How can I fix a scratched screen on a smartphone?
I have a big scratch on the touchscreen of my HTC phone. It's not to the point of making it unusable or anything, but I can't help but see it constantly. It might as well be a neon green line on the screen as far as me not noticing it. I know this may be a fool's dream, but is there any way to fix, or at least minimize the visibility of a scratch on a touchscreen?
Answers
Nothing I've ever found will really fix it. There are all sorts of things I would consider little better than folk remedies, such as the suggestion to use toothpaste to buff it out (which does work on yellowed car headlights, incidentally). I assume your HTC has a glass display, but if it has a plastic screen, I've found that Eagle One Nanowax makes small, shallow scratches much less noticeable for a week or two, then you have to reapply it. This is a completely clear synthetic "wax", not the traditional type that dries white, and it isn't abrasive so at least it won't make things worse. I've tried the Turtle wax thing, and it was a waste of time. I'm not sure if it would work as well on glass.
One thing to be aware of with anything you use is that if it is abrasive, it could remove the protective coating that is on many, if not all, glass screens. I've seen the results of that on an iPhone, and it was not pretty, so be very careful about what you try.
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I wish I could be more encouraging, but I suspect you're stuck with the scratches. I found this article on Popular Mechanics in which the author tries a few recommended remedies (Turtle Wax, 3M car scratch remover, Displex and glass buffing). Nothing really worked.
Here's an older article (from 2008) that lays out a method for removing scratches from a cell phone screen. I have no idea if this works, but according to the author, the procedure requires the use of microfiber cloth, an egg, aluminum foil and alum (a potassium aluminum sulfate sold in drugstores).
Good luck. If you find something that does the trick, let us know!
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You might not be able to fix it. Perhaps it's time to upgrade to a new phone? This could be a good chance to buy that phone you've been wanting, and say goodbye to the scratched one. That's how I tend to look at these things. A noticeable scratch is a good excuse to upgrade! ;)