5 Things to do when water gets in your iPhone

If you ask most people what you should do to a water-damaged phone, the popular answer will be to keep it in rice. The rationale behind this is for the rice to absorb the moisture from the device, thereby ‘drying’ the device.

However, contrary to popular belief, the rice hack for water-damaged phones can lead to more harm than good for your gadget. In this post, you’ll find out why rice may not be the best option for water-damaged phones and what steps you should take if your phone takes an unexpected swim.

Should you keep your phone in rice?

For years, the immediate response to rescuing a phone that had fallen in water was to immerse it in a bag of rice.

However, recently, Apple has revealed that this solution could potentially do more harm than good. Tiny particles of rice can enter the device, particularly around exposed areas like the USB port and cause further damage.

Steps to take when your iPhone falls into the water

Water is likely to get trapped in open areas such as charging ports, headphone jack, and speaker grills. Firstly, take your phone away from the water source.

Then;

1. Turn your phone off and unplug and eject any chargers, wired headphones and sim tray.
2.  Wipe the device and gently tap it to dislodge any excess liquid.
3.  Allow your device to dry in an area with good airflow, such as in front of a fan.
4.  Avoid exposing your device to high heat sources such as hair dryers.
5. Do not poke around your phone’s ports with any objects.
6.  Power your phone after some minutes.

While your phone’s Ingress protection (IP) rating provides a degree of protection from water and dust, it’s essential to remember that it’s not a green light to take your iPhone underwater.

If your phone won’t turn on or has screen issues, redo the steps above and leave it for a day. If there’s still no result, contact your local service center for help.