Top Tips to Prevent Your Phone Screen from Getting Scratched

Tech - by Joe Weber - updated on 4/26/2023

A scratched phone screen may not be the end of the world but it sure can be a huge nuisance if the scratch is big enough and in just the right spot. A scratch can also mean the integrity of the screen is compromised and a full crack may be in your future if you're not careful. Keep reading to learn 5 tips to keep your screen safe and scratch-free.

1. Protect Your Phone

The easiest way to protect your phone is with a sturdy phone case and a screen protector. With a case and screen protector, you will remove many of the worries about damaging your phone when you set it down or are carrying it in your pockets with loose items like keys or change. Even if you just have a protective case on your phone and no screen protector, your chances of scratching the screen are still reduced.

Expert tip

Try to avoid carrying your phone in your pocket with loose change or keys. Even with a screen protector, keys can damage your screen pretty easily if you have tighter pockets.

2. Keep Your Phone Clean

A microfiber cloth and some phone cleaner can go a long way to keep dirt and grime off of your phone to remove scratch threats.

For that extra clean confidence, the Tzumi ON UV^™ Sanitizer with Aromatherapy will clean and sanitize your electronic devices to eliminate 99.9% of germs and bacteria.

3. Store Your Phone Properly

Putting your phone away when it's not being used is the best way to protect it from unexpected damage. When it comes to scratches, keys are the enemy. If you carry your phone in your pocket, always carry keys and loose change in the other pocket. If you are at home and don't need your phone you can store it on a dresser or counter.

Don't set it down on the couch. That's an easy way to accidentally drop it in between the couch cushions to add more scratch chances.

4. Buff Out Small Scratches

For small scratches, you can use a little whitening toothpaste and a Q-tip or microfiber cloth.

Expert tip

For this to work, you must use a paste, not a gel. Toothpaste that contains baking soda will work very well on scratches. You could also use a mixture of 3 parts baking soda with 1 part water to make a paste.

1. Put a small amount of toothpaste on the Q-tip or microfiber cloth.
   1. The paste is abrasive so don't use too much. Just a dab goes a long way.
2. Rub the toothpaste, gently, in small circular motions on and around the scratches on the screen.
3. Wipe off any excess paste from the screen with a clean microfiber cloth.
4. Use a phone-safe cleaner to clean the screen.

This trick may not work the best on large, deep scratches but it will make your screen look like new with small and shallow scratches.

5. If it Cracks, Fix it Before It's Too Late

If you have scratches that are just too deep or you have a screen full of them, you may want to bring it into your local Batteries Plus to have your screen replaced. A crack can very quickly turn into a shatter and you could soon be without your phone if it's not addressed quickly.

Batteries Plus offers smartphone repairs at reasonable pricing and fast turnaround times to get your phones fixed without breaking the bank and without being without your phone for days. Learn more about all of the repair services we offer in "What Kinds of Devices Does Batteries Plus Repair?"