Google’s Pixel Watch has great-looking hardware, but its display is not all that difficult to damage. If you’ve already scratched your Pixel Watch, or want to prevent scratches in the future, this helpful screen protector is an affordable and excellent addition, and doesn’t ruin the look of the watch.
Screen protectors on smartwatches often take one of a few imperfect forms. There are film screen protectors that cling onto the screen, cases that include a screen protector that sits atop the watch, or regular glass screen protectors that sometimes have to get a little clever. On flat watches like Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5, adding another layer of glass is simple, but on others such as the Pixel Watch, it requires adhesives hidden under black bezels, or some funky-looking finishes. In other words, most screen protectors out there are far from ideal.
After scratching my Pixel Watch earlier this month, I was eager to try and find something to hide the damage, but I didn’t want to give up on the design at all.
I quickly settled on a set of screen protectors from a brand called “Flokinice.” The three-pack uses auto-dispersion liquid glue to adhere the screen protector to the Pixel Watch, with curved glass to match the watch itself. This is an installation technique identical to and popularized by Whitestone Dome. It’s a process that works great for curved displays, and also has the welcome side effect of masking scratches.
The installation process takes only a few minutes. Take off your bands, slip the watch into the included casing, and add an absorbent frame to catch any excess glue – be sure to soak this piece in water first, it works a lot better that was. From there, it’s as simple as unloading the glue onto the display (carefully, and in the center) and then using the included tool to carefully lower the screen protector onto the glass. This needs to be done with care, because it’s nearly impossible to get bubbles out at that point. Then, the included UV lamp can be used to finish adhering the screen protector. The tutorial advises just a few seconds, but after two installations I found that going for at least a minute provided better results. From there just (carefully) pop the watch out of the casing, and wipe away any of the dried excess glue.
The final result, as long as you did it right, is usually excellent. The screen protector is barely noticeable, blending into the Pixel Watch’s design wonderfully. You can occasionally see the edges as light bleeds through or the layer of glue collects a little dust, but I’ve been perfectly satisfied.
The other thing you really need to be careful about is the first few hours. After install, it’s best to just leave the watch alone, overnight if you can. This gives the glue time to fully set. I didn’t do this my first time around, wearing the watch to sleep after installing the protector. This led to bubbles forming the following day and getting progressively worse throughout the day. But on my second round, I didn’t wear my watch overnight after installing and, now, a few days later, it’s still in good shape.
The size of the screen protector is also good for other accessories. There was no interference with Ringke’s Pixel Watch bumper case, and I believe it would also work with other cases as long as care is taken when putting the cases on.
For the $19.99 price tag, I’m not sure there’s a better option for a Pixel Watch screen protector out there today. These are fairly easy to install, good-looking, and don’t hinder the experience at all. And with three in one pack, you’ve got multiple chances to get the installation right or replace one when damage occurs later on. If you have a Pixel Watch now, or are just buying one, I’d certainly recommend giving this protector a shot.
More on Google Pixel Watch:
- Have you scratched your Pixel Watch yet? [Poll]
- Big Pixel Watch March 2023 update rolling out: AOD, alarms, faces, and more
- How to set up Google Pixel Watch Fall Detection
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