It happens in a split second. A slip of the hand, an accidental knock, or just not paying attention—and SPLASH. Your phone is in the sink, the pool, or the toilet. Your heart sinks and panic sets in.
What’s the first thing everyone tells you to do? “Quick! Put it in a bag of rice!”
It’s the oldest trick in the book. Your friends say it, your family says it, and you’ve probably read it online a dozen times. But we’re here to tell you the truth: That trick is a myth, and it can actually hurt your phone more than it helps.
Let’s break down exactly why you should keep your phone far away from that bag of rice, and learn the simple, correct way to save it.
Why Is Putting Your Phone in Rice a Really Bad Idea?
Reason #1: Rice Works Way Too Slowly
Think about it like this: If you have a big water spill on your floor, you wouldn’t just toss a single paper towel on it and hope it soaks everything up. You’d act fast to clean it up right away!
It’s the same with your phone. The moment water gets inside, it can start causing rust on the tiny, important computer parts. This rust, called corrosion, is what permanently breaks the phone.
Rice soaks up water, but it does it very, very slowly. It might take many days for the rice to pull a little bit of water out. By that time, the rust has already formed and the damage is done. You are in a race against time, and rice is a slow runner.
Reason #2: Rice Makes a Dusty, Gummy Mess
This is the most important reason to never use rice. Every little grain of uncooked rice is covered in a fine, starchy powder, kind of like flour. This dust is the real enemy of your wet phone.
This tiny dust can easily get into all the small holes on your phone and cause huge problems:
- It Clogs Your Charging Port: The white dust from the rice can get packed deep into the charging hole. When you finally think your phone is dry and you try to plug it in, the charger won’t fit or it won’t charge at all. Trying to force it or clean it out can easily break the delicate charging pins for good.
- It Blocks Your Speakers and Microphone: The tiny holes for your speakers and the mic you talk into can get clogged with this starchy dust. This will make your phone sound quiet and muffled, and other people might not be able to hear you on calls. You solved one problem (the water) but created a new one!
What You Should Do to Save Your Phone (The Right Way)
The best way to fix a wet phone is also the simplest way. You don’t need any magic tricks. You just need to let air do the job for you.
Step 1: Turn It OFF Immediately!
This is the most important thing you can do! Your phone is full of electricity. Water and electricity are enemies. When they mix, they can cause a “short circuit,” which is like a small fire that burns out the phone’s brain. Turning the power off completely stops the electricity and is the best thing you can do to prevent permanent damage. Don’t try to check your messages or see if it still works. Just shut it down.
Step 2: Wipe It Down and Take It Apart (Gently!)
Use a soft cloth, a paper towel, or even a t-shirt to gently wipe all the water off the outside of the phone.
- If you have a phone case, take it off.
- Take out the SIM card tray on the side of the phone.
- If you have a removable memory card, take that out too.
Doing this opens up more pathways for air to get in and for water to get out. Do NOT shake your phone! Shaking it seems like a good idea, but it can actually push water droplets deeper inside where they can do more harm.
Step 3: Be Patient and Let It Air Dry
Now for the hardest part: you have to wait.
Find a dry, safe spot for your phone, like on a kitchen counter on top of a dry towel. Just leave it there and let it be. You need to give it at least one to two full days (that’s 24 to 48 hours) to dry out completely. It seems like a long time, but every hour it sits, more of the trapped water inside is turning into vapor and vanishing into the air.
To help it along, you can put a fan in the same room. Don’t point the fan right at the phone—just have it blowing in the room to keep the air moving. Moving air is the best thing in the world for drying things out.
Important: Do NOT use a hairdryer, a heater, or put your phone in the oven. Extreme heat can melt the sensitive parts inside and destroy the screen.