What you should not do:

Experts have for years pointed out that’s a bad idea – and now Apple is officially warning users not to do it.

“Don’t put your iPhone in a bag of rice. Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone,” the company says in a recent support note spotted by Macworld. Along with the risk of damage, testing has suggested uncooked rice is not particularly effective at drying the device.

What you should do:

If your phone isn’t functioning at all, turn it off right away and don’t press any buttons. The next steps depend on your specific circumstances, but broadly speaking: dry it with a towel and put it in an airtight container packed with silica packets if you have them. Don’t charge it until you’re sure it’s dry.

  • @[email protected]
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    209 months ago

    For years, I’ve saved every silica packet in a coffee can. I stopped a while ago since I have a liter of them and the can is full.

    Works great for drying things out.

    I realize this is the advice in the article but wanted to point out that they build up quickly and come in just about everything that isn’t food these days.

      • @[email protected]
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        19 months ago

        Sealed Illy coffee can for storage and excellent for drying out a phone with a moisture alert on the charging connection. You are probably correct about stuff that is thoroughly soaked but that’s not what I use it for as that scenario doesn’t seem to arise for me. I did once use this system to dry out my wife’s phone that was not working after our toddler dropped it into a bucket or something and it was fine for a couple years after but I’m guessing gaskets prevented any moisture from getting too far since we pulled it out immediately.