Drop on Xiaomi: what is it and how to remove the moisture indicator yourself

You turned on a Xiaomi smartphone, and suddenly there was a red or white droplet with an exclamation mark on the screen? This symbol is the Liquid Damage Indicator (LDI), which signals the possible contact of the device with liquid. Even if you did not drop the phone in the water, moisture could enter due to high humidity, condensation or microscopic spray.

In this article, we will discuss what exactly a droplet means on different Xiaomi models (from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 13 Ultra), how to remove the warning yourself - from drying to resetting settings - and in which cases you can not do without visiting the service center. Importantly, ignoring this signal can lead to corrosion of contacts and failure of the motherboard 2-4 weeks after moisture hits.

What does a drop on the screen Xiaomi: decoding the indicator

Xiaomi's moisture indicator is not just an icon, it's part of a liquid protection system, and it appears in two ways:

• 🔴 Red droplet – activation of a physical moisture sensor (usually located under the battery or on the tray) SIM-This means that the liquid has penetrated the body.
• ⚪ White droplet with exclamation mark - a software warning MIUI, This can occur even in high humidity (such as in the bathroom) without direct contact with water.

On newer models (Xiaomi 12/13 series, Redmi Note 12) the system has become more sensitive: sensors react even to steam from hot tea or rainy weather, while on older devices (for example, Redmi 4X or Mi A1) droplets can appear only in severe flooding.

How do you check if the physical sensor is working? Turn off the phone, take out the tray. SIM-If you see a red mark inside, the moisture has penetrated critical areas, POCO F3) The sensor is located under the battery – it can be seen only after disassembly.

Reasons for the drop: why the smartphone thinks it is wet

Contact with water isn't the only reason the indicator is triggered, but here's a full list of possible causes:

• 💦 Direct hit of liquid: rain, spilled drink, fall into the water (even on the water) 2-3 seconds).
• 🌫️ High humidity: using the phone in the bathroom, sauna or during rainstorms.
• 🔥 Sharp temperature changes: if you bring a cold phone into a warm room, condensate can form inside.
• 🔋 Battery malfunction: A bloated battery can press on moisture sensors, causing a false positive.
• 🛠️ Damage after repair: if the master improperly installed the sensor or contacts closed.

Interesting fact: on the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and Mix 4, a droplet can appear even after using wireless charging in high humidity conditions, which is due to heating the case and the formation of a microcondensate under the glass panel.

If you're sure the phone didn't come in contact with the liquid, but the droplet did, try to wipe the connectors with alcohol (at least 90%) and dry the device in rice or silica gel for 12-24 hours, and in 60% of cases, the false positive disappears after that.

How to remove a drop on Xiaomi: 5 working ways

Before you bring your phone to the service, try these methods, which range from the simplest to the most radical:

1. Phone drying (for false positives)

If the drop appeared after staying in a wet room or condensate:

Turn off the phone and get it out. SIM-map|Wipe all connectors (Type-C, speakers, microphone) with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol|Place the device in a sealed silica gel (or rice) bag for 24 hours|Do not turn on your phone until it is completely dry.|After drying, charge your phone with the original cable.-->

You can use a fan to speed up the process, but don't direct the hot air directly to the phone, which can warp the screen. Optimal drying temperature: 20-25°C.

2. reset MIUI settings (if the droplet is software)

If the moisture indicator appeared after the system update or failure:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select Reset all settings (does not delete files, only settings).
3. After restarting, check if the droplet has disappeared.

This method works in 30% of cases when the problem is caused by a failure in the MIUI. On Xiaomi with Android One (for example, Mi A2/A3) instead of resetting the settings can help clear the cache through Recovery.

3. Disable the warning via the engineering menu

For power users, you can turn off the moisture alert through the engineering menu.

##4636## → Testing → Sensors → Find the string “moisture” and reset the value

Some models (POCO F1, Redmi K20 Pro) may have different paths, and if you're not sure, don't experiment to keep other sensors from working.

Replacement of the moisture sensor (for physical damage)

If the droplet is red and doesn't disappear after drying, it's likely that the physical sensor has gone off.

• 🛒 Buy a new sensor for your model (cost: 100-300 ruble.).
• 🔧 Disassemble the phone by following the guide for your model (see YouTube for "Xiaomi [model] disassembly").
• 🔄 Carefully disconnect the old sensor and install a new one.

On the Xiaomi 11T Pro and 12 Pro, the sensor is located under the battery — you need to disconnect it to replace it.

5. Firmware through Fastboot (extreme case)

If the drop appeared after a failed update and the phone is buggy, a complete flashing can help:

1. Download the official firmware for your model from the MIUI Download website.
2. Install the Mi Flash Tool on your PC.
3. Turn your phone into Fastboot (Switch off → Power + Vol−) mode.
4. Connect to your PC and run through Mi Flash (select clean all).

This method will delete all the data, but it will return the phone to factory status, and it's only suitable for software failures!

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If the phone doesn't turn on after drying, try connecting it to charge for 10-15 minutes. Sometimes moisture blocks the contacts of the battery, and a short-term recharging helps to "wake up" the device.

What to do if the droplet does not disappear: when you need a service

If you have tried all the methods, but the moisture indicator remains, this means:

• 💧 Moisture penetrated into critical nodes (motherboard, screen module).
• 🔌 Contact corrosion began (especially dangerous for Xiaomi with a metal body).
• 🔋 The battery is swelling and pressing on the sensors.

In these cases, self-repair is fraught with:

⚠️ Warning: Trying to disassemble a phone with moisture inside can lead to short circuit.On Xiaomi 12S Ultra and Mix Fold 2 motherboard has a multilayer design – moisture can “hide” between the layers and manifest itself only after a month.

Cost of repair in the service center:

In official services Xiaomi moisture repair may require confirmation of purchase (checks, warranty card). without them, the cost will increase by 20-30%. on models with IP53 certification (Redmi Note 11 Pro +, POCO X4 Pro) repair warranty is possible only if the moisture is not the fault of the user (for example, due to factory defects seals).

How to prevent the appearance of a droplet: prevention of moisture

It is better to avoid the problem than to solve it. Here are the proven ways to protect Xiaomi from moisture:

• 🛡️ Use splashproof covers (such as Spigen Liquid Air or Ringke Fusion-X) that don’t offer 100% protection, but reduce the risk of moisture entering the connectors.
• 🔌 Related: Sold on AliExpress (see "Xiaomi port cover"). POCO.
• 🌧️ Avoid using your phone in the rain, even if the model has protection. IP53. Certification protects only against splashes, not direct water ingress.
• 🚿 Don't take your phone to the bathroom: steam penetrates through microphone holes and speakers.
• 🔋 Don't charge a wet phone: it speeds up corrosion. Wait for a full drying (at least 12 hours).

For models without official moisture protection (Redmi 9A, POCO M3), you can additionally process the board with a special spray (for example, WD-40 Specialist Contact Cleaner), which creates a hydrophobic layer, but does not guarantee 100% protection.

Frequent mistakes when removing droplets: what not to do

Trying to get rid of the moisture indicator quickly often leads to even bigger problems.

• 🔥 Drying your phone in the microwave or oven: This will melt the screen and battery.
• 🔌 Connect charging to a wet phone: the risk of short circuit - 90%.
• 🛠️ Disassemble the phone without experience: on Xiaomi 13 Pro and Mix Fold screen plumes are extremely fragile.
• 💊 Use salt instead of silica gel: salt can clog connectors and speed up corrosion.
• 🔄 Resetting your phone to factory settings through water: This could lead to data loss without solving the problem.

One of the most dangerous mistakes is ignoring the red light, for example, on the Xiaomi Black Shark, moisture can penetrate the buttons and cause them to stick in a week, and on the Redmi Note 8 Pro, corrosion of the camera contacts leads to green artifacts in the photo.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone starts to overheat or discharge quickly after moisture hits, turn it off immediately! These are signs of short circuit on the battery. Further use may cause a fire to occur.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions About the Drop on Xiaomi

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If the droplet appears for no apparent reason, first try drying and resetting. Only 10% of cases require repair - the rest are solved by software or self-cleaning.