Liquid detected in the Lightning connector: what to do next (2023)

Are you getting a strange pop-up message on your iPhone that liquid has been detected in the Lightning connector? Well you are not alone.

Apple continues to improve its iPhones and its incredibly easy-to-use operating system to improve the user experience. With every update and every new iPhone model, better and more convenient functions are added. One that stands out is power.Unlock your iPhone with a skin.

Another major feature of a recent update is the one that notifies users when water or liquid is detected in the Lightning connector. The notification immediately stops all Lightning Connector-related activities, such as B. charging.

Unfortunately, not all template upgrades and upgrades are perfect. ThoseImprovements are often accompanied by errors, making the user experience frustrating.

And an annoying bug that plagues many users is detected in the Lightning connector notification. This error appeared in iOS 14 update but still keeps frustrating iPhone users by runningiOS 15.

If you're having trouble with water damage or a bug, you might want to know what to do when you see this message. Read on to learn everything you need to know about the liquid detected in the Lightning connector notification.

What does the warning mean?

Photo credit: AppleInsider

First, we need to understand that the term "Lightning Connector" refers to the iPhone's charging port. A Lightning accessory refers to anything that plugs into the charging port, like a charger or Apple's Lightning headphones.

When you see the "Liquid detected in Lightning connector" notification, it usually means that the charging connector or Lightning accessory is wet. Sometimes even a slightly wet or damp door or accessory can trigger the alarm.

You're probably wondering why this could be an issue considering iPhones are now waterproof.

However, "waterproof" does not mean waterproof. Your iPhone's internal components can still suffer water damage if exposed to water or other liquids. The pins in the Lightning connector are among the most important components susceptible to water damage, hence the warning and subsequent cessation of charging or use of the accessory.

Unless you dropped your iPhone in water or accidentally spilled coffee, there are many ways you can unknowingly expose your phone to moisture. For example, when you enjoy a hot bath or shower with a podcast orMusic explosionfrom your iPhone, you could do harm. Moisture can collect in your phone's ports.

what not to do

If you've exposed your iPhone to water and the warning pops up, you might be tempted to fix the problem quickly. But there are some things that you shouldn't do when the "Liquid detected in Lightning Connector" warning pops up on your iPhone.

For one, you should not click the emergency override button on the alert. They can seriously damage your iPhone and cause more problems in the long run.

Also, do not attempt to dry the Lightning connector with an external heat source such as a hair dryer or heater. Heat can damage the battery or worsen corrosion.

Also, don't try to expel the water with compressed air or even with your mouth, as you're more likely to be pushing the water further into the phone.

Despite what many might suggest, you shouldn't stick cotton swabs or paper towels in the port either. While they can absorb moisture, you will most likely further damage the pins or push other debris onto the bottom of the phone.

What to do with water

"Liquid Detected in Lightning Connector" is displayed when there is moisture on the light or in the charging port. This can be worrying, especially if you've unknowingly exposed your iPhone to water, e.g. B. in an extremely humid environment.

Luckily, there are several things you can do to salvage your iPhone and Lightning Connector when you see this alert.

remove all accessories

The first thing to do when you see the "Liquid detected in Lightning Connector" alert is to disconnect everyoneiPhone accessories.

When you want to charge your phone, connect it to your computer or listen to music, you don't risk any possible damage. Once the hardware is removed, the next step is to safely dry the door.

If you are in an emergency, you might be tempted to choose the emergency backup option. Like I said, you really shouldn't do that.

The emergency override option clears the alarm and forces the phone to resume normal functioning. It allows charging and full use of the port whether it is wet or not. This can cause severe damage which leads to further iPhone issues.

However, you must click on the close option. This will remove the warning, but will still disable the Lightning Connector.

Despite the warning, not all upload options are lost. You can still charge your iPhone with a wireless charger. Because this method doesn't use the connector, it's a completely safe charging method if the Lightning connector is wet.

Plus, you can still safely listen to music if you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones.

However, if you want to solve the problem completely and don't necessarily need to charge your phone, you should turn off your iPhone. Turning off the phone reduces the chances of a short circuit occurring and causing more problems in the future.

Remove liquid from Lightning port by air drying

Photo credit: LifeSavvy

If you haven't submerged your iPhone in water, you can simply let it air dry for a few hours.

After removing all accessories and turning off the phone, place it on a clean, flat surface. You can position it slightly downwards, with the connector facing down, to prevent moisture from entering the phone. However, do not close the door completely.

It is best to place the phone in a warm and sunny place near a window. The even airflow helps dry your wet Lightning connector.

After a few hours, you can turn your phone back on and try to connect again. The warning should not appear again.

However, if your iPhone is completely submerged, don't panic. There are a few things you can do to protect yourself from water damage. But first you must try to remove excess water on the Lightning connector as follows:

• • Gently dry your phone with a clean, dry towel or cloth.
• • Lay the phone upright, with the Lightning connector facing down, on a flat surface covered with a towel.
• • Gently tap the towel with the phone to remove excess liquid.

Once you've cleaned up the excess liquid, try the following options to rescue a submerged iPhone.

Using rice to dry out your Lightning connector

The age-old trick of drying a water-damaged phone with rice has drawn much criticism in recent years. The main problem with putting your wet iPhone in a bowl of uncooked rice is that small particles can get inside your phone and cause further damage.

However, sometimes you are left with no choice but to use this emergency method. At the end of the day, sometimes doing nothing is a lot better than doing nothing.

However, there are a few things you can do to ensure this trick works with limited damage to your iPhone.

First, make sure your iPhone is turned off. Unfortunately, you can't disassemble it like some Android phones. However, it is better to remove all covers from your phone before placing it in a bowl of rice.

It is also best to use a bowl or container with a lid. Sealing the container prevents the rice from absorbing moisture from the surrounding air instead of the phone. Fill the container with enough uncooked rice to completely cover the phone on all sides and close the lid.

To promote water evaporation, place the rice bowl under warm light or in a sunny place.

For best results, leave your iPhone in the bowl of rice for 2 days. But if you're in a hurry, at least leave it overnight. But the longer your iPhone sits in the rice, the better.

When the phone is dry, look for grains of rice in the Lightning connector. If you find rice particles, use a toothpick to gently lift them up. Try not to use sharp metal objects as they can easily damage the door pins.

Put your iPhone back in and connect it. Liquid detected in the Lightning connector should no longer appear.

Using silica packets to dry out your Lightning connector

Have you ever wondered what that is?small packages come in shoe boxesand other products? Well, if you keep them for some reason, they could save your iPhone with a water damaged Lightning port.

These little packets are filled with silica gel that can absorb moisture from the surrounding air. They prevent products such as shoes and electronics from being damaged by moisture.

You'll likely need a bit more of a Solo package if you've got a wet Lightning connector. However, silica gel packs are relatively easy to find online or at your nearest department store.

As with the rice method, you must turn off your iPhone before placing it in a container with silica gel packets. Then you need to remove the case and SIM card from the phone.

Place your iPhone in a container with a lid. An airtight container or bag is always best so the silica packets only absorb the water in the Lightning port.

Do not open the silica gel packets, otherwise the granules may get stuck in the radioport. However, if you bought loose granules, wrap your iPhone in a paper towel.

However, unlike the rice method, there is no set number of silica gel packets to use. But the more the better. Make sure at least the water damaged areas of the iPhone are covered by the packages.

After placing your iPhone in a container with enough silica gel, seal it and leave it there for at least two days. You can leave your phone longer if you are patient.

When you're done, reinsert the SIM card and turn your iPhone back on. The stress alarm is no longer displayed!

What to do if there is no water?

Sometimes the "Liquid detected in Lightning Connector" warning appears even if the iPhone has not been exposed to moisture or water. This irritating and stressful error is one of the many iPhone issues popping up in recent iOS updates.

While you don't risk damaging your iPhone by leaving your Lightning accessory plugged in, the warning is still frustrating. iPhone won't charge or accessory won't work.

Luckily, there are a few ways to bypass this iPhone error. Some can even fix this iPhone problem completely.

Force restart the phone

Photo credit: Markets Insider

As with most bugs and glitches, sometimes the easiest way is to turn your phone off and on again. Depending on which iPhone mode you have, the process of forcing a restart is different. To find out what iPhone model you have,click here.

If you have an iPhone 8, the second generation iPhone SE or an iPhone model with Face ID, follow these simple steps:

• • Briefly press the volume up key
• • Briefly press the volume down button
• • Press and hold the side/power button
• • Release the power button when the Apple logo appears

To force restart an iPhone 7:

• • Press and hold the volume down button and the side/power button at the same time
• • Do not release the keys until the Apple logo appears

If you have a much older phone like an iPhone 6, 6S or the first generation SE, follow these steps to force restart:

• • Simultaneously press and hold the home button on the bottom of the phone and the sleep or wake button
• • Release the keys when the Apple logo appears

Once the iPhone turns back on, you won't get the annoying warning anymore.

However, if the warning persists, there may be an issue with your Lightning connector. Sometimes the warning appears when something dry is preventing the Lightning connector from working properly.

Take a flashlight and inspect the Lightning connector. If you find dust or dirt in it, it might be time to clean your iPhone. Get some compressed air and gently blow out any residue.

Your iPhone should be as good as new, with no more pesky liquid detection alerts.

Choose emergency bypass

If your iPhone hasn't been exposed to water or liquids and there's no dust on the connector, you can tap the emergency bypass button with confidence.

As mentioned, this button will clear the alarm and allow the phone to resume normal functioning. After clicking the emergency replacement button, you can charge your iPhone or use other lighting accessories.

While this doesn't completely fix the error, at least you can continue using your iPhone. However, until the error is fixed, you will likely continue to get this irritating warning.

Make sure your phone is up to date

Most iPhone bugs and issues are fixed in minor iOS updates. Although the "Liquid Detected in Lightning Connector" warning error has been appearing recently due to new updates, it is likely that Apple will release a fix soon.

How do you update your iPhone? Luckily, the process is the same no matter what model of iPhone you have.

Before upgrading, it is always a good practice to backup your iPhone in case of data loss. There are a few ways to do this; with iCloud, your Mac or PC.

iPhone backup

Photo credit: iDrop News

For a complete guide to backing up your iPhone with iCloud, seeclick here.

If you have a Mac running macOS Catalina, follow these steps to back up your iPhone:

• • Open the Finder window
• • Connect the iPhone to the Lightning connector using a USB cable
• • Click Emergency Backup when the warning appears
• • Enter your password
• • Click Trust Computer
• • Navigate to your iPhone in the Finder sidebar
• • Navigate to Backups and click Back Up Now

The process is the same if you're using a PC, but it takes place in iTunes instead of the Finder.

Updating the iPhone

After backing up your iPhone, you can safely perform any update.

Follow these steps to update your iPhone:

• • Connect the phone to a power source
• • Click Replace Emergency when the warning appears.
• • Navigate to the Settings app.
• • General touch
• • Click Software Update
• • Click Download and Install Now if an update is available

Once the update is complete, the annoying error will likely be fixed.

Reset to factory settings

If you've tried everything, you may need to factory reset your iPhone. This is a drastic measure but it can fix many iPhone issues including this annoying error.

This method will erase all data and favorite settings on your iPhone including privacy, network and location settings. Your iPhone will be completely erased and restored to the state of a new, working iPhone.

If this method doesn't work and you don't want to lose data, backup your iPhone. In this way, you can easily restore your iPhone.

Follow these simple steps to reset your iPhone:

• • Go to the Settings app
• • Navigate to General
• • Scroll down and click Transfer or reset iPhone
• • Erase all content and settings
• • Follow the instructions

After your iPhone restarts, set it up as a new iPhone or use a backup. The error should no longer bother you or your iPhone and its accessories.

Unfortunately, if all else fails, you'll have to take your iPhone to the nearest Apple Store. It is best not to waste too much time beyond the method above.

Attempting to open the phone or tamper with the Lightning connector could damage the phone and void your warranty.

If your iPhone gets wet and the above tricks don't work, you should also go to an Apple store. Unfortunately, Apple's one-year limited warranty doesn't cover liquid or water damage. However, Apple technicians can repair the phone and ship it back to you without any further problems.

How to protect the Lightning connector

The best way to avoid potential problems with your iPhone's Lightning connector is to protect it and keep it clean.

When cleaning, remember to turn off your phone and only use safe products. Avoid metal cleaning materials, use plastic or wooden toothpicks when removing dust residue.

You can also use compressed air when cleaning the dust residue opening. However, if you are concerned about water damage, do not use compressed air.

In order to keep the door flash dry, it is best to avoid unnecessary bodies of water. Keep your phone away from swimming pools and unsafely placed glasses and bottles of water or liquids.

Nevertheless, accidents can happen. While newer iPhone models (iPhone 7 and newer) are waterproof, extra protection is always a good idea.

The best way to add extra protection to your iPhone and its Lightning connector is with a great all-around case. the winnerUB professionalIt's one of the best covers out there. It survived multiple drop tests and has become a legendary case.

The UB Pro also comes with an integrated port cover to protect it from accidental water drops, dust and dirt.

Liquid detected in the Lightning connector: what to do next

Thanks to these tips and tricks, you won't have to worry or fret when you see the dreaded "Liquid detected in Lightning connector." As stressful as it can be when the warning pops up, the solutions are simple and easy to try.

If UB Pro isn't for you, check out our wide rangeProtective cases for iPhone.