Shit: You dropped your iPhone in water, and now it won't turn on. If you're like most of us living in 2024, your first instinct (other than to panic) is to drop it in a bag of rice to soak up all that insidious liquid. The rice trick is just an accepted tactic at this point. Except: We're all collectively wrong on this one. Apparently, putting your iPhone (or any electronic device for that matter) in rice doesn't help all that much. At best, you're wasting good rice. At worse, you're hurting your iPhone more than you're healing it.
While there have been reports criticizing this go-to method for years now, it's Apple that has all the anti-rice headlines buzzing this week. As spotted by Macworld, the iPhone maker quietly updated its support document for liquid-detection alerts on iOS. These alerts appear when your iPhone detects liquid in its Lightning or USB-C connector, and disables the ability to use the port for charging or connecting to other devices.
Apple hasn't changed its advice on what you should do in the event you receive one of these alerts, but what's really different is what they say not to do. At first, it's the same: The guide says not to dry your iPhone using an external heat source or compressed air, and also dissuades you from using objects like Q-tips and paper towels to attempt to dry the port. Finally, the new advice:
Don't put your iPhone in a bag of rice. Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone.
It's not clear exactly what prompted the change in Apple's support policy now, but it is in line with what we've been hearing for at least the past few years. Wired ran this advice in February of 2021 for instance, so it's not groundbreaking news by any means.
These days, iPhones are water resistant, so they can manage your average spill or mild submersion without much reason to worry. However, if your iPhone is older, even with a good water resistance rating, it may not be as effective against liquid damage. That's because the water resistant seals that protect your iPhone can wear over time and use, and allow liquid through easier than before.
If you do get water in your iPhone, and you see one of these alerts (or the device won't turn on), Apple has the following advice for you: The company recommends you unplug any cables from your iPhone to allow the port to dry, then tap your iPhone against your hand with the connector facing down to shake out any excess liquid. After allowing the port to dry for at least 30 minutes, you can try charging it again. If you see the alert again, you should unplug any cables and allow your iPhone to dry for up to a day instead. You can still try charging or connecting during this time.
