NEW DELHI: There is a popular belief that if your phone gets wet, the first thing to do is to put it in a bag of rice. However, Apple, one of the most popular mobile makers, strictly advises against this practice.
The American tech giant, citing recent tests, warns that using rice can actually harm the device. In published guidance, the iPhone maker suggests an alternative approach: gently tapping out any liquid with the phone connector facing down and then leaving it to dry out. In addition to avoiding bags of rice, Apple also advises against drying a wet phone using an “external heat source or compressed air”, which means radiators and hairdryers should be avoided.
Furthermore, it suggests refraining from inserting “a foreign object, such as a cotton swab or a paper towel,” into the phone. Instead, it guides people to leave their phone in a “dry area with some airflow” before reconnecting it to a charger. Despite the increasing sophistication of smartphones, popular approaches to deal with water exposure remain unsophisticated. Apple has taken the opportunity to steer users away from several of them.
As noted by the website MacWorld, which first spotted the new support document, the evolving design of smartphones may render such advice unnecessary in the future. This is because devices are becoming increasingly capable of withstanding exposure to water. For instance, all Apple devices from the iPhone 12 onwards are capable of enduring immersion up to a depth of six metres for up to half an hour.
However, given the rise in cost-of-living pressures and the consequent growth in the global second-hand mobile market, it is likely that many people will still require guidance on what to do - and what not to do - with a water-damaged smartphone for some time to come.