Have you ever dropped your phone in water and turned to a trusty bag of rice to dry it out? Don’t worry — we all have at one point. But there’s a good chance it didn’t really help. Experts have warned against trying to dry your phone with rice in the past. Now, Apple says in recently updated guidelines not to use rice to dry a wet iPhone.
“Don’t put your iPhone in a bag of rice. Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone,” Apple says.
The new rice tip can be found in Apple’s liquid-detection alert guidelines, which have been updated for 2024. Getting your phone wet is a common accidental occurrence, and Apple’s guide walks users through what they should and should not do if they receive a liquid detection notification on their iPhone.
On top of not recommending putting your iPhone in rice, Apple says not to dry the phone with an external heat source (like a hairdryer) or compressed air. The phone maker also recommends not inserting foreign objects like a Q-tip or paper towel into the Lightning/USB-C port.
Apple says if your iPhone is wet or you get the liquid-detection alert, gently tap it against your hand with the connector facing down to remove any excess liquid and leave it in a dry area with airflow. The tech giant recommends leaving the phone to dry for at least 30 minutes before trying to charge it again. If you still receive the liquid-detection alert, leave the phone to dry for a day.
Although the rice drying method is no longer recommended, it will likely be looked back at fondly as a desperate measure in times of crisis and panic. I will forever remember dropping my phone in deep snow and shoving it in rice to save it.
We salute you, rice. But you’re better off being cooked.
