Apple wipes out long-standing solution to wet iPhones: Don’t put them in rice

Ever since cell phones became popular, we’ve been dropping them into water. And while today’s iPhones are resistant to splashes, immersions, and water, you can still get the dreaded liquid detection alert on your screen if it gets too wet.

For years, when we need to protect our iPhones from leaks, we’ve relied on a simple household staple: a bag of rice. This method is decidedly low-tech. Just put your phone in a rice bag, seal it, and wait for about a day. The idea is that the rice draws moisture from inside the phone before frying its internal parts. People who have experienced water damage on their phones trust this feature, and there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to show that it actually works.

However, researchers have long argued that rice doesn’t actually make your phone dry faster, but may slow the process and leave the logic board more susceptible to further damage. And Apple’s new 2024 support document actually advises against using rice to dry your iPhone. Because “small particles of rice can damage your iPhone.” Instead, Apple suggests the following steps:

1. With the connector facing down, tap your iPhone in your hand to remove any excess liquid. Place your iPhone in a dry area with airflow.
2. After at least 30 minutes, try charging with a Lightning or USB-C cable or connecting an accessory.
3. If the alert appears again, there is still liquid in the connector or under the cable pins. Leave your iPhone in a dry, well-ventilated area for up to 1 day. During this period, you can retry charging or connecting the accessory. It may take up to 24 hours to completely dry.
4. If your phone is dry but still won’t charge, unplug the cable from the adapter, disconnect the adapter from the wall (if possible), and plug it back in.

Apple also recommends that you don’t use external heat sources or compressed air to dry your iPhone, or insert foreign objects like cotton swabs or paper towels into the Lightning or USB-C ports.

Indeed, starting with the iPhone 12, iPhones have been able to withstand submersion up to 6 meters (about 20 feet) for up to 30 minutes, so you may not have to worry about liquid damage for a while. But if that happens, leave the rice in the cabinet.