Apple issues official warning against putting phone in rice

One study suggests that a quarter of smartphone users have damaged their devices with water or another kind of liquid.

When the heart-stopping moment of dropping your phone or getting it wet happens, the instinctive move is to put it in a bowl of rice.

It's sort of become a go-to home remedy for electronic emergencies.

However, Apple is warning its users against using such a method.

Apple warns users against putting their iPhones in a bowl of rice / Arthit Pornpikanet / Getty

The tech giant officially stated on its website: ‘Don’t put your iPhone in a bag of rice. Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone.

'Don’t dry your iPhone using an external heat source or compressed air.

'Don’t insert a foreign object, such as a cotton swab or a paper towel, into the connector.’

Apple further warned - and maybe stated the obvious here - to not to charge iPhones if they're wet as it could 'corrode' and cause 'further issues.'

Instead, Apple proposes a different solution for the unlucky Apple owners.

The company advises users to hold their phone with the connector end facing towards the floor and gently tap their iPhone against their hand to knock out any excess water.

User should then leave their phone in a dry area with some airflow for around 30 minutes before attempting to charge it again.

Apple iPhones can notify its users if there is liquid detected in the USB-C connector or on the cable itself.

As a protective mechanism against water damage, iPhones will disable the connection until both the connector and charger are dry.

Apple suggests that users gently tap their iPhone to draw out excess water /Jose A. Bernat Bacete/ Getty

Additionally, the BBC has previously argued against the popular rice method for drying wet devices, saying: ‘Rice will draw out the moisture, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your phone will work properly afterwards.

‘The water may already have fused the phone’s circuits or left behind traces of minerals that corrode the electronics. Also, rice may get stuck in the headphone socket.'

It seems using heat sources like hair dryers and radiators isn't a suitable solution either as it could further damage the phone.

Furthermore, Apple also suggests placing the Lightning or USB-C Connector of the iPhone directly in front of a fan blowing cool air to get rid of the excess water.

Whatever your method of getting water out of your phone, just make sure to handle it ASAP as it can lead to several problems, including blurry photos (if water is trapped in the camera lens), ruffled audio, or even loss of functionality altogether.