My iPhone 16 Pro Max's screen is getting scratched easily

I thought I was going crazy. I woke up today - two days after getting the iPhone 16pro - and there’s a scratch. How did my phone scratch over night? As the day has worn on it’s getting larger and larger. I’m just laying on my couch! I just traded in the iPhone 12 Pro. Not a single scratch!

Similar story with my iPhone 16 pro max

Less than a day and notices two scratches as I was preparing to install my screen protector

I think there a problem with packaging facing the USB-C metallic connector.

I installed my screen protector and as I was removing air bubbles, two more scratches appeared.

The screen also tends to freeze or not respond.

The screen on the iPhone pro max is going to become a serious issue for Apple.

This is a seriously abnormal situation and has to be addressed

Did You, or any of you use a microfiber cloth to clean your IPhone 16 Pro Max screens?

Because if you did? Then did you know you have to clean the microfiber cloth after each pass? Reason being Microfiber Cloths pickup debris, and holds it in the cloth till you clean it. So one pass you clean, second pass you apply previous debris across your screen.

I take really good care of my iphone 16 pro max but still end up getting scratches on the screen. My old iphone 13 pro max was really abused and does not have a single scratch. Can we go through apple care for replacement?

ni2w wrote:

I take really good care of my iphone 16 pro max but still end up getting scratches on the screen. My old iphone 13 pro max was really abused and does not have a single scratch. Can we go through apple care for replacement?

AppleCare doesn't cover cosmetic damage, but you can certainly see if Apple will help you. EVERY iPhone released has a thread just like this of people claiming their (put your model name here) phone never scratched like their new iPhone does. It is beyond remarkable you had a 13 Pro Max which was scratch free. The threads on iPhone 13 were huge. The threads on iPhone 14 were huge. The threads on iPhone 15 were huge.

And all of this could have been avoided with a decent screen protector. From my perch, I can't imagine paying a $1000 or more on anything and not fully protecting it out of the box. But maybe that's just me.........But probably not, which is why at Apple Stores around the world, Apple installs screen protectors on iPhones all day, every day. And why you can go out to Amazon and find literally thousands of affordable iPhone screen protectors, many costing around $8.

What are you saying? A screen protector protects against breaking the screen but not hairline cracks? You’ll need to explain that line of thought. How exactly does it not protect against hairline cracks?

Hello~ I enjoy my iPhone perfectly and with no scratches whatsoever. It’s always had a screen protector, an excellent case, a back glass protector and a camera protector straight out of the box.

~Katana-San~

I got 7-Day Complimentary AppleCare+ Proof of Coverage with my iPhone 16 pro max 1TB. To continue coverage, you can buy AppleCare+ at the end of your 7-day complimentary period.

You have access to technical support, additional hardware service options, and coverage for unlimited incidents of accidental damage that occur and are reported to Apple during the 7-Day Complimentary period

Charuckshy wrote:

I got 7-Day Complimentary AppleCare+ Proof of Coverage with my iPhone 16 pro max 1TB. To continue coverage, you can buy AppleCare+ at the end of your 7-day complimentary period.

You have access to technical support, additional hardware service options, and coverage for unlimited incidents of accidental damage that occur and are reported to Apple during the 7-Day Complimentary period

Then the Apple Store was being generous to you. There is NO published Apple 7 day Accidental Coverage Policy.

I seriously regret upgrading now… they said screens are tougher but I have 4 random screeches and I kept it away from keys etc. My 12 pro max was bashed in my handbag with keys for 3 years and 0 scratches

I preordered directly from apple store website. And I just double checked under my orders. And yes they give 7-Day Complimentary AppleCare+ for iPhone Automatically registered with your Apple hardware.

Apple offers a 7-day complimentary AppleCare+ for iPhone in certain countries, including Australia. This coverage provides limited accidental damage protection during the first week after purchasing an iPhone, allowing users to assess the benefits of AppleCare+ before committing to a plan.

If you’re in Australia you can confirm the details on Apple’s website or with local Apple retailers.

I understand that ceramic shield glass is not scratch resistant and iPhones are more prone to scratches, and it's not rocket science that it’s much easier to solve the scratch issue with a screen protector. Screen protectors nowadays are really good applying hasslefree. 

But my problem is different. I don't have any scratches on my screen. I have a crack out of nowhere even with the screen protector.

First thing I did when I got my new iPhone, was to slap a screen protector and then put in an Otterbox Defender Pro. 

Still after less than a month I noticed a hairline crack. No idea when or how I got it. It's a fracture that run across the surface of the screen which is thin. Unlike scratches, you cannot feel the hairline crack with your fingernail. Unfortunately I didn't continue AppleCare+ at the end of my 7-day complimentary period.

Please note that Shatter resistance and scratch resistant aren't the same thing.

Scratches aren't covered by AppleCare but cracks are, which is why they opt for crack resistance over scratch resistance. 

Hello~ Your choice on AppleCare. You can expect all you want until there’s a problem. Just a reminder this is a technical forum in which to ask technical questions and receive technical answers. Not a complaint center. Apple doesn’t look at this site or threads except to make sure the rules are followed. But carry on…

~Katana-San~

Hairline cracks and scratches can be considered technical problems if they result from design flaws or material issues that affect the functionality or longevity of the product since they are physical imperfections that may not immediately affect functionality but can worsen over time and may lead to technical issues such as touch sensitivity loss or complete breakage. In manufacturing, scratches and cracks in hardware could indicate a flaw in materials or production, potentially classifying them as technical defects. Hope I made it clear.