Liquid Detected in Lightning Connector

What Does Liquid Detected in Lightning Connector Mean?

Starting with iPhone 7, Apple included some form of water, dust, and splash resistance in all their iPhone models. While it is obvious that using an expensive and sensitive electronic device in and around water is not at all recommended, the real world doesn’t work that way. Whether it is rain, swimming pool, kitchen, beach, bathroom, etc., there are several “water” places where use our iPhones. What if your iPhone becomes wet? What does liquid detected in lightning connector mean?

In this guide, we will see how Apple alerts iPhone users by detecting water in the charging port. We will also see the steps you need to follow if you see the message “Liquid Detected in Lightning Connector”.

iPhone and Water Resistance

The concept of water, splash, and dust resistance in iPhones is not something new. It started this “feature” with the iPhone 7.

In fact, Apple removed the 3.5mm headphone jack in iPhone 7 in order to make it water resistant.

From that model onwards, Apple continued to implement some sort of water resistance in all iPhone models. The following tables show a brief view of different iPhone models and their water-resistant ratings.

Even though Apple made a significant effort to make their iPhones water, dust, and splash resistant, it clearly suggests you to prevent any sort of liquid damage to your iPhones.

An important point here is that water resistance doesn’t mean waterproof. But accidents happen and there might be situations where your iPhone becomes completely wet.

What Does Liquid Detected in Lightning Connector Mean?

Apple calls the iPhone’s charging port the Lightning Connector. So, when you get a message saying “Liquid Detected in Lightning Connector”, it means that there is water either in your iPhone’s charging port or the charging cable is wet.

There are several reasons why there is water in your iPhone’s lightning connector or the charging cable.

• Rain: If you took your iPhone in rain, then there is a chance that water enters the charging port.
• Shower/Bathroom: There are several people who take their iPhones to the bathrooms. Either water from the shower or humidity in the bathroom can make your iPhone wet or build moisture in the lightning connector.
• Pool/Beach: Everyone enjoys swimming in the pool or beach. But if you take your iPhone with you, it will definitely get wet and water enters the charging port.
• Kitchen: Another place where we use our iPhones that has a lot of water or other liquids is the kitchen. If you use your iPhone to watch cooking videos while cooking, you should be very careful and make sure that water doesn’t fall on the iPhone.
• Spilled Water or Drinks: We drink water, coffee, tea, soda, etc. all the time with our iPhones in close vicinity. If you accidentally spill your drink on the iPhone, then the lightning connector might become wet.

How to Resolve Liquid Detected in Lightning Connector Alert?

As we mentioned earlier, if you get an alert saying liquid detected in lightning connector, it means either the charging port or the charging cable is wet. What to do now?

You have to properly dry your iPhone before using the lightning connector or cable for charging or data transfer.

• If you connect the charging cable or any other accessory to your iPhone, disconnect it immediately.
• Do not plug the charging cable, lightning headphones, or any other accessory until your iPhone is completely dry.
• Hold your iPhone vertically with the lightning connector facing downwards.
• Gently tap the bottom edge of your iPhone against your hand to remove all water content from the charging port.
• Allow the iPhone to dry completely by leaving it in a room with decent airflow.
• Wait for 30 to 60 minutes.
• Now, try to connect the lightning cable to your iPhone and see if the alert comes up again.
• If there is no alert, then there is no water or moisture in the charging port.
• But if you get the alert even after following the above steps, then water or liquid is still present in the lightning connector of your iPhone.
• Leave the iPhone to dry in a room with good airflow for at least a day (about 24 hours or more).
• If possible, place the iPhone vertically without blocking the lightning connector.
• Do not blow air into the lightning connector, either manually or using a blower.
• You might be tempted to dry your iPhone using a heat gun or high-pressure compressed air. Please don’t do this.
• Some people insert cotton swabs, microfiber cloths, and other similar objects into the lightning connector with the idea of cleaning the liquid. This will not only damage the lightning connector but make your iPhone beyond repair.
• Putting electronic devices, especially mobile phones in a bag of rice to remove water and moisture is an age-old technique. While the credibility of this method is questionable, small rice grains can damage your iPhone. If you are sure about this method, you can try it as a last resort.
• If you have access to silica gel packets, you can try one more method to remove the moisture. We know that silica gel is famous for absorbing moisture and you might have seen it in several packages.
• After trying all the above-mentioned methods, you can try using a silica gel. Place the iPhone in a container along with some silica gel packets and close the lid.
• Wait for at least 24 hours before trying to insert the lightning cable into the lightning connector.

What if Your iPhone isn’t Wet?

You are certain that your iPhone is not wet and there is no water or moisture in the lightning connector. But you are still getting the message Liquid Detected in Lightning Connector.

Remember the ability to resist water, splash, and dust decreases over time due to regular wear and tear. That said, if you are getting this message frequently even after properly drying your iPhone or you are sure that there is no water, then there might be significant damage to the charging port or the cable.

Do not charge the iPhone and contact the Apple service center immediately.

Conclusion

All iPhones from Apple starting with the iPhone 7 have decent water, splash, and dust resistance. Despite the ratings, Apple recommends you not to use your iPhone near liquids.

But there are situations where we might have to use our iPhone in water (in rain) or accidentally wet the iPhone (shower, pool, kitchen, drinks, etc.).

In any case, if there is water in your iPhone’s lightning connector (i.e., the charging port), it will show an alert saying “Liquid Detected in Lightning Connector”.

If you get this alert, then don’t panic. You can simply dry your iPhone and start using it once again.

In this guide, we saw the meaning of the “Liquid Detected in Lightning Connector” message on iPhones. We also saw some useful techniques to dry your iPhone.