Spilled water on MacBook? Here's what to do
1. Switch off MacBook immediately
If you spilled water on your MacBook while it was on, you need to turn it off immediately. This is the first thing you need to do.
Hold down the power button for at least five seconds until the power is off, and then release the button. Forget about any unsaved documents, don’t even open the Apple menu to shut down the MacBook like you usually do. The sooner you cut off the power, the safer your MacBook will be and your priceless data in it.
If you can’t turn off the MacBook by holding the power button, the MacBook keyboard has already stopped functioning. The keyboard cannot send the software-level “Force Shutdown" command to the MacBook logic board.
Don’t panic; you still have other methods to shut down the MacBook.
Quickly use tissues to absorb the liquid you can see on the MacBook keyboard, touchpad and screen, then close the lid straight away. By doing so, you effectively activate the hardware-level sleep sensor. The MacBook will cut off the power to the CPU, screen, SSD drive, RAM and most of the supporting circuits in about one minute.
Now you have successfully stopped the MacBook from further damage.
Sometimes even if you close the lid for a while, the MacBook is still on. You can see the light from the Apple logo on the screen or hear the noise from the cooling fans. This is not a good sign. The MacBook’s logic board is failing and out of control. But most of the time, the damage is minor. If you can quickly disconnect the charger and the internal battery (described in step 7) from the logic board, your MacBook still has a good chance of survival.
2. Unplug the MacBook charger
Spilled water on MacBook? Here's what to do
Your MacBook has encountered a common mishap – water spillage, leading to unresponsive keyboard and trackpad, and even an automatic shutdown. What to do now?
Spilled water on MacBook is a very common Mac disaster. Don’t worry. Follow this step-by-step guide to save your liquid spill MacBook or reduce the repair cost significantly by doing a few simple steps.
IT-Tech Online is a Mac repair specialist who repairs hundreds of water-damaged MacBooks annually. Our pleasure to share tips and tactics to prevent common mistakes and increase the survival chance of your water-damaged MacBook.
You may choose to repair the Mac if it has already been damaged or if you need to recover data from the liquid-damaged MacBook. We will discuss your repair options, costs and the services available on the market, including Apple Stores and independent repair stores.
Whatever you do, it is critical to shut down the MacBook immediately and don’t turn it on to see if it’s still working until you finish the steps below.
Updated on 06/08/2023
1. Switch off MacBook immediately
If you spilled water on your MacBook while it was on, you need to turn it off immediately. This is the first thing you need to do.
Hold down the power button for at least five seconds until the power is off, and then release the button. Forget about any unsaved documents, don’t even open the Apple menu to shut down the MacBook like you usually do. The sooner you cut off the power, the safer your MacBook will be and your priceless data in it.
If you can’t turn off the MacBook by holding the power button, the MacBook keyboard has already stopped functioning. The keyboard cannot send the software-level “Force Shutdown" command to the MacBook logic board.
Don’t panic; you still have other methods to shut down the MacBook.
Quickly use tissues to absorb the liquid you can see on the MacBook keyboard, touchpad and screen, then close the lid straight away. By doing so, you effectively activate the hardware-level sleep sensor. The MacBook will cut off the power to the CPU, screen, SSD drive, RAM and most of the supporting circuits in about one minute.
Now you have successfully stopped the MacBook from further damage.
Sometimes even if you close the lid for a while, the MacBook is still on. You can see the light from the Apple logo on the screen or hear the noise from the cooling fans. This is not a good sign. The MacBook’s logic board is failing and out of control. But most of the time, the damage is minor. If you can quickly disconnect the charger and the internal battery (described in step 7) from the logic board, your MacBook still has a good chance of survival.
2. Unplug the MacBook charger
If your MacBook is connected to a charger, unplug the charger now. You effectively turn off the MacBook’s charging circuit by unplugging the charger.
Unplugging the charger alone will not cut the MacBook’s power off. The internal MacBook battery will continue to power the Mac. This is why you should use the power button to shut down the MacBook before unplugging the charger.
Now you have turned off almost all circuits in your Mac. The only remaining “ON" circuit is the “standby" circuit which is still powered by the internal battery. You will learn how to disconnect the battery in step 7.
In a scarce case, if the charger or the power outlet is also submerged in the liquid, the first consideration should be your safety. Take care of water and electricity to avoid getting shocked or starting a fire. Find the circuit breaker and turn it off.
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