The iPhone has many remarkable features you might not find in other brands’ smartphones. This is another reason behind its immense popularity despite its expensive price tag.
Be it the iPhone’s camera, offloading app feature, built-in sensors, or FaceTime. There are many such reasons to give an iPhone a try. Apart from these features, there’s another remarkable feature called the liquid detected in Lightning connector.
This feature or alert pops up on your device’s screen if your phone’s charging port or the lightning cable is wet or moist. In such a situation, your iPhone won’t charge, but you can continue using your device.
In this article, we’ll discuss this particular iOS-only feature in detail, from how the feature works to the signs of water damage and other details. Before jumping to that, it is important to know the meaning of the warning – liquid detected in the lightning connector. So, let’s get to it.
What Does “Liquid Detected In Lightning Connector” Mean?
Newer versions of iPhones are mostly water-proofed. But despite that feature, some of its parts might still get affected by the water damage. And if you damage your iPhone with water, the device will give you a liquid-detected warning. Ports, as we know, are opened, and water can easily enter.
You might not see a problem until you connect a charger to the iPhone. And then you’ll get the warning to stop you from connecting it and damage the device even more.
But in some exceptional cases, this warning might appear because of some bug. But you must be sure that your iPhone was nowhere near liquid.
First, it is important to know if there is water in the lightning connector. Some signs can be very helpful in this process.
6 Signs Of Water Damage In iPhone
Following are some of the signs of water damage to an iPhone:
1. Your iPhone Won’t Turn On
If you find it difficult to turn on your iPhone normally, your iPhone may have been exposed to water or unwanted moisture.
2. The iPhone Is Getting Hot
When your smartphone is exposed to water, this often causes damage to its battery. As a result, the handset might get exceptionally hot.
3. Difficulty In Operating Applications
If some or most of the applications in your device are not working as they should be, it’s another sign of water-induced damage. For example, if the flash is not turning on/off or a particular app is shutting again and again.
4. Speakers Won’t Work
This is the most common damage done by water. Speaker ports are smaller and, once the water enters them, does not come out easily. At times, your speaker might not even work with normal volume.
5. Fog Under The Screen
If you are experiencing the unusual fog under the screen and can’t properly see the screen, chances are there is moisture under the screen.
6. No Service Or Device Not Recognizing The SIM
iPhones damaged with water might not receive service or not recognize the SIM.
After knowing the signs of water damage, let’s now understand how water can get into your iPhone’s lightning or charging port.
How Can Water Get Into The Charging Port?
Below are some of the conditions for getting water into your charging port.
1. Submersion
If your iPhone gets accidentally submerged in the water, as the charging port and other ports are wide open, liquid can easily get into them. For example, when you dip your iPhone in the pool or bucket full of water. This is the most common and dangerous situation, as in this case, there are heavy chances of your iPhone getting internally damaged.
2. Humidity
This is a rare condition. It only happens when the humidity in the environment is extremely high. In such scenarios, the water droplets might appear on your iPhone. These water droplets can enter the charging ports as the water drops are small enough to enter them. If you often take your iPhone to saunas, this problem might occur due to this also.
3. Rain
This is the second most common reason. You carry your iPhone everywhere, as it is a need. If you face heavy rainfall while carrying your iPhone, the water drops can again enter your device through the charging ports if not taken care of.
4. Sweat
If you use your iPhone directly after a heavy workout or physical activity with sweaty hands, the sweat can enter the phone through the charging ports.
It is important to know the points mentioned above as then only you can be extra cautious in these circumstances or avoid these completely. And can save the charging port from getting damaged.
Apart from the situations mentioned above or reasons, there can also be others. For example, you accidentally rest your iPhone in a slightly wet place.
How To Fix “Liquid Detected In Lightning Connector” In An iPhone?
In case after taking all the precautions, you might still cause damage to charging ports. And get the warning of liquid detected in the lightning connector. Then, you can use the following fixes.
1. Dry The Connector
The first thing you need to do after getting the above warning is to try drying the connector. Unplug it from the charger, and put it where the charging ports point downwards. In any situation, don’t shake the iPhone as it might lead to the spreading of water inside.
2. Dismiss The Alert
In case you are confident enough that you have dried the iPhone completely, the warning might just appear due to some bug. Then, in such a case, you can dismiss the alert. As you get the warning, there’ll be an option of Dismiss. Simply tap on that. Note that it might prevent the device from charging.
3. Use Emergency Override
Only choose this option when there is an emergency and you are willing to risk destroying your iPhone by charging it. As you know, water and electricity are a lethal combination. Therefore, using this option and charging the iPhone with water inside it is dangerous. (We’ll discuss this Emergency Override in detail later.)
4. Try Restarting Your iPhone
If you dismiss the warning and still find it difficult to operate the iPhone, you can try restarting your iPhone. Follow the steps mentioned below.
For iPhone X and newer versions, follow these steps.
- Press the volume up or down and the power button simultaneously, and hold them for a few seconds.
- The Power Off slider will appear on the screen. Drag the slider and wait for a few seconds.
- After this, your iPhone will be switched off.
- To restart the iPhone, press the side or power button again and hold for a few seconds. Wait till the Apple logo appears.
- Your iPhone will be turned on.
For older versions, here are the steps.
- Press the volume and Sleep/Wake button and hold for a few seconds.
- The Power Off slider will appear on the screen. Drag the slider and wait for a few seconds.
- After this, the iPhone will be switched off.
- To restart the iPhone, press the side or power button and hold for a few seconds. Wait till the Apple logo appears.
- Your iPhone will be turned on.
5. Wait And Let Your iPhone Dry
In case you are not in an emergency, you should always wait and let your iPhone dry by itself. For this, you must turn off your iPhone first and then keep the charging port downwards so that gravitational forces work on water droplets. You can also gently tap on the iPhone to push the water in the iPhone. Wipe the water coming out with a piece of cloth.
6. Use Wireless Charging Instead
You can also try charging your iPhone using a wireless charger. But this is only possible if you have an iPhone 8 or the newer versions, as only these support the wireless charging option. This is a safe option as you don’t have to use the cable for charging.
7. Contact Apple Store
If nothing works for you, the last option is to contact Apple support. You might need to take your device to the store. Even after trying the above options, there are high chances that till now, the water might have caused serious damage to the software or some parts of the iPhone.
You can try these seven fixes if the liquid detected in the lightning connector alert pops up.
What Is An Emergency Override?
In the above points, there is a mention of the “Emergency Override” option. Now you know when there is water in the ports, and you connect it to the charger, a warning will pop up. There are two options on the warning prompt. “Dismiss” and “Emergency Override.”
If you tap on the Dismiss option, it will dismiss the warnings. However, this will also prevent your iPhone from charging. You should select this option if you’re sure of no water inside the charging ports.
You can select the Emergency Override option if you’re in an emergency and want to charge your device immediately. Note that you should consider this in an emergency only as this allows you to charge your iPhone.
But if there is water inside the ports, this can cause short-circuits or serious damage to the software. So, be sure that the warning is only appearing due to some bug and not because of water damage.
When To Override The Liquid Detection Alert?
As mentioned above, this option should only be chosen when your battery is dying, and you need to charge it immediately and urgently. And for that, first, at least dry your iPhone from outside and tap gently on the back so if there is any extra water, it’ll come out through the ports.
Or the best solution to that is to use a wireless charger if your iPhone supports it.
Next, you should know what NOT to do to get water out of the connector. It is important as any wrong action can cost you serious damage.
What NOT To Do To Get Water Out Of The Lightning connector?
Below is the list of all the actions or things you should NOT do in any situation to get water out of your iPhone’s lightning connector.
1. Blowing Air Into The Ports
You should not blow air into the ports, as this action of yours can cause the moisture present inside to spread further. This only creates more damage. Not only this, but it also leads to an increase in the moisture instead of the connector.
2. Usage Of Heat
Blowing heat toward the iPhone can cause damage to its screen and some sensitive parts. Although nowadays, most devices are heat resistant, any external heat source can still cause severe damage if directly used on the iPhone. So, don’t use an oven or hair dryer for heating.
3. Sticking Anything To The Ports
Sticking anything to the ports that might not fit easily can only cause damage along with leaving debris. This includes sticking a cotton swab, cloth, towels, tissue, etc.
4. Placing The iPhone In The Uncooked Rice
This is one of the most used hacks for getting the water out of iPhones or other devices. Rice indeed soaks water, but that does not mean you should place your iPhone in the uncooked rice. This is because it is likely to leave debris behind and further damage the iPhone. So, don’t get fooled by this fancy popular hack.
5. Using Isopropyl Alcohol
Using Isopropyl Alcohol can lead to the transfer of electrical charges as it is highly conductive. And not only this, it is diluted with water. Hence, its usage might increase the moisture level inside the device instead of reducing it. You don’t want that to happen, don’t you?
Therefore, these are certain things that you should not do in any scenario.
What To Do If Liquid Detected In A Dry iPhone?
In some exceptional cases, you might get a warning of liquid detected in the lightning connector even when you are 100% sure that your iPhone was not exposed to water. This is mostly due to any lightning connector bug. In such cases, you can try the following options.
- Select Emergency Override
Again, as its name suggests, you should only select this option if you are fully sure the iPhone does not have any water inside it. Otherwise, it can cost more damage than it has already done.
- Force Restart The iPhone
This is a versatile option for any problem with an electronic device. Follow the step below to restart your iPhone.
Here are the steps for iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, or iPhone 13 model, and other newer versions.
- Press the volume up or down and the power button and hold them for a few seconds.
- The Power Off slider will appear on the screen. Drag the slider and wait for a few seconds.
- After this, the iPhone will be switched off.
- To restart the iPhone, press the side or power button and hold for a few seconds. Wait till the Apple logo appears.
- Your iPhone will be turned on.
For older versions, follow these steps.
- Long press the volume down button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously for a few seconds.
- The Power Off slider will appear on the screen. Drag the slider and wait for a few seconds.
- After this, the iPhone will be switched off.
- To restart the iPhone, press the side or power button and hold for a few seconds. Wait till the Apple logo appears.
- Your iPhone will be turned on.
- Reset The Settings
This is another fix you can try if you think the warning is just a bug. Follow the steps below.
- Tap on the Gear icon present on your iPhone’s home screen.
- This will open the Settings of your iPhone.
- Tap on General.
- Choose the Transfer or Reset iPhone option. Then, tap on Reset.
- At last, tap on All Settings.
But before you do all these steps, remember that resetting all settings means your important data on your iPhone will be gone forever. Hence, we recommend backing the useful data and settings to avoid data loss.
There are a few little things that you can try to do if you want water to get out of the lightning connector without causing any damage.
Steps To Take To Save A Wet Device
Following are the steps to take to save a wet device.
- Turn Off The Device
Turning off the device should always be the first step you take when you find out that your device is wet. This saves the device from serious electrical damage that might be caused if you continue to use a wet iPhone, intentionally or without knowledge.
- Dry The iPhone Case
After turning it off, you should remove the iPhone case. And dry the iPhone from outside with the help of linen cloth, cotton cloth, or paper towel. After this, keep the ports facing down so water won’t migrate to other parts. And also, gravity can help in water getting out of the device.
- Remove the SIM
The next step after drying it from the outside should be to remove the SIM. You can do this with the help of a SIM ejector tool or any other tool. Make sure the SIM is dry. Do not put the SIM tray back. Keep it separate, so there is more space for cool air to travel inside.
- Point The Ports Downwards
As mentioned in previous points, keep the ports in a downward direction. This will make gravity do its magic, and water can move to the outside of the device. As it comes out, you can wipe out the moisture with a clean cloth.
- Cover The iPhone With Desiccants
Desiccants are substances used as drying agents. For example, silica gel is used inside bottles. Just make sure that these desiccants cover the device completely. With this, the desiccant will pull out the moisture in the lightning connector.
- Wait For The iPhone To Dry.
This might be a long fix, but the best one. Drying might take 24 to 48 hours. And the best way is to just wait for this period to be over. Don’t try turning on the iPhone in between periods. Have little patience.
- Try Turning It On
Once the drying period is over, you can try to turn on the device. As of now, if the water hasn’t done any damage, your iPhone should turn on normally.
But there are a few things that you can do to avoid all of these difficulties in the first place, i.e., to protect your iPhone against water.
How To Protect Your iPhone Against Water?
Following are some of the ways by which you can protect your iPhone against water.
- Keep it away from water
The first and the most important thing is to keep your iPhone away from the water or moisture. You should never carry an iPhone to a place where there is a threat that it might be exposed to water or moisture. For example, near a water pool or shower.
- Purchase A Water-Resistant Device
You can also try finding a water-resistant device. As we all know, your iPhone’s lightning port might be exposed to a little moisture/water in some conditions, such as during rain or humidity.
- Purchase A Waterproof iPhone Case
Again, buying a waterproof iPhone case can help prevent the device from getting wet easily.
- Use A Dry Bag
Several dry bags can be used in case you are in a situation where your device might be exposed to water. They come in different sizes and shapes.
Conclusion
Therefore, you must have understood the trigger warning of liquid detected in the lightning connector by now. To avoid this warning in the first place, you should take proper care of your iPhone.
And in case, after trying every possible hack, it still does not work, take it to Apple care. Do not waste an extra second, as in the case of water, and every second can cost more and cause more liquid damage.
Lastly, a little moisture won’t harm your iPhone 95% of the time. So, don’t panic.