Apple is weighing in on one of the oldest smartphone myths around by officially stating that users should not put an iPhone that has fallen into water into rice to dry

Earlier this year, Apple quietly published a support article on what to do when a warning pops up that water has entered the charging port That article clearly states not to put the phone in rice Partly because it won't work, but also because of the potential damage from grains getting stuck in the port

Apple's guidelines also discourage inserting foreign objects such as cotton swabs or paper towels into the ports to avoid damaging components The company also does not recommend attempting to dry the phone using excessive heat sources, such as a hair dryer

The concept of drying a wet smartphone by placing it inside brown rice has been around since I can remember The theory is that brown rice draws out moisture For example, if you drop your new iPhone 15 Pro in the pool, you might be able to dry it by placing it in rice

Of course, most smartphones these days are waterproof to some degree, and getting liquid into them is no longer as much of a problem as it once was However, iPhones still warn users of excessive moisture in the port and will not charge This is to protect the phone from potential damage and corrosion of the port itself When this warning appears, Apple clearly indicates the action to be taken

First, remove the charger from the phone and wall for safety Then gently tap the sides of the phone to remove excess water and allow it to dry for up to 24 hours before attempting to charge again If it still does not charge and there is no water warning, the ports may be dirty and should be cleaned

If the problem persists, it may be time to take it to a repair center or consider a complete replacement; it is good that Apple has issued updated guidelines on what to do if water gets into the phone, but it can be avoided by simply covering the charging port Many