Melted chocolate in my iPhone 13 mini Lightning port—what to do next?

[swingerofbirch]

I don't know how I did this. There must have been a piece of chocolate in the bed and maybe I was half asleep because the chocolate is in the actual port and on the tip of the lightning connector. I leave my iPhone plugged in almost all the time and so I'm not sure how this happened. I I saw a bit of chocolate on the outside and was concerned it was in the speaker grills but it's not. Somehow just got centralized in the lightning port—so either there was chocolate on the iPhone and I didn't see it and pushed it in when I plugged in the phone, or there was chocolate on the lightning cord, or somehow it seeped in from the part that was on the outside of the phone? But I can't imagine it seeping in like this.

It's a mess.

The chocolate is lining the inside of the port and I can see it going back to the pins.

I bought a kit from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PM29D1R) with tiny little lint-free q tip type things that can apparently fit into phone ports that will be here tomorrow morning.

Is it bad to leave it until I have these special tools tomorrow? Or try something now with what i have on hand which are some dental picks (the green christmas tree types which wouldnt really sop anything up)? I have q tips that won't fit. I have kleenex I could try to push in with the dental picks.

I also have some alcohol wipes I could push in with the dental pick.

After I pulled out the lightning cord and saw the chocolate was inside I turned off the phone, but I had a call I had to make and turned it back on, which it is now. Not sure how bad that is. I won't plug it back in, but the battery should last till tomorrow morning just leaving it idle in case I need to make/receive a call.

Right now I'm just waiting because I don't want to do something dumber than I have.

 

[joeblack007]

A can of compressed air would be the best option. I would be extremely hesitant to put anything into the port in an attempt to pick out the residue. You can purchase a can just about anywhere; Target, Best Buy, Wal Mart, etc.

 

[swingerofbirch]

A can of compressed air would be the best option. I would be extremely hesitant to put anything into the port in an attempt to pick out the residue. You can purchase a can just about anywhere; Target, Best Buy, Wal Mart, etc.

Wouldn't compressed air just push it all around? This is melted chocolate, not dust.

 

[joeblack007]

Compressed air certainly won’t hurt anything and it will blow out any particles or loose bits. I’d just be extremely careful digging around in there with anything.

 

[now i see it]

Get a wireless charger for now so you don’t have to use the lightning port.

Isn’t the iPhone 13 waterproof (ish). Just rinse it under the faucet with warm water.

 

[BotchQue]

Until tomorrow morning I'd aim a heat gun straight up, then hold the phone over it with your hand, port-side down, to possibly melt some of it out. If it gets too hot to hold it, it's too hot for the phone.

And I don't know what "swinging birch" does, but maybe you should not do that anymore.

 

[acorntoy]

Get a wireless charger for now so you don’t have to use the lightning port.

Isn’t the iPhone 13 waterproof (ish). Just rinse it under the faucet with warm water.

Lightning as a connector has actually always been a waterproof designed port (even before the entire iPhone was). When it came out on the iPhone 5 there was (correct) speculation Apple was planning on eventually making the phone water resistant after the official specs of lightning came out for the MFI program.

I used to pull up the articles easy but they're buried in google after so many years now.

 

[acorntoy]

^ Wireless charger is the way to go OP. Give it a few weeks and with normal usage/pockets the chocolate will dribble out. I would -not- point a heat gun at the device or go digging in the port with any "tool". As the port IS waterproof I might heat up a lightning connector under hot water and then insert carefully to hopefully melt/remove some chocolate, as it is made for it you have far less of a chance of damage to the pins. Any water droplets will not hurt the port/phone.

You can use the phone as normal and don't need to have it remained off. The worst case scenario here: The port is ruined. It won't effect the devices operation however and luckily you have another way to charge.

 

[MacAndMic]

I just use a toothpick when it gets lint in there from my pockets. While I know chocolate isn’t lint, power it down and throw it in the freezer for a couple of minutes to really harden the chocolate and then scrape the chocolate out with a toothpick.

 

[JapanApple]

cleaner that is jelly that can be formed and molded in places like keyboards my daughter bought it and it worked for cleaning iPhones etc. HERE

 

[Tripps9000]

Okay I have heard of some things getting in the lighting port but chocolate that’s a new one to me🤣😂

 

[Populus]

Okay I have heard of some things getting in the lighting port but chocolate that’s a new one to me🤣😂

I’m sure weirder/nastier substances have gotten in lightning ports over the world in the last decade.

 

[HarryMudd]

I wonder if freezing it would help? Harden the chocolate so it could be extracted easier. Just an idea.

 

[K4sper]

I would try honey next

 

[Honza1]

I’m sure weirder/nastier substances have gotten in lightning ports over the world in the last decade.

I have seen phone which ended in cow manure pile for a while. Owner gave it quick wash under running water, picked manure from charge port with something like toothpick, dries in paper towel, cleaned with alcohol wipe and on we go. When I was speechless, she told me this is regular event for her. Works on farm. So yes, nasty things get in our phone ports and they work fine.
I would use toothpick or some other non conductive pick to crape out as much chockolate out as possible and the paper towel ot toilet paper to clean contacts. And go on with my life, nothing major…

 

[Populus]

I have seen phone which ended in cow manure pile for a while. Owner gave it quick wash under running water, picked manure from charge port with something like toothpick, dries in paper towel, cleaned with alcohol wipe and on we go. When I was speechless, she told me this is regular event for her. Works on farm. So yes, nasty things get in our phone ports and they work fine.
I would use toothpick or some other non conductive pick to crape out as much chockolate out as possible and the paper towel ot toilet paper to clean contacts. And go on with my life, nothing major…

Yeah.

That makes me think, that Lightning port has an advantage when it comes to ease of cleaning, while the USB-C may be a bit more difficult to clean.

 

[nateo200]

Yeah.

That makes me think, that Lightning port has an advantage when it comes to ease of cleaning, while the USB-C may be a bit more difficult to clean.

Yeah this is definitely a benefit. The lightning port is just wayyy more snug while not being subject to issues like the center piece snapping off. Lightning connector almost seems like its better designed for weather proofing because its just a cavity with metal contact points for data/power. USB-C while nicer in most ways has that center piece in it. Its snug but not as snug as lightning.

 

[arw]

I hope this comment is not against the rules as it is not helpful in any way but
iPhones can manure endure a lot.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1623131192861110272

 

[Populus]

Yeah this is definitely a benefit. The lightning port is just wayyy more snug while not being subject to issues like the center piece snapping off. Lightning connector almost seems like its better designed for weather proofing because its just a cavity with metal contact points for data/power. USB-C while nicer in most ways has that center piece in it. Its snug but not as snug as lightning.

Definitely. I know some people will get mad at me for saying this, but for me the Lightning port has a superior design compared to USB-C. If Lightning port hadn't had such speed/power limitations, and hadn't been Apple's proprietary connector, I think it could have succeeded.

Given how things are, I actually prefer the power/speeds/versatility of USB-C. But I still think, design wise, Lightning is better.

 

[nateo200]

Definitely. I know some people will get mad at me for saying this, but for me the Lightning port has a superior design compared to USB-C. If Lightning port hadn't had such speed/power limitations, and hadn't been Apple's proprietary connector, I think it could have succeeded.

Given how things are, I actually prefer the power/speeds/versatility of USB-C. But I still think, design wise, Lightning is better.

I mean this is exactly how I feel. I really wish Apple would have at least given us a jenky implimentation of USB 3.0 over Lightning. I don't need USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds but like I want at least decent USB 3.0 speeds. I think it would have been interesting if it wasn't proprietary and became usable for more than just iPhones and accessories. Charging a laptop over lightning would have been weird but cool

 

[h.gilbert]

Run a benchmark app on your phone, get it hot, remelt the chocolate, then mop it up with a tiny piece of marshmellow and enjoy 😙👌

 

[nateo200]

Run a benchmark app on your phone, get it hot, remelt the chocolate, then mop it up with a tiny piece of marshmellow and enjoy 😙👌

OP can use his tongue then! (Please keep the replies to this clean LOL)

 

[msackey]

Could you used heated isopropyl alcohol and wash out the port that way?

 

[FreakinEurekan]

^ Wireless charger is the way to go OP.

I second the wireless suggestion. I wouldn’t know if the lightning port (now USB-C port) on my phone was filled with chocolate or cement or superglue; I never use it anyway.

 

[JapanApple]

Could you used heated isopropyl alcohol and wash out the port that way?

This is a good question! isopropyl alcohol is used for this type of IC boards etc. I am not sure if it is the best solution to use it in this way. heat up might cause more damage. 99% isopropyl alcohol is always good for cleaning in a limited but causes damage to the lighting port. I'm not saying bad, but the question itself is good! 👍👍