There are times when your phone accidentally gets wet and gives a liquid-detection alert. Most would think that it's time to put their phone in rice, right? Well, according to Apple that isn't the solution.
Your phone getting wet can be unavoidable at times. While most cellphones these days have quite a heavy resistance to water, some people even able to bring their phones to the shower. Sometimes though the device will end up getting a little too wet, with water entering the system, resulting in a liquid-detection altert.
When this happens, most people, myself included, always thought that putting it in rice. The rice binds the liquid and your device is good to go. Well, an apple advisory has been posted which cautions against this.
Apple Advises Against The "Rice Trick"
For years upon years now, people have been dunking their phones and electronics into rice whenever they got wet, but it seems that has been the wrong way to go about solving the problem. Apple revealed the reason behind this, explaining that this could actually damage your phone further.
In an article posted by Apple support, it is explained that if you receive a warning about water in the device, you shouldn't insert foreign objects, like cotton swabs, into the charger opening. You also shouldn't put it in a bag of rice, since small particles can damage the phone. While this warning comes from Apple, I can imagine this will also affect other phones as well.
Many Android phones have a liquid detection warning feature that alerts users when moisture is detected in the charging port or connector. This safety feature is designed to prevent damage to the phone and potential safety hazards that can occur if an attempt is made to charge the device while it's wet.
If your phone did get wet, then there are a few simple steps you should follow. First, do not charge it if you've got a liquid-detection warning. This could cause damage to your phone and make it unusable. If you do charge it with liquid in the opening you could cause a short which would fry your phone or corrode the pins in the charger and phone which could lead to issues as well.
How To Properly Dry Your Phone After Liquid Is Detected
Unfortunately, there is no quick solution to the problem. If the phone got wet, it's best to follow the steps below:
- Gently tap your iPhone against your hand with the bottom part facing down to shake out any extra water. Put your iPhone somewhere dry with good air flow.
- Wait for 30 minutes before you try to charge it or plug anything into it.
- If it still shows a warning, it means there's water inside. Leave it in a dry place with air for up to 24 hours. You can keep trying to charge or plug things in during this time. It might take a full day to dry completely.
- If it's dry but won't charge, disconnect and reconnect the charger and cable.
If you're in desperate need to use your phone during this time, you can also dry the phone and use a wireless charger. Of course, this will only work if you've got a model which allows for wireless charging, otherwise you're going to have to stay patient.
But long story short, just make sure not to believe urban internet myths without checking the facts first. Who else went years thinking rice was the magical solution to your electronic problems?