A privacy screen protector is the next big Gen-Z trend, but it might also keep thieves away
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Have you ever considered using a privacy screen protector for your phone?
While these are not new, I am seeing more and more people use them, and they are such a neat idea that many of you should probably consider getting one.
The concept of a privacy screen protector is quite simple: it keeps your screen from prying eyes at social gatherings or on the subway. And it all works just as advertized!
I was sitting near two people at a concert and I would occasionally see them typing something on their phones, but the only thing I saw was a black screen. Magical! The only way to see what's on the screen when you have such a protector is to look directly at your phone (or at a very slight angle).
Why have a privacy screen protector in the first place?
Why does this matter? Well, obviously, it wasn't my business looking at other people's phone screens, but I didn't do it intentionally, it was just me looking around and spotting their screens. If they did not have a privacy screen protector installed, I would have seen their private messages, emails or whatever else might be. Most of the time seeing someone else's screen is harmless: it will be just another funny meme or Instagram reel.
But let's not forget that we have a lot more than memes and reels on our phones. We have all of our personal banking information, we have sensitive company data, we have private photographs and videos that even if innocent are none of the world's business. Heck, our entire lives are more and more digital.
One surprising benefit: they help protect your phone from thieves!
And did you know the most common way thieves steal iPhones these days? They look over your shoulder as you type your six-digit passcode, so that they can unlock your phone and actually resell it or use it in other ways. A privacy screen protector also helps with that issue.
In a recent article, the Wall Street Journal interviewed someone who stole hundreds of iPhones, but the crucial piece of information these types of criminals look for before stealing the phone is your passcode, which gives them access to your banking information and possibly all of your savings.
"The passcode is the devil," the thief confessed in that article.
Imagine if you could protect this crucial piece of information with a simple screen protector.
Of course, there is the other point of view and privacy screen protectors might just not be for everyone. If you don't often visit social gatherings, don't use public transport or live in a smaller and a safer city, chances are not many people actually see your screen. Or you might just not care. For those people, a regular screen protector would be just fine to protect that precious screen from scratches. And you will be able to glance at your phone at an angle and see what's on your screen. You judge what matters more to you.
For a great many, however... well, a privacy screen protector might just be a money-saving purchase.
There is another point to consider here. I for once always feel a bit anxious when I have to use my phone around other people. I often simply won't reply to a message until I get in a place where I don't feel like a thousand eyes are spying on me. I'm just anxious like that, and I'm pretty sure I am not the only one. A privacy screen protector is a great solution to this anxiety problem. It would actually give me peace of mind that I can type whatever I want whenever I want, without being spied on.
And once again, that is even more true when you need to quickly jump into your bank app.
So... what is the downside of a privacy screen protector? Does it break your screen color accuracy? Or reduce its brightness?
Well, I have not noticed anything major, but of course it depends on the brand and style you use. A glass screen protector would be better at preserving color than a simple nylon film/plastic screen protector. Of course, you do have the one obvious downside: you cannot see your phone display in its full glory when you look at it from an angle.
Recommendations and final words
As for brand recommendations, I would go with something that installs easily like Spigen's EZ Fit lineup.
This article is not sponsored by Spigen or any other company, but I find it just a bit too tedious a task to install a screen protector manually, so I love the idea of the EZ Fit system and while they are a bit pricey, I think the cost is worth it. Also, I would go with a 2-pack instead of a single screen protector because accidents happen and chances are you would need to replace it in a few months.
Do you use a privacy screen protector? And what do you think about them?
Let me know in the comments below!
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