Apple Says Don't Bury Your Wet iPhone In Rice, Do This To Dry It Right

It’s very rare that phone users haven’t dropped their device or never got it wet. Most of us have either spilt drinks on it or accidentally dropped them into the pool or a bucket of water. And it goes without saying that any soaked gadget is not a pretty sight.

Many of us use a household staple worldwide to protect our devices from getting damaged: burying it into a bag of rice. However, Apple strongly advises against it.

What Happened: Apple’s official support documents advise against using uncooked rice to dry a wet iPhone. The documents also cautioned against using external heat sources, cotton swabs, or paper towels to dry the device.

These are the three don'ts from Apple that iPhone users should immediately stop doing to ensure they don't end up ruining their smartphones: 

• Don't dry your iPhone using an external heat source or compressed air.
• Don’t insert a foreign object, such as a cotton swab or a paper towel, into the connector.
• Don't put your iPhone in a bag of rice. Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone.

See Also: How To Reset Apple Vision Pro Without Going To The Apple Store

Earlier, some tech YouTubers have also warned against submerging wet smartphones in a rice container or bag.   

According to Apple, tapping the phone gently against your hand with the connector facing down and then leaving it in an area with good airflow for 30 minutes before attempting to charge it should do the trick in most cases. 

However, If the liquid detection alert persists, Apple recommends waiting up to 24 hours for the device to dry completely.

"If your phone has dried out but still isn’t charging, unplug the cable from the adapter and unplug the adapter from the wall (if possible) and then connect them again," the company said. 

The document was first spotted by Macworld. 

Why It's Important: The charging ports of Apple’s iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, or newer models are equipped with an advanced liquid detection system.  It protects the device against any potential harm resulting from liquid entry and notifies users of “any liquid presence within the connector.”

When moisture or liquid is detected in the charging port, the feature suspends charging to avoid potential short circuits or malfunctions caused by wet conditions. 

"If you charge your iPhone while the Lightning or USB-C connector is wet, the pins on the connector or cable can corrode and cause permanent damage or stop functioning, causing connectivity issues for your iPhone or accessory," Apple stated. 

Adding, "Although you shouldn't charge your iPhone when it's wet, you might need to in an emergency. If you reconnect your iPhone to the cable or accessory, you have the option in an emergency to override the liquid detection and charge your iPhone."

Image Source – Shutterstock

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