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The chocolate is lining the inside of the port and I can see it going back to the pins.
Wireless charger like others have mentioned.

Might be able to clean the port with a small portable steam cleaner that has a small nozzle for grout.
 
The lightning port on a 13 Mini is water resistant -- I know because I jumped into a swimming pool with mine by accident and it was totally fine once it dried out.

Get something thin and non-conductive like maybe a trimmed down cotton swab, wet it, clean out the port. It's chocolate. It will yield to normal cleaning methods. No need to go using a heat gun or a steam cleaner or anything else bat**** insane like that.

Lightning port is also likely to be a lot easier to clean out than a USB-C port because it doesn't have that center pin thing. It's all one hole with metal contacts around the edges.
 
Worst case scenario is you pay a shop to replace the Lightning port flex. It's an easy and inexpensive 10-15 minute job.

Don't worry too much about it. Try to clean with lots of alcohol using kits like this:

 
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Apple Support staff from the Genius Bar used the SIM tool that is included with every iPhone to clean the lightning port out for me. (I had a lot of dust and pocket lint in it.) They said it is a special metal that is not a conductor, so it will not short circuit anything.

I would cool the iphone in the fridge to harden the chocolate and then scratch it out with the SIM tool.
 
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Apple Support staff from the Genius Bar used the SIM tool that is included with every iPhone to clean the lightning port out for me. (I had a lot of dust and pocket lint in it.) They said it is a special metal that is not a conductor, so it will not short circuit anything.

They lied, was lazy, or just didn't know better. :)

It's not a special metal. It's definitely conductive. You can use a multi-meter to confirm. Even if it were non-conductive, you wouldn't want metal on metal contact.
 
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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.
Strongly disagree. Lighting port get clogged with gunk all then time. USB-C get junk in them but they are way easier to blow out clean. Lightening port get gunk push and compacted into them and then the contact hold the debris inside.

Have had many lightening ports so jammed with gunk the alternative was to either interface and power via wireless or get the ports replaced. USB-c ports get looser but still keep working. USB-C ports can collect debris but the contact Don’t hold it and are much much easier to get clean out with compress air. Never had to replace a USB-c port due to being jammed with junk that could not be cleaned out. Although never had to service a usb-c jammed with chocolate (that is a new one)
 
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A wooden toothpick works a treat for me.
Apple should really release an "apple cleaning kit" like the cloth they released and charge an arm and a leg for it...oh, and dual purpose...cleans iphones and can be used as a toothpick too..
 
They lied, was lazy, or just didn't know better. :)

It's not a special metal. It's definitely conductive. You can use a multi-meter to confirm. Even if it were non-conductive, you wouldn't want metal on metal contact.
There’s this urban legend about the SIM removal tool being made out of this “liquid metal” material that has become a myth at this point.
 
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Hey OP, what's the latest? While I appreciate the "just use wireless charging" recommendations, they don't solve the true problem. It's *that* solution I'm interested in!

-dan
 
Go to a auto parts store and get a can of MAF air sensor cleaner. A couple of squirts of that and chocolate gone, contacts intact and clean.
 
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