Why You Should Never Use a Screen Protector on a MacBook
At first, it might be tempting to put a screen protector on your shiny new MacBook. After all, many of us put screen protectors on shiny new iPhones to keep those expensive displays. You might think that the same philosophy applies to your MacBook screen, which probably costs more than your iPhone display repair . But it is not.
MacBook displays are different from iPhone displays
The problem is that MacBook displays are not made from the same material as iPhone displays. Apple applies anti-glare coatings to its laptop displays to reduce glare and increase contrast. Usually you will never notice this coating. It’s not something that can be removed like a factory security seal; rather, it is an invisible layer of the display. If you don’t see it, then why do you even think it was there?
However, many of the people who discover the existence of this coating put a protective film on their MacBooks. When the protective film is on the display, everything is fine: just like on the iPhone, you see a layer of protective film, and under it the display itself. No problem.
The problem occurs when you remove the protective film from the screen. The material may have been impacted and now looks unsightly due to cracks or other damage. You might just be tired of seeing that protective layer on your screen and decide it’s worth the risk of removing it so your MacBook display looks the way Apple intended.
In any case, when you remove the screen protector, the adhesive on the screen protector can peel off your MacBook’s anti-glare coating. This probably won’t remove all of the coverage, but it can take a long time. Some MacBooks are already affected by anti-glare coating staining and Apple has a repair program for these devices , but screen protector damage is likely not covered. You can take this Redditors experience like a public service announcement : they removed the protective film from their MacBook and were saddened and disappointed to see what it left behind.
The protective film can completely break the display of your MacBook
There is also a risk of physical damage to the screen, especially due to the thicker glass screen protector. First of all, these screen protectors are often too thick for your MacBook to close properly, which is not a good thing in itself: if you close the laptop too much, the force of the screen protector hitting the bottom of the case can damage the screen. . Also, when it comes time to remove it, the force required to remove the glass from the display can damage it to the point where the display stops working altogether, as this Redditor demonstrates in his post .
In practical use, a screen protector on a MacBook is not really needed. Unlike the iPhone, your MacBook’s display won’t slip out of pockets and bags or protrude out of them: because it’s a laptop, the display usually closes whenever the laptop is moved, completely protecting it. Of course, while you’re working with it, it’s exposed to the outside world, but because it’s connected to a larger machine, it’s much less likely to be dropped or bumped than an iPhone.
If you need to use a MacBook screen protector
If you really need a screen protector on your Mac, you need to choose carefully. Screen protectors may shatter or shatter the screen, and adhesive films may remove the anti-reflective coating. Apple’s website has non-adhesive thin screen protectors that you can buy, such as Kensington’s magnetic screen protector or Belkin’s removable variant .
However, the company recommends that you never leave anything between the screen and keyboard when you close the laptop. This is why you shouldn’t use a keyboard cover (among other reasons), and why if you buy one of these protectors, you can remove it before putting your MacBook away.