Has your phone gone for a dip in the pool, washing machine, or even worse – the toilet? If you’re rummaging the Internet searching for water damage repair tricks, beware! Some of the most recommended tactics are oftentimes more harmful to your iPhone than helpful.

Can I Apply Heat After? 

Save the blow dryer for your hair and the microwave for your food. Applying heat to your water-damaged device will only damage it further. Apple claims that iPhones can withstand a maximum of 113 degrees Fahrenheit but operate best between 32 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

Applying heat to your water-damaged iPhone may damage your device in several ways. Extreme heat may jeopardize the lithium-ion battery and warp parts of the iPhone. When heat is applied to a lithium-ion battery, the battery often loses its ability to ionize meaning your phone won’t charge.

In addition to heat damage, blow dryers may also expand internal water damage. When the blow dryer pushes air into the phone, it spreads water further throughout the device’s interior.

The Rice Trick Works?….Right???

Perhaps one of the most widely recommended water damage repair tricks is sticking your iPhone in a bowl or bag of rice. While rice does indeed absorb moisture, it is one of the least effective methods of fixing a water damaged phone.

When liquid enters a phone, it begins corroding the motherboard; something rice cannot fix. Additionally, rice leaves behind a residue made up of sugars and starches. The sugars and starches left behind by rice speed up the corrosion within the phone. Additional corrosion means additional damage to your iPhone.