Screwed phone. Digital railcard. Big journey coming up.

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Hello.

It's been a horrible morning, as I dropped my phone in water last night. I dried it immediately and when I went to bed and put it on charge, there was no "Charging not available -- liquid detected" warning, so I let it charge. At 5am this morning it was locked with a sign saying PHONE TOO HOT, CANNOT USE UNTIL TEMPERATURE DROPS or something. Now it was a cold night and the phone actually felt very cool indeed, so with a sinking heart I realised it was probably short-circuited and effectively screwed.

If I still lived in Manchester, I'd go to Apple, fork out the £79 excess and use Apple Care+ to get a replacement. However, I live in Worcester and work in Oxford, there's no Apple Store in either, and my working hours will not permit me to go to Birmingham or Reading. This morning I've had to buy a full fare ticket to Oxford as I have a digital railcard and cannot show it while the phone is stuffed.

I believe there's no way to show my Railcard on a MacBook. So my concern now is for my journey to Lancaster on Thursday. Which is obviously rail card discounted, not cheap, and well, I have a stuffed phone. I can show my e-tickets on the Mac by downloading them and saving them to files, but I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to prove my railcard entitlement.

Any advice gratefully received please, as I'm despairing.

 

[LowLevel]

Have you got a work phone or similar you could download the app to and unlock the railcard to, or a device you could borrow from someone?

 

[_toommm_]

If you have a Macbook with an M-series processor, is it available on the App Store? (I don't have mine on me so I can't check unfortunately). As an alternative, it may be worth investing in a cheap phone from CeX or another phone shop if thats cheaper than the discount, then selling it back when you get your phone repaired.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Have you got a work phone or similar you could download the app to and unlock the railcard to, or a device you could borrow from someone?

Unfortunately not. No work phone, and I've moved to Worcester completely solo.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 May 2026 ==

If you have a Macbook with an M-series processor, is it available on the App Store? (I don't have mine on me so I can't check unfortunately). As an alternative, it may be worth investing in a cheap phone from CeX or another phone shop if thats cheaper than the discount, then selling it back when you get your phone repaired.

It only lets me download it on a phone.
Cex isn't a terrible idea mind, thank you.

 

[AlterEgo]

I'd just travel and use the forgotten railcard policy if you got PF'd or sold a new ticket.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I'd just travel and use the forgotten railcard policy if you got PF'd or sold a new ticket.

Considered that but what if it happens both ways though? They only let you refund it once don't they?

 

[Parallel]

It might be worth putting your phone in an air tight container with silica gel with it powered down as it should help to absorb any additional moisture.

I wouldn’t go as far as recommending this as an alternative but my friend had a similar issues and put their phone in a bowl of rice and it started working again after a couple of days.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It might be worth putting your phone in an air tight container with silica gel with it powered down as it should help to absorb any additional moisture.

I wouldn’t go as far as recommending this as an alternative but my friend had a similar issues and put their phone in a bowl of rice and it started working again after a couple of days.

Where does one even get silica gel from?

 

[walkingsophie]

Could you get an Android Emulator on your Macbook maybe?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm assuming it's a 26-30? If it's any other Railcard, buy a paper/plastic replacement.

You might be able to pick up a used Android phone for nothing or next to nothing on Freecycle/Freegle/eBay? Tight timing for delivery but if local you could collect in person.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I'm assuming it's a 26-30? If it's any other Railcard, buy a paper/plastic replacement.

Oi, I'm only 22
It's a 16-25.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 May 2026 ==

Could you get an Android Emulator on your Macbook maybe?

Could you please talk me through that, haha

 

[Bletchleyite]

Oi, I'm only 22
It's a 16-25.

In that case I'd go to a station and buy a new 16-25 on paper, assuming getting another phone isn't viable.

 

[Parallel]

Where does one even get silica gel from?

Amazon sell silica gel pouches.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

In that case I'd go to a station and buy a new 16-25 on paper, assuming getting another phone isn't viable.

At replacement rate or a brand new £35 one?

 

[Bletchleyite]

What iPhone is this? 13 and later are completely waterproof, so unless you've had a cheapo screen/battery replacement it will probably be fine given a few days to dry out in a warm place.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 May 2026 ==

At replacement rate or a brand new £35 one?

It would be £35. Cheaper than a new ticket though. I'm *fairly* sure the replacement would only be in the same format (£0 in the case of an online one).

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

What iPhone is this? 13 and later are completely waterproof, so unless you've had a cheapo screen/battery replacement it will probably be fine given a few days to dry out in a warm place.

14 Pro Max.

I dropped it in the shower (I know, I KNOW, STUPID) as it was propped up in the railings and I was watching something while in there, and it fell into the growing pool on the floor

Immediately towel dried it. It didn't give me any warnings about liquid detected when I put the charger in, so I left it in, woke up at 5am, checked my phone and it was locked saying it's temperature was too hot to use. The phone felt very cold as it was a cold day. So I think charging it while there was clearly water in there has short-circuited it.

 

[Bletchleyite]

14 Pro Max.

Should definitely be waterproof then. I've got a 15 Pro (can't understand people who want those "iPad Nano" like phones that are so big they don't fit your pocket) and it's been doused in seawater repeatedly for half an hour (sat on the back of the "ferry" from Alderney to Guernsey, more a converted fishing boat, and got soaked) then was washed under the tap to get the salt out of the charger port. No problems since (after drying overnight in an air conditioned so quite dry Premier Inn room). I think the 13 was the first to be fully sealed so you can literally throw it in the sea (not sure what depth) and it'll be fine.

You might find it just starts working.

Assuming you start from a staffed station you could let it go to the wire and just buy a new one for £35 (don't forget a passport photo) on the day if it still doesn't work?

 

[FlyingHazard]

Might want to read

About splash, water and dust resistance of iPhone 7 and later – Apple Support (UK)

Learn about splash, water and dust resistance on your iPhone.

support.apple.com

But be aware, as the page says:
Splash, water, and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear. Liquid damage is not covered under warranty, but you might have rights under consumer law.

 

[Haywain]

It might be worth putting your phone in an air tight container with silica gel with it powered down as it should help to absorb any additional moisture.

Use rice instead if silica gel isn't available.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I'm going to take it to the Apple "Premium reseller" in Oxford on the way to work, and hope they can do something or give me a new one for my £79 AppleCare+ excess.

If not, I'm wondering if I should just bite the bullet and get a new one on contract. It's something like £35/month for 30 months.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 May 2026 ==

Use rice instead if silica gel isn't available.

I've read that can trap dust from the rice in the hole though.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If not, I'm wondering if I should just bite the bullet and get a new one on contract. It's something like £35/month for 30 months.

You could take it as a chance to upgrade to the 17 I suppose.

 

[walkingsophie]

Could you please talk me through that, haha

Have a look at Genymotion, you will need some IT know how to make it work and even then I am not sure if it will support the railcard app.

 

[bangor-toad]

Where does one even get silica gel from?

Hi,
Try Home Bargains and get Silica cat litter.
It's cheap and readily available.
(We use this for keeping 3d printer filament dry)


Failing that, why not get the cheapest SIM free phone and just get the Railcard app on that?
eg Tesco SIM Free Motorola


Good luck,
Mr Toad

 

[Bletchleyite]

Failing that, why not get the cheapest SIM free phone and just get the Railcard app on that?
eg Tesco SIM Free Motorola

£69 is twice the cost of a new paper Railcard though. I suppose you get a phone out of it! And as far as budget phones go those Motorolas are quite good, not too laggy etc.

Freecycle/Freegle might get you an older Android for nowt.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

You could take it as a chance to upgrade to the 17 I suppose.

Not ideal but I suppose it's about time I got a USB C one now. I'd have to do it monthly.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not ideal but I suppose it's about time I got a USB C one now. I'd have to do it monthly.

It is handy having absolutely everything chargeable using the same cable. I swapped earlier than I otherwise would (and indeed replaced my AirPods too) because it's so convenient to have a single cable for everything.

 

[snail]

It is handy having absolutely everything chargeable using the same cable. I swapped earlier than I otherwise would (and indeed replaced my AirPods too) because it's so convenient to have a single cable for everything.

A tangent I know but not all USB-C sockets are the same. I can't charge my cheapo android phone with a USB-C > USB-C cable, has to be a USB-A > USB-C cable that doesn't try to talk to the phone to work out the current.

 

[Bletchleyite]

A tangent I know but not all USB-C sockets are the same. I can't charge my cheapo android phone with a USB-C > USB-C cable, has to be a USB-A > USB-C cable that doesn't try to talk to the phone to work out the current.

Some poorly designed chargers (including some Apple ones!) don't default to 5V if the device is "dumb". I believe this is not per spec, but who's going to tell Apple that!

All my devices are new enough not to have this problem now though. But quite a few of my chargers are A-C anyway, and they charge anything (albeit slowly).

 

[trainophile]

How long was left on the inaccessible railcard? If you buy a new one you’ll get the full year starting from date of purchase (make it as close to your travel date as possible), so not a total loss of £35.

 

[Potatopotato]

Forget all the ideas about silica or rice. Its not water that's the problem. An electronic device will work perfectly in pure water. The problem is the contaminants in water, which get left behind when it dries...these create shorts across the pins on components.