Not-So-True Smartphone Hacks

I'm sure a friend or family member has told you every do-it-yourself smartphone trick in the book. For example: don’t charge your phone using knock-off cables, bury your device in a bag of rice to reverse water damage, phone signals interfere with hospital, plane, and gas station technology, and more. Some of these are true, many of them are false. Who is to blame? General word of mouth. Let’s dig in.

To begin: drying your cell phone in rice after dropping it in the toilet, or whatever other reason it may be soaking wet,is simply false. Rice can only absorb moisture it comes into direct contact with. So, if your device has internal “water” damage, this trick is no good.

However, there are ways to dry your wet phone if you act quickly enough. For starters, recover your phone from the water as quickly as possible. Just dig right in - you can wash your hands (and most importantly, your device), later. Secondly, you’ll want to remove the battery. If you cannot (easily and quickly) remove your battery (in cases of iOS devices), carefully power down.

Be advised your device may glitch in cases of severe water damage. After doing this, seal your phone in an airtight bag - such as a Ziploc - with synthetic desiccant. A desiccant is a substance with abilities to induce or sustain dryness. Most Walmart Supercenters and Home Depots sell desiccant packets for dollar amounts - but be sure to call the store in advance to going on a witch hunt. If all fails, or you simply do not want to take the aforementioned advice, take your wet device to a professional repair shop.

Let’s move on.

The stern advice to “never use cheap, knock-off cables” and “never charge your device overnight” are mostly false. In regard to knock-off cables, if the cord and connectors don’t match your phone’s specs, they could cause long-term battery problems. To prevent this, iPhone users should look for cables labeled “Made for iPhone” when purchasing, and those with USB-C ports should look for cables labeled “Certified USB Charger.”

Instances such as these go on and on. Continue reading for the facts on whether or not your smartphone can cook an egg, if your smartphone is dirtier than a toilet seat, if removing your sim card will prevent tracking, and several other smartphone myths.