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Phone Accessories
Easy Ways to Clean Off Screen Protector Glue at Home Download Article Learn how to remove a screen protector and get rid of sticky residue Co-authored by Filip Boksa and Travis Boylls
Last Updated: January 14, 2025 Fact Checked
Download Article
Removing Sticky Adhesive
|
Peeling off a Screen Protector
|
Tips
|
Warnings
|
Things You'll Need
|Show more|Show less X
This article was co-authored by Filip Boksa and by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Filip Boksa is a House Cleaning Professional and the CEO and Founder of King of Maids, a company based in Chicago, Illinois. With over 10 years of professional experience, Filip and his team at King Maids specialize in providing home cleaning and organization services to their clients. They are dedicated to delivering high-quality and reliable service to ensure customer satisfaction. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 83,771 times.
There’s nothing more frustrating than taking off your screen protector just to see that all the adhesive has been left behind, creating a sticky, smeary mess. It can make it hard to use your phone and it doesn’t look good! Taking care of leftover glue and adhesive is important if you want your screen to operate at its best. This wikiHow article teaches you how to clean screen protector glue off of your screen.
Clean off Screen Protector Glue
Wipe your screen with a clean lint-free cloth or microfiber cloth. You can rub cooking oil into the adhesive to loosen it up. If the cooking oil doesn't loosen the glue, you can try damping a lint-free cloth with rubbing alcohol and rubbing it into the glue. Dry your phone screen with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 2:
Removing Sticky Adhesive
Download Article
1 Turn off your phone. This will make it easier to see where the leftover glue is. Plus, this will eliminate the risk of accidentally calling your boss or liking a crush’s Instagram post. Powering down will highlight where you need to clean the screen so that it’ll look like new again.[1]XResearch source
Depending on how thick your phone case is, you may also want to remove it. If it’s super bulky, it could be hard to clean the edges of the screen thoroughly.
2 Use a clean lint-free or microfiber cloth to wipe down the screen. Sometimes, the glue may come away just by gently rubbing it back and forth with a soft cloth. If nothing else, this process will remove any smudges or streaks so that all you’re left with is the glue you need to clean off.[2]XResearch source
You should never use paper towels or tissues to clean your screen. They can leave behind little bits of lint or could even potentially scratch your screen.
If your screen is cracked, be careful not to cut yourself on the broken glass. Putting tape over the cracks can help protect yourself.[3]XResearch source
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3 Dip a lint-free cloth in cooking oil and rub it into the adhesive. Cooking oil is gentle and won’t harm the natural protective layer on your phone. Plus, the oil is good at loosening sticky adhesives. Use your pointer finger to gently rub the areas that are sticky until they start to come clean.[4]XResearch source
When applying the cooking oil to the cloth, just a little dab will do. You don’t want to use a dripping-wet cloth and risk getting oil into your speaker or charging port.
4 Try using rubbing alcohol if cooking oil doesn’t lift the glue. Don’t pour rubbing alcohol on your phone—instead, dip a corner of a lint-free cloth into the rubbing alcohol. Gently work the rubbing alcohol into the adhesive until it starts to come away from the glass. If the alcohol on the cloth dries out, apply a little bit more.[5]XResearch source [6]X Expert Source Filip BoksaHouse Cleaning ProfessionalExpert Interview
You can use nail polish remover instead of rubbing alcohol if you prefer.[7]X Expert Source Filip BoksaHouse Cleaning ProfessionalExpert Interview
Warning: Don’t use Windex or other harsh cleaning products on your phone. They can actually break down the oil-resistant layer that’s covering the glass and make it less sensitive to touch.[8]XResearch source
5 Dry your phone. Use a dry lint-free or microfiber cloth to remove any excess droplets or moisture. Then let it sit for a couple hours before turning it back on.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 2:
Peeling off a Screen Protector
Download Article
1 Loosen up the adhesive with a 15-second blast of heat from a hairdryer. This is optional and you can do it at any point during the process if you feel things aren’t progressing very well. Hold the hairdryer about 12 inches (300 mm) away from your screen and move it back and forth for 15 seconds.[9]XResearch source
Don’t hold the hairdryer against your phone or point it at one spot for too long.
2 Test each corner of the screen protectors to find one that is a little loose. Gently pry at the corner with a fingernail to see if it’ll start coming away from the screen. You could also use the corner of a credit card or a very thick piece of paper.[10]XResearch source
You may also find it useful to use a toothpick. Just be sure to angle the toothpick up so that it doesn’t scratch the screen when it slips under the protector.
3 Work your way around the edge of the screen to loosen the protector. Especially if your screen protector is made of tempered glass, you don’t want to just rip it up as soon as you find a loose edge. Instead, go around the entire protector with your finger, a credit card, or a toothpick and separate the screen from the sheet.[11]XResearch source
Doing this slowly should also help prevent the adhesive from sticking to your screen.
4 Peel the protector off slowly and remove it from your phone. Try your best to keep the protector as even as possible so it doesn’t bend and break. If you want to use it again, set it to the side, adhesive-side up.[12]XResearch source
If you notice adhesive sticking to your screen, try gently pushing the protector back into place and removing it even more slowly. The hope here is that the adhesive will stay with the protector instead of your screen.
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Expert Q&A
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Tips
Give mayonnaise a try to soften and remove the adhesive. The oil and vinegar content of mayonnaise can be used to loosen sticky adhesive. Carefully apply a very thin layer of mayo over the leftover glue on your screen. You can do this with your finger, or put the mayo on a clean lint-free cloth and wipe it onto the screen. Leave it alone for about 20 minutes, and then gently rub away the glue. Just be careful not to get any mayonnaise in the charging port or headphone jack. [13]XResearch sourceThanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Remember to be gentle when cleaning your phone’s screen. It may take some time, but going slowly will protect your screen and give you the results you want. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement
Warnings
Don’t use a paper towel to clean your phone’s screen. It could potentially scratch the screen.[14]XResearch sourceThanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Never use bleach or household cleaners on your phone.[15]XResearch sourceThanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Things You’ll Need
Removing Sticky Adhesive
Lint-free cloth
Microfiber cloth
Cooking oil (optional)
Rubbing alcohol (optional)
Mayonnaise (optional)
Peeling off a Screen Protector
Hairdryer
Credit card (optional)
Toothpick (optional)
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Co-authored by: Filip Boksa House Cleaning Professional This article was co-authored by Filip Boksa and by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Filip Boksa is a House Cleaning Professional and the CEO and Founder of King of Maids, a company based in Chicago, Illinois. With over 10 years of professional experience, Filip and his team at King Maids specialize in providing home cleaning and organization services to their clients. They are dedicated to delivering high-quality and reliable service to ensure customer satisfaction. This article has been viewed 83,771 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 5Updated: January 14, 2025 Views: 83,771 Categories: Phone Accessories | Cell Phone Maintenance
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Download Article Learn how to remove a screen protector and get rid of sticky residue Co-authored by Filip Boksa and Travis Boylls 
13 Ways to Remove Stickers from Glass 
How to Get Rid of the Sticky Residue from Stickers 
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Co-authored by: Filip Boksa House Cleaning Professional This article was co-authored by Filip Boksa and by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Filip Boksa is a House Cleaning Professional and the CEO and Founder of King of Maids, a company based in Chicago, Illinois. With over 10 years of professional experience, Filip and his team at King Maids specialize in providing home cleaning and organization services to their clients. They are dedicated to delivering high-quality and reliable service to ensure customer satisfaction. This article has been viewed 83,771 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 5 Updated: January 14, 2025 Views: 83,771 Categories: Phone Accessories | Cell Phone Maintenance 
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1 Turn off your phone. This will make it easier to see where the leftover glue is. Plus, this will eliminate the risk of accidentally calling your boss or liking a crush’s Instagram post. Powering down will highlight where you need to clean the screen so that it’ll look like new again.[1] 
2 Use a clean lint-free or microfiber cloth to wipe down the screen. Sometimes, the glue may come away just by gently rubbing it back and forth with a soft cloth. If nothing else, this process will remove any smudges or streaks so that all you’re left with is the glue you need to clean off.[2] 
3 Dip a lint-free cloth in cooking oil and rub it into the adhesive. Cooking oil is gentle and won’t harm the natural protective layer on your phone. Plus, the oil is good at loosening sticky adhesives. Use your pointer finger to gently rub the areas that are sticky until they start to come clean.[4] 
4 Try using rubbing alcohol if cooking oil doesn’t lift the glue. Don’t pour rubbing alcohol on your phone—instead, dip a corner of a lint-free cloth into the rubbing alcohol. Gently work the rubbing alcohol into the adhesive until it starts to come away from the glass. If the alcohol on the cloth dries out, apply a little bit more.[5] [6] 
5 Dry your phone. Use a dry lint-free or microfiber cloth to remove any excess droplets or moisture. Then let it sit for a couple hours before turning it back on. Advertisement 
1 Loosen up the adhesive with a 15-second blast of heat from a hairdryer. This is optional and you can do it at any point during the process if you feel things aren’t progressing very well. Hold the hairdryer about 12 inches (300 mm) away from your screen and move it back and forth for 15 seconds.[9] 
2 Test each corner of the screen protectors to find one that is a little loose. Gently pry at the corner with a fingernail to see if it’ll start coming away from the screen. You could also use the corner of a credit card or a very thick piece of paper.[10] 
3 Work your way around the edge of the screen to loosen the protector. Especially if your screen protector is made of tempered glass, you don’t want to just rip it up as soon as you find a loose edge. Instead, go around the entire protector with your finger, a credit card, or a toothpick and separate the screen from the sheet.[11] 
4 Peel the protector off slowly and remove it from your phone. Try your best to keep the protector as even as possible so it doesn’t bend and break. If you want to use it again, set it to the side, adhesive-side up.[12]