# Screen protector > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Screen_protector > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Screen_protector.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_protector > Source revision: 1353085794 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Sheet of clear material This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Screen protector" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) A screen protector, yet to be installed A [smartphone](/source/Smartphone) with a screen protector installed A **screen protector** is an additional sheet of material commonly made from [polyurethane](/source/Polyurethane) or [laminated glass](/source/Laminated_glass) that can be attached to the screen of an [electronic device](/source/Electronic_device) and protect it against physical damage. ## History The first screen protector was designed and patented by Herbert Schlegel in 1968 for use on television screens.[1] In 1990s, the CRT screen protectors were used on CRT [monitors](/source/Computer_monitor) for anti-glare and anti-radiation purposes. [*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Later, they were adapted for use on LCD monitors. Screen protectors first entered the [mobile-device](/source/Mobile_device) market after the rise of [personal digital assistants](/source/Personal_digital_assistant) (PDAs). Since PDAs were often operated via a [stylus](/source/Stylus_(computing)),[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] the tip of the stylus could scratch the sensitive [LCD](/source/LCD) screen surface. Therefore, screen protectors provided sacrificial protection from this damage. Since then, the ubiquity of [mobile-devices](/source/Mobile_device) have seen the screen protector become more widely used. ## Materials Screen protectors are made of either plastics, such as [polyethylene terephthalate](/source/Polyethylene_terephthalate) (PET) or [thermoplastic polyurethane](/source/Thermoplastic_polyurethane) (TPU), or of laminated [tempered glass](/source/Toughened_glass), similar to the device’s original screen they are meant to protect.[2] Plastic screen protectors cost less than glass and are thinner (around 0.1 mm (0.004 in) thick, compared to 0.3 to 0.5 mm (0.012 to 0.020 in) for glass)[3] and more flexible. At the same price, glass will resist scratches better than plastic and feel more like the device's screen, though higher priced plastic protectors may be better than the cheapest tempered glass models, since glass will shatter or crack with sufficient impact force.[3] Flexible polymer-based screen protectors have also been shown to dissipate impact energy differently from rigid tempered glass, with viscoelastic polymer films distributing stress over a wider area under everyday loading conditions. [4] Screen protectors' surface can be glossy or matte. Glossy protectors retain the display's original clarity, while a matte ("anti-glare") surface facilitates readability in bright environments and mitigates stains such as fingerprints.[5] ## Disadvantages Screen protectors have been known to interfere with the operation of some [touchscreens](/source/Touchscreen).[6] Also, an existing [oleophobic](/source/Oleophobic) coating of a touchscreen will be covered, although some tempered glass screen protectors come with their own oleophobic coating. On some devices, the thickness of screen protectors can affect the look and feel of the device. ## See also Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Screen protector](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Screen_protector). - [Smartphone](/source/Smartphone) - [Mobile phone accessories § Cases](/source/Mobile_phone_accessories#Cases) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [U.S. patent 3,418,426](https://patents.google.com/patent/US3418426) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Are All Screen Protectors the Same?"](https://torraslife.com/blogs/all/are-all-screen-protectors-the-same). *TORRAS*. 2025-08-04. Retrieved 2025-08-12. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Patkar2014_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Patkar2014_3-1) Patkar, Mihir (July 28, 2014), ["Are Glass Screen Protectors Better Than Plastic Ones?"](https://lifehacker.com/are-glass-screen-protectors-better-than-plastic-ones-1611904544), *[Lifehacker](/source/Lifehacker)* 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Markus Burke (20 January 2026). ["Flexible Screen Protection Materials in Modern Smartphones"](https://zenodo.org/records/18318304). *[Zenodo](/source/Zenodo)*. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.5281/ZENODO.18318304](https://doi.org/10.5281%2FZENODO.18318304). [Wikidata](/source/WDQ_(identifier)) [Q137917535](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q137917535). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["What Screen Protector is Right For You?"](https://paperlike.com/blogs/paperlikers-insights/what-screen-protector-is-right-for-you). *Paperlike*. 2020-01-29. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Brown, Silas S. ["Windows Mobile 6.1 Setup Notes"](http://ssb22.user.srcf.net/gradint/wm61notes.html). Retrieved 2014-12-05. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Screen protector](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_protector) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_protector?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.