What NOT To Do With Your iPhone, Like Microwave It

With seemingly endless technological advancements happening every other day, sometimes it can be difficult to differentiate high-tech fact from fiction. After all, if you'd told me 10 years ago that I could start my washing machine with a text message, I would've told you to cut back on the booze. And now, with what feels like the billionth iteration of Apple's iPhone, it doesn't seem that far-fetched to assume that you can do some pretty crazy things with and for your cellular device. But be warned, you still cannot charge your iPhone by microwaving it. That, my friends, was just a hoax. And if you try it, you will light your iPhone on fire.

Last week's release of the iPhone 6 prompted some pretty serious media attention, and some pretty serious practical jokes. Chief among these was 4chan's claim that users could charge their new iPhones by placing them in microwaves. 4chan, of course, isn't exactly the most reliable of sources — they were, after all, the site that recently gained notoriety for leaking salacious photos of celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence and recently, Kim Kardashian. But despite 4chan's reputation, it still seems as though a few of our more gullible compatriots fell for the trick. Either that, or they're in on the joke.

According to 4chan's — admittedly realistic appearing — hoax, Apple Wave is the newest feature to be introduced by the tech giant, and it allows consumers to wirelessly charge their phones using microwave frequencies. The bulletin reads,

Wave can be used to quickly charge your battery's device using any standard household microwave...You can now Wave-charge your device by placing it within a household microwave for a minute and a half.

But you can't. And if you do decide to blast your poor new iPhone, or any iPhone for that matter, with microwaves for 90 seconds, you will no longer have an iPhone, and will likely no longer have a microwave either. Unfortunately for some, they had to learn this the hard way.

But then again, you can't trust anyone on the Internet anymore, because "Fallenbot" later revealed that his own tweet was a hoax. It's like practical joke inception over here.

Granted, this isn't the first time that people have claimed to have microwaved their phones into a full battery charge. In fact, variations of this hoax have been floating around the Internet for ages, but just to be clear, none of them have ever worked. You. Can't. Charge. Your. iPhone. With. A. Microwave.

In good news, however, Intel is coming out with a very real wireless charging bowl, scheduled to be released just in time for Christmas. This new device will allow you to charge your smartphones and other electronics without plugging them in, but Intel hasn't yet set a price for its charging bowl.

So while you can't microwave your phone (yet), there may soon come a day when you won't need an outlet to re-juice your battery. Until then, here are a few other things you absolutely shouldn't do to or with your iPhone, no matter what the Internet tells you.

Believe that it's waterproof

If you've never had the misfortune of dropping your phone into a body of water, I'll save you the experiment and tell you right now that your iPhone isn't even a little bit waterproof. It's not even water resistant.

Last year, 4chan made a very similar faux-announcement, claiming that the iOS 7 update waterproofed your phone. "With the new features and smart formalities of iOS 7," the hoax claimed, "The phone can now detect sudden changes in thermodistribution with the touch sensitive screen and the home button." With words like "thermodistribution" being thrown around, it seems like some people were fooled.

The jokesters continued, "This utilizes emergency shut off of the phone's power supply and corresponding components to prevent any damage dealt to the delicate circuitry." Of course, the delicate circuitry will indeed be damaged if you drop your phone in a glass of water, the toilet, or the ocean. If Twitter is to be believed, quite a few people wound up with broken or drowned iPhones as a result of this particular trick.

Blow dry it or turn it on when it gets wet

If you do get your phone wet, one of the worst things you can do is take a hairdryer to it. While it may seem like a good idea to use the same techniques on your wet iPhone as you do on your wet hair, blow drying the iPhone will just move water around, getting other parts of the phone wet. Similarly, turning on your iPhone after getting it wet is also a bad idea because it could cause an electrical short in the device, ruining it forever. Instead, stick your phone in some white rice and hope it dries out.

Get it too hot

Your iPhone really isn't meant to withstand the elements, so even if you like taking your phone to the beach to take some summer selfies, you might be doing yourself a disservice in the long run. Overexposure to high temperatures causes your iPhone to shut down temporarily, but it also affects its battery life.

Check it first thing in the morning

This last tip is less for the sake of your iPhone and more for the sake of yourself. A 2013 IDC research report showed that 63 percent of the 7,500 people surveyed checked their iPhones immediately upon waking. This is an even more common behavior amongst 18 to 24-year-olds. But many time management and leadership experts have agreed that this can significantly stunt your day and your personal development. By immediately checking emails and texts, you put yourself in a subordinate position, allowing others to dictate the flow of your day instead of putting yourself first.

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