When you connect a Lightning or USB-C cable or an accessory to your iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, or later, your iPhone can warn you if there’s liquid in the connector.
If you see one of these alerts, your iPhone has detected liquid in the Lightning or USB-C connector or on the cable or accessory. To protect your iPhone and the accessory, charging and accessory connection are unavailable until the connector, cable ends, and the accessory are dry.
If your iPhone is wet, Apple says to plug the cable from your iPhone and unplug the other end of the cable from the power adapter or accessory.
Don’t plug the cable in again until your iPhone and the cable are completely dry.
To dry your iPhone:
- Tap your iPhone gently against your hand with the connector facing down to remove excess liquid. Leave your iPhone in a dry area with some airflow.
- After at least 30 minutes, try charging with a Lightning or USB-C cable or connecting an accessory.
- If you see the alert again, there is still liquid in the connector or under the pins of your cable. Leave your iPhone in a dry area with some airflow for up to a day. You can try again to charge or connect an accessory throughout this period. It might take up to 24 hours to fully dry.
- If your phone has dried out but still isn’t charging, unplug the cable from the adapter and unplug the adapter from the wall (if possible) and then connect them again.
Here are a few things not to do:
- Don’t dry your iPhone using an external heat source or compressed air.
- Don’t insert a foreign object, such as a cotton swab or a paper towel, into the connector.
- Don’t put your iPhone in a bag of rice. Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone.
(This how-to is based on my experiences and info on Apple’s support pages — where the images sometimes come from.)
