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Why is my iPhone showing an Emergency Override Charging alert

iPhones released after the iPhone 7 offer a certain degree of resistance to water exposure. As a fail-safe mechanism, the iPhone is set to pause charging automatically until the lightning ports dry off to prevent hazards. But what if there’s an emergency situation? Fret not; iPhone touts an emergency charging override feature that lets you charge your iPhone immediately.

What is an Emergency Override on the iPhone? Should you use it? Read on to find out more.

What is Emergency Override iPhone Charging?

Emergency charging override is a way to bypass the liquid detection warning on the iPhone. When you activate this feature, your iPhone will charge regardless of whether its components are still wet or not. However, this depends on your discretion and is not Apple-recommended. Of course, I also don’t recommend charging your iPhone this way, even if you’re using a wireless charger.

When should you select the Emergency Override Charging option?

As said earlier, iPhone 7 and later series offer certain water-resistance levels at various depths based on their IP ratings (you might want to see if your iPhone is water-resistant or not). So far, iPhones series 12 and 13 are the most resistant and withstand depths of up to 6 meters. It’s not strange to see people take underwater pictures with their iPhones. And some even dare this resistant feature and pour water directly on their device.

If you plug your iPhone into a lightning cable after exposure to water, you might get a warning that says “Charging Not Available.” This means your iPhone has detected that there’s still liquid in its component. But this notice is accompanied by the Emergency Override option. When you click this, your iPhone will charge. And that’s what the Emergency Override does. Selecting this option might damage your device, as the trapped water reacts with the incoming voltage, which might cause short-circuiting or other electrical problems.

How to undo Emergency Override option?

If you mistakenly select the Emergency Override option whenever a liquid warning pops up on your iPhone, there are a couple of things you can do to prevent further damage:

  • Unplug your iPhone from the power source immediately.
  • You might also want to restart the iPhone at this point.
  • Leave it for some time to dry off. Avoid using any drying agents or air blower to absorb moisture from your iPhone.
  • Once the iPhone dries up, try charging it again. Your phone is dry if the liquid warning doesn’t show anymore.
  • If the warning keeps showing after drying, avoid the Emergency Override option. It might be time to contact Apple.

Dropped an iPhone in water? Here’s what to do

What to do after dropping an iPhone in water

If your iPhone mistakenly drops in water or you use it underwater for some reason, ensure to get it out as soon as possible. 

Once you remove your iPhone from the water, avoid plugging it into a power cable for charging. Instead, leave for some time to dry naturally under a cool breeze. Also, you might want to remove water from your iPhone speakers if the liquid is affecting audio quality.

What to do if you get a “Liquid Detected” warning?

What to do if you get a Liquid Detected warning

The iPhone uses the “Liquid Detected” warning to alert you that there’s still liquid in your iPhone, as earlier stated. Hence, it deters you from charging it this way. So it’s best to unplug your iPhone from the charger immediately if you see this warning on your iPhone. There’s no cause for panic. You only need to leave your iPhone to dry before trying to charge it again.

How to turn off emergency override on iPhone?

You cannot directly turn off Emergency Override Mode. However, you can immediately disconnect the iPhone from the charger to exit the Emergency Override mode.

Will using Emergency Override charging damage your iPhone?

Of course, Emergency Override means you’re force-charging your iPhone despite being moist. Although Apple puts it there, it doesn’t recommend using that option, as it can damage your iPhone. It might spoil your iPhone. So the short answer is yes.

Nonetheless, you can use a wireless charger instead of a power cable if you need to charge your iPhone in emergency mode. This method is safer since you don’t need to connect directly to an electrical source. However, use this method only in emergencies. You may avoid using wireless charging if you can wait for your iPhone to dry naturally.

In conclusion

Emergency Override might be unavoidable in some situations, though. Moreover, Apple added this feature for users who might need to charge their device to power on if there’s an emergency. So Emergency Override isn’t meant to charge the battery for long. It’s only there to boost the battery so you can use your iPhone during an emergency.

Have any questions or comments? Let me know in the comments box below.

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Author

  • Idowu

    Idowu is an avid tech writer and a software surfer who loves covering knowledge gaps in consumer software, including anything related to iPhones. Well, when he's not reading and learning new things, you'll find Idowu losing gallantly on a solid chessboard or virtually on Lichess.

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