How should a mobile phone that has come into contact with impurity be purified if it cannot be washed with water?

Summary

The ruling leans towards the Shafi'i view that shiny objects touched by impurity are not purified by wiping alone and must be washed. A phone that cannot be purified may still be used but should not be carried during prayer. Other options are suggested: promptly washing the exterior, drying a switched-off phone until the colour, smell and taste of impurity are gone and then carefully spraying absolute water on affected areas, and consulting a technician. Residual water coming out of the phone is deemed pure if it shows no trait of impurity, and impure if it does.

Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.