Apple suggests using rice to dry wet smartphones is counterproductive

[GON]

Interesting article. Article states Apple discouragement of using rice to remove moisture from a wet phone. States the rice keeps the moisture in. Instead, Apple suggests using air to remove water.

Seems like an episode of myth busters is appropriate for this scenario.

Putting your wet iPhone in rice to dry it is a bad move, Apple warns

But we know you’re going to do it anyway.

www.macworld.com

 

[earlyre]

 

[vavavroom]

Uncooked rice is hygroscopic. It's not as hygroscopic as silica gel. An iPhone and most Android devices have some level of water resistance, which means they have sealed ports and sealed or glued cases and screens. Rice and silica gel will draw moisture out of devices that are not sealed. Even if a sealed device has a minor leak and moisture inside, it will not dry out for a long time. Ever had a watch with a crystal that fogs up when you sweat, go from the cold into a warm room, or after exposure to water? It takes forever to dry out if at all and the problem will come back.

What rice can do is draw moisture from the external parts of the electrical connector port, the mic, and the speakers. Maybe, if you open the SIM card and or SD cart port you can get some airflow going, depending on whether or not the card slots are truly open to the inside of the device. However, the problem will persist because you have a device that is not as water-resistant as you thought or because the seals have failed. Seals don't last more than a few years.

Apple is only interested in selling you a new phone so I would take their advice with a bag of rice grains. In any case, a phone that has gotten moisture inside is in my book no longer trustworthy. Once you get corrosion it tends to get worse. Get your data off it and replace it.

 

[Lubener]

This has been on the news for days now. If you tape over the connector, I would try the rice thing or heated air, whatever works.

 

[oldgrayman]

I keep a big jug of silica gel desiccant to use in my gun safe . I've used some to dry out a phone .

 

[Zee09]

Eat the rice and throw your phone at a wedding. Always works for me.

 

[Pablo]

All carbs!! Gonna get diabeatus

 

[IndyIan]

Warm dry air flow is going to be the best IMO, and opening the phone up if you can.

 

[I<3oil]

Most people with an inkling of intelligence and a modicum of IQ already knew this lol

 

[Cropduster172]

This is not an issue with Android phones.

 

[SR20DE]

That's good to hear about the silica gel, I try to save those dessicant packets from various food products. You can find them scattered throughout my house in drawers, storage boxes, etc.

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

Most people with an inkling of intelligence and a modicum of IQ already knew this lol

I'm not sure what you mean. When my wife needs to dry her hair after a shower she always sticks her head in a bag of rice.

 

[I<3oil]

I'm not sure what you mean. When my wife needs to dry her hair after a shower she always sticks her head in a bag of rice.

Well, yeah, dummy, her head != a phone

duh! sheez!

 

[BHopkins]

I also read an article about this. If I understood correctly, Apple's advice to not use rice, only applies to newer models that are somewhat waterproof. Or rather, splashproof+.

 

[y_p_w]

Nothing is going to really help with something like an iPhone that has adhesive seals short of opening it up and doing an ultrasonic cleaning. Even if water gets in there, it's been noted that it's not likely coming out easily because it's mostly sealed even if there is a breach. Water might also damage the battery.

The biggest issue isn't going to be water, but all the other stuff that might be in the water. And there's a chance that something was damaged like a surface mount resistor or capacitor.

Now Apple generally doesn't fix anything like this. Their stance is that it's up to the user to properly back up the device and that information can be transferred to another device in case of damage.

Rice creates all sorts of issues. First of all is that uncooked rice has little bits and pieces of rice dust. I've heard of people who looked into what happened after someone tried using rice to dry out a wet device, and they found wet bits of rice dust that combined with moisture into something like hardened glue.

Don't Put Your Device in Rice. Here's Why...

Let's work together to get rid of the myth that putting electronics in rice is an effective strategy for treating water damage. It's not. Reach for the alcohol, not the rice.

www.ifixit.com

I have heard of one person who brought in a malfunctioning iPhone 6s once, and mostly just wanted to recover the photos that weren't backed up. This person was apparently a horse riding instructor, and when it was taken apart they found little bits of hay that had gotten inside. However, that was before Apple started building iPhones with seals and an ingress protection rating.

 

[vavavroom]

That's good to hear about the silica gel, I try to save those dessicant packets from various food products. You can find them scattered throughout my house in drawers, storage boxes, etc.

Before you use those old packets, dry them out at no more than 250F in the oven for a couple of hours.. Some silica gel contains an indicator dye and will turn blue if saturated with water.

 

[oldgrayman]

Before you use those old packets, dry them out at no more than 250F in the oven for a couple of hours.. Some silica gel contains an indicator dye and will turn blue if saturated with water.

My silica gel turns pink when saturated . When I bake it the color changes back to blue .

 

[vavavroom]

By the way, since common sense came up and because someone stated that you might get rice dust in your device, you don't just stick the device in rice. You put the device first in a sock or similar. And no doubt there's a difference between a hopelessly waterlogged device and one that shows a little condensation.

Items I have dried out in uncooked rice: R/C remote control, car remote, compact camera

 

[Pablo]

By the way, since common sense came up and because someone stated that you might get rice dust in your device, you don't just stick the device in rice. You put thd device first in a sock or similar.

Items I have dried out in uncooked rice: R/C remote control, car remote, compact camera

I dry my skivs in rice.

 

[vavavroom]

My silica gel turns pink when saturated . When I bake it the color changes back to blue .

Sidenote:
Anhydrous copper sulfate is a great desiccant. It is white but will progressively turn blue as it absorbs moisture. There are mechanical watches that contain dry cartridges filled with copper sulfate. Those watches are also filled with a noble gas to not only make the dry cartridge functional but to also prevent lubricant oxidation. Through a little window you can see the color of the copper sulfate. Once it shows a strong blue a service is required. If the indicator turns spontaneously blue you can presume a leaky seal and you know moisture ingress has occurred.