Can You Accidentally Separate an iPhone Screen with Your Nail? OCD User's Query - eviltoast

Hey everyone, OCD user here. I’m posting because I’ve been haunted by a question for the last few days. For context, I was switching the case of my iPhone 15 Pro Max (I have a few different cases and like to change them up), but this time, while removing the case, my nail got caught in the gap between the screen and the titanium frame of the phone. I applied a bit of force, thinking I was removing the case, but then my nail slipped, and I realized I wasn’t actually pulling off the case. I also want to mention that visually, I don’t see any apparent damage, but my OCD keeps making me think otherwise, and I’m really sorry to be writing this over something so trivial.

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So, here’s my weird question: is it really impossible to accidentally detach the screen from the titanium frame with your nail?

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Okay, I know this might sound utterly silly. I’m aware that I have some unusual behaviors regarding my electronics, probably due to my OCD, so please, no judgments or harsh comments - I’m already pretty hard on myself. I’m attaching a photo to illustrate the gap I’m talking about for those who can’t quite picture it. The photo is not mine and shows an iPhone 13 Pro, not my model, but it still represents the gap I’m concerned about.

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Thanks for taking this seriously and for any responses you might have. Sorry if you find my question really silly, but it’s important for me to get some answers to ease my mind.

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Picture showing the gap between the screen and the frame on an iPhone 13 Pro

  • nekomichi@alien.topBEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    Your phone will be okay. The screen is held down with strong adhesive and two screws at the bottom of the device, a fingernail won’t be anywhere near strong enough to separate the display panel from the body of the device.

    I’ve done repairs on these devices before, in order to remove the screen not only do you need to unscrew the two screws at the bottom, but you also need to apply a lot of heat (80°C, 176°F) in order to even loosen the adhesive. Sometimes, even chemical treatment is required.

    • _Nexus8_@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Thank you so much for your detailed message; it’s very reassuring, and I’m grateful for you taking me seriously. However, I’d like to ask you one last thing: to check the gap between the screen and the frame, I slid a piece of paper through it. I noticed that the top and left sides of the phone were tighter compared to the right and bottom sides, as the paper stopped moving when it reached the top or left side. Do you think by doing this, I could have dislodged or damaged the screen’s adhesive? I didn’t slide the paper in violently; I just wanted to compare the gaps on different sides to reassure myself before posting on Reddit.

      • nekomichi@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Should be okay, the adhesive is far stronger than paper. Actually if you kept pushing, the adhesive would have probably broken the paper and not the other way around (but don’t actually do that).

  • _Nexus8_@alien.topOPBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    First of all, I’d like to thank you all for your non-judgmental attitude and kindness. I really appreciate you taking my post seriously and am grateful to those who responded. Thanks to you, I’m finding it easier to accept that it was impossible for me to have damaged anything on the phone when my nail got stuck in the gap between the screen and the frame while I was removing the case. Thank you so much, everyone.