What You Need to Know about Privacy Screen Protectors

iPhone 13/13 Pro Privacy screen protector

iPhone 13 Pro Max Privacy screen protector

iPhone 13 mini Privacy screen protector

No matter how maxed out your phone’s privacy and security settings are; no matter what anti-virus or VPN software you use, none of that matters if someone is literally looking at your phone screen, memorizing your passwords, banking information, contacts, and other private data. 

In order to ensure that your phone has complete privacy protection when it comes to your personal data, you’re going to need a privacy screen protector which will not only safeguard you against visual hacking, but will also provide physical protection against scratching, cracking, and chipping.

Today, we’re going to give the scoop on what exactly a phone privacy screen protector is, what it is made of, how they work, and if they’re really worth getting, among other frequently asked questions about privacy screen protectors. 

What is a privacy screen protector?

A privacy screen protector is a special type of privacy filter for your mobile device that serves two very important functions: to protect your phone’s screen from scratching or cracking and to prevent strangers from spying on your mobile activity in a public space. 

What is a privacy screen protector made of?

Privacy screen protectors can be made of two different kinds of material, tempered glass or PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic. Tempered glass is by far the superior of the two - it’s much more durable and resilient as a screen protector and offers more reliable privacy protection; it also won’t cost you that much more.

Do you need a privacy screen protector?

Privacy screen protectors make a massive contribution to your phone’s security by reducing the range of the viewing angle of your phone’s display so that only the person directly in front of it is able to see the content on the screen. They are an essential phone accessory for people who frequently use their phone in crowded places, such as on the subway, in elevators, or in bars and nightclubs.

How do Privacy Screen Protectors work?

Privacy screen protectors work by implementing micro louver technology to limit the viewing angle and slightly tint your phone’s screen so that the wandering eyes of hackers, peeping toms, and nosy strangers can’t peer at your private information and data. As for the physical screen protection, the screen protector acts like a thin, but durable layer of armor to guard against scratches, cracks, oils, and dust particles. The screen protector will take on all of these threats so that you don’t have to worry about replacing or repairing your phone’s screen, which could cost hundreds of dollars.

Types of privacy screen protectors

Good quality privacy screen protectors make use of micro louver technology which only allows the light from the phone’s display to pass through at certain angles. Micro louver technology is essentially the same technology that blinds for your windows use, but on a microscopic scale. Hundreds of tiny “blinds” run across the screen protector, effectively blacking out the sides of your phone screen when viewed from an angle. The degree of viewing reduction depends on what type of privacy screen protector you use; there are two varieties of privacy filters, two-way filters and four-way filters.

•  Two-Way Filters: For two-way filters, the viewing angle is typically limited to 30 degrees either side of the screen when in portrait mode, so if you rotate your phone horizontally, only the top and bottom of the screen will be protected and the sides, where your mobile activity can most easily be spied, will be viewable. Two-way filters cost less and are great for people who tend to hold their phone vertically while texting, shopping online, and so on.

• Four-Way Filters: For four-way filters, all four sides of your phone’s screen will be protected, no matter how you orient your phone. Four-way filters are best suited to people who prefer to hold their phone horizontally or switch back and forth to perform their mobile tasks.  

Privacy screen protector pros and cons

With a privacy screen protector, you’re getting a wide range of protection for your phone, but it doesn’t come without a few minor setbacks. Let’s go over the advantages and disadvantages of privacy screen protectors.

Privacy Screen Protector Advantages:

• Protection from visual hacking.
• General privacy.
• Protection against screen-scratching debris.
• Anti-glare.
• Protection against cracking.

Privacy Screen Protector Disadvantages:

• Reduced display brightness (you will need to keep your brightness setting high).
• Touch screen loses sensitivity.
• Incompatible with facial recognition.

The disadvantages of using a privacy screen protector can be mostly reduced if you purchase a higher quality tempered glass variety. 

How to take off privacy screen protector

Since a privacy screen protector takes on the brunt of the physical damage, like scratching and cracking, that would otherwise be done to your phone’s screen, you will need to remove it and apply a new one from time to time. Remove your privacy screen protector by following these four simple steps.

1. Turn off your phone and apply warmth to the screen protector with a hair dryer. Make sure to not apply too much heat. This step is just to loosen the adhesive.
2. At one of the corners, use a toothpick to create a gap between the screen protector and the screen.
3. Once you have lifted the screen protector enough, fit a credit card into the gap and gently continue to pull the screen protector off while working the credit card down it to help peel and provide leverage.
4. After you have removed the screen protector, use a microfiber cloth to wipe the screen clean.

Best Privacy Screen Protector Recommendation

OMOTON offers privacy screen protectors that are made of durable yet thin tempered glass (0.3mm) so that your touchscreen retains high responsiveness without sacrificing durability. Unlike most iPhone 13 pro max privacy screen protectors, OMOTON privacy screen protector iPhone 13 pro max does not interfere with TrueDepth Camera, so your face ID will not be impacted whatsoever by the screen shield. Furthermore, OMOTON privacy screen protector is made with an oleophobic coating which will ensure that fingerprints don’t stick and make them very easy to wipe off.

OMOTON privacy screen protector iPhone 13 pro max comes with:

• Two tempered glass privacy screen protectors, two camera lens protectors, and one installation kit.
• Night Circle function that allows you to maintain clarity when shooting without being affected by flash.
• Case-friendly design which allows for compatibility with the vast majority of phone cases. 

Privacy Screen Protector FAQs

Are privacy screen protectors good?

Privacy screen protectors are really good at helping keep your personal information and data, such as banking information, passwords, and social media safe from visual hacking. By reducing the viewing angle to directly in front of the screen, hackers will have a much more difficult time watching you input sensitive information into your phone. The best privacy screen protectors are made of tempered glass and should not affect touch sensitivity or display quality.

Does privacy screen protector work?

Privacy screen protectors work very well thanks to the micro louver technology they use to black out your phone’s display when viewed at an angle of 60 degrees or more. This makes it so much harder for visual hackers to see what you’re doing on your phone.

Just to elaborate more on how effective visual hackers can be if you don’t use a privacy screen protector, in 2016, Ponemon Institute conducted The 2016 Global Visual Hacking Experiment and discovered some very alarming statistics regarding the efficacy of visual hackers. Ponemon Institute discovered the following:

• 91% of visual hacking attempts were successful.
• 27% of all visually hacked data was considered sensitive information.
• 50% of all visually hacked data was hacked within 15 minutes. 

Do privacy screen protectors work at night?

Privacy screen protectors work just fine at night. Just remember that you will likely need to keep your brightness setting high as this kind of privacy filter has a slight tint which keeps your information harder to view for visual hackers.

Do privacy screen protectors affect display quality?

As for any product, there is variation in the quality of privacy screen protectors which is dependent on the manufacturer. As long as you purchase a privacy screen protector from a manufacturer that is known to produce quality phone accessories, then the only noticeable impact it will have on your display quality will be slight tinting, which can be resolved by turning up your display’s brightness. 

Do privacy screen protectors hurt your eyes?

Privacy screen protectors don’t hurt your eyes; however, if you do not turn up your display brightness when using one, you could cause yourself some eye strain due to the screen being slightly tinted.

Do privacy screen protectors block blue light?

Certain privacy screen protector manufacturers claim that their product can block or reduce the blue light emitted by your phone’s display. Research has shown that exposure to blue light before going to sleep can have a negative impact on your ability to enter non-REM sleep; this is why it’s always a good idea to put your phone down at least 30 minutes before going to bed. That being said, companies that claim their privacy screen protectors can reduce blue light typically fail to explain how their product does this or by how much. We believe more research on this needs to be done before it can have an impact on whether or not it should be a selling point for privacy screen protectors.

At the end of the day, the low cost of a decent quality privacy screen protector for your phone far outweighs the price you’ll pay if you get hacked by someone who is simply standing right next to you.  Prevent a potentially life-changing threat before it even happens, and get yourself a privacy screen protector!