Apple made the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus water and dust resistant, with a rating of IP67. This means that you won’t have to worry as much if you get a wet iPhone. However, if you’ve dropped your iPhone in a body of water, you shouldn’t charge it right away. Here’s what you should do.
Electricity And A Wet iPhone
This article is less of a tip, and more of a warning. If you paid attention in grade school science class, you’ll know that water and electricity don’t mix. Which means that if your iPhone took a dunk, don’t charge it right away. Make sure to go through a series of steps after your iPhone 7/7 Plus gets wet (via CNET).
Step 1: Don’t panic, and grab your towel. Remove your iPhone from the water, unplug any cables or dongles, and wipe it off with a cloth. Apple suggests a soft, lint-free cloth.
Step 2: Remove water from the Lightning port by tapping the phone gently against your hand with the Lightning port facing down.
Step 3: Let it air dry. Place the wet iPhone in a dry spot with some airflow. Better yet, put it in front of a fan so that cool air is blowing directly into the Lightning port. A fan is okay to aid the drying process but don’t use a can of compressed air or an external heat source. Apple also recommends against using a cotton swab or paper towel or inserting any foreign object into the Lightning port.
Step 4: Wait at least 5 hours before attempting to charge it, or plugging anything into the Lightning port. Apple also suggests waiting until the phone is completely dry before opening the SIM tray.