People are just realizing what the little yellow triangle means on your iPhone – and you shouldn’t ignore it

People are realizing what the little yellow triangle means on your iPhone — and it’s trying to stop you permanently damaging your device.

Two triangles might appear in a pop-up from Apple on your iPhone. Both show a yellow triangle encasing a blue water droplet.

The first pop-up will be headed up: ‘Charging Not Available.’

This will show when you have connected your iPhone to a charger and liquid is detected.

If you connect something that isn’t a charger, like wired headphones, it will say: ‘Liquid Detected In Lightning Connector.’

Both messages recommend unplugging the cable and letting it dry, which could take ‘several hours’, the iPhone maker said.

It is possible to ignore the warning, but this should only be done in emergencies.

Apple warned: ‘If you charge your iPhone while the Lightning port is wet, the pins on the Lightning port or the cable can corrode and cause permanent damage or stop functioning, causing connectivity issues for your iPhone or accessory.’

According to Apple, your best bet is to hit your iPhone gently against your hand with the Lightning port face down to encourage any liquid to run out.

You should then leave your iPhone to dry in an area with airflow, and aim to wait at least half an hour before trying to charge again.

While it might be tempting, you should not put a foreign object into the connector, such as cotton swabs or paper towels.

Apple advised against many people’s go-to solution for liquid-related iPhone issues: putting it in rice.

The company said this is a myth, as ‘small particles of rice [could] to damage your iPhone.’