New iPad Air - Oleophobic Coating Not Working?

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134 points

New iPad Air - Oleophobic Coating Not Working?

I just bought a brand new 5th gen iPad Air straight from Apple. After using it for about a week, the screen is all smudged and has weird swirlies in it. Using a soft microfiber cloth to wipe it does nothing.

I have other a number of other iDevices, including 3 iPads, and none of them has anything like this - simply wiping with a soft microfiber cloth usually cleans the screen nicely!

Has anyone else seen an issue where the oleophobic coating doesn't seem to be effective?

iPad Air 5 Wi-Fi

Posted on Aug 9, 2022 12:57 PM

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Answer 1

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lisfolks Author

Level 1

134 points

Aug 26, 2022 1:35 PM in response to lisfolks

I took the iPad Air to an Apple Store Genius. I wasn't able to demonstrate the swirly colors - that seems to have gone away with use. However, I did have them attempt to clean it - and their cloth worked. So... I don't know why my cloth works on my old devices, but I picked up a new cloth, and the iPad Air is now cleaning fine.

The Genius said the Stores replace their cloths frequently, so I'll keep that in mind - and, the best cloths are those thicker, nubby microfiber cloths, rather than the very smooth cloths.

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Answer 2

Vero_F1

Community Specialist

Aug 11, 2022 9:06 AM in response to lisfolks

Hi lisfolks,

It sounds like you are following the steps in How to clean your Apple products to clean your iPad.

In this case, as it's related to the hardware on the device, you may want to take it to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider here Find Locations or Contact Apple Support for help with service options.

Take care.

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Answer 3

MichelPM

Level 10

81,306 points

Aug 26, 2022 7:42 PM in response to lisfolks

You CAN wash microfibre cloths easily with dish soap and hot/warm water in the kitchen sink.

Wash and then fully rinse out the dishsoap and excess water and wring out the microfibre cloth until it is damp dry.

I wash mine every 2-3 weeks and let them dry overnight.

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New iPad Air - Oleophobic Coating Not Working?

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