Liquid Detected In Lightning Connector: How To Fix It In Seconds

Is the “liquid detected in lightning connector” alert making you panic? Are you wondering what to do next? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. This article will introduce what exactly “liquid detected in lightning connector” means.

So keep reading, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know about liquid detected in the lightning connector.

If you are an iPhone user, at one point you may have come across a lot of information about liquid detected in the lightning connector and been worried that your device is at risk. If you have, relax no need to worry.

First, what exactly is liquid detected in the lightning connector? Well, “liquid detected in lightning connector” basically means that there’s liquid inside your USB cable connecting to an iPad or iPhone while it’s charging or syncing.

It is a message from your iOS device telling you that it has detected liquid on the lightning port which could mean that there is moisture inside. If a user encounters this issue and does not disconnect the device from power, the device will shut down.

When you encounter the “liquid detected in lightning connector” alert, the device will not charge or sync until the port is fully dry. The alternative way to regain connection is by using a cordless charger as you dry out the connector. However, your phone should still be working fine.

What does it mean when there is liquid in the lightning connector?

Well, to begin with, it’s essential we understand that the “lightning connector” is just the charging port on your iPhone or iPad. It’s a term used to spice up the reference to this specific port.

That being said, liquid in the lightning connector is not a serious issue though it can cause damage if not taken care of. It doesn’t really mean that there is a lot of liquid in the port. Most of the time, what you may think is liquid are just moisture and dirt build-up. This can be caused by regular usage.

Some common causes of the alert are:

1. Having a sweaty hand or sweat – if your fingers are sweaty when plugging in the charging cable, it can cause this alert to appear.
   
2. You have been using your phone in the rain – if you were using your phone during rainfall, it is likely that moisture from the rain soaked in through the charging port and got into your lightning cable as well.
   
3. Shower – if you are taking a shower and plug in your phone, it is most likely that the water from the shower will wind up in your lightning cable.
   
4. Use a wet charger – if your charger is moist or wet, it can lead to this alert appearing.
   
5. Spilled drink – if you spill a drink on your device and then plug it in, this alert can also appear.
   
6. Wearing a wet or damp coat with the iPhone in your pocket – if you are wearing a wet or damp coat and your iPhone is in your pocket, it could cause the alert to appear when it is charging.

Now that we know what causes this alert to appear, you may be asking yourself this question. Isn’t my iPhone water-resistant? I should be fine. Why is it still giving me a warning?

What if my iPhone is water-resistant?

The latest iPhones are designed to withstand water in case of a sudden burst of rain or a spill. This means that most, if not all of the latest iPhones are water-resistant. However, it is still possible to encounter this issue though, even if you have a water-resistant iPhone.

Do not forget that your phone can still suffer from liquid damage despite it being water-resistant. The reason is that being “water resistant” and “waterproof are two different things.

What is the definition of water-resistant? A water-resistant device means that it can be used in wet environments or when it gets splashed with water but not be submerged in a pool or bathtub.

In fact, if a device says that it’s waterproof, you shouldn’t take it for a swim. Waterproof means submersible.

What about “waterproof? A device that is waterproof means there is no entry point for water to enter the device. So, It should be able to withstand pressure underwater.

So, liquids other than water can also cause damage to your iPhone even though it is water-resistant. However, it’s important we understand that liquid damage without any sign of water near your phone isn’t possible.

Liquid damage is caused by water only. So, when you encounter a liquid detected in the lightning connector message, it means that your phone has been soaked in water. If you take your phone and dive it into a pool of water, it is most likely that the liquid detected alert will appear without fail.

What to do if a liquid has been detected in a lightning connector?

If you encounter the alert? I recommend you disconnect your device from power to avoid damage. Then, let the lightning port dry before plugging in your device.

I do highly advise not to use the “Emergency Override- option, but instead, try to dry the lightning port yourself by using a piece of cloth or paper towel and give it enough time to dry up completely.

At this point, the phone has no major problem despite the alert and should still be working fine and fully functional. So you can just dismiss the alert and continue using it as it is. All you need to avoid is to plug anything into it until it is completely dry.

To ensure your phone is working again and has no serious lasting damage, follow these steps once you see the “liquid detected in lightning connector” alert:

1. Disconnect your iPhone from power.
   
2. Hold your iPhone with the Lighting port facing down and Clean the underside of your iPhone with a dry cloth or paper towel, paying close attention to any areas that may have been wet.
   
3. Try to ease any liquid out of the port by firmly taping your phone with your palm while the Lighting port is held facing down.
   
4. Finish drying it by placing it on top of a clean cloth that has been folded in half or wrapped in several layers of paper towel and twisted to allow air circulation underneath the device and prevent moisture build-up under the phone’s charging port.
   
5. Place your iPhone in an open and well-ventilated area for up to one hour before you try to charge it again.

If you still see the alert after this, try to repeat these steps and make sure it is completely dry after you are done with each step. You have to be patient and really take your time with this task.

Follow these steps, and you should see the alert disappear once your phone is dry and fully functional again. Do not rush any of the steps, and make sure you follow these instructions correctly to avoid further damage to your device.

If it still does not work after repeating this process 3-4 times, then a professional technician might need some genuine repair intervention to get it working properly again.

Cordless charging

Are you still in panic mode about the “liquid detected in lightning connector” alert not yet solved? Your phone can still be charged wirelessly. If you are still panicking about your iPhone, take a deep breath and relax.

You do not need to be worried about this problem, especially if your iPhone is cordless charging. As you wait for the problem to be solved. The good news is you can charge your phone wirelessly and keep using it normally.

I have been a victim of this problem previously. So I am talking from experience and from my personal experience with this issue. I had water in my pocket and when I took out my iPhone to check it. I got this alert.

However, after following the steps above. I successfully dried out the lightning port and was able to charge my iPhone the next day without a single issue.

Now, I am fully satisfied with this issue and no more panic about it anymore. So if you still need to fix this problem on your iPhone, do not worry about it too much.
But keep in mind that cordless charging will only work if your iPhone model offers wireless charging and you have a compatible adapter for your iPhone.

What to avoid doing when a liquid has been detected in a lightning connector?

Be careful when you are seeking help online. Some advice about the liquid detected alert on online forums and social media may not be accurate, especially if someone is not talking from experience.

One thing I would like to warn you against is using the “emergency override” option, which some online users advise. So, ensure you take the right steps to fix this issue and avoid further damage to your iPhone to have it working properly again.

So do not be tempted by any advice that will damage your iPhone further or make it work less. Although you might want to speed up the process, it’s not the best idea to do so. Try as much as you can to avoid doing the following to dry your iPhone:

1. Do not use any heat source like hair driers to speed up the drying process.
   
2. Do not use any electrical outlet or device to power it on while it is under soaking.
   
3. Do not use any pressure on the phone to try and ease water out of the Lightning port by trying to press it hard down to dry faster. This will only make it worse and do more damage to your iPhone’s internal components.
   
4. Do not shake or bang your iPhone to speed up the drying process.
   
5. Do not keep your phone in a container of rice or anything to speed up the drying process.

These things may seem logical, but they can actually do more harm than good, if by any chance you decide to do these things, understand you may increase the risk of damage to your iPhone and make it slower to fix.

When to override the liquid detection alert?

Basically, the override option aims to make your iPhone charge despite the alert. I recommend this option only if you have created a recent backup of your iPhone or if you are ready to take the risk in case things go wrong. As I said earlier, this should not be your first choice to fix the problem.

You might be tempted to do it because you want to save time in your iPhone repair process. Just understand that taking this option could end up in your iPhone being damaged by doing so. Take this route only when you are ready to take the risk, and make sure you have a spare iPhone.

If your iPhone is still not working after taking all the steps above, consider overriding the alert. In this case, you can take the risk and do these things to override the “liquid detected in lighting connector” alert:

There are huge chances that this action could destroy your iPhone, so double-check with a professional technician before attempting it. And if any of these solutions fail. Then, by all means, go for professional cleaning of your iPhone.
Emergency override is not working.

This means you are still experiencing the problem, and you will need a professional iPhone repair intervention. At this point, you will either end up getting your phone repaired by a professional or ending up buying a new iPhone.
But first, you can try to fix this issue by:

1. Using genuine Apple chargers only.
   
2. Use MagSafe wireless charging whenever possible.
   
3. Dismiss the alert and force restart the iPhone while pressing down volume up. Followed by volume down, then press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo flash on the screen.

What if my iPhone detects liquid when it’s dry?

If you have followed the steps above, checked for the following, and still have problems, you may consider a professional evaluation.

There are two main reasons why this could happen:

1. First and foremost, check where the liquid alert is coming from, sometimes, this alert may come from moisture or condensation in your home or office rather than the liquid that has somehow found its way into your lighting connector port.
   
   If this is the case, it’s a matter of your environment, not your iPhone. If you have followed all the steps above and think the alert is from your iPhone port, you may still consider a professional evaluation.
   
2. The second reason could be that your iPhone is still wet. If your iPhone is still wet. it will not dry out and therefore it will still not charge.
   
   You might be willing to speed up the drying process, but I would advise against doing so because doing so could reverse damage to your iPhone parts inside and make it stop working altogether.

Contact Apple

If after following all these steps above, your iPhone is still not working, then you can start or complete the process below and see if Apple would be able to help you:

1. Call apple customer care number
   
2. Explain that your iPhone is still not working after override.
   
3. Suggest you look at their support page on “how to fix the liquid alert”
   
4. Follow their given solution and see if this works for you.
   
5. If this does not solve the issue, you may be invited to visit your nearest apple authorized service provider for a free diagnostic check, depending on your iPhone warranty.
   
6. Once there, they will try to do whatever they can to solve the issue in your iPhone and update you on how it goes.

How to get the liquid out of the charger port of your phone?

“My phone is water-resistant, so it should not be damaged if it gets wet”. This line is the common misbelief of water-resistant phone users. Having a water-resistant phone does not mean it is waterproof.

Meaning, that the phone can still be damaged and parts may get corroded if it comes in contact with water. Thus, if your phone’s charger port has liquid in it, it will give you a warning.

If this happens, don’t freak out. It does not mean there’s no remedy. After all, you should be thankful that your phone gives you the warning to alert you about what not to do if the water is stuck in your phone. So how do we get the liquid out of the charger port?

First, give sufficient time for your phone to dry up. Do not even plug anything into it as it will endanger your phone nor insert anything into the port trying to get the water out as it will just push the water inside. You might try tapping your phone against your hand keeping the charger port facing down to get the water out.

Then place your phone in an open area where there are proper ventilation and airflow to let your phone dry up. You may leave it for at least 30 minutes. You can check the port to check if there’s still moisture.

If it has not yet completely dried up, then extend the time to expose it in the well-ventilated area and then check it from time to time, until no moisture is found.

How Do I turn off liquid detection my iPhone?

If you wonder why you have liquid detected on your iPhone it could mean that the charging port or the charging cable are moist or wet. When this alert pops up, don’t panic. You can still use your phone but you will not be able to charge it until the charging port is completely dry.

There is a work around, though, and that is to use a wireless charger until everything has dried out. You may be wondering how do I turn off liquid detection on my iPhone. It is possible to override the alert and proceed with charging your device but this could mean that you may permanently damage your phone.

If you override the alert you should dry your iPhone on the outside and then charge it wirelessly. You can override liquid detection by reconnecting your cable right after the alert appears. When the liquid detection alert pops up, tap “emergency override” and it should go away.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, iPhone users affected by liquid damage face such a peculiar set of problems. There are multiple reasons for the liquid damage and different ways of fixing the issue. But the bottom line is, if you have experienced any of these problems, it’s important to get your iPhone serviced.

If you follow all these steps and if none works for you, it is time to go to a professional. There are reasons why professional repairs could fix your iPhone quicker than the simple steps above and restore it to full working status, sometimes even in a few hours.

I can assure you that the outcome would be worth the investment. All right now, I’m signing off but if you have any other suggestions on how to fix iPhone liquid damage problems or any other tips, please let us know in the comments so we can make this article better for future readers.