No, putting a wet phone in rice does not protect it from water damage

Have you ever dropped your phone in a lake, pool or toilet? If so, you’ve likely heard you should put it immediately in a bowl full of dry rice. 

The theory that dry rice can help protect a wet phone has circulated for years. Some people believe that the properties of rice can increase the absorption of water in a phone, protecting it from severe damage. But Apple users noticed a new Apple Support webpage published in January that warns iPhone users to not put a wet phone in rice. This led to an online discussion of people wondering if the years-old rice theory is actually effective.

THE QUESTION

Does putting a wet phone in rice protect it from water damage?

THE SOURCES

• Apple Support
• Sam Devia, owner of eRepair
• Casey Profita, founder of Gophermods
• Cell Phone Hospital
• Xfinity 
• Samsung

THE ANSWER

No, putting a wet phone in rice does not protect it from water damage. The rice can actually cause more problems than just leaving the phone out to dry.

WHAT WE FOUND

Putting a wet phone in rice does not save it from potential water damage. Apple Support and cell phone repair experts say that putting a phone in rice can actually create more problems than just leaving a phone out to dry.

Apple Support tells iPhone users to never put the device in rice as “doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone.” 

Both Xfinity and eRepair owner Sam Devia say the rice can cause problems if it gets into the phone’s ports. 

“More often than not, rice ends up clogging the charging port rather than providing a comprehensive fix,” Devia says.

Rice is also not a great option because its starch can speed up the corrosion process that water exposure causes inside of a phone. 

“Starch can speed up the corrosion process inside of the device, even if the water is extracted from your phone,” which Cell Phone Hospital says can cause your device “to rust more quickly, causing significant damage.”

Not only can putting a wet phone in rice lead to additional damage, but the action also does not do much, if anything at all, to fix a water-damaged device. 

“While rice can offer a temporary solution by absorbing moisture from ports and speakers, it falls short in addressing the entirety of the liquid inside the device,” Devia says. 

Casey Profita, founder of tech repair company Gophermods says “the real benefit of the rice fix comes from not using the device and not charging it for 24-48 hours, which is often what people do when they put their device in rice. It's this period of inactivity, rather than the rice itself, that's crucial.”

Apple Support says if an iPhone gets wet, users should unplug the device and not charge it until dry. To dry the iPhone, Apple says to “tap your iPhone gently against your hand with the connector facing down to remove excess liquid” and leave it in a dry area with airflow.

Samsung says to turn off the device, wipe it down with a dry cloth and let it air dry. 

11Alive contributed to this report.

This story is also available in Spanish / Lee este artículo también en español: No, colocar un teléfono mojado en arroz no lo protege de daños por agua