Zagg Invisible Shield Review – Updated
Last year I reviewed Zagg’s Invisible Shield on my iPod Touch, and now I’m writing a new, updated review of my experience with the Invisible Shield on my MyTouch 4G. I feel like my install on the myTouch was much quicker and smoother, perhaps because I already had prior experience installing one of these, or maybe because there aren’t as many curved areas to be covered.
What’s New
- The solution came in a spray bottle and not in a small plastic tub. I liked this spray bottle.
- The squeegee was a bit different, and it felt like it was easier to guide water out from underneath the Invisible Shield without moving the actual shield.
The Install
When I first took the plastic protectors out of their packaging I was taken aback; I thought that a mistake had been made in the order. One of the cutouts is one whole piece, and the other has some smaller cutouts on it. It took me a while to realize that the large piece was meant to cover the front, while the separate cutouts were for the back.
The install took under fifteen minutes from start to finish. The procedure is straightforward but I’ll clarify it below
- Thoroughly wash your hands with soap to get rid of any oils on your fingtips.
- Clean the phone screen of any dust, smudges, etc.
- Spray your fingertips with the installation solution to avoid getting fingerprints anywhere.
- Peel off the part that you’re installing and spray the back with the installation solution. Drench it so it’s easy to move around when you place it on the device.
- Place the plastic film on the device and move it around to finely adjust it.
- Use the squeegee to push air bubbles and installation solution out from under the protective shield. Be careful not to move the shield around while you’re pushing the solution out.
- Use a lint-free cloth to collect excess installation solution that you push out.
- Allow 24 hours for the protective coating to fully dry into place and for fine air bubbles to disappear.
The Invisible Shield isn’t difficult to install on any part of the device. The only slightly challenging part is installing on the lower back of the device where the device is slightly curved, but the Invisible Shield lays right on it. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the install. It is fairly easy alight the firm precisely where you want it and not get fingerprints or dust trapped under it.
Quality
The quality of the plastic film is excellent, as expected. You get a high level of “invisible” protection that only a few other products attempt to match. Zagg’s Nano-Memory™ technology is responsible for the light texture on the surface of the protective film, which provides durability and increased grip. I haven’t had any problems with raised edges or dust collecting around the corners, and the tiny air bubbles have disappeared less than a week after my install. I do notice a slight display issue (on a white screen it seems like there are faint colored lines – smaller than pixels) but I’ve seen that with every screen protector, and it’s easy to get used to. The film doesn’t give the display a dim or faded look. The quality of the product is outstanding.
Gallery
The Invisible Shield truly is invisible. This are some high-resolution photos of the film on the myTouch 4G.
Conclusion
I would highly recommend Zagg’s Invisible Shield to everyone with an expensive device that they wish to protect. I sold my old iPod that was protected with Zagg’s full body shield, and the fact that it had no scratches on the mirror back raised it’s resale value by more than 40% over similar sales on eBay. The Invisible Shield will give you peace of mind and protection that outlasts the cheaper screen protectors.
The concept of a film to protect the entire body of a device is brilliant. Hard cases and rubber sleeves add extra thickness to devices and may make them more difficult to use. They also provide inferior protection against light scuffs and scratches. Today’s devices are beautiful, and protection like this allows us to show off our device’s beauty without sacrificing protection.
It’s “invisible” and it provides amazing protection – what more could you ask for?
Reviewed by w3techie.
Rating: 4
Very difficult to install on an ipad2 , I am very disappointed because I loosed my money, i will never buy a product from this company again.
George, after just purchasing and installing on the iPad 2 I’d have to say that the difficulty you found was all on your part. The ease of installing the sheild on my ipad2 was flawlessly simple once I had figured out that the spray solution used properly solved any air bubble problems I had. I encourage you to take another look at the screen and just generously apply the solution.
I’ve just acquired a Zagg Invisible Shield for my HTC Sensation XE.
And I’m delighted with it.
However, I wouldn’t attempt a DIY Install, I got Carphone Warehouse to fit mine and they did a perfect job on it.
So I can understand where you’re coming from as its fitting struck me as being very awkward and mistake-prone unless you’re factory trained.
Overcome that though and it is perfect-tough, very clear and only very slightly tacky to the touch.
Maybe worth giving it anther try?
Extremely unsatisfied with this screen protector for blackberry 9900. The screen has the ZAGG logo on it!!!! That’s the only thing I see on my screen now. I don’t care how good the actual screen protection is. I am utterly unimpressed by this logo. I feel like I’ve paid $20 to advertise ZAGG to myself. Extremely unsatisfied.
I feel like you haven’t installed it 100% correctly, because the screens don’t have that logo on them. I’ve never seen their logo on any part of the shield.
Are you sure you’ve taken off all the materials that protect the actual shield?
I’ve installled such shields before and have never seen this either. The logo is small and located on the bottom right. Just like a TV station logo when watching that channel.
The protector was on a paper glossy card and then wrapped in another cover. I removed the cover, then peeled the screen from the card. Nothing else to remove. I’m sliding my finger over the logo now and I feel no bump, nothing to remove (on the screen or under it).
Not impressed, not happy at all.
there is a second film that you did not remove. It is there to protect from fingerprints when you first remove your invisishield from it’s packaging. Peel the top film off!
I applied it to a Samsung Galaxy S2 with no major difficulties. The material is soft and thus your finger skips when swiping across the screen. This was only a minor annoyance and I became accustomed to it after 24hrs. The fit is pretty good and I am now able to relax with the handling of my phone.
However, after 24hrs, six dark patches appeared in the center of the screen in the shape of a square. I’m not sure if the plastic is reacting to the temperature of the screen or if this is where an abrasive robotic suction head was applied to the material in the factory and left a mark. I’m thinking the later because I notice scratches in the material that are amplified by the screen pixel matrix. I will probably be pulling this of my device and tossing it (-$20). Disappointed in the final quality.
Horrible product! I cannot comment on the quality of the film itself – it might be excellent, but I didn’t even get to check it. In order to properly attach the film to the iPad2 or the iphone, one has to be in the almost laboratory-like germ-free environment, and have the patience of a buddhist monk. Otherwise, it is real easy to have some dust, or a cat’s hair, or any other imperfection on the surface, and then it is practically impossible to get it off. Also, if you follow the instructions and moisturize the film prior to installing it (and by the way, do not even think about NOT moisturizing it!) – do NOT overmoisturize it either! And if you do, then don’t try to use the cloth to remove the extra moisture. If you do, then some threads will get stuck to the film, with no chance for you to ever get them out. Overall, the company needs to think long and hard to change the installation process – otherwise all the (possibly) good properties of the film will be lost!
You’re right….you can’t touch the film on anything (especially the cloth). You have to keep it facedown during the entire installation or dust can land on it. I did the install in a humid bathroom to weigh down the dust so it’s not a problem.
I actually love the wet install over those dry installs because you can wash off any dust, and once you lay on the shield you can move it around to get it perfect before pushing out the application solution. If it’s done right it’s a perfect install that can last for years! (Mine was great for two years on my iPod before I sold it – and because it was so well protected and there were absolutely NO scratches on the back or the front I got about $50 above the average price.)
I’d actually always recommend overmoisturizing. Get everything wet, including the shield and your fingers. Then place it on the device and use the squeege to push the application solution to the sides, where you’ll place the little cloth and it’l absorb all that excess application solution. Then when it’s perfect let it sit for 24 hours to let it fully dry.
very disappointed with this installation process while installing and my new ipad – it’s improssible not to get a speck of something on this while applying this large sticky sheet!!! I have two tiny specks of dust and several bubbles that have not gone away after 24 hours. I understand there is a 45 day money back guarantee and I plan to opt out!
I understand your situation (I’ve been in it myself with the cheap screen protectors that always attract dust because there’s no wet install), but what do you plan to do if you get rid of the Zagg? Are you just going to leave your iPad unprotected? Are you going to try another brand of these wet install shields?
I mean, it’s not Zagg’s fault that dust gets on the film (and for example I installed it in a humid bathroom to weigh down the dust and I didn’t get any dust on mine) and no matter which brand you try there’s always a chance of dust. There’s no dust-proof screen protector.
I am having difficulty with installation. I have dust and small hairs that have gotten on the sticky side. Is there a way to clean it off and try reinstallation? Help, if I can get it on without damaging it I think I will like it. Any suggestions?
It may already be too late if it’s dry, but the wet install will help you avoid dust and be able to take hairs off. Normally, any attempt to get dust off will be like touching the bottom side of tape: you’ll either get more dust on there or leave fingerprints. With the wet install, you don’t leave fingerprints, so you can simply pull off any hairs (and dust shouldn’t stick to it at all).
I got Zagg invisible shield on my iPhone 4s and was happy about it, perfect fit actually. I bought mine in a shop and they were the ones who did the whole thing, front, sides and back. I’m surprised though to hear that this is a DIY product, oh well, its better this way, by the looks of it if your not trained with the film attachments you will get it all wrong. Good review and thanks for the good read anyways. 🙂
I have purchased for the iPhone 3GS before just don’t last long and a waste of money. I later got sucked in and purchased one for iPhone 4s and it was even worse. It tore on the edge. Once put in pocket and it gets a little fluff the plastic is ruined and starts peeling. Don’t buy these. Also the warranty for Australia costs 94$ fit shipping and $24 for the product again. I installed these both correctly and with no bubbles exactly as instructions say. The advertising is full of shit and I am embarrassed to say that I was dumb enough to fall for this product.
I now have three products protected an apple macbook pro 15 inch unibody, kindle fire and samsung galaxy nexus. The laptop was the only full body install that i did myself the kindle and nexus were both only screen protectors. I have had issues with the one on my macbook pro it was next to impossible to DIY but the others were a breeze. Another problem I’m having with the apple macbook is that I have it peeling away and collecting dust under the edges. I did buy the product in 2008 and treat my laptop like a college student. I will say I got on their website and mailed me a replacement for 4.00 dollars for shipping and it arrived in 3 days. Did not make it easier to install but will stand by their product. Also they will replace your product if you had your device replaced so even if the invisible shield does not fail they will still replace it. Over all great product in my mind. Had an otter box for my droids previously and never again. For the size and durability of it, I would easily pay around $80 which makes the 25-50 a bargain. Would and have recommended this product to both family and friends and is a must have product for those of us that are techy but also clumsy.
I didn’t see BullandBarons post before i posted all my prices are based in the US as is my experience. So, take it with a grain of salt if buying internationally i guess.
Just bought a shield for our thrive. Got some fingerprints on sticky side. Any ideas to get them off before I put it on?
Wipe them off using the installation solution 🙂 That’s what I love about it – it prevents fingerprints or dust from being on your final install.
I just received mine for the iPad 2. For me, it wasnt extremely difficult to install, just time consuming, although I had a disappointing setback. I also ordered one of zagg’s leather sticky covers for the back. I installed the leather before the shield and when I squeegeed the moisture and bubbles out, the moisture ran onto the leather and it started to peel back. So just FYI if you get the back cover also, install it last. I know it seems like common sense but i feel like I should have been warned in the instructions. Otherwise, the screen is of good quality, should last a while.
Worthless warranty. Definitely agree with others who say the warranty is crap. I live in the states and to replace a $21 item they charge $4 to send me a tiny piece of plastic, at least the ‘shield’ is FREE. That is ridiculous, don’t buy their crap anymore. I can send anyone in the US an envelope weighing less than a few ounces for under a $1. I only found out how crappy their warranty was because their product is crap too. Mine has 2 scratches in about 4 months use. And since this is my first smart phone I am extremely careful with it at all times. Bottom line, if they stood behind their product I might be willing to continue using the brand but by charging $4 I can tell they are using that to make money too. I can get any cheap ones for much less and replace them a dozen times before it I reach the original price of the “INVISIBLE SHIELD”.
Install outdoors. No dust. Believe me when I say that this protector is a bloody dust magnet. If you must do it indoors then peel the protector sticky side down, and keep it down.
A waste of money in my book. I could never get it on correctly and quickly ended up destroying it. They won’t get any more of my business. The thing could be made of titanium but it doesn’t do any good if it can’t be installed correctly. Disappointed!
I just got the iPhone 4S and wanted to ensure it would remain in great condition so along with a case I bought the Zagg cover-friendly HD invisibleSHIELD. Installation seemed simple enough, and it was, however I have hair and a little dust stuck under the screen protector. I pulled it off, ran a hot shower in the bathroom to minimize dust (as I read in an earlier comment), and ran the shield under some cool water to try to get the little hairs and fiber off of it. To no avail. I spent probably a half hour trying to get the little hairs off the sticky side.
I’ve since reinstalled the protector since I don’t want to leave my phone unprotected, but the little hairs and fibers are REALLY distracting. Has anyone else had this problem and know how to fix it? I’m about to just give up and demand a replacement, or just a refund in general.
Ive had 3 zagg shields on my iPhone and everyone of them have peeled off under my home screen button, and all have been put on by professionals. Also they have all become discolored.
Same for me – Iphone 4s- skin also installed by professionals. Perfectly smooth for a week – then wrinkles magically appeared last night around the home screen button and even in the middle of the screen. I did have the phone in my pocket, but it should be able to handle that…maybe heat from the phone as others have suggested? I was very gentle with it. Not happy with the product at all..AND the same thing happened to my daughters Iphone 4S after 3 months; boxes of wrinkles…
This is one horrible product I ever bought in my life. I bought is several months before for my iPhone 4, found no problems in installing. But after installing it started accumulating dust and become pale yellow in color making screen look dull. The material itself is too thick and sometime the touch screen doesn’t work, so is the proximity sensor!!! Grr… It does not provide a smooth touch experience and very very very sticky ewww…
I bought “Screen Ward” protector for < $2, viola no problems with proximity sensor, the touch screen experience is ultra smooth and it is truly invisible no dirty yellow coloration!
Conclusion: Don't even go near this product (at least for iPhone 4 or 4S)
Sundar, I am now on my third screen protector and have had none of those problems. I highly recommend contacting their support staff.
I just installed this on my phone. I forgot to remove the cover sheet until after i placed the shield on the device. Now i cant tell if the shield came up with the cover. I removed he excess moisture and it apeared to be in in place but it was only then i noticed the cover sheet on top. i cant see anything on my phone, but the cover sheet does not have the shield attached to it still. How invisible is this screen and did i just waste twenty bucks because i skimmed the directions?
Just had one installed on my phone. This is the first smart phone I’ve had and am worried about scratches, etc. I can’t seem to get used to the feel of it, however and was wondering if others are bothered by it. Also, can I just peel it off if I decide I can’t deal with it?
Yes, you can just peel it off to remove it. But it’s difficult to peel off 🙂 It won’t just come off accidentally.
installed by zagg team on ip4 for a year now,
barely a week after install have to remove the sides since it turned yellowish, and had difficulty on hard cases.
it now has scratch marks on it,
the front side portion started to peel off,
and now they have to charge me 200 pesos (4 usd) to replace it.
i’m thinking it over though, is it worth it????????
I just bought one for my BlackBerry 8330. And no that’s not a typo. I just bought a brand new BlackBerry Curve 8330. Installation took a couple of minutes. I do know what the other poster was saying about the logo. There is a small ZAGG logo at the top right. But I can barely see it on the phone and it doesn’t show on the lit part of the screen at all. No bubbles after 24hrs. I do see some multicolored streaks. But it doesn’t bother me at all. They are really small. I am very impressed with the quality of it so far. This with the skin makes me feel secure that my device is protected.
I truly disliked this product. I installed an Invisible Shield on my iPhone using the provided instructions and wound up with a screen full of air bubbles that the squeegee would not remove and were still there 3 days later. Also, the screen is a bit tacky and interferes with sliding the fingers around the screen. I just pulled it off and cleaned the screen with the microfiber cloth and all is well. A total waste of money.
This product is a good screen protector. The problem is that when the phone heats up it slides off. Poor desin. After a few months of this happening there are little air bubbles that just wont go away. This product is not worth the money… besides all the new phones come with gorilla glass so this is pointless. This cover also gets extreamly dirty and greasy. It maks a nice looking phone look like garbage.
If you keep your phone in your pocket, after six months the Invisible Shield darkens to a coffee brown which noticeably dims the the display. You’ll end up paying the $3.99 shipping for a replacement every few months. The product protects very well, but the darkening that occurs over time is disconcerting.
Zagg invisible shields are very cheap and the corners come up. They are damaged easily and look cheap. Zagg says they will replace the shield but there is a catch- even if your product is registered you have to pay shipping, pay for the product, then only be reimbursed when you pay to ship the original product back. This is a poor system and rips off customers.
I have had 2 of these and they do not stay on the shield will catch on cloth and roll-up and fall off on the ground and you can not get a new one unless you send them a copy of the receipt. The touch screen does not work as well. I do not recommend. -10 stars not good.
I’m very disappointed with this badly designed product!!
My iPhone 4S is only 2 months old, and I have used up 2 InvisibleShields and yet to claim for the third one. When you use the phone, it heats up, and the InvisibleShield peels off!! Clearly the design/choice of the glue and the choice of material is very very poor. The Invisible shield itself expands too much and contracts with the phone’s heating up and cooling down (Military grade for helicopter blades? you’ve got to be kidding right?). It doesn’t last more than 3 weeks for each install. Sure they send a replacement for free, but postage (to Australia is $8 and $2 back) will kill this product in no time.
Poor design, doesn’t last even a month, warranty or no warranty!
I am on my 4th. I had one for my old kindle, one on my new kindle, and as I dropped my iPhone I got a replacement for my iPhone 4 screen cover. Recently I got it badly scratched so removed the shield and the screen is immaculate. Today I ordered a replacement. I have never had any issues as people have said in the comments. Lots of lubricant and clean hands usually means a clean install. I am not a pro. No issue. Very happy with this product. I highly recommend it to everyone. However, putting it on larger devices would probably be tough. On my kindle 4 and iPhone 4 I had no issues.
This is a HUGE waste of money! The iPad works MUCH better without this product. I have my iPad in a case and that protects it just fine. Do NOT buy this product, it will slow down your iPad’s efficiency.
The Zagg Invisible shield is a waste of money. I would NOT reccomend this to anyone. It gets tons of air bubbles in it and it does not stay on tightly.
Wow… this product is NOT of a good, lasting quality. I purchased it from a authorized Zagg dealer/installer in the Brandon Town Center Mall, in Brandon (Tampa), Florida. I know the product has a 45 money back guarantee, but bought it Oct (mid) and that would end in Jan… yes, there is a lifetime replacement of product, but NOT installation cost (by them)…
PROBLEM: The product, within 3-5 months, has pealed up on ALL sides, will NOT restick/adhere down to glass (speaking of back only, I have Power Supports anti-glare on front and LOVE it) it has stretched, and plain and simply sucks… so WHY would I want another FREE one, that won’t last more than 3-5 months?!? Ripping it off, and replacing with Power Support’s crystal BACK film, they sell on their site (not in Apple)… only 13.00 for TWO.
SAFE YOUR MONEY… don’t buy this product, go right to Power Supports Site, I’ve had ALL of the iPhones (since they came out) and NEVER had any troubles with their product, ever… and now that they make the back, I’m SO getting theirs and can assure you I won’t have to replace it in 3-5 months!
I install these profesionally for a uk company and i can safely say they are the best screen protectors on the market if you know what you are doing.
any critisim of this product is down to the user the best time to install one of these is on a brand new device that still has the factory protector fitted. an air duster also is a great tool if you have one the key is to make everything wet the solution is deionised water it will not conduct electricity and therefore it will not harm your device dust has never been an issue for me fitting these the key it to prep everthing correctly
my process:
1. remove sheild from packaging and remove any inserts that are not required
2a. If it is a new handset remove it from packaging but leave the factory fitted screen protector on for now
2b. if it is an existing handset clean the surfaces thoroughly, then lay the microfiber cloth ontop of the screen (to prevent lint falling onto the screen)
3. select which screen you want to use spray both hands make sure thumbs and index fingers are nice and wet spray once onto the corner where you are going to peel from
4. when peeling the screen i bend the backing at around 90 degrees where the screen protector and surround meet. carfully peel back the corner and avoid using your finger nail if you can, this helps prevent spoiling the adhesive in the very corner (my method is to use the pad of my thumb to catch the edge of the screen protector and gently lift it away from the backing) if your fingers are wet enough doing this should not be to difficult.
5. spray the underside of the screen protector do not remove it completely from the backing just allow it to fall back into place. leave it next to the phone so its nice and close. (doing these two things minimizes the time the screen is exposed to the open air
6. final phone prep! remove the factory fitted screen protector or the microfiber cloth depending on what you have used to keep lint off of the screen and genorously coat the screen with the application spray. speed is the key to avoid lint falling and getting under the screen.
7. in one motion peel the screen protector fully from the backing and place it onto the handset quickly but carefully. spray the top of the screen protector to help the squegee glide.
8. slide the screen into place make sure it is aligned properly.
9. if you have a yellow squegee use it, start in the center of the screen pulling out to the sides first avoid using too much preasure you can stretch the invisi shield out of shape.
10. now pull from the centre to the top and bottom of the screen use the cloth to catch excess fluid as you do this (although it is non conductive it will set off liquid damage indicators on the iphone for instance)
11. check for bubbles, present your perfectly fitted screen protector to the client for inspection
hints and tips
~ using an airduster is sometimes better for removing those fiddily static bits of lint that the micro fiber cloth wont pick up
~ the key is making sure everything is nice and wet (not as naughty as it sounds)
~ when using the squegee apply even preasure and keep the pace even
~ make sure the last thing you do before appling the screen is to remove the protective layer you used this helps avoid lint issues
~ if you do get lint under the screen dont panic! if you made everything properly wet you should be able to push the lint out through the nearest edge
~ did i mention that making everything nice and wet helps?
Regards
-Agent H
Well. I had one put on at ATT when I first bought my HTC One X. I also had a case put on. The one they installed was not case friendly. Bubbled around the edges. Bought one that was “case friendly”. Got it tonight. Installed it (not easy), didn’t work out well. I’m a pretty handy guy and the install sucked. At the price, who needs it? I’m thinking that the phone should be just fine without any SP. If it gets a couple scratches in the next two years, who cares? I’d rather have the real feel and no bubbles, hair, dust etc. After all, the phone doesn’t cost that much. It’s not like a scratch on my car.
A lot of people are disliking the product because of their own installs. ZAGG locations offer a installation specialist in which they have been trained in to install the shield to any device the correct way in which case you will have a perfect install. If you have installed the product on your own and are disappointed in the shield then I advise you to take it to a location and pay the install fee to get it done the correct way and I assure you that you will be very pleased with the product. The only reason why ZAGG has started printing the small (most the time not even noticeable) name on the bottom of the shields is to identify that it is their product and that they wont have to deal with dishonest people whom try to do the warranty process with other brands of products, and or if you have lost your receipt so that the workers can identify that it is in fact a zagg product and are able to help you in any way, so that is really for the customers benefit. Not only does ZAGG offer one of the most amazing shields ever made they have a very big variety in accessories. I will never shop at any other location for my deices. ZAGG is the place to go.
I just paid best buy to install the Zagg HD on my Brand new Samsung S3 and could not be happier with the product. I watched three people place the shield on different phones, so I asked the guy who seemed to have the most confidence in his work to do mine instead of the guy who was going to do it as he was having problems with the screen protector. He gave me good advice on how to do it correctly, like using pressure, washing your hands, and making sue to spray the shield, not the phone.
I could not get over how super clear it was! I did have a problem with the side coming up on me, (My own fault, not the products) but was able to easily replace it using the spray bottle and the squeeze included in the package.
I have a problem with scratching my screens with my nails due to their length and this thing has already saved my screen from scratches a couple of times in the past few days. I recommend it to anyone, and I also recommend reading and following the directions carefully. Make sure you wash your hands, and spray them with the solution if you DIY, or have a professional do it for you.
I am very dissatisfied with Zagg full body shield. I watched the video twice and had ref document open while installing. I went on easily and I let it cure for 2 days as this was on an ASUS tablet and have laptop too. In just over a month, it started to peal, but could be pressed back on. I set it down one day and the shield dragged against some papers and stuck to some papers. I called the tech support and they told me the product is a full warranty and to just request a replacement through their website. What I found is that they charge you shipping and handling to send you the replacement. And if they claim they did not get your old one back, they will charge your credit card for the full amount of a new shield. I see this as a full ripoff. The cover itself is a thin piece of clear rubber which gets scuffed when you use their install tool…it’s not visible while the tablet is on, but when off, it looks like you have a worn scuffed unit. I would never recommend one of these to anyone. I learned my lesson and am very disappointed and hope others don’t make the same mistake.
Overall does the job, but I’ve had trouble keeping the edges down and the peeled edges collect dust and lint it’s difficult to impossible to tack back down again.
One of the issues that contributed for me is a rubber case that may have been rubbing right on the edge. On my replacement I may try slightly trimming the size to overcome the contact.