Drying your wet iPhone in rice ‘is a MYTH’ – how to really save a soaked mobile

IF you’ve accidentally soaked your iPhone, sticking it in a bowl of rice isn’t the best idea.

There are more effective ways to dry out your iPhone – and using rice could even cause damage to your handset.

Dry iPhone in rice – does it really work?

There are loads of ways people try drying off their phones.

These include terrible and frankly dangerous solutions involving ovens and hair dryers.

One of the more popular solutions is to stick it in a bowl of rice – but sadly, its effectiveness is a myth.

Rice simply can’t absorb water from the air effectively enough to cleanse your device’s internals.

You may have had success with this method, but the phone likely would’ve worked fine without any interaction with rice.

But dumping your mobile in rice is largely useless.

In fact, you could end doing some serious damage to your blower.

Getting a small grain of rice stuck in a port, or dust in some of the holes, could prove very annoying.

And trying to dislodge any jammed objects could result in scratching or breakages to your handset.

Fortunately, there is a better way.

Dry a wet iPhone – the best way to do it

First, turn your iPhone off immediately. You want to prevent moisture from affecting active circuitry.

Dry it off with paper towels or a microfibre cloth.

Then remove any parts, like the SIM tray or even the battery if you’re using an Android handset (where battery removal is possible).

Next, put the device in a zip-loc bag to keep it airtight.

But before you close it, slip in a handful of silica gel sachets.

These are the little desiccant packets that you’ll often find boxed with shoes.

They draw in moisture very effectively, and work better than plain old rice.

You can buy them cheaply online – or you may already have some lying around the house.

Once the silica packets are in the bag, lock it and leave it.

You’ll want to wait at least three days before opening the bag and removing your phone.

It won’t be easy but playing the waiting game gives you the best chance of switching on a working phone.

So in brief, here’s how to dry a wet iPhone:

1. Turn off your phone immediately
2. Dry it with paper towels, and try to get into ports too
3. Take out any loose parts, including the battery (if you’re using an Android handset where this is possible) and SIM card
4. Put the device in a sealable bag
5. Bag it up with silica gel sachets
6. Lock the bag and leave it for 72 hours
7. Power your phone up and pray to the smartphone gods

Sadly, no method is truly guaranteed to save your phone – so brace yourself for the worst.

Does drying your iPhone guarantee it’ll be fine?

No, it might still be broken – and even if it works, it might not forever.

The bad news is that your phone may still be knackered in the long run, even if it works immediately.

Water drying on internal components can kick-start a corrosion process that could irreparably damage components down the line.

So you might find that a soaked phone stops working many months after the incident.

iPhone waterproof models – you might not need to bag your mobile

Apple has been making the iPhone waterproof for years now.

So there’s a good chance that you’ve already got a waterproof iPhone.

If you have an iPhone 7 or later, they’re rated as water-resistant to depths of three metres of water for up to 30 minutes.

Older iPhone models aren’t rated to the same standard, so be very careful when handling them near water.

In any case, water-resistance is simply a guideline – and not a benchmark for you to try to hit personally.

Don’t start chucking your iPhone in the sink or swimming pool, because it might not end well.

Small cracks, high pressure water, changes in temperature and many other factors can reduce water-resistance.

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