No matter how much experience you have with electronic devices, chances are you know that they’re not friends with water. Since an iPhone follows you everywhere you go, it’s possible that you felt your stomach sour when you accidentally dropped it in the water. These days, water isn’t a death sentence, but there are some things to know before getting the charging cable.
In terms of water resistance, iPhones have been given an IP68 rating since the iPhone 12 range, meaning they can withstand submersion in water up to 6 meters for 30 minutes. Even iPhones going back to the iPhone 7 series are water and splash resistant. Despite this, it’s actually a popular myth about iPhones that they are completely waterproof. However, Apple has measures in place to warn you if the phone detects water, which will require you to take precautions like waiting 30 minutes to a day before charging your device with a cable.
Apple warns that attempting to charge a wet device may result in permanent damage or corrosion to the device’s charging port and cable. On the other hand, as long as the back of your device is dry, Apple says wireless charging is OK. The company isn’t a fan of the rice-in-a-bowl trick, but accidents happen, so here’s what you can do if your iPhone takes an unexpected dip.
What to do if your iPhone gets wet
How long it takes for a phone port to dry depends on a number of factors, but Apple has a contingency plan if a port gets wet. An iPhone has two different alerts when it detects water: a “Charging not available” warning if an iPhone with a Lightning port is connected to a cable when it detects water, and a “Liquid detected in USB-C connector” warning if the same thing happens with USB-C. Users who receive either warning should disconnect iPhone from the cable, and then the charging pad cable, for safety.
Then, if your iPhone gets wet, start by tapping the device against your hand with the connector facing down to expel the liquid, and let it dry in a well-ventilated area. After 30 minutes, you can try charging the device using a cable. If you receive the message again, leave the phone to dry in the same area for up to 24 hours. You can continue to try charging during this period. If the battery still won’t charge, remove the adapter cable, remove the adapter from the wall and plug everything back in.
Do not insert anything into the port while you are waiting for it to dry. Also, do not use compressed air or an external heat source to try to speed up the process. The cable or wall charger may also be damaged if they get wet, so test other models once the phone is dry. You may also want to know how to safely deep clean your iPhone.
