Installing the tempered glass screen protector with installation tray.
I got the Mowei [3-Pack] tempered glass screen protector for my new Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. The installation tray isn't as helpful as the frame that came with the LYWHL Screen Protector on S20+ I used years ago, but it's good enough to get the job done.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
Mowei Package Contents
The package provided helpful information for installing one of the three tempered glass screen protectors on a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra phone. I'd recommend keeping the package since it came with multiple screen protectors that hopefully wouldn't need to be used for a while.
The package contents included:
9 foam pads (6 long foam pads and 3 short foam pads)
3 UV resin adhesive tubes
3 curved tempered glass screen protectors
1 installation tray
1 guide slider (for tray)
3 installation auxiliary tools' packs
1 warranty card
1 user manual
1 folding razor knife
1 weight
1 UV light
The installation tools' pack included:
1 microfiber cloth
1 pack of wet wipes
1 sticker sheet containing two guide stickers and a dust absorber sticker
Not included:
USB-C cable for the UV light
Preparation
I reviewed the User Manual provided in the package. The QR code printed on the back of the box and in the User Manual led me to a tutorial video online.
The video was informative, but a little fast for my slow, lazy mind to keep up with. I watched it a couple times to make sure I didn't miss any important steps.
After watching the video, I went ahead and grabbed the following items not included in the package:
Towel
Level tool
Three quarters/coins
USB-C cable
Screen Protector Installation Step-By-Step
Below are seventeen (17) steps I personally recommend for installing the Mowei tempered glass screen protector onto a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. It's a lot of steps, but it should ensure a more successful installation if having it written out proves helpful to you. Consider watching the product's tutorial video online and use this as a
Step 1: Place a shop towel and the installation tray on the tabletop surface. The towel is to catch any adhesive that may spill over the edge of the phone. Based on my first experience, there may be some spillage or splatter.
Step 2: Insert the foam pads (three total) into the slots allotted within the installation tray. You'd need two long foam pads for the sides and one short foam pad for one end of the installation tray. The foam pads will pop into place with a little pressure.
Step 3: Open the installation auxiliary tools' pack and place the two guide stickers along the bottom of the phone. Be sure to cover the S-Pen, speaker, USB-C port, microphone, and Sim card release hole with both stickers. This will prevent any adhesive from getting into those 'sensitive' areas thus ruining the phone.
Step 4: Insert the phone into the installation tray. Line the camera lenses with the cutout in the installation tray. Start by placing the top of the phone under the short foam pad, then press the rest of the phone into the installation tray. The phone will snap into place with a little pressure on all four corners.
Step 5: Clean the phone's screen using the remaining contents of the installation auxiliary tools' pack. First, wipe the phone's screen with the wet wipe. Dry the screen with the microfiber cloth. Lastly, remove any dust particles with the dust absorber sticker.
Step 6: Place the guide slider at the end of the installation tray with an opening. Make sure the two pointy ends of the guide slider sit over the phone's screen and within the opening of the installation tray.
Step 7: CHECK THE LEVELS! Make sure the installation tray is level on the tabletop's surface horizontally and vertically. Doing this will ensure the adhesive will remain on the phone instead of flowing off an edge because it's not leveled. If needed, use the opened wrappers to adjust the height of the installation tray on an edge and/or corner where it's needed.
Step 8: Peel the film off the screen protector and place the screen protector onto the phone. The side that was covered by the film is the side that would be placed onto the phone's screen. The edges are curved making it easy to identify which side touches the phone's screen. Make sure the clear fingerprint location sticker (as highlighted in the image above) is laid closest to the guide slider.
Step 9: Add the adhesive. First, remove the white cap. Untwist the seal from the tip of the tube. Hover the tube with the tip facing down over the center of the phone's screen. Twist the black cap at the other end to start the flow of resin adhesive. Pour two-thirds of the resin adhesive over the center of the phone's screen and the remaining closer to the guide slider.
Step 10: Slowly pull the guide slider out from under the screen protector. Let the resin adhesive spread under the screen protector. Tilt the installation frame and/or lift the screen protector to help the resin adhesive spread and eliminate air pockets.
Step 11: Place the weight over the clear fingerprint location sticker and three or four quarters/coins over the weight. The package states that doing so "will help increase the fingerprint sensitivity." This is also mentioned as an important step by many who reviewed this product online. The added weight may cause the screen protector to slide. If so, use the guide slider to push it back into place and wipe off any resin adhesive spills from the edges with a towel.
Step 12: Place the UV light over the installation tray and turn it on for 120 seconds. The UV light is turned on once it's plugged in. There is no on/off switch nor timer with the provided UV light. The UV light will cure (a.k.a., harden/solidify) the resin adhesive from its liquid state. The UV light is necessary to allow the screen protector to adhere to the phone's screen.
Step 13: Remove the coins, weight, and fingerprint location sticker before turning on the UV light again for 120 seconds. The resin adhesive that sat beneath the added weight is still in its liquid form. Turning on the UV light once again will ensure that the resin adhesive is cured.
Step 14: Pop the phone out of the installation tray. Flip the installation tray over, place your thumb over the cutout not surrounding the camera lenses, and apply pressure to pop the phone out.
Step 15: Remove the two guide stickers and wipe the edges of the phone. Double-check to make sure resin adhesive didn't leak into the openings that were covered by the two guide stickers. If so, it'll still be in its liquid state. Wipe the edges of the phone well with the microfiber cloth or a towel.
Step 16: Place the UV light over one long side of the phone and turn on for 120 seconds. This will cure the resin adhesive along the edges of the phone's screen.
Step 17: Place the UV light over the other long side of the phone and turn on for 120 seconds. This will again cure the resin adhesive along the edges of the phone's screen.
Cleanup
Unfortunately, my first attempt results in some resin adhesive spills along the edges of the screen protector. Even though I wiped the edges as noted for step 15, I apparently missed a few small drips here and there.
While I don't know the purpose of the folding razor knife, I went ahead and used it to gently scrape the cured resin adhesive from along the edges of the screen protector.
Hopefully, I didn't scratch the phone's screen during my cleaning process. The phone's screen is supposed to handle light blade pressure, so I'll see what happened when it comes time to replace the screen protector.
Some Tips
Below are some tips I learned from this and pas experiences:
Turn off ceiling fans and any other fans to minimize dust particles floating in the air and landing on the phone's screen.
Turn off your phone to keep from getting distracted with it turning on periodically during the installation.
If you don't have a leveling tool, download and install a level app on your phone. You can use the app to determine if the tabletop surface you're working on is leveled.
Fold and use the opened wrappers to balance the installation tray if your tabletop surface isn't flat or level.
Check the level of the installation tray horizontally and vertically periodically before adding the resin adhesive. Adjust as needed to ensure the resin adhesive doesn't flow off to one side when that time comes.
If the fingerprint sensor doesn't work after installation, run the UV light over the phone's screen again to ensure the resin adhesive is fully cured.
If the fingerprint sensor still doesn't work, you may need to re-register your fingerprints. I had to delete my old fingerprint saves and create new ones after my installation.
Store the remaining package contents in the original package to use when the first screen protector needs replacing. If you want to save space, store the contents into a bag or envelope.
My Thoughts
I've only used two other tempered glass screen protector products in the past. The Mowei brand was better than the Nano Optics on S20+ I tried a couple years ago, but not better than the LYWHL Screen Protector on S20+.
The installation tray (or frame as some might call it) is useful for lining up the screen protector over the phone's screen. It beats having to reposition the screen protector frequently while the resin adhesive spread underneath. In my experience, the screen protector only slid in one direction, but it couldn't slide too far off the phone's screen thanks to the installation tray and guide slider.
However, I preferred the frame used with the LYWHL screen protector. That frame had built-in horizontal and vertical levels and four full walls. The walls had notches that kept the phone and screen protector snuggly in place. Nothing slid out of place during the installation process.
I recently replaced my old LYWHL screen protector with another on my old S20+ phone. During the recent installation, the absorption pads did a great job soaking the little bit of resin adhesive that attempted to spill over the edges. Unfortunately, the foam pads of the Mowei package didn't do that.
When I placed the weights onto the screen protector as instructed in the products tutorial video, the screen protector slid out of place. This caused the resin adhesive in its then liquid state to spill over the edges. I was able to soak up some of the spill with a towel I lightly ran along the edges, but the foam pads didn't soak up a drop.
The fingerprint sensor, after re-registering my fingerprints, works well despite a few bubbles I missed popping around the area. I don't know if it's the screen protector or phone, but the sensor reads my fingerprints better and faster than it did on my old S20+ with the LYWHL screen protector.
The S-Pen also works well with the Mowei screen protector. I've yet to experience any lag or missed input since the installation.
Despite my nit-picky cons, the Mowei screen protector seems to be a strong product that should protect my phone's screen from minor bumps or drops. I won't be taking a hammer to the screen to confirm my thoughts, but I feel confident that my screen won't easily be scratched up any time soon.
What's Next?
I got a clear phone case for my new Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra phone that I'm going to customize. Check back another time to see how I decorate the case.
Have you used this or another tempered glass screen protector? Comment below to share your thoughts and reflections of your phones screen protector.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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