San Francisco, CA – For years, the internet has been rife with advice on how to save a waterlogged phone, with uncooked rice being a popular household remedy. However, tech giant Apple explicitly advises against this common practice.
According to Apple support documents, putting a wet iPhone in a bag of rice could potentially allow small particles of rice to damage the device. The company’s warning comes in response to the issue of liquid detection alerts on iPhones, addressing the best course of action for users in such a predicament. This advice aims to debunk the long-standing myth that rice can effectively draw liquid out of a wet phone.
In addition to discouraging the use of rice, Apple also cautions against the use of external heat sources, such as hair dryers, and compressed air to remove liquid from the device. The company also advises against inserting cotton swabs or paper towels into charging ports, suggesting an alternative method of tapping the phone with the connector pointing down and allowing it to dry in an area with good airflow for at least 30 minutes before attempting to charge it.
This contradicts the traditional belief that rice is an effective desiccant for waterlogged electronics. However, tech experts suggest that it is the time spent drying out the device that actually works, rather than the rice itself. Additionally, leaving the phone in a bag of rice may keep it out of sight, preventing users from attempting to power it on prematurely.
The advice from Apple, along with insights from tech experts, sheds new light on the age-old practice of using rice to save waterlogged phones. This new information may prompt users to reconsider their approach to dealing with wet electronic devices and seek alternative methods for drying them out.