Don't put wet iPhone in rice, says new Apple support document

Although current and newer iPhone models are more water resistant than older models, they are still susceptible to water damage – and that's one of the reasons The most common advice you will find on the Internet is to put a waterlogged iPhone in rice to dry it …

This WikiHow fragment is typical.

Oh no! Your smartphone is completely wet! Don't panic: if you drop your smartphone into a sink, toilet, or any other body of water, you may be able to save it. The most important thing you can do is act quickly. Unplug it (if plugged in), remove it from the water, and turn it off as quickly as possible. Try to remove as much water as possible from it using towels and a vacuum cleaner. Then place it in a bowl of instant rice or other absorbent material for 48 to 72 hours before turning it on.

Even reputable sources like BBC Science Focus say it works, even if it's not the best approach.

But a new Apple support document discovered by Macworld flatly does not recommend this.

• Do not dry iPhone using external heat or compressed air.
• Do not insert foreign objects, such as a Q-tip or paper towel, into the connector.

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• Don't put your iPhone in a bag of rice. Otherwise, the fine rice particles could damage your iPhone.

Instead, Apple says the key is patience.

1. Gently tap your iPhone on the case with your hand, connector facing down. to remove excess liquid. Leave your iPhone in a dry place with little air flow. 
2. After at least 30 minutes, try charging it using a Lightning or USB-C cable or connecting an accessory.
3. If you look again at the warning: there is still liquid in the connector or under the cable contacts. Leave your iPhone in a dry place with some ventilation for up to one day. During this period, you can try charging or connecting the accessory again. It may take up to 24 hours to dry completely.
4. If your phone is dry but still won't charge, unplug the cable from the adapter and unplug the adapter from the wall (if possible). and then connect them again.

If this doesn't work, we recommend contacting Apple Support.

Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Remove Splash