GOT your iPhone wet? The classic well-known remedy espoused for years by tech guru websites has been to put the soggy device into a bag of uncooked rice.
The dry rice absorbs the moisture, bringing your phone back to life from the brink of destruction, or at least that’s the theory.
Now, following myriad warnings from experts, Apple has finally debunked the remedy as a pseudoscientific urban myth.
A new support note from the tech company says: “Don’t put your iPhone in a bag of rice. Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone”.
Studies also suggest that using uncooked rice is not particularly effective, less so than other desiccants such as silica gel.
The urban myth likely takes root in the traditional use of rice to keep camera equipment dry in humid, tropical environments.
Although iPhones are advertised as ‘water resistant’, this does not mean they are immune to its effects.
Getting your iPhone wet can lead to a whole heap of problems, such as charging issues, blurry photos, no audio, internal rusting and even a complete end to all functionality.
However, using the foodstuff to dry a wet iPhone can do more harm than good, with small rice particles frequently becoming lodged inside the device.
Apple’s support documentation includes two other warnings in case your iPhone gets wet: “Don’t dry your iPhone using an external heat source or compressed air” and “Don’t insert a foreign object, such as a cotton swab or a paper towel, into the connector”.
If you receive a ‘Liquid detected’ alert on your iPhone, Apple recommends unplugging your charging cable at both ends. Then, tap the phone ‘gently against your hand with the connector facing down to remove excess liquid’. Leave it to dry for half an hour, and then try to charge the device again. If this fails, try again the next day.
If your iPhone is not functioning at all, turn it off.
Try to dry it with a towel and then place it in an airtight container packed with silica packets.
Alternatively, remove the SIM card and use a compressed aerosol air duster to carefully blow any water out.
If all else fails, you may have to get the professionals involved.
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