Does drying a phone in rice work? According to Apple, this should be avoided.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro // Source: Frandroid
If your smartphone has fallen into water, you're probably wondering how to react. The truth is that there is no panacea. Most high-end smartphones have some level of water resistance thanks to their IPXX certification. However, this protection does not mean that it is advisable to voluntarily go into hiding. Let's assume it's more of a safety feature, just in case. In reality, this resistance is a bit like insurance: it's good to have it, but it's better not to have to use it.
Apple's advice
An often-mentioned tip for storing a wet electronic device is to place it in a bag of rice. The idea here is to avoid charging or turning on immediately after the incident. We've all heard or read about the rice bag trick. Except, no. Even Apple advises against it. In an update to their support page, they explain what to do if the humidity warning appears on your smartphone. And spoiler: rice is not on the list.
Source: Apple
As Apple explains, heating the smartphone with a hairdryer or dipping it in a bag of rice is risky. Heat can destroy your phone from the inside and rice can leave small particles of dirt that have no place there. BBC Science Focus even conducted a study on this: Rice helps a little with drying, but it can also do more harm than good.
So what to do? Apple recommends gently tapping your iPhone to squeeze out as much water as possible, then letting it air dry for half an hour. It's less radical than the bag of rice. And especially, Don't even think about charging it while it's still wet. Corrosion is your charging port's worst enemy. If you really need it, try wireless charging, but only if you have no other choice.
In any case, it's always good advice to follow.