Apple: Don’t put your wet iPhone in rice

Most have home remedies for common illnesses like colds and fever to save a trip to the hospital. The same is true for a wet iPhone as most would recommend burying it in rice. It supposedly absorbs moisture, fixing the phone and preventing a visit to an Apple store. However, a recent Apple support page says it could damage your device further.

The company says rice bits might enter your gadget and damage it further. That is why the Cupertino tech giant provides different recommendations for your soggy mobile phone:

How to fix a wet iPhone

Remove cables attached to your phone and then dry it with these steps:

1. Tap your iPhone gently against your hand with the connector facing down to remove excess liquid. 
2. Then, leave your iPhone in a dry area with some airflow.
3. Charge your iPhone with a USB-C or Lightning cable or link with an accessory.
4. If the phone flashes the “Liquid detected in Lightning Connector” or “Liquid Detected” alerts, your wet iPhone still has liquid in its connector. Leave your device in a dry area with some airflow for a day.
5. Next, charge it with a cable or accessory.
6. If the phone is dry but still doesn’t charge, unplug the cable from the adapter, unplug the adapter from the wall, and then reconnect it.

The tech giant also discourages users from applying an external heat source or compressed air to dry their phones. Also, cotton swabs, paper towels, or other foreign objects shouldn’t be inserted into the devices.

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These could leave tiny particles that could scratch an iPhone’s delicate internal components. If the iPhone continues to malfunction, contact Apple Support. 

One of the earliest instances of someone using rice to fix a wet iPhone was in 2007. An anonymous user named “jorsuss” mentioned trying the hack in the MacRumors forums.

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