Here’s what to do if your iPhone gets wet. Hint: Don’t put it in rice

Apple’s iPhone can resist water in certain cases.

Apple has officially warned users not to put their iPhones in rice if they receive a “liquid detected” alert.

The support note was published last month and first highlighted yesterday by a report from Macworld, which provides news on Apple’s products.

Putting a soaked phone in uncooked rice has been a popular Internet myth for how to save it if accidentally dropped into water, but it’s one that had previously been called into question.

One 2014 study from an electronic device rescue service found that rice was not an effective way of drying a cell phone and that it was less effective than leaving the device out to dry.

What does Apple recommend?

When an iPhone user gets a “liquid detection” alert, it usually means that liquid was detected in the lightning connector or USB-C connector.

In this instance, Apple does not recommend charging the phone when it is wet but does advise you can still use a wireless charger if you make sure the back of the smartphone is dry.

If your iPhone is wet, you can tap it against your hand with “the connector facing down to remove excess liquid” and then leave it in a dry area. After 30 minutes, you can try to charge it again.

If you continue to see a liquid alert, the tech company recommends leaving it “in a dry area with some airflow for up to a day,” which could take up to 24 hours.

If it still isn’t charging, unplug the cable and adapter and connect them again.

What should you not do?

According to Apple, iPhone users shouldn’t use an “external heat source or compressed air to dry your phone”. Using a cotton swab or paper towel to dry the connector is also not recommended.

Lastly, Apple said not to put the phone in a bag of rice: “Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone”.

Apple’s iPhone models 7 and up are all splash, water, and dust-resistant, with testing done in a laboratory on the phones.

The newest phones (iPhone 12 and later) can survive being dropped in water as deep as 6 metres for up to 30 minutes.