These protective films for your smartphone can seriously damage it if you do not follow these 3 rules

A screen protector can either strengthen the durability of your smartphone or damage it if you're not careful.

These are tools we often buy automatically when we get a brand new smartphone. Eager to best protect their new investment, many phone owners equip their phones with a screen protector. Unfortunately, these screen protectors can often hide significant risks for your smartphone if you don't follow specific rules when choosing yours.

Please note: This article is not intended to discourage you from purchasing a screen protector or to throw away your current one. It aims to highlight some precautions you should take when you want to best protect your phone's screen and to avoid some of the pitfalls set by screen protector manufacturers.

The first rule to follow when installing a protective film on your smartphone screen is the application itself. This process requires a great deal of concentration on your part, and it's recommended to be particularly meticulous. Improper application of your protection can cause air bubbles under the film, but also scratches on your screen or obstruction of certain sensors. Your smartphone could then quickly be damaged, just when you were trying to protect it!

Another rule to follow: the quality of the protective film. There are many different brands on the market, but not all are equal. Try not to give in to the temptation of cheap protective films and instead invest in well-known brands like Rhinoshield, Belkin, or Spigen. Low-end protective films can significantly reduce your phone's touch sensitivity, making your daily browsing experience very frustrating.

Also, make sure you choose a screen protector that fits your smartphone model. A screen protector that's too small or too large can end up peeling off on its own and accumulating dirt. Worse still, you risk damaging the fingerprint sensor system if your phone has one.

We can also give you one last bonus rule. Some screen protectors are approved and certified by smartphone brands like Apple or Samsung. So, try to prioritize this certification based on your smartphone model to ensure you don't void your device's warranty.