How to Protect Your Smartphone Screen
Choosing between tempered glass, privacy and full-cover protectors, and how to fit one without bubbles.
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Why a protector is worth it
A screen repair is one of the most expensive things that can happen to a phone, and modern glass scratches more easily than its marketing suggests — sand and grit in a pocket is enough. A protector takes the damage instead, and replacing one costs a few pounds.
Which type to choose
Tempered glass
The default choice. Hard, clear, and it feels like the original screen. Usually sold in packs of two. See tempered glass protectors.
Privacy
Narrows the viewing angle so people beside you cannot read your screen — useful on trains and in open-plan offices. The trade-off is a slightly dimmer screen head-on.
Full cover
Extends to the curved edges of the display for more complete coverage. Alignment matters more, and some designs interfere with thick cases.
Camera lens protectors
The rear camera glass sits proud on most phones and scratches first. Lens protectors are cheap and easy to overlook.
Fitting one without bubbles
- Work in a clean, still room — a bathroom after a shower has less dust in the air.
- Clean the screen with the supplied alcohol wipe, then the microfibre cloth.
- Lift any remaining dust with the sticker tab included in the kit. One speck causes a permanent bubble.
- Use the alignment frame if one is supplied. It is the difference between a straight fit and a crooked one.
- Lower the protector onto the centre and let it settle outwards on its own.
- Press small bubbles gently towards the nearest edge with the cloth.
Bubbles containing air work their way out over a day or two. Bubbles around a trapped speck of dust do not — lift the protector, remove the speck, and re-lay it.
Protectors, cases and fingerprint sensors
Check that your case does not press on the protector’s edges, which is what lifts corners over time. If your phone has an in-display fingerprint reader, use a protector designed to work with it, and re-register your fingerprint after fitting if recognition becomes unreliable.
When to replace it
Replace a protector once it has a crack, a chip at the edge, or scratches deep enough to catch a fingernail. That is the protector doing its job — and the reason two-packs are good value.
Questions
It helps against scratches and can absorb some impact, but no protector guarantees a screen will survive a bad drop. Use one with a case.
Usually not. The adhesive picks up dust and rarely lays flat again.
A good quality one should not. Very thick or poorly fitted protectors can.
Shop the range. Everything mentioned here is in our full accessories range, with GBP pricing and compatibility listed on every product page. Questions about your model? Email or call us.