Should you remove the film from your CarPlay infotainment screen? It depends

Lloyd Vas/Shutterstock When you buy a new phone or tablet, you'll see a protective layer of plastic placed on top that helps to stop the display underneath from being scratched. You might find a similar layer on your CarPlay infotainment screen if you've just bought a new car. Your first instinct might be to keep it in place as a screen protector to stop the screen from being scratched or covered in dirt. That isn't always the smartest move, however. Just recently, a mechanic's helpful TikTok video, warning of the potential dangers posed by these clear protective films, went viral. The mechanic's advice was simple: remove the film because, otherwise, you could find it "bakes on" and destroys the screen underneath, costing you thousands of dollars in repair costs. While that advice is pretty clear cut, it's important you tread carefully, as not every car (and every protective film) is the same, and you may damage your car without checking first. That protective film may only be there for shipping Vladimka production/Shutterstock The physical CarPlay screen in your car is going to look slightly different, depending on the model of car you own and the manufacturer, even if the interface is identical once you're connected. That makes it harder to know for sure whether any protective film on the screen is supposed to be removed or not. The viral TikTok video muddied the water by referring to this film as a "screen protector." In the general sense, that's true: it's designed to protect your screen from the assembly line to your front door. Unlike a screen protector you'd use on your phone, however, which is usually applied after you've bought it to protect your screen, these protective films are really only there to protect it during the shipping process. Leaving it on for long periods of time isn't a smart move, as the adhesive (or the plastic itself) can melt onto the screen, which can cause your CarPlay screen to stop working. You can buy third-party screen protectors that perform the same job, but these aren't typically manufacturer recommended. Depending on the material, they might make it harder to use your CarPlay infotainment screen, and you may need to check that the adhesive they use isn't going to damage the screen inside your car. Not every layer on a CarPlay screen is removable Harry Howitt/Shutterstock It's important to reiterate that not every CarPlay screen is identical. A CarPlay screen is just another name for the infotainment display inside your car and, as each manufacturer ships a new model, each screen can vary in size and design. More importantly, how they are physically built and operated can vary. It's this variation that adds the element of risk, and it's also why you should check before you start peeling. Car infotainment screens are designed to be hit by heat and light from the sun. It's not impossible that your CarPlay screen has special coatings or bonded films applied that are designed to reduce glare, improve visibility or to stop the grease from your fingerprints from making the display visibly dirty. These can look removable. Over time, they might even degrade, with bubbling or clouding around the edges. This occurred to a Reddit user with a 2019 Mazda 3 who, several years after buying the car, removed the "factory plastic" from their infotainment screen. In doing so, they removed the anti-glare coating from their display, leaving a "weird patchy mess" as a result. How to tell whether the film should come off Adrianhancu/Getty Images Car manufacturers don't offer one rule that applies to every infotainment display. The safest approach is to ask and confirm before you remove anything you're unsure about. If you're lucky, it might be so obvious that you don't need to think about it. A pull tab, a printed warning, or an obvious uplifted corner might make it simple to identify a protective film that's designed to be removed. Any plastic covering that is stubborn or hard to remove is a red flag, and one you're probably going to want to verify first. Likewise, if the coating disappears beneath the surrounding trim, or it's so well integrated that you can't find a place to start peeling easily, you should check first. As always, check your manuals. If you've received a delivery checklist, that might also have clear instructions from the dealer or manufacturer about how to set up your CarPlay infotainment screen, including removing any protective coverings. If the car is under warranty, you might have some leeway to repair your screen if it's damaged, but only if you're following the instructions from your dealer or manufacturer. It's worth getting clear confirmation about your screen in writing or, better yet, asking for the dealer to check and remove it for you. It might be silly, but in a pinch, you won't be liable if it isn't you removing the film. How do I protect my CarPlay display if I remove the protective film? Eyeswideopen/Getty Images If the protective film on your CarPlay display is designed to be removed once you take ownership of the car, you don't necessarily have to leave it without any protection. Third-party screen protectors do exist — but as they vary in quality and construction, you'll need to do your due diligence before you slap it onto your dash. It's important to check whether or not this will have an impact on your warranty, too. An additional layer on your screen can have an impact on touch sensitivity, especially if it's a resistive touch display in an older car. You'll notice this when you're tapping to open an app in CarPlay and the screen isn't as responsive. If a screen protector isn't the right approach, some gentle TLC is probably going to be the best approach to keep your screen in good condition. Clean as your car manual instructs you, which usually means using a soft microfibre cloth with minimal moisture. Abrasive cleaning solutions, especially those with bleach, alcohol, or glass cleaning fluid, are not likely to be safe to use on your CarPlay screen.