How to Apply a Screen Protector Without Bubbles: Step-by-Step

A badly applied screen protector means a bubble in the middle of your display, a speck of dust that taunts you for months and a touchscreen that feels slightly off. The good news: with the right method, the whole job takes less than ten minutes. Here is the technique we recommend for our privacy screen protectors and camera lens protectors.

Before you start: set the scene

Dust is your only real enemy. Pick a room with no draughts, ideally the bathroom right after a hot shower: the steam pulls floating particles out of the air.

Have everything within reach:

• the tempered glass protector and its alignment frame;
• the wet and dry wipes from the box;
• the dust-removal stickers;
• a stiff card, such as a loyalty card, to push out bubbles.

Wash your hands, take your phone out of its case and switch the screen off: dust is much easier to spot against a black display.

Step 1: clean the screen thoroughly

Start with the wet wipe in small circles to lift fingerprints, then use the dry wipe to remove any streaks. Next, tilt the phone under a lamp and every speck of dust will show up. Lift them off one by one with a dust-removal sticker, dabbing rather than rubbing.

Step 2: fit the alignment frame

The frame is the secret to a perfectly centred protector. Place it on the phone with the cut-outs the right way round, speaker and front camera at the top. It should click into place without forcing. No frame? Hold the glass above the screen without touching it and line up the speaker cut-out first.

Step 3: lay the glass down in one go

Peel the backing film off the glass, holding it by the edges and never touching the adhesive side. Drop it into the frame and let go. Press lightly in the centre and watch the adhesive spread to the edges by itself within a few seconds. Whatever you do, do not lift the glass to reposition it: that is exactly how dust gets in.

Step 4: push out the bubbles

A few air bubbles often linger near the edges. Wrap the card in the dry wipe and push them from the centre outwards. If a bubble won't budge, a speck of dust is probably trapped underneath: gently lift the nearest corner with a sticker, remove the dust with a second sticker, then lower the glass again.

Tiny air bubbles usually disappear on their own within 24 to 48 hours.

What about the camera lens protector?

Same principle, on a smaller scale:

1. carefully clean each lens with the wipe;
2. place the supplied applicator over the camera bump;
3. drop the tempered glass rings in one by one, then press firmly for a few seconds;
4. remove the applicator and check that no ring sticks out.

Then take a test shot with and without flash. If you see a halo, one ring is probably off-centre: peel it off and reapply it. Our iPhone camera lens protector comes with everything you need.

The most common mistakes

• Rushing it without checking for dust under a light first.
• Touching the adhesive side: fingerprints stay visible under the glass.
• Putting a tight case back on that lifts the edges of the glass. A clear case with flexible edges, like ours, leaves just enough room.
• Buying the wrong model: always check your iPhone's exact name in Settings, General, About before you order.

How long does a screen protector last?

A tempered glass protector is designed to take knocks and scratches so your screen does not have to. If it cracks after a drop, it has done its job: just swap it out. That is the whole point of our privacy screen protector 2-pack, which leaves you a spare ready to go.