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Nov 09, 2023

Best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 screen protectors in 2023

Inside and out, the screens of your foldable need protection Foldable

Inside and out, the screens of your foldable need protection

Foldable smartphones are an exciting addition to an otherwise maturing smartphone space. Early adopters, enthusiasts, and even some regular folks who want a bigger screen in their hand have wholeheartedly welcomed the Galaxy Z Fold series. But like any new technology, foldable phones have their growing pains. Even though Samsung has tried to address these with each new generation, some persist, particularly on the durability front.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, the latest phone in the Z Fold lineup, is arguably the most durable foldable to date. But given that it's a significant investment, you would want it to last long. So while picking one of our best Galaxy Z Fold 4 case recommendations is certainly a step in the right direction, you can further secure the phone with a screen protector or two since there are two screens. But picking a screen protector for the Z Fold 4 can be challenging, given the unique form factor. So to help, we have handpicked the best screen guards for both displays.

Although Whitestone is primarily known for its excellent Dome glass protectors, this offering from the company is made from TPU. It's still a great option to keep your Galaxy Z Fold 4 safe from scratches and dents. It includes five screen protectors to cover pretty much the entirety of the phone. However, given the user feedback around the included hinge protector, it's better to ditch it and use the rest of the films.

This screen protector lives up to the EZ Fit name, thanks to a plastic installation tool that perfectly lines the screen protector up with your phone. The resulting symmetrical alignment not only satisfies the part of the brain that wants things to fit just so, but it also ensures enough room around each side of the glass for any case to grip onto the phone without lifting it.

This two-pack Supershieldz Screen Protector is an excellent bargain at $10. You get two TPU screen guards for the primary display and two for the secondary one. So both Galaxy Z Fold 4 displays are fortified against scratches, scuff marks, and dents. The installation process is also super smooth; if you carefully follow the company's installation guide, you will have the screen protectors on your phone in no time.

ArmorSuit's MilitaryShield is another solid option if you want to defend the two displays of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 from everyday mishaps. One of the highlights of the screen protector is ArmorSuit's UV protection technology which ensures that it continues to offer excellent clarity and doesn't turn yellow. MilitaryShield is also self-healing, like many other TPU-based screen protectors, and will bounce back from minor scratches and scrapes over time.

The Whitestone EZ Glass's ultra-thin tempered glass with 9H hardness will shield the outer display of your new Samsung foldable from scratches, scrapes, accidental drops, and other abrasions. The glass is also easy to apply and is bundled with a camera protector and hinge cover film to safeguard the rear camera setup and the spine of your phone. Sadly, like the hinge cover bundled with Whitestone's Dome Premium Film, the hinge film included with EZ Glass doesn't stay in place.

If you prefer glass protectors and want one for the outer display of the Z Fold 4, this AACL screen protector is ideal. It will shield the screen from scratches, minor drops, and other accidents. Tempered glass may not be an option for the inner display, but it offers superior drop resistance for the outer screen, as the tempered glass has more mass to absorb the kinetic force of an impact. That way, the tempered glass breaks instead of the phone's screen.

It's rare to see an official Samsung screen protector that isn't shipped with the phone or pre-applied, but you won't find us complaining. The Samsung Front Protective Film is a high-quality screen protector for the secondary display of the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and as you’d expect, it offers a perfect fit. The screen protector will safeguard the screen from scratches and other mishaps. The company has also included an oleophobic coating on the film to repel fingerprint smudges.

Apart from its excellent MilitaryShield screen protector with a glossy finish, Armorsuit also offers one with a matte finish. It's beneficial in bright environments where shiny surfaces can cause a lot of glare and make it difficult to read what's on the screen. And because the Armorsuit kit includes screen protectors for both displays, you won't have to deal with glare on either screen.

Tocol offers another solid glass protector for the Z Fold 4 cover screen. It'll provide reliable protection against blemishes and comes with an alignment tool for an error-free installation. The screen protector is affordable and maintains the touch response and clarity of the screen. One advantage of buying the Tocol screen protection kit is getting three glass protectors in one pack. So you have two spares if you mess up the first install or need extras to distribute among friends or family.

IQ Shield builds good quality TPU film-based protectors for smartphones, and its Galaxy Z Fold 4 screen protector is no exception. It'll cover both screens of your phone and keep them safe from everyday mishaps. In addition, the strong adhesive used in the IQ Shield protector ensures that it stays in place even after the frequent closing and opening of the foldable screen. It also has self-healing properties, so minor scratches or dents will automatically recover over a few days.

Samsung ships every Galaxy Z Fold 4 unit with a pre-applied screen protector on the primary display. This protector is supposed to safeguard the delicate, flexible screen from dents, scratches, and other blemishes. If your phone's pre-applied screen protector is in good condition, you don't necessarily need to get a third-party solution. But if it has started peeling or has developed a lot of scratches, you can replace it with a third-party solution.

You can also reach out to Samsung to get an official replacement for the pre-applied protector. The company will also apply it for you, meaning you won't have to go through the tricky installation process (and if they mess up, the replacement is on them, not you). Moreover, if you get the pre-applied screen protector replaced in the first year of your purchase, you may even get it for free.

There is a decent selection of screen protectors for the Galaxy Z Fold 4. But given the phone's form factor, you must be extra careful while installing any of our picks, particularly the protection films for the primary screen. Unfortunately, there's hardly any margin of error, and mistakes will result in peeling edges or bubbles.

Among our recommendations, the Whitestone Premium Film is a good option if you need protectors for both displays. Notably, it also includes a film for the rear of the phone and a camera guard. But if you want to avoid to messing around with the primary display and just need protection for the cover display, the Spigen GlasTR EZ Fit is a no-brainer. This tempered glass film is straightforward to install. Another decent screen protector kit comes from SuperShieldz. It offers coverage for both displays and costs just over $10.

Lastly, while some of these kits feature films that cover the back of the Z Fold 4 and its hinge, they usually don't add the same grip as the best Galaxy Z Fold 4 cases or a dedicated phone skin like Dbrand. In fact, Android Police's Daniel Bader has eschewed cases for his Fold 4 in favor of the grip and precision of Dbrand Leather skins; they add the texture that a device this size needs, especially when open in tablet mode.

Gaurav Shukla has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade. His first foray into technology journalism was a self-published Android blog — AndroidOS.in — where Gaurav covered everything from the T-Mobile G1 to HTC's descent into smartphone oblivion. Since then, he has worked with MSN.com, NDTV Gadgets 360, How-To Geek, and XDA-Developers. Over the course of his career, Gaurav has extensively covered consumer technology news, written dozens of product reviews, how-to guides, explainers, buying guides, and much more. When he's not writing or keeping up with the latest gadgets, you can find him catching up on the latest TV series or movies. You can reach him at [email protected].