Saving a wet iPhone by putting it in a bowl or bag of uncooked rice has been a popular go-to rescue methods for years, with the logic being that the rice absorbs the excess water from the phone. However, the God of iPhones has recently come out to warn poor mortals against resorting to rice in these situations, saying it could make things worse.
In a recent support document, Apple states that putting wet devices in a bag of rice could “allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone,” although it doesn’t go into further detail. The company also recommended against using other well-known hacks, such as using an external heat source to try to dry the phone or sticking a cotton swab into the connector. Apple’s recent advice was spotted by Macworld.
The company’s warning on rice coincides with those of other repair experts, who have found that the rice hack works slower than simply leaving your iPhone on a counter to dry. Time is crucial in these situations, as the most important thing is to prevent the water from reaching and damaging the electronics inside the phone.
Instead of resorting to rice, Apple provides users with an alternative solution. If your iPhone or charging connector is wet—in the latter case, an alert will appear and disable charging—Apple recommends the following:
In case Apple’s advice doesn’t work, it’s safe to say that you probably need help from professional repair experts and may even need to prepare yourself to buy a new iPhone. Whatever you do, though, resist the temptation of reaching for the rice.
Source: Gizmodo