Have you ever found yourself in a position where your phone became saturated, whether from being caught in a downpour, unintentionally putting it in the bathtub, or falling into a pool?
If so, you’ve probably heard of the common folk treatment of placing your device in a bag of rice to help absorb moisture. According to The Guardian, specialists have long recommended against using this strategy.
In fact, Apple has explicitly advised its users not to utilize this strategy.
“Do not store your iPhone in a bag of rice. “Doing so may allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone,” the company writes in a recent support post seen by Macworld.
It’s worth noting that the origins of this remedy may be traced back to photographic history, when photographers employed rice to keep their cameras in good working order.
However, this method is not appropriate for modern smartphones and may potentially cause additional damage to the gadget, as testing has shown that uncooked rice is not particularly good at drying the device.
So, what do you do if your phone becomes wet?
Apple provides guidelines for users who receive a “liquid detected” message while attempting to charge their phones.
First, unhook the charging cord from both ends. After that, press the device “gently against your hand with the connector facing down to remove excess liquid” .
Allow it to dry for at least half an hour before attempting to charge the device again if the phone and cord are “completely dry”.
If that attempt fails, try again the next day.
Apple’s latest support literature provides two additional warnings if your phone is doused:
“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.”
If your iPhone isn’t working properly, turn it off immediately and avoid pressing any keys. Dry it with a cloth and store it in an airtight container with silica packets if you have any. Charge till dry.
Remember the directions for dropping iPhones in water as liquid.
