So many people in this thread (probably including OP too) who think that people actually try to dry a literal dripping wet phone with rice…

Rice absorbs moisture in the air. So if you’ve dropped your electronic device in water and want to be sure it gets completely dried out even on the inside, you would dry the outside of said device first, and then place it inside a container of rice or another moisture absorbing material (like cat litter). You would leave it in there for at least 24 hours or more depending on how sure you want to be that it is dry inside.

OP is not wrong either, as air flow in a dry room should also do the trick. The caveat is that you need to be sure the room is dry enough to allow the moisture inside the device to evaporate away.

That’s why it’s easier to use a bag or container filled with a moisture absorbent(rice) because it’s easier to achieve a dry environment inside a small container than it is to maintain the same level of dryness in a room.