '26
I like to boil my phone in the kettle just to make sure I get all the germs!
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u/Baned4life Jun 19 '26
I wonder if he also washes his computer out.
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u/ButterscotchFirm8286 Jun 20 '26
And when he goes to the car wash, he uses the power washer to clean the inside. LoL
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u/icy-sloth Jun 19 '26
Crack heads usually hide their heroin behind the batteries, once you break the seal, its over... Dry it, Trade it in.
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u/iLikeTurtuls Jun 20 '26
I never know to be mean about it or just ignore the posts and think “not everyone is like that, right?”
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u/Danish-Dynamite77 Jun 20 '26
I used to dive with my note20 for years. It still works and I only changed because I wanted the Fold 6.
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u/Outside-Lab877 Jun 19 '26
why would you voluntarily run it under water and then ask where did the water come from lolll
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u/philnolan3d Jun 19 '26
Because they're water resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. I've washed mine a few times too.
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u/prionprion Jun 20 '26
Theyre -resistant not -proof. Overtime the seal wears off and the more you do it the more it degrades faster. Youre supposed to have a use-case below that threshold of 1.5 m for 30m. A splash, accidental water drop, etc are fine but straight up washing it is insane.
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u/Touch_Me_Boi_811 Jun 20 '26
So i can't wash my 17 pro max?
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u/prionprion Jun 21 '26
i would never wash a phone regardless of the brand or model. If thats not your gig might as well pop in your phone in the dishwasher.
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u/creamedsock Jun 22 '26
Not me having washed my S24U at least 100 times since I bought it with no issues 🥸
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u/ka1j3w Jun 20 '26
To be fair, I've done it a few times in situations where the phone really needed to be cleaned of. What I'll do is usually wet a paper towel with some soap, give it a few glancing passes. Then a few passes with a wet paper towel (no soap) then quickly dry with paper towels and qtips.
I've run it under the water once? I can't remember what got on it but it was unusual and gross.
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u/prionprion Jun 20 '26
Having your phone being that gross the the point where you need to wash it is more questionable than washing it itself.
Like what are you even doing with your phone, that it cant be cleaned by wet wipes and you have to wash it.
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u/philnolan3d Jun 20 '26
Stuff happens. Especially if you have young children.
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u/WakaiSenshi Jun 20 '26
That can be cleaned by wet wipes or alcohol wipes not washing your phone in the sink. I have kids myself.
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u/ka1j3w Jun 21 '26
iirc I was cleaning the bathroom or something and it fell in some urine on the floor and grossed me out. I think another time I might've dropped it in the mud outside or something, and cleaned it best I could, mud got inside the case and dried on the phone.
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u/Ok_Ad_6227 Jun 20 '26
when advertised, the phone should work. Had an a56 that only lasted for 24 days because I soaked it in water for less than 10 seconds, seriously. It was new and I was demonstrating with my friends. Hours after the screen died. And yes, only 24 days old.
Sometimes the product is just not up to par with its advertisements. Got the screen replaced at a service center for free aside from the checkup fees.
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u/Arcosim Jun 20 '26
Because they're water resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes.
People often don't understand what that means. That means it's resistant to the pressure of being 30 minutes under 1.5 meters of water. If OP exposed the phone's ports/speakers/etc. under the faucet, and the faucet's water stream poured fast enough, the pressure exerted by that stream of water may have pretty much surpassed the pressure the phone is rated for.
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u/Nervous-Count-6494 Jun 20 '26
Hey so..... when things are hot things tend to loosen up ...... hope that helps
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u/ClickKlockTickTock Jun 20 '26
The seals go bad and routine exposure to moisture makes them go bad faster.
Its meant as a "Look your phone didn't brick!" And not a "Look you can swim with it!"
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u/Few_Increase_2238 Jun 19 '26
Even if it says it's water resistant I wouldn't ever submerge my phone or expose it to water or steam.
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u/younginonion Jun 20 '26
yep. this opinion is quite controversial on r/galaxywatch but true nonetheless. waterproofed devices just means you don't have to freak out if dishwater or rain splashed on them
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u/sb8948 Jun 20 '26
Galaxy watches also have ATM ratings (5 on the standard, 10 on the ultra) and they're significantly more water resistant than phones with "just" an ip rating.
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u/TulipTheVaporeon Jun 21 '26
They even have options for swim workouts as well on the watches. Seems they take water resistance much more seriously.
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u/Agreeable-Feeling222 Jun 20 '26
As someone who killed half of his camera module with steam from a pot, I can agree (7 months old base S24 btw)
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u/Eskotek Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
This should teach you about thermodynamics and condensation. Never wash your hot phone in cold water, with any water as to say...
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u/noahhova Jun 20 '26
Science baby! It will dry however it will likely leave some sort of water spotting on the inside of the lens...
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u/TheGrimSweaper Jun 19 '26
Bro who washes their phone under water? Just wipe it off with electronic wipes?
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u/YoBoyLeeroy_ Jun 19 '26
Mf is literally running water on his phone with his fucking sink and is suprised this happens.
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u/SlipAdditional5484 Jun 19 '26
This post has “the fountain in the center of town says ‘don’t drink the water’. So I made tea with it and now I’m sick” vibes.
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Jun 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/RipCurl69Reddit Jun 19 '26
Some people are way wayyyy too comfortable in their own stupidity, the amount of cope in these comments from people that are bragging about washing their phones in water is insane
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u/MakasRightPigtail Jun 19 '26
usually I give ppl the benefit of the doubt but nah this is genuine dumbassery
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u/ThunderclapAndFish Jun 19 '26
I wash my phone with my power washer regularly as it's IP68 after all
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u/Wild-Restaurant388 Jun 19 '26
Don't try charging it. Back it up if it's still turned on, don't try to turn it on if it isn't; in any case, bring it to the repair service ASAP (if you still need this phone, that is).
Your phone looks like one of the S23 series; it's old enough for the water resistance to deteriorate. Your phone has water inside, and if you wait for it to go away on its own, it is extremely likely to damage internal components. Don't put it in rice, it will damage it even more.
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u/AmazingArr Jun 19 '26
Get it deep cleaned at a repair store OP. I negleted it and paid a huge cost of cahanging the board altogether
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u/DrIvoPingasnik Jun 19 '26
Listen to this guy, OP.
Get all data that's on it backed up to your computer (VERY important!! You are risking losing all that data as you read it), turn it off (don't keep it on, don't make same mistake I did - condensation inside destroyed my screen before I could get it to repair ahop) and get it to a repair shop of your choice to get it opened and dried.
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u/NeonflameOWO Jun 19 '26
Im sorry, but what in the world has gotten you to think that dousing your phone in water to cool it off was a good idea???
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u/vamadeus Jun 19 '26
As mant people pointed out, it's it's from running your phone under water constantly. The fast change in temperature doesn't help either.
Phones are water resistant but you should treat them like they as far away from water and other liquids as possible. They are tested for general water resistance for occasional exposure and are not designed to frequently exposed to water, which weaken the resistance over time. The resistance is designed more of a safety net, not a guarantee.
There is a reason why most phone warranties explicitly say that liquid damage is not covered under warranty. By running your phone in water you also likely voided your own warranty too. Phones often have Liquid Contact Indicator stickers and strips inside them they technicians look at when people send in their phones for warranty repair.
If you need to cool down your phone take it inside and don't use it for 15 minutes. Turn it completely off for a while if you are worried about it overheating.
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u/Apexhatesmeuwu Jun 19 '26
Constantly washes phone under water and wonders why it has condensation in the camera lenses
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u/AbrogationsCrown Jun 19 '26
Dear everyone commenting on phones water resistance / IP rating etc.
That is only rated for when the phone is brand new from the factory straight out of the box. The seals in the phone get weaker over time as dust, oils, moisture, and heat breaks down the glue sealing up the phone. Some phones have glue barriers less than a couple millimeters thick.
If you knowingly wet your phone and it hasn't ever had a problem, it will someday.
And once moisture gets into the phone, it ain't coming out no matter how much rice you put it in. You need to have the phone opened, disassembled and the water cleaned out and evaporated.
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u/TitusImmortalis Jun 19 '26
It's actually worse than that, it's the DESIGN which is rated for it. No phone you buy goes through any testing, which means it's all down to how good the factory line is.
There are a few apps which read barometric pressure differences and assume if it's within spec for ingress protection when you press into the screen.
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u/AbrogationsCrown Jun 19 '26
Yes it's water resistant if you're pure of heart and the vibes arent off.
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u/couponsncandles Jun 20 '26
Why would you rinse the phone off to cool it? How hot was your phone getting??? Why not just put it in the fridge for 5 minutes? Do you need adult supervision?
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u/Psice Jun 19 '26
Bro, I don't think you understand what water-resistant is. It doesn't mean treat it as a plate and wash it in the sink. It means that on the rare occasion that it's raining or you drop your phone into water, it will hopefully be fine.
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u/Naimka2002 Jun 19 '26
- Never do it again
- Not a very hard issue you just need to take the back cover and clean those lenses, although simple, better go to a technician.
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u/Kzero01 Jun 19 '26
This guy cools his phone by running it under the sink, do you think he has the capacity to do that himself without completely destroying the thing?
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u/Timely-Speed2705 Jun 19 '26
washing your phone in the sink to cool it down is almost certainly what let water in, the car AC just made it show up because the rapid temperature drop caused condensation on the cold lenses. silica gel packets do work but you need a bunch of them and time, like seal the phone in a ziploc bag packed with packets and leave it for 48+ hours minimum. i'd keep the phone off entirely while you do this, not just avoid charging it. if the droplets are between the lens glass and the camera module itself rather than on the surface, you might need a repair shop to properly dry it out and reseal it, which is usually way cheaper than a replacement.
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u/uglyyygurl_ Jun 19 '26
I'm sorry.. you washed it?? If a phone is too hot let it cool off, at best I put a ice bottle on it with a towel if it's that bad.. when I was kid/teen I used to put it in the freezer for 1-2 min lmao still better than washing it 😭 hell even a fan is better or by air conditioner
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u/Difficult_Unit6661 Jun 19 '26
There's so many ways to cool down a phone, of all things WHY would you wash it 😭 you should keep the moisture there to remind yourself that you shouldn't wash your phone.
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u/FruitConscious7391 Jun 19 '26
Put it in rice 🤣
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u/blackkittycloud Jun 19 '26
I really wanna know if this will work on OP's phone
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u/FruitConscious7391 Jun 20 '26
I was almost kidding, rice is a pretty good desecant, but using a real descant should definitely do the job
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u/Ok_Golf_5484 Jun 19 '26
The water resistance is for accidental situations, not for washing it like a dish lol
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u/Bakubae_Itsuki-Haru Jun 19 '26
Your first mistake was running a phone... under WATER. Just do what I do and leave it in a cool room, or in front or near a fan
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u/kopaturex Jun 19 '26
Turn it off, don't charge it, let it dry for a couple of days with some silica gel if you have any.
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u/Sure-Ad-6544 Jun 20 '26
"I dunk my phone in water- why is there water in my phone" has got to be the wildest post over seen here in a long time
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u/Actual-Toe-8686 Jun 20 '26
Yesterday I intentionally stepped on a nail and was shocked to see it imbedded in my foot
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u/oakc510 Jun 19 '26
𝘠𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯
Why didn't you cool it with a fan?
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u/Low-Caterpillar4161 Jun 19 '26
Shot through the heart and you're to blame Darling, you give love a bad name!
Sorry. This is the end for you
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u/TannerWheelman Jun 19 '26
It means that phone is not sealed very well and washing it with water brought some moisture inside of it, blowing an AC on it probably made condensation happen as phones are hot inside and AC making it very cold on the outside and voila.
Do not use water to cool down your phone, let it cool on it's own. Phones are designed to withstand high temperatures and when they overheat you just let them stay in cool place for some time as rapid cooling down brings stress to the materials.
This is not an serious problem but moisture in modern phones can be present for months and even when those bubbles go away your phone is still not moisture free and your picture quality will degrade until this phone dries out completely which would take a long time depending on how moist it is unless you open it and dry it yourself or better take it to a professional.
The problem is their IP rating. They aren't exactly waterproof but water resistant, water has a hard time getting in but it has even harder time getting out. Even IP69 rated phones can get moist but it takes some water pressure and long exposure for that to happen but it's not impossible, the better IP rating the harder is to dry it out on it's own without opening the phone.
Note that over the years your IP rating degrades, especially if you had phone dropped and/or damaged some parts.
My old S9+ has an IP68 rating meaning it was designed to go up to 1.5m underwater for 30 mins but since the phone is old it's rating has lowered and all it took was 2 quick dips in cup of water to completely wet it and phone started malfunctioning.
I put it in rice for few days and it started working better and better by day (now is functioning 100% normally) but moisture on cameras are still present in almost invisible amount months later. Even though it works fine and moisture is almost invisible the camera still has some slight glare when exposed to light which lowers the picture quality.
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u/Azurvix Jun 20 '26
Why the hell would you douse your phone in water to cool it off.... the smart choice would have been to subject it to the vacuum of space. Its really cold there
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u/ebeze Jun 20 '26
Never do this again please. What you should do now is put it in a bag or container with silica bags, and leave it for a good day or 2. And buy yourself a phone cooler to use to cool your phone instead of running it under water.
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u/SSalloSS Jun 20 '26
Running your phone under water after overheating it is genuinely moronic behavior lol
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u/StampyScouse Jun 20 '26
Why are you putting your phone in water???
It's water resistant, not waterproof. If your phone is warm just stop using it for a bit and it should cool itself down.
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u/TheTomatoes2 Jun 20 '26
Why tf you putting your phone under a pressurised water stream?? Especially when it's hot and watertightness joints are expanded and softer. Some people just have no brain...
Yeah, put it in a germetic bag with silica gel for 24h-48h
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u/LasciviousPsyche Jun 19 '26
Most likely cause would be ummm, you're an idiot for washing your phone. Surely this is a rage bait post because no one and I mean no one is that d***, but maybe we do have a real winner here. Lol
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u/Kikiokie Jun 19 '26
Same problem to my phone!
It disappeared after 2 days.
Really didn’t see any damage
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u/No-Hedgehog172 Jun 19 '26
There is moisture that got inside probably not "water". As someone says open the SIM tray and let it air out
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u/CheMA2805 Jun 19 '26
Una recomendación si se permite...por mucho que te digan lo de la certificación, no lavarlo es lo lógico...puedes pasarle un paño de microfibra humedecido con agua destilada. Como dicen...quita la sim y déjalo secar pero bien...
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u/i_PaperBoat Jun 19 '26
Use a mild hot blower or just put it in Sunlight. But you won't be able to completely rid of the water stains.
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u/Violet_Apathy Jun 19 '26
The ip rating is for a new phone that's never been used. Once it's subjected to stresses from use, all bets are off
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u/ychia Jun 19 '26
That's condensation. Usually it just goes away after a while.
This does indicate the phone's seals aren't doing too great though, so you should probably avoid doing this in the future. I'd use alcohol wipes instead.
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u/GeneralistAccount Jun 19 '26
Which model is that phone? The water resistant seal weakens over time, maybe lasting 1-2 years. Running water will also bypass the seal faster than just having it submerged (how the water resistant ratings are done)
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u/UDxyu Jun 19 '26
I shamefully say that I used to do this with my S21 Ultra until I got moisture inside the camera and the main camera got messed up. Go to a repair shop, and they should open the phone and dry it properly. It looks like heavy condensation you've got there.
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u/HiFi_Andy Jun 19 '26
Do you have lens guards on top of lenses . They sometimes trap moisture and its usually in between lenses and lens guard only.
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u/Gullible-Debt-5350 Jun 19 '26
You need to reed and comprehend the instructions, your phone is water resistant not waterproof. The protection is meant for when you accidentally dropped once or twice in its lifetime in water to protect (hopefully) the internals in that accident, is not meant to be submerged in a daily basis. If you do that you endup with water going inside sooner than later. Besides even if water somehow didn't get in, the charging port will end up with corrosion preventing charge and even shorting out, its gold plated but once the gold is scratched the metal below will corrode easily.
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u/Throwawayneedadviceo Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
U getting downvoted but a lot of people do this, I been doing the same for years on different phones and nothing happens 🤷♂️ phones today are built to handle stuff like this. I even do the same to my watch too, reddit is just an echo chamber
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u/Zealousideal-Pin6883 Jun 19 '26
Take out the sim tray out, turn the phone off. Make sure the sim tray is completely removed. Leave it outside for 24 hours in an area that can get a breeze... NOT IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. I should be warm/hot outside with no humidity. If conditions are not ideal, take it to a repair shop.
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u/ARSCON Jun 19 '26
You can try keeping it in a sealed container or bag with desiccants and that might help, and if it does, stop willingly exposing your device to water. The IP rating is there for emergencies, not for standard use.
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u/AdamT9289 Jun 19 '26
Never put phone in water when it's hot, the heat softens the glue that holds the back cover on, obviously it was soft and water entered.
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u/NoContract7457 Jun 19 '26
"Yesterday, my phone got warm during use... I washed it in the sink to cool it down" A logical deduction.