How to Get Rid of Scratches on a Phone

It's possible to get rid of scratches on a smartphone without having to replace the screen. These scratch removal methods can be used for both Android and iOS devices.

Hide Scratches and Protect Your Screen

The first method is to purchase a screen protector and apply it to your scratched screen. In some cases, this will hide hairline scratches. More importantly, it will prevent a scratch from getting worse while protecting the screen from future cracks or abrasions.

Fill the Scratches on Your Phone With Glue

You can use epoxy, Gorilla, or super glue to fill in the scratches on your phone's screen. The key is to use a small amount. Here's how to use glue to fill in your screen scratches.

1. Cover all of the ports on your phone, then tape the area around the scratch to prevent glue from spilling onto unscratched areas.

2. Apply a thin coat of glue to the scratch.

3. Use a credit card or a paint scraper to gently smooth the glue into the cracks.

4. Keep working and smoothing out the glue across the scratch until the glue hardens.

5. Once the glue has dried, dab a cotton ball into some nail polish remover, then wipe away the excess glue. Be careful not to let the liquid run into the ports.

Polish the Scratches on Your Phone to Make Them Disappear

While it may be impossible to completely eliminate scratches, you can smooth out and minimize the edges so that they are harder to see and feel. Before trying these repairs, turn your phone off and cover your phone's ports with tape to prevent liquid from getting into the phone's internal components.

Polish Your Phone's Scratches With Three Micron Diamond Paste

Diamond Paste is a fine powder made from diamonds that is used to gently sand and smooth surfaces. It can also be used to remove scratches from phone screens. Diamond paste is measured in microns, with six being coarser than one. Depending upon the depth of the scratch you may need to start with a coarser paste and finish with a smoother one.

1. Tape over the unscratched parts of your screen to keep the compound from sticking to them. It's best to repair one area of the screen at a time.

2. Apply a small amount of the diamond polishing paste to your tool and work the compound across the scratch.

   Diamond polishing kits usually come with a felt tool for applying the paste and working it into the scratch. Alternatively, you can use the eraser side of a pencil.

3. Work the paste into the scratched area from different angles and directions, pressing hard for about three minutes.

4. As the paste hardens, your scratches will begin to disappear. Wipe off the remaining paste and check the scratch. This process may need to be repeated multiple times for thicker scratches.

Use Household Cleaners to Polish Away Scratches on your Phone

Using a ratio of two parts powder to one part water, create a polishing paste using baking soda or cornstarch. The mixture should be thick and not runny. Use a microfiber cleaning cloth to rub the paste into the cracks.

You can also use a slightly damp Magic Eraser sponge to polish out the cracks on your phone.

Scratches are different from cracks. For more serious repairs, you may need to replace your screen.