Applying a screen protector without bubbles: how to get it right
Fitting a screen protector straight and bubble-free is not luck, it is a matter of order. Our step-by-step method from the workshop, plus the difference between tempered glass and film.
Door The Phone Shopper
Gepubliceerd: 2018-08-30
Applying a screen protector looks simple, right up until you let go and there is a bubble sitting dead centre. Or worse: a speck of dust, with a mark around it that never goes away. Even so, it has nothing to do with luck or steady hands. It comes down to order, and to dust. Take those two things seriously and in ten minutes you will have a protector sitting perfectly straight. Here is how we do it in our workshop.
In short: Work in a dust-free room, first degrease the screen with the alcohol wipe and then remove dust with the microfibre cloth, lift the last specks with sticky tape, line the protector up before you peel off the backing, and then let it settle from the middle outwards. Never press in the middle, or you will trap air. Small bubbles often disappear on their own; a bubble with a dot in it is dust and has to come out.
Tempered glass or film: which suits your device?
There are broadly two types of screen protector, and neither is better or worse than the other. They simply do different jobs.
Tempered glass is hardened glass around half a millimetre thick. It feels like your normal screen and mainly protects against a drop or a knock: the glass breaks instead of your screen. The downside is that it is rigid. On a screen with curved edges, flat glass does not make contact everywhere, which can leave a dark border or a long air pocket along the side. There are special versions for that, with adhesive across the whole surface instead of only around the edge.
Film (plastic, usually TPU or PET) is thin and flexible. It follows the shape of a curved screen without any trouble and is the logical choice for smartwatches and strongly curved displays. Film protects well against scratches from keys and sand, but absorbs a hard drop far less well than glass. The downside: it feels slightly less smooth and creases easily while you are applying it.
| | Tempered glass | Film |
|---|
| Drop protection | Good | Limited |
| Scratch protection | Good | Good |
| Curved screens | Special versions only | Excellent |
| Feel to the touch | Like the original glass | Slightly less slick |
| Ease of fitting | Easy, aligns itself | Takes patience |
| In-display fingerprint sensor | Careful: choose a version that supports it | Usually no problem |
If your phone has a fingerprint sensor under the screen, always check whether the protector is suitable for it. Glass that is too thick, or a layer of air above the sensor, means your finger is no longer recognised. In that case it helps to register your fingerprint again after fitting.
What you need
- The alcohol wipe and the microfibre cloth from the packaging (almost always included)
- A piece of sticky tape or the dust stickers supplied
- The alignment frame that comes with many glass protectors, if there is one
- A bank card or the card from the box to push bubbles out
- Ten quiet minutes and a clean table
Fitting it step by step
- Choose your spot. Sit in the bathroom after taking a few minutes of hot shower. The steam binds the dust in the air, which is exactly what you want. Wait until the mirror is clear again so no condensation settles on your screen. Close the windows and switch off the fan.
- Do a dry fit first. Place the protector on your screen with both films still on it and check that the cut-outs for the speaker and camera line up. That way you know straight away which side goes up.
- Degrease the screen. Wipe the whole screen clean with the alcohol wipe, right into the corners. Grease and skin oil are the reason a protector later lifts along the edge.
- Dry and polish. Rub the screen dry with the microfibre cloth until there is no streak or haze left. Hold the device at an angle to the light: that is the only way to spot remaining marks and dust.
- Lift the last dust with sticky tape. This is the step most people skip and the one that makes the difference. Dab, do not wipe, with a piece of sticky tape across the whole screen. Every speck you remove now is one you will not be staring at inside a bubble later.
- Do not breathe over the screen. It sounds excessive, but your breath leaves moisture and particles behind. Turn your head away when you exhale.
- Line it up before you peel off the adhesive backing. Use the frame if one is supplied: it clicks around your device, and then it cannot go on crooked. Without a frame you can tape one side of the protector to the phone with two small strips, like a hinge. That way you fold it open, peel off the backing and fold it back down in exactly the same position.
- Peel off the adhesive backing (number 1) and do not touch the sticky side. Hold it by the edges.
- Let it drop, do not press. Set the protector down with the middle first and let the rest pull itself down towards the edges. You will see the adhesive spread like a wave. Press hard in the middle or on one side and you trap air that can no longer escape.
- Sweep from the inside outwards. If any bubbles remain, push them with the microfibre cloth or a card from the middle towards the nearest edge.
- Remove the top protective film (number 2) and give the glass one final polish.
Bubbles: which disappear on their own and which do not?
There are two kinds. Bubbles with nothing in them are simply trapped air. Sweep them to the nearest edge. If that does not quite work, leave the device for a day: the adhesive keeps working for a while and small bubbles usually disappear by themselves. With glass that often happens within 24 to 48 hours.
Bubbles with a dot in the middle never disappear on their own. There is a speck of dust or a hair underneath, and the adhesive simply cannot bond there. Then you have to lift the protector. Use a piece of sticky tape to lift it carefully from the nearest corner, just far enough to reach the speck. Dab the speck away with a fresh piece of tape - never with your finger, because that puts grease on the adhesive - and lower the protector back down. This often works, but not endlessly: every time you lift a glass protector, the adhesive picks up fresh dust.
If a long, narrow strip of air stays along the edge on a device with a curved screen, that is usually not your mistake. A flat sheet of glass does not fit that curve, and you need a protector that bonds across the whole surface, or a film version.
Rainbow patches and edges that lift
If you see coloured patches that look like an oil slick, the glass is not sitting perfectly flat against the screen. It is usually caused by grease left behind while lining things up. Degreasing again and refitting is the solution.
If a corner lifts after a few days, check that your case does not overlap the edge of the protector. A case with a high rim pressing on the glass will prise it loose over time. So with a rugged case, choose a protector that is slightly narrower than the screen ("case friendly").
Looking after it
Clean the glass with a slightly damp microfibre cloth, without cleaning products. Glass cleaner and alcohol eventually attack the oleophobic coating, the layer that repels fingerprints. Once that layer is gone the glass feels rough and covered in smears: time for a new one. The same applies as soon as it is cracked. Cracked glass no longer protects and the shards can cut your finger - but by then it has done exactly what it was there for.
Rather have it done for you?
Buy a screen protector from us in the shop and we will fit it free of charge. We do it at the workbench, with the right tools and no dust, and if it does go wrong we simply take a new one. You will find our range of protectors and cases under accessories.
If your screen is already damaged, a protector on top makes little sense: the cracked glass keeps spreading under the film. In that case check first for the current price for your model. Our repairs come with a warranty: lifetime on soft OLED screens, six months on other screens.
You will find us at Willem Alexanderstraat 11 in Nijverdal. Feel free to drop in with your device and your protector, or send us a message via contact if you are unsure which protection suits your phone. We are happy to help you decide.
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