iPhone 13 Screen Scratches Easily? (Yes/No)
iPhone 13 Pro Max scratch on screen
Is the iPhone 13 screen scratching easily? Did you manage to scratch your brand new smartphone without doing anything out of the ordinary? If the scratch isn’t too deep you might be able to cover it with a screen protector!
iPhone 13 Scratched On Day One
Source: Apple Forums
Tania informed us that she scratched her brand new iPhone on the first day:
“I did manage to scratch my iPhone 13 pro on day one! I’m shocked!”
I’m also using an iPhone 13 Pro since about a month, without a screen protector, and managed to keep it scratch-free so far.
Nevertheless, while researching the web for similar complains I found one on the Apple Discussion Forums:
“I’ve got a random micro scratch on my iPhone 13 Pro Max screen and I’ve only had it for 3 weeks. I’m totally confused as to where it came from.”
and Reddit:
“iPhone 13 Pro Max screens scratch extremely easily. If you’re the type that usually avoids screen protectors, don’t skip this one.”
Fact: These threads haven’t taken off which most likely means that we’re dealing with isolated cases. However, if you also managed to easily scratch the iPhone 13 don’t hesitate to share it in the comments section!
iPhone 13 Scratch Resistant?
Apple tries to make all its iPhone models hard to scratch and the 2021 flagship make no difference. However, glass, no matter how well coated, is still glass and will scratch in certain situations.
With this article we’re not trying to find out if the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro scratches, because they will all do, but asses if the new models scratch easier than their predecessors.
For example, the Apple Watch 7 scratches extremely easy, according to the numerous reports provided by iPhoneTricks.org readers.
The explanation is physics. Glass can’t be both high drop and scratch resistant. The more crack resistant a screen is, the more vulnerable it is to scratches. Vice-versa, the better the scratch resistance of an iPhone screen the more prone to shattering it becomes!
The Series 7 has a new design with much more slimmer bezels and Apple must have insisted on the strength of the glass. The tradeoff is a vulnerability to scratches. Does this apply to the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro too? The devices come with a smaller notch, but bezels are still the same width.
How To Fix iPhone 13 Scratch
If you managed to scratch your device, I recommend you to learn to live with it. Don’t attempt to polish the screen or perform any other similar fix. You only risk to damage your screen even more.
iPhone 13 Screen Protection
What you can try is to apply a screen protector. If the scratch isn’t too deep it might become unnoticeable as soon as you apply the tempered glass cover.
Of course, it will also protect the screen from additional scratches!
Tip: Pick a good screen protector with low light reflectivity and low discoloration!
Some that we recommend are available on Amazon.com:
- Spigen Screen Protector for iPhone 13 & 13 Pro – With True Tone crystal clarity, true touch responsiveness and easy installation set that includes an easy fit tray, the alignment film and the tempered glass.
- Trianium Screen Protector for Screen Protector – with HD clarity that prevents external glare, anti-scratch surface and a alignment case included for easy install!
More: same Spigen screen protector: Click here (for iPhone 13 Pro Max) and here (for iPhone 13 mini)
More: similar screen protector for iPhone 13 Pro Max (click here with Camera Lens Protection) and iPhone 13 mini (click here)
Disclaimer: iPhoneTricks.org has an affiliate partnership with Amazon. If you purchase a product after clicking the above link, you will help us receive a small commission that allows us to cover website costs.
iPhone 13 Screen Replacement
The only other way to fix iPhone 13 scratches is by replacing the screen. However, this is a very expensive and complicated procedure. Starting with this model, Apple has made screen replacements by third-party repair shops almost impossible.
Fact: If you opted for AppleCare+ you can replace the screen at an acceptable cost, however I would advise you to save this repair option for screen cracks. Don’t waste it on scratches that you can learn to live with!
Are you using your iPhone with case and screen protector or naked? Use the comments section and share your feedback. Questions and suggestions are highly welcomed.
Related: Did your iPhone 13 ship with a gap between frame and screen?
My husband and I just got our new iPhone 13 pro max phones a few weeks ago and are very careful with them but both managed to have a scratch each. My husband is a little peeved since he is always very careful and his old phones never had any scratches. I am also surprised.
Thanks for the feedback Stephanie. Yes, the first scratch is almost the most annoying one. Are you both wearing them naked, or with a case?
I got my 13 pro max on Nov 22, 21. I was using it naked, never really doing anything excessively scratch worthy. I was mindful of putting my keys in other pockets and maybe would just put my phone in my pocket with my wallet or cardholder (no hardware on them). Never laid my phone face down or anything. I noticed my first micro scratch toward the bottom left of the screen. I was kinda annoyed because I watched Apple’s 10 minute video of all the features including how scratch resistant it was. I’ve now had the phone about 3 weeks and there’s like 20 or so micro scratches and I know for a fact I’ve been extremely mindful to not put it in the same pocket as anything metal. I’m trading it for a different colour anyway since I’m in the return period, but I already have a screen protector ready for this one.
Thanks for the feedback Mario. Will Apple accept your return if the screen has the micro scratches? I’m curious about this. Would appreciate a followup once you to the swap.
I’ve got the phone for a few weeks now and no scratches yet. Been using it without a cover. I don’t put the phone together with my keys though.
In the past with other phones I found sand to be a very big culprit. I like using my phones naked (hehe) and getting a few scratches is still better than having an ugly screen protector or case, in my opinion. If it gets really bad I’ve got Apple Care Plus
Thanks for the feedback Rudolph. I had the same approach. However, I did go for a case that covers all edges of the phone and the camera dent since upgrading to iPhone 13 Pro. The device is also heavier and thus the risk of accidental drops increased. No scratches so far, but I do have a dedicated pocket for my device. Never mixing it up with anything, not just metal.
Had the same issue. I was shocked! I’ve had older iphones before and I don’t put screen protector and no scratches. But with my iphone 13 pro max, I just removed my screen guard because it got chipped on the sides so I had to buy a new one so I used it ONE day without screen protector and when I wiped it at night I saw a freakin’ scratch!!! Man! I already plced a screen protector and I can still see it. Now Imma buy a matte screen protector so I won’t see that freakin’ line. 😅 (I’ve only this phone for a month)
Thanks for the feedback. Yes, this must be annoying indeed. And the scratch has to be deep if a screen protector could not hide it.
It’s only noticeable when the screen is off. It’s actually small but since I know where it is located, it really bothers me😅. I skipped the matte tempered glass and ordered a mirrored one. I’ve always wanted a mirrored screen protector but I can’t find one that fits my phone. Now I found one and my order is on the way. I never would have thought of looking for a mirrored screen protector if I hadn’t scratched my screen. Hahaha. So guys, if you have the same dilemma as me, look for a mirrored screen protector “right now!” 😊
Thanks for the tip 3lla. Here are some iPhone 13 mirrored screen protectors that we could find on Amazon:
iPhone 13 Mini: https://amzn.to/3eFCRzw
iPhone 13 & 13 Pro: https://amzn.to/32GNQqb
iPhone 13 Pro Max: https://amzn.to/3mKfo4D
Disclaimer: iPhoneTricks.org has an affiliate partnership with Amazon. If you purchase a product after clicking the above link, you will help us receive a small commission that allows us to cover website costs.
I bought a brand new iPhone last month and within days it had very noticeable scratches on! Luckily, it had another defect which meant that the vendor had to replace it. My relief was short-lived as somehow I managed to get my replacement iPhone scratched up too! It is so annoying and disappointing as I never had this issue with any other iPhone, and I have literally had every single iPhone released in the past. I have not been doing anything out of the ordinary or changed the way I use/put away my device. I just googled to see if others have similar experiences and it turns out I am not alone! My search led me to this page.
Thanks for the extended feedback Elham. That’s kinda strange. If you managed to scratch two iPhone 13 models easily, it means that they’re prone to scratches. However, we don’t see a significant amount of reports yet. Your case seems quite isolated so far. Perhaps you’ve just been unlucky. Not that I want to defend Apple in any way.
I have this 1 month old iphone 13 pro max and there are already scratches around its charging port. The scratch are not easy to be found is kinda hard to be seen. But still, since I know where they are actually located (found them when I was cleaning my phone and freaked out coz I was and still putting a lot of care) it really bothers me a lot. I don’t know how they started and what causes the scratches to be there.
You mean scratches on the frame, correct? Thanks for reporting.
Please let us know if you’re you using it naked? What type of charger are you using, the original Apple one, or a third-party accessory that might cause scratches if you don’t plug-in correctly from the first attempt.
I’m in the same boat as you, I took a lot of care of my new 13 pro and I still got scratches. Honestly the way I think about it is that its stainless steel and its meant to be scratched no matter what you do. Think about Rolex’s for example, they scratch very easily and are worth ten times the amount of the iphone so idk if that makes you feel any better but it kinda made me feel better when I thought of it like that.
I’ve had 6 or 7 iPhones over the years beginning with the first one. In all of that time, I’ve never used a screen protector on any phone and I used most of them 2 years and one 3 years. When I sold them if you looked closely with the screen off you could find very light scratches but certainly nothing you could see with the screen on. My 13 Pro already has several scratches on the screen, they catch my eye when scrolling and I can feel them with my fingernail.
In my experience it’s much more likely to scratch. I was already thinking there must be a trade off between crack resistance and scratch resistance and they opted for more crack resistance.
Thanks for the feedback Jamie. Too bad that the iPhone 13 scratches easily.
I got my new iPhone 13 pro max a week ago and already got a noticeable scratch on the screen. I don’t know how it happened as I didn’t use it that much.
My 12 pro max don’t have any scratches after a year use without screen protection. Seems the 13 lineup is more prone to scratches.
Thanks for the feedback Mata. You might be able to hide the scratch with the help of a liquid screen protector like:
– LIQUID GLASS Screen Protector
– Luvvitt Liquid Glass Screen Protector
Disclaimer: iPhoneTricks.org has an affiliate partnership with Amazon. If you purchase a product after clicking the above link, you will help us receive a small commission that allows us to cover website costs.
Similarly to these other customers, I have had my iPhone 13 mini for less than a month, have been extremely careful with it and yet I have two deep scratches and several thinner ones. Never had this problem with my iPhone 7 for all the years I had it. I have a Rhinoshield on the iPhone 13 and just ordered screen protectors, but this won’t recover the already scratched screen. Wish it would have come with a warning and a complementary screen protector!
Thanks for the feedback Kate. Sad to hear about your scratches. Are they not hidden when you apply the screen protector?
Im a carpenter that keeps my phone in my tool belt, I’ve just recently upgraded my iPhone 7 to the iPhone13for the battery upgrades and what not. Yes im a bare hander, however i just can’t understand where half these scatches come from. The pocket in my tool belt is Australian made leather and is a special pouch for phones
Since jumping from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone 13. It honestly feels like plastic in consideration I still use my iPhone 7 for gaming and although it feels more fragile it definitely feelss more glass like
My wife just got her phone for a few days and never dropped and a few hairline scratches appeared out of nowhere. No idea at all where and how it left a mark there. Couldn’t be so fragile where my Samsung have not got single scratch coming in its 4th year of being naked with no screen protector. Disappointed!!!!
I recently just had to upgrade my iPhone from 7 to 13 due to Sprint/T Mobile. Within 24 hours I noticed 2 scratches on the iPhone 13 screen. I am not sure where they came from …I do tend to put my phone in my jacket pockets so it could have brushed up against a pen…I have an Apple 8 for my work phone and never experienced scratches (nor on my 7.) The iPhone 8 is actually the most durable out of all the models in my personal experience. I wish the sales team at store would have given me a heads up on this issue as I would have purchased screen protector…you would think they would be aware of phone model issues and communicate to customers.
Both kinda relief and irritated to see so many having issues with micro scratches and more noticeable scratches from just normal use, not being completely careless.
My iPhone 13 Pro is my first new iPhone since the IPhone 7 Plus, where I also had the 4 and 5, but since been using Android, where the Samsung Note 9 and S20 was the last ones I had before shifting.
Both my S20 and Note 9 had some scratches after a couple of years, but was due to some kinda of more serious drop/throw or accidental carelessness, but never had a cracked screen.
Been using the Spigen Ultra Hybrid covers.
My IPhone 13 Pro on the other hand is already has several minor scratches 2 at least where I can feel them with my nail only after 2 months.
Yes I have drop it a 3-4 times but all indoor and nothing compared to what my android phones had been through.
I strongly believe that if you use a good case the chances of a cracked screen is very low, compared to the amount of scratches you accumulate with the more crack resistant screens, like the IPhone 13 line.
Just disappointed to be honest with the scratch resistants of the IPhone 13 Pro even if it’s more resilient to cracks.
Thanks for the feedback Jannik. I personally, don’t have any significant issues with iPhone 13 Pro scratching. Can’t claim the same about the Apple Watch Series 7 though.
Numerous scratches on the screen of my iPhone 13 Pro. I keep it in my front pocket with NOTHING else and it keeps happening.
Sorry to hear this. There haven’t been that many reports of iPhone 13 screen scratching easily. Thanks for reporting your case. If your device is still quite new you can bring it to a nearby Apple Store and see what they have to say about it.
I took it out of the box and within 2hrs it had a small scratch on it. My screen protector was late being delivered as well and by the time it got here there was another tiny scratch and a small abrasion. It’s not like I’ve abused it in any way and in fact I’ve been extremely careful since the first scratch.
Thanks for the feedback. That must be annoying indeed. I never applied a screen protector on my iPhone 13 Pro and it’s 9-month-old already. No visible scratch. Jus to be clear, are you reporting this for the 13 or the 13 Pro model?
Got my iPhone 13 Pro less than a week ago, I have been very careful and it has been in a case the entire time (no screen protector) since I have never had to worry about scratches on any of my last 6 iPhones I didn’t bother with ordering a screen protector. Carried my phone in my pocket with nothing else in it and noticed a large 1 inch scratch as well as smaller ones that weren’t there 10 minutes ago. So frustrating.
Sorry to hear this. That’s quite strange. I’ve owned a 13 Pro for one year without a screen protector and it did get a bunch of micro scratches, but they’re only visible if you carefully inspect the screen. Keep this under observation and if scratches keep pilling up you might have gotten a device from a bad batch.