Removing scratches from the glass on my phone

[RhinoCan]

I had a bit of a mishap with my phone at the pharmacy a couple of weeks back. I set it down on a chair for a second to take my coat off then found that it slipped right off the chair and onto the floor. Although I'd set it down face up, it flipped over (like a piece of buttered bread landing butter-side down) and slid along the floor for a foot or so. It landed under a display. I just pulled it back out from under the display then picked it up again. The phone works fine but there are some relatively shallow-looking scratches on the glass, probably from grit on the floor.

I'd love to remove those scratches but I'm not sure if it's even possible to do so without making the screen scuffed or possibly even breaking the glass. I don't know what it costs to replace the glass or how long they'd need the phone; if I have to send it away and then be without it for a few weeks that would be a real problem.

I'd like to try removing the scratches myself first and then only worry about replacing the glass if my attempts make things worse. Can anyone suggest a method of cleaning the glass on this phone, especially if you have used it successfully yourself on the same or similar phone? (Samsung Galaxy A5 - 2017). Google displays various methods but I'd strongly prefer to hear about things that you've tried yourself and that worked well.

 

[RhinoCan]

In case anyone's wondering, I solved this problem quite easily but not in the way I expected. as

When I bought the phone, the store offered me a screen protector for it but wanted $40 for it, which seemed ridiculously high. Since that I'd bought a screen protector for my old phone for far less, I assumed I could get a better deal elsewhere. I did NOT buy the screen protector and left the store believing there was no screen protector on the phone.

As it turned out, I didn't actually buy a third-party screen protector before the mishap that scratched the phone. Naturally, I assumed the glass itself was scratched. Initially, I thought I could simply live with the scratches and did my best to do so but I found they really bugged me and finally went back to the store to see what it would cost to replace the glass. They sent me on to a cellphone repair place elsewhere in the mall. The repair place looked at the phone and assured me they could fix the phone in 15 minutes for $25. (I had assumed it would have to be sent out somewhere and I'd have to do without the phone for weeks, which I really REALLY did not like.) I agreed and stayed in the store to see what they did. I assumed I'd learn how easy or hard it was to remove the glass on the phone to replace it. Instead, much to my surprise, they merely peeled the existing screen protector off the phone and replaced it with another one!

It turned out that the phone *ALREADY* had a screen protector on it! It honestly never occurred to me that this was the case because the store that sold it had wanted to sell me one. (I'm not sure what would have happened if I had agreed to buy one; presumably they would have slapped a second protector on top of the existing one. Or maybe they would have taken it out of sight for a few minutes and then come back out to hand me the phone completely unchanged but told me they had just put the protector on.)

In any case, it all turned out well. The problem was fixed in minutes, not weeks, and didn't cost a great deal. Mind you I still feel foolish for not realizing it was only a damaged screen protector all along ;-)

 

[lunatic59]

Mind you I still feel foolish for not realizing it was only a damaged screen protector all along ;-)

I think we've all done that at some point. A couple of years ago I was disheartened when I thought I scratched the glass of a brand new smartwatch on the second day I owned it. It took me several days to realize that in fact all I'd scratched was the protective film they use for shipping. It fit so cleanly, I didn't realize it was there.

Glad to hear your problem wasn't really that costly.

 

[maire5]

I get chastised by my family for letting the protective film wear off a new phone.

 

[lunatic59]

That stuff drives me crazy. I peel it off any new electronic device. If I see someone using a laptop covered in stickers, I want' to smack 'em.

 

[PhilipX20]

My phone's tempered glass screen protector is cracked and small pieces are broken due to my carelessness but at least the main screen itself is protected, and without any damage.

These days I always buy tempered glass screen protectors for devices I use that are worth it (Geotel Phone/Samsung Tab/Nintendo Switch).

 

[KBU2]

I think we've all done that at some point. A couple of years ago I was disheartened when I thought I scratched the glass of a brand new smartwatch on the second day I owned it. It took me several days to realize that in fact all I'd scratched was the protective film they use for shipping. It fit so cleanly, I didn't realize it was there.

Glad to hear your problem wasn't really that costly.

No WE all haven't....