Is Your iPhone’s Touch Screen Damaged? Avoid These Bad iPhone Screen Repair Tips
iPhones are precisely made devices, hence, attempting to repair a broken iPhone screen on your own can be risky, causing more damage to the screen. Hence, if your iPhone screen is damaged it is best to get it repaired or replaced by an authorised service centre.
You would have come across innumerable listicles in your search for a quick iPhone screen repair advising you to apply car wax, toothpaste, or even a glass buffer.
But the truth is none of these methods are effective? In fact, several of them may aggravate your problem damaging your iPhone more, leading to higher repair expenses.
Avoid the Following Tips Related to Your iPhone Screen Repair
Giving your iPhone to an authorised iPhone mobile repair service centre is usually the best option in case of damage since they save consumers time and money. In most cases, a low-cost screen repair may prolong the life of your iPhone by many months.
However, you must avoid the following when it comes to your iPhone screen repair.
1. Do not Sand Down Your Scratched Display
Sandpaper is an abrasive substance that removes a thin coating of whatever it is used on. Sandpaper comes in different grits, ranging from very coarse to very fine. It is mostly used on wood to remove splinters and smooth the surface.
Sandpaper is one of the last things you should be using to remove scratches from your iPhone. It’s still a bad idea, even if you apply a very fine grit to the scratched part.
When you sand a touch screen’s surface, you only make more scratches. Modern iPhones have an oleophobic (oil-repellent) coating that protects the screen, improves smoothness, and reduces fingerprints.
If you use sandpaper to remove scratches on your iPhone screen any remaining oleophobic (oil-repellent) coating will be worn away, and the screen will appear worse than it did before you started. Hence, it is best to avoid sandpaper if you do not want a blurry mess along with more scratches on the iPhone screen.
2. Avoid Glass Buffing with Cerium Oxide
A drill and a buffing wheel are used to gently wear away a layer of glass, removing any scratches in the process. This is a precise and thorough method used by professionals to remove scratches from automobile windshields and shop windows. It also needs a consistent proportion of cerium oxide and water, as well as strict heat control.
However, even with careful temperature control, the exact mix of cerium oxide and water, and the skills for using the buffing wheel, you are still losing a layer of your touch screen, which is not recommended.
3. Avoid Turtle Wax and Other Auto Scratch Products
Turtle Wax and other vehicle cutting agents work by removing a thin coating of scraped material from metal and paint. With good polishing, scratches become less deep and, in some cases, erase entirely as the cutting agent works its magic.
The screen on your iPhone, however, is not made of metal or is painted. Your iPhone’s screen is never designed to be “cut” in this way. Auto wax will, in fact, remove the oleophobic layer from your display. This implies your display will have more scuff marks and grease on it.
4. Do not Use Baking Soda or Toothpaste to Polish Out Scratches
Toothpaste and baking soda have the same abrasive properties as other abrasive materials. They remove a thin layer of the scratched surface, making the scratches appear less noticeable or even disappear.
Toothpaste can be soft or abrasive, depending on the brand and chemicals. Even if you use toothpaste and thoroughly polish your screen, you are still removing a layer of your touch screen adding to smudges, and removing the oleophobic coating.
You may find that toothpaste is ineffective and decide to use baking soda, which is a common ingredient in whitening toothpaste. This is similar to cutting your iPhone screen with auto wax/other cleaning products, and it will only worsen things.
5. You Cannot Use Oil to Remove Scratches
The notion that you can use oil to “fill in” scratches is odd; however, it persists online. Oil has a propensity to go into nooks and corners but does not stay there once it has been applied.
You will simply make a mess if you use vegetable or mineral oil on your iPhone screen. The oil will dissipate once you put the iPhone back in your pocket or pick it up. The scratch would still be there, and you will have oil all over your hands and in the pocket.
Consider the Following Options
Now that you have avoided the worst tips for removing scratches from your iPhone screen, what do you do next?
1. Apply Screen Protector
A screen protector may appear to be “too little, too late,” but it can help lessen the look of scratches. A soft plastic screen protector may be used to “fill in” scratches and add a layer of protection.
A screen protector made of tempered glass is much better! The touch screen is given a new layer of glass. You may be able to see the old scratches beneath the surface, but you will not be able to feel them. Furthermore, the glass will give better scratch resistance.
2. Visit A Mobile Repair Shop
You can also take your iPhone to a third-party mobile repair shop. However, the replacement parts will most probably come from a third party. They may function poorly even when compared to a broken device with a first-party display. Scratches are just aesthetic and have no bearing on the device’s performance.
A first-party repair is also an option. If you visit an authorised iPhone repair centre, they will charge you a premium to replace the screen. However, the parts will be of good quality and will be changed by a skilled technician. You also won’t have to deal with the complications that third-party fixes on an iPhone might cause.
Conclusion
Ignoring the scratch is the cheapest choice. After all, the screen is not broken, and a few scratches won’t hinder the operation of your phone. You’ll most likely replace it in a year or so. Therefore, you can avoid expensive iPhone screen repairs.
If you do decide to upgrade your phone, use a high-quality glass screen cover. It is far easier to change a screen protector than to remove scratches or replace a damaged iPhone screen.