Cleaning your iPhone

: June 7, 2024
: Apple

Table of Contents

Cleaning your iPhone

Cleaning your iPhone

Learn how to clean your iPhone.

Is it OK to use a disinfectant on my iPhone?
Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe, 75 percent ethyl alcohol wipe, or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the exterior surfaces of your iPhone. Don’t use products containing bleach or hydrogen peroxide. Avoid getting moisture in any openings, and don’t submerge your iPhone in any cleaning agents.

iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 11,

iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max

iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max feature glass with advanced textured matte finishes. On iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, and iPhone 11, the textured glass around the camera complements the polished glass. On iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, the textured back glass provides an elegant look that is also tough, slip resistant, and feels good in your hand. With normal use, the textured glass may show signs of material transfer from objects that come in contact with your iPhone, such as denim or items in your pocket. Material transfer may resemble a scratch, but can be removed in most cases.

Clean your iPhone immediately if it comes in contact with anything that might cause stains or other damage — for example, dirt or sand, ink, makeup, soap, detergent, acids or acidic foods, or lotions. Follow these guidelines for cleaning:

Unplug all cables and turn off your iPhone.
Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth—for example, a lens cloth.
If material is still present, use a soft, lint-free cloth with warm soapy water.
Avoid getting moisture in openings.
Don’t use cleaning products or compressed air.

Your iPhone has a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic — oil repellent — coating. Cleaning products and abrasive materials will diminish the coating and might scratch your iPhone.

iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X,

iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7

Clean your iPhone immediately if it comes in contact with anything that might cause stains or other damage — for example, dirt or sand, ink, makeup, soap, detergent, acids or acidic foods, or lotions. Follow these guidelines:

Unplug all cables and turn off your iPhone.
Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth — for example, a lens cloth.
Avoid getting moisture in openings.
Don’t use cleaning products or compressed air.

Your iPhone has a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic — oil repellent — coating. On iPhone 8 and later, the coating is on the front and back. This coating wears over time with normal use. Cleaning products and abrasive materials will further diminish the coating and might scratch your iPhone.

iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE (1st

generation), iPhone 5s

Clean your iPhone immediately if it comes into contact with contaminants that might cause stains, such as ink, dyes, makeup, dirt, food, oils, and lotions. To clean your iPhone, unplug all cables and turn it off. Use a soft, slightly damp, lint- free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don’t use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, or abrasives to clean your iPhone. The front glass surfaces have an oleophobic coating. To remove fingerprints, wipe these surfaces with a soft, lint-free cloth. The ability of this coating to repel oil will diminish over time with normal use, and rubbing the screen with an abrasive material will further diminish its effect and might scratch the glass.

To clean the Home button (allowing Touch ID to work optimally), wipe it with a soft lint-free cloth.

iPhone 5c

Clean your iPhone immediately if it comes into contact with contaminants that might cause stains, such as ink, dyes, makeup, dirt, food, oils, and lotions. To clean your iPhone, unplug all cables and turn it off. Use a soft, slightly damp, lint- free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don’t use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean your iPhone. The front glass surfaces have an oleophobic coating. To remove fingerprints, wipe these surfaces with a soft, lint-free cloth. The ability of this coating to repel oil will diminish over time with normal use, and rubbing the screen with an abrasive material will further diminish its effect and might scratch the glass.

To clean the dirt that might accumulate around the SIM tray opening, use a soft lint-free cloth and place a very small amount of rubbing alcohol on it. Very gently wipe the dirt away from the port opening and avoid getting any of the moisture in the opening.

iPhone 5

Clean your iPhone immediately if it comes into contact with contaminants that might cause stains, such as ink, dyes, makeup, dirt, food, oils, and lotions. To clean your iPhone, unplug all cables and turn it off. Use a soft, slightly damp, lint- free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don’t use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean your iPhone. The front glass surfaces have an oleophobic coating. To remove fingerprints, wipe these surfaces with a soft, lint-free cloth. The ability of this coating to repel oil will diminish over time with normal use, and rubbing the screen with an abrasive material will further diminish its effect and might scratch the glass.

iPhone 4s and iPhone 4

Clean your iPhone immediately if it comes into contact with contaminants that might cause stains, such as ink, dyes, makeup, dirt, food, oils, and lotions. To clean your iPhone, unplug all cables and turn off your iPhone (press and hold the Sleep/Wake button, and then drag the onscreen slider). Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don’t use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean your iPhone. The front and back glass surfaces have an oleophobic coating. To remove fingerprints, wipe these surfaces with a soft, lint-free cloth. The ability of this coating to repel oil will diminish over time with normal use, and rubbing the screen with an abrasive material will further diminish its effect and might scratch the glass.

iPhone 3GS

Clean your iPhone immediately if it comes into contact with contaminants that might cause stains, such as ink, dyes, makeup, dirt, food, oils, and lotions. To clean your iPhone, unplug all cables and turn off your iPhone (press and hold the Sleep/Wake button, and then drag the onscreen slider). Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don’t use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean your iPhone. The front glass surface has an oleophobic coating. To remove fingerprints, wipe these surfaces with a soft, lint-free cloth. The ability of this coating to repel oil will diminish over time with normal use, and rubbing the screen with an abrasive material will further diminish its effect and might scratch the glass.

iPhone 3G and iPhone (original)

To clean your iPhone, unplug all cables and turn off your iPhone (press and hold the Sleep/Wake button, and then drag the onscreen slider). Then use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don’t use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean your iPhone.

Learn more

Learn how to clean Apple Watch and other Apple products.
Find out which iPhone model you have.

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Published Date: July 16, 2021