iPhone XS Max Worried that I damaged my phone by using Alcohol wipes.

[DaBossIsHere]

Hi everyone. This week I decided to change my old screen protector. Before installing the new one, I wiped the screen with the alcohol wipes that come with these screen protectors. I now discovered that it is not recommended to do so, since the alcohol can damage the oleophobic coating.

I never wiped alcohol before on my screen, and the phone had a screen protector installed on it from day 1.

Do you think the phone should be fine?

Thanks.

 

[Seanm87]

I doubt a once over will do any damage. If you used them regularly it would over time.

 

[DaBossIsHere]

I doubt a once over will do any damage. If you used them regularly it would over time.

Thanks. Will not use alcohol wipes again for sure.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I used to use alcohol wipes for months and could not detect any damage to my phone, screen or the coating.

 

[DaBossIsHere]

I used to use alcohol wipes for months and could not detect any damage to my phone, screen or the coating.

Great, thanks. That puts my mind to rest

 

[44267547]

Hi everyone. This week I decided to change my old screen protector. Before installing the new one, I wiped the screen with the alcohol wipes that come with these screen protectors. I now discovered that it is not recommended to do so, since the alcohol can damage the oleophobic coating.

I never wiped alcohol before on my screen, and the phone had a screen protector installed on it from day 1.

Do you think the phone should be fine?

Thanks.

Your ‘display’ will be fine, but the alcohol wipe itself will remove the oleophobic coating, to what degree, that I don’t know.

 

[chrono1081]

I use them all the time and never noticed any issue. Not saying its good to do so but I never had an issue.

 

[44267547]

I use them all the time and never noticed any issue. Not saying its good to do so but I never had an issue.

Well, you wouldn’t really ‘notice’ an issue, because it won’t damage the display, but will strip the Oleophobic coating. The display will look perfectly normal, but that protective coating will be worn away when using alcohol wipes.

 

[DaBossIsHere]

Your ‘display’ will be fine, but the alcohol wipe itself will remove the oleophobic coating, to what degree, that I don’t know.

Do you think a lot of damage can happen with wiping the screen with alcohol once?

 

[Newtons Apple]

Do you think a lot of damage can happen with wiping the screen with alcohol once?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

You will get a hundred different opinions here. Take them all with a grain salt! That includes mine!

 

[44267547]

Do you think a lot of damage can happen with wiping the screen with alcohol once?

As I said, there’s no ‘physical damage’ to the display, what you’re doing is essentially removing the oleophobic coating with the alcohol wipe, due to the concentration from the alcohol itself. So you’re not damaging really anything, but removing the protective coating.

 

[DaBossIsHere]

As I said, there’s no ‘physical damage’ to the display, what you’re doing is essentially removing the oleophobic coating with the alcohol wipe, due to the concentration from the alcohol itself. So you’re not damaging really anything, but removing the protective coating.

Ok understood. I’ll take this as a lesson learnt.
[doublepost=1560857887][/doublepost]

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

You will get a hundred different opinions here. Take them all with a grain salt! That includes mine!

Thank you your help

 

[Juicy Box]

I have used a bunch of wipes on my iPhone that are probably not recommended.

Alcohol wipes, baby wipes, Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer on a paper towel just to name a few.

I am not saying another person should do what I do with their iPhone, but I haven't noticed any problems doing it to mine.

 

[DaBossIsHere]

I have used a bunch of wipes on my iPhone that are probably not recommended.

Alcohol wipes, baby wipes, Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer on a paper towel just to name a few.

I am not saying another person should do what I do with their iPhone, but I haven't noticed any problems doing it to mine.

Did you use any of those on an XS Max?

 

[Juicy Box]

Did you use any of those on an XS Max?

No, but a bunch of other models.

 

[minimo3]

I’ve cleaned the screen on my 6s with alcohol wipes, Clorox wipes, gym wipes almost daily since 2015. Screen is perfectly fine. Oleophobic properties seem unchanged, I can’t see any fingerprints on it.

 

[Phone Junky]

Hi everyone. This week I decided to change my old screen protector. Before installing the new one, I wiped the screen with the alcohol wipes that come with these screen protectors. I now discovered that it is not recommended to do so, since the alcohol can damage the oleophobic coating.

I never wiped alcohol before on my screen, and the phone had a screen protector installed on it from day 1.

Do you think the phone should be fine?

Thanks.

You're using a screen protector. What do you care if the coating is damaged? It's under your screen protector. If you can't see anything, there is no problem.

 

[Newtons Apple]

You're using a screen protector. What do you care if the coating is damaged? It's under your screen protector. If you can't see anything, there is no problem.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/stains-scratches-from-removing-screen-protector.2186345/

 

[DaBossIsHere]

I’ve cleaned the screen on my 6s with alcohol wipes, Clorox wipes, gym wipes almost daily since 2015. Screen is perfectly fine. Oleophobic properties seem unchanged, I can’t see any fingerprints on it.

This eases my mind... thanks

 

[44267547]

I’ve cleaned the screen on my 6s with alcohol wipes, Clorox wipes, gym wipes almost daily since 2015. Screen is perfectly fine. Oleophobic properties seem unchanged, I can’t see any fingerprints on it.

I guarantee you removed the Oleophobic coating, regardless if you ‘can’t see fingerprints’. FYI, the Oleophobic coating is _not_ just for fingerprints, it’s also against minor scratches on the display. It’s naturally organic and will fade over time with usage from touching, but using wipes in your situation, easily removed it before you would even detect it.

 

[bluespark]

I use them all the time and never noticed any issue. Not saying its good to do so but I never had an issue.

Same here. I use them all the time. I'm aware they can take away the coating (and no doubt have on mine), but I never noticed a difference and I'd rather have a cleaner phone.

 

[now i see it]

The oleophobic coating is an overrated dry slick slime sprayed on the phone at the end of the manufacturing process. I have a 4 year old iPhone and my coating is long gone and not only don't I miss it, I'm really glad that slick crap is finally gone.
It doesn't do anything useful but make the phone 100X easier to drop and 1% easier to clean. Good riddance I say.
The next iPhone I get I'm going to intentionally strip that crap off the day I get it using solvent wipes. Yuck.

 

[Aydy]

I’ve never had one of those wipes supplied with screen protectors be anything other than bone dry. The little green packets have the number 1 and “alcohol wipe” brandished across but I’ve never been lucky enough to find a moist one, yet. Actually, judging by this thread..perhaps I have been lucky

 

[BugeyeSTI]

I use them weekly on my devices and haven’t had any issues. I prefer a screen without a screen protector so the coating would wear off from use anyway but, at a much slower rate. The coating isn’t permanent unless a tempered screen protector is installed at purchase and never removed.

 

[Packers1958]

I use them all the time. No issues.