You told us: A ton of you still use screen protectors on your phones

The display is one of the smartphone’s most essential and priciest components, so naturally, we do everything possible to keep it in one piece. However, how many readers still employ screen protectors on their devices with the dawn of stronger protective glass?

It’s a question we posed in a recent poll across our website and social pages. The results are now in!

Do you still use a screen protector on your phone?

Results

This hugely popular poll garnered more than 17,000 responses on our site after publishing it on October 19. Around 76% of respondents voting via our site still use a screen protector on their devices. Around 72% of readers shared this sentiment on Facebook. While on Instagram, 68.8% of the ~2,300 respondents also choose to protect their displays with a protector. In total, more than three in every four voters still use screen protectors on their smartphones.

See also: Protective glass solutions compared

The screen protector remains essential for smartphone users. Another layer of defense against display damage is beneficial in all situations, especially considering how cheap protectors are nowadays. Additionally, several phones still come with screen protectors in the box or pre-applied. However, it’s understandable why some might not employ a lens over their screen, be it for aesthetic or tactile reasons. Edge displays also throw a massive spanner in the works.

We asked you for your views on the matter, too. Peruse some choice comments below.

Your comments

• RackDaddy: A few months ago, my Pixel 4 fell off the window ledge and landed face down onto the floor. Normally that wouldn’t probably be a problem, but it just so happened to land on a TINY rock, and the screen cracked. I had just taken off the screen protector and was awaiting a new one. I honestly feel the protector would have saved my screen, because I had a similar drop in a parking lot (phone fell face down), hitting a rock. My protector broke, but the screen was completely fine. Considering protectors are $10 for three of them, and screen replacements are nearly the cost of a new phone, I’ll continue using them.
• Peter Colpaert: For the low cost of a tempered glass protector these days, I prefer to be safe rather than sorry. Call me a belt & suspenders guy if you want.
• Max Stevens: They are way too cheap and feel way too good to not be worth it to me. Every phone I have had with a screen protector has had drops and chips that would have been significant damage to the screen itself.
• EasyCare: It’s basically insurance. Cheaper and easier to replace if it cracks compared to the actual screen.
• TheCurlofE: No way, screen protectors detract from the feel. Today’s glass is better than ever. I never use them and I have only had one scratch on a screen in almost 20 years and that was an unlucky leap from a pet that landed on the screen with this paw. Phones are not investments or artwork – they are tools to be used and a screen protector is in conflict with their basic design.
• Drone9: I rock a case with a front lip. So never saw the need for a screen protector. Unless a person is foolish enough to put his/her phone in the same pocket as other items.
• user65: My OnePlus Nord came with one already pre-installed.
• Steve: Over 20 years of cell phones in and I’ve yet to use a screen protector or damage a phone. I’d say I’m good without.
• SyCoREAPER: S21 Ultra was the first one I went without it. I don’t know WTF speck of diamond (or something that scratches at level 6 with deeper grooves at level 7) I had in my pocket. But after 3 days there was a scratch on my flawless screen. Fact remains that tempered glass will absorb some energy from a drip and disperse it in the upper layer, being your screen protector. Worth every penny.
• Toasty: Nope, one of the smaller advantages of a flip phone is not needing a screen protector.

Thanks for your votes and comments on this poll. If you have any additional thoughts, be sure to drop a comment below.