Smartphones are devices that we use daily and in many places, so there is a high chance that one day you will drop your phone into water. Although most high-end smartphones today are water-resistant, exposed parts like the USB port can still be affected by liquid damage.
And one of the “tricks” that many people often think of when their phone, in particular, or electronic devices, in general, get wet is to put it in a container of rice with the belief that rice will absorb all the moisture. However, this can actually cause harm to your phone, according to Apple.
Starting with the iPhone XS, if your iPhone gets wet, a feature will send you a notification that there is liquid in the connector and you should not charge the phone at that time. To protect your iPhone and accessories, the charging and accessory connection functions will be unavailable until the connector, cable, and accessories are dry.
You may see one of the following alerts:
– “Charging function not available”: This alert appears if you connect a Lightning accessory to your iPhone but can’t charge your iPhone and the device detects liquid.
– “Liquid detected in USB-C connector”: This alert appears if you connect a USB-C accessory to your iPhone and the device detects liquid.
Believing in these “tricks,” you may want to put your phone in a container or bag of rice, but on its support page, Apple has warned users: “Don’t put your iPhone in a rice container. Small rice grains can damage your iPhone.”
Alert posted on Apple’s support page
Apple also added: “Do not dry your iPhone with an external heat source or compressed air. Do not insert foreign objects such as cotton swabs or tissue paper into the connector.”
Therefore, Apple itself has debunked one of the oldest tricks that has been circulating when a phone gets wet. Instead of putting it in a rice container, Apple suggests users gently tap their iPhone against their hand and place it upside down to remove liquid and keep the iPhone in a dry, well-ventilated place. You can try charging it again after 30 minutes to see if there is still a liquid alert. In some cases, it may take up to 24 hours for the liquid to completely disappear.
