Many smartphone users care about how to stick a protective film on a smartphone. It is necessary to deal with it, since device protection is an important factor of use.
Modern gadgets - phones, tablets and others - have the most vulnerable place for damage - the display. If it is damaged, the usability is often reduced, therefore, it is clearly not necessary to allow breakage of this element. With most of this task, protective films and glasses just cope.
Which protection is better
Before considering the issue of how to stick a protective film on a smartphone, we will also familiarize ourselves with another protective accessory and its differences from the film.
The main task of protective glasses is to protect the device in case it falls to the ground. Of course, such an element will also perform standard functions: preventing scratches, dust protection and so on. According to the manufacturers, when it falls, the smartphone will break the protective glass, and not the screen itself. Another advantage of this accessory is that it goes well with the device and does not distort its familiar appearance. Also, touches and clicks are perfectly transmitted through the glass, so protection does not affect the sensitivity of the screen.
Film is a more popular item for protecting a smartphone. Its main function is to protect the phone screen from scratches. Also, depending on the type of film, it can perform the following tasks:
- Protection against sun glare and fingerprints of the user. These features have a matte protective film.
- Reflection of objects. The film acts as a mirror when the screen of the smartphone is locked. This accessory is called mirror protection.
- Normal scratch protection. Such defects can occur from keys, coins, and other things that could damage the device. This film is standard and is called glossy.
As you can see, glass has more and more popular functionality than a protective film. Therefore, preference, of course, should be given to the first option. In addition, it takes a lot of effort and patience to independently stick a protective film on the smartphone.
How to choose a protective accessory
Manufacturers have worked very well and now produce protective films for a specific model of smartphone. Therefore, the choice is not particularly worth the hassle - you just need to specify the name of your phone.
It should be borne in mind that all models of the same manufacturer are different in size, so it is not enough to select only the name of the phone. Be sure to indicate its model in order to choose a film that has all the necessary holes for speakers and buttons.
There are universal protective accessories designed for rare smartphones that do not have specialized films. In this case, the user can cut out the layout, which will be superimposed on the screen.
How to remove an old protective film
Before sticking the protective film on the smartphone screen, you must remove the old one in order to prepare the screen for manipulation.
If the protective accessory is relatively recent on the phone, then it is removed quite easily: it is enough to pry off the edge with a fingernail or a sharp object. However, if the film has been on the screen for a long time, then removing it may cause problems.
If it does not go quickly to remove the old film, then you should use ordinary packing tape, which is sold in all stores of the office. Before the procedure, it is advisable to thoroughly clean the surface of the screen with alcohol so that the adhesive tape adheres well. Now a small segment needs to be applied to the edge of the old film and pulling, while trying to pick up the same edge with a thin object. Thus, it will be possible to remove the tight-fitting protective film from the screen.
New protective film
Now consider how to stick the protective film onto the smartphone yourself.
A very important factor that affects the outcome of the work is the dustiness of the room in which the operation is performed. For work, you need to choose a room so that the amount of dust is minimal. A great option would be a bathroom or kitchen. If, nevertheless, gluing is done in another place, you should first prepare it.
Room preparation
Before sticking a protective film on a smartphone, it is necessary to remove for a while all the things that can collect dust from the room: towels, rugs, etc. That which cannot be removed should be thoroughly vacuumed. After that, be sure to wipe the table on which the operation will be performed with a damp cloth. It will not be superfluous to wash the floor so that the result is as satisfactory as possible.
Now the room is ready for the procedure for gluing the protective film.
It might seem that such preparations are too global for putting a protective accessory on the phone. However, the actions are not exaggerated at all. The smallest dust that gets on the screen during the gluing of the film can cause air to accumulate on the surface of the screen, which is not so easy to remove. Therefore, it’s better to prepare the conditions well before correcting your mistakes later.
Essential Items
Before describing the instructions on how to properly stick a protective film on a smartphone, you should figure out what tools will be needed for this process. Must have:
- Liquid containing alcohol, or alcohol itself to wipe the screen.
- A thin object, such as a plastic card.
- A special cloth designed to clean the screen (supplied with the film).
- Scotch.
Before sticking the protective film, it is advisable to wash your hands well to get rid of excess dirt and dust.
Step-by-step instruction
When all the preparations have been made, you can proceed to the process itself.
- First of all, you need to remove the old coating and carefully wipe the smartphone screen with a special cloth. If necessary, you can use alcohol or an alcohol-containing liquid.
- Now you need to remove the protective coating on the adhesive side of the film and, holding the object by the edges, roughly position it along the contour of the smartphone’s display, but not lowering it.
- Starting from any edge, gradually apply film to the entire surface of the screen.
- Smooth the coating with a flat thin object in one direction, that is, from top to bottom or vice versa, but only once.
- If air bubbles form, they must be removed immediately. To do this, take two strips of adhesive tape. One needs to lift the film, and the other remove dust particles in place of the bubble. Then stick back the film.
Universal film overlay
Now we’ll figure out how to stick a universal protective film on a smartphone. First you need to cut it to fit the screen size of the phone. To do this, you need the following tools:
- Marker of any color, preferably thin.
- Scalpel or clerical knife.
- A coating on which the film can be cut.
First you need to make markings for the future model of protective film. You can simply measure the length and width of the smartphone screen with a ruler, and then transfer the results to a universal coverage. With this method, it is worth considering small indents along the edges if measurements were made over the entire area of the phone.
The second way is to make a copy of the phone using a printer, and then circle the outline on the film. Here you should also consider the distance from the edges of the smartphone.
The third method is the most reliable. You can take the old coating and use it as a sample. In this situation, the indentation can not be taken into account, since the old film is already adjusted accordingly.
All further actions are performed as in the previous paragraph.
Expert Advice
In order for the process to go smoothly, several nuances should be taken into account:
- Be sure to carefully prepare the room for the process of gluing the film. This point cannot be neglected.
- Clean the screen well after peeling off the old protective accessory with alcohol or other liquid.
- Be sure to hold a flat object over the surface after gluing to expel excess air.
If you follow all the instructions and recommendations, then the question of how to stick a protective film on a smartphone will not cause any problems.