MILLIONS of iPhone owners must be on high alert for a serious pop-up warning.
If it appears and you ignore it, you risk permanently damaging your iPhone.
Apple has designed a special pop-up notification for when there’s water in your Lightning port.
It’s easily done: maybe you splashed it, dropped it in some water, or got caught in the rain.
But it’s extremely important to look out for.
“If you charge your iPhone while the Lightning port is wet, the pins on the Lightning port or the cable can corrode,” Apple warns.
“And cause permanent damage or stop functioning, causing connectivity issues for your iPhone or accessory.”
There are two types of notifications that appear – and both have a yellow warning triangle with a blue water drop inside.
The first says Charging Not Available, and reads: “Liquid has been detected in the Lightning connector.
“Disconnect to allow the connector to dry. This may take several hours.”
This appears if you’ve connected your iPhone to a charger and liquid is detected.
The second pop-up says Liquid Detected in Lightning Connector, and reads: “Disconnect to allow the connector to dry. This may take several hours.”
This pop-up is triggered if you connect a non-charging accessory (like a pair of wired headphones) to your iPhone and liquid is detected.
Both must not be ignored except in extreme circumstances.
Apple says that there is an option to override the feature in an emergency.
It’ll be possible if you reconnect your iPhone to a Lightning cable or accessory after the first notification appears.
And you can still use a wireless charger to your iPhone even if there is water in your Lightning port. Just make sure the back of your iPhone is dry first.
Apple warns against plugging in your iPhone until it’s completely dry.
The tech giant suggests some tips to help you along.
“Tap your iPhone gently against your hand with the Lightning connector facing down to remove excess liquid,” Apple explains.
“Leave your iPhone in a dry area with some airflow.”
Once that’s done, wait 30 minutes and then try to charge again.
If you see the alert again then there must still be liquid present.
“Leave your iPhone in a dry area with some airflow for up to a day,” Apple says.
“You can try again to charge or connect a Lightning accessory throughout this period. It might take up to 24 hours to fully dry.”
According to Apple, you must not use an external heat source or compressed air to dry your iPhone.
You should also avoid inserting foreign objects into your Lightning port, like cotton swabs or paper towels.
And don’t be tempted by an age-old iPhone-drying myth.
“Don’t put your iPhone in a bag of rice,” Apple says.
“Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone.”
