Phone repair with rice

iPod Touch submerged in rice

Submerging a mobile device into rice is a common repair advice for devices that suffered from water damage. This technique has not been shown to be effective in repairing them.^[1][2][3] Submerging these devices into a desiccant may or may not be more effective than leaving them to dry in open air. Uncooked rice is inferior to other common desiccants such as silica gel or cat litter.^[4] Despite what has been said, it is not recommended as the starch and particles from the rice can get lodged inside the phone's inner parts.

History

Rice has traditionally been used to keep camera equipment and films dry in tropical environments.^[1]

In July 2007, less than a month after the original iPhone was released, a member of MacRumors named jorsuss started a thread titled "I dropped my iPhone in water". They covered the phone in rice, which may have been the first documented attempt to use the procedure on an iPhone.^[1]

See also

• IP Code
• List of common misconceptions § Computing and the Internet

Further reading

• Ashworth, Boone. "Here's the Right Way to Rescue a Soaking Wet Smartphone". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
• "Don't Put Your Device in Rice. Here's Why". iFixit. 2017-03-17. Retrieved 2023-05-19.

References

1. Zelenko, Michael (2015-09-14). "Putting your wet phone in rice probably won't save it. But do it anyway". The Verge. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
2. Conversation, Ritesh Chugh for the (2021-04-14). "Phone wet and won't turn on? Here's what to do with water damage (hint: putting it in rice won't work)". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
3. Apprendre à réparer l'électronique - Pour en finir avec le RIZ !, 20 April 2022, retrieved 2023-02-16
4. "Myth Debunked: Uncooked Rice Isn't the Best Way to Save Your Water-Damaged Phone". 20 May 2014.