9 things to do on day one to keep any foldable alive longer

Apple’s first foldable has had a rough start. Shortly after launch, iPhone Duo owners began reporting cracked inner screens, and Apple has since said the number of affected units will remain limited, pointing those affected to AppleCare for a screen replacement. It’s a reminder that, seven years after the first Galaxy Fold, foldables still ask a little more of their owners than slab phones do.

The good news is that most of what keeps a foldable alive is habit, not luck. I’ve used a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 for two years, and its hinge and inner screen are still in great shape. The crease has deepened a little after thousands of folds, but by no means excessively. I’ve also made a few embarrassing mistakes along the way. Here are nine things I’d do from day one with any foldable, whether it comes from Samsung, Apple, Google, or anyone else.

Why foldables break (and why it’s usually avoidable)

Foldable inner screens use ultra-thin glass (UTG) layered with plastic, and that combination can’t match the point-impact resistance of a slab phone’s tempered glass. A hard particle like a grain of sand trapped in the crease becomes a choke point that takes the full force of every fold. That pressure can damage the display layers underneath, showing up as green or pink lines or as ink bleeding from broken pixels.

The hinge is the other weak point. It’s packed with high-precision metal components, and drops of soda, coffee, or any other beverage that seep inside can corrode them or leave residue behind as they evaporate. That residue, along with dust and debris trapped in the folding mechanism, increases friction. The result is the creaking or crunching hinge you may have read about, along with a phone that loses its original smoothness and struggles to fold or unfold fully.

Not everything is down to you, though. Hardware can also simply fail. Ink bleeding, for instance, can follow a hard drop or appear out of nowhere, especially around the inner camera cutout, and display lines can come from a failing internal connection rather than anything you did. The same is true of slab phones, but phone makers like Apple charge up to $999 for an iPhone Duo inner screen replacement, rising to $1,499 for more serious damage, so the stakes are much higher for bendy devices.

Haven’t bought a foldable yet? Make sure you look up the common issues and repair costs for the model you want before you pay, and be honest about where you’ll use it. If your days involve a lot of dust, sand, or moisture, a foldable will need more care than it would at a desk. That doesn’t rule one out, but it’s worth knowing what you’re signing up for.

Things to do on ‘Day one’ to keep your foldable alive

1. Inspect it while you can still return it

Before you load your foldable phone up with apps, give it a proper once-over. On a white and then a black background, check the inner screen for lines, dead pixels, or discoloration. Open and close it slowly, listening for any grinding or crunching from the hinge, and lay it open on a flat surface to see whether it unfolds fully. Don’t panic if it isn’t perfectly flat. Some manufacturers consider an angle of 178°- 181° to be within the normal range.

If something looks wrong, you want to find it inside the return window, not a month later. It’s also worth snapping a few photos of the screen and hinge on day one, as a record of the phone’s condition in case you ever need to make a claim.

2. Leave the factory screen protector alone

Foldables ship with a pre-installed protector on the inner screen, and it’s part of the display’s defenses rather than a removable film. Never peel it off yourself. If it starts lifting or bubbling, or you want it replaced, take the phone to official support rather than trying to fix it at home.

The good news is that peeling protectors, a common complaint on early foldables, are far less common on newer generations, with the Z Fold 7 reportedly recording a 0% failure rate when it comes to micro cracks or default-protector peeling.

3. Buy a protection plan and keep the receipt

Given what an inner screen replacement costs, a protection plan is the single best investment you can make on day one. It brings repair costs for serious damage down to far more tolerable levels, and plans are often cheapest, or only available, at or shortly after purchase. Keep your receipt somewhere safe, too, as you’ll need it for any warranty or insurance claim.

If you’re buying a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, the base Samsung Care Plus plan costs $269 for two years, with discounts of up to $200 during promotions. iPhone Duo buyers should strongly consider AppleCare+ at $199.99 a year, given the phone’s early display issues. Meanwhile, some Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi, HONOR, HUAWEI, and others also bundle complimentary protection plans with their foldables.

4. Pick the right case, and fit it carefully

If you handle your phone with care and rarely drop it, a slim two-piece case that covers both halves keeps a foldable light and compact. That’s what I’ve used so far. For complete peace of mind, choose one with hinge protection, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of opening and closing the phone. You can go case-less if you prefer, but remember that a foldable is more fragile than a slab phone, which makes the protection plan above even more important.

There’s one thing about cases I didn’t expect before owning a foldable. A folio or single-piece case may suit you well, but two-piece cases like mine often use adhesive strips along the edge of the front half for a firmer grip. Over time, these can leave residue on the frame and cover screen. It’s easy to wipe away, so it isn’t a major problem.

The real risk is in how you put the case on and take it off. Some slab-phone cases need a lot of force to remove, and using that kind of force on a foldable risks losing your grip and straining the hinge. Peel the case away gently from one corner rather than dragging it across the glass. I sometimes nudge the top corner of mine loose first, but the principle is the same: minimize pressure on the screen.

5. Learn what your IP rating doesn’t cover

Check your foldable’s IP rating, and read it carefully. The first digit covers solid particles and the second covers water. An “X” in the first position means the phone hasn’t been rated for dust at all, and even a 4 only guarantees protection against particles larger than 1mm. Neither keeps out fine sand or pocket lint, which are exactly what can damage a foldable’s crease.

Water resistance is no excuse for carelessness, either. Ratings are tested in fresh water, not coffee or soda, and even water that makes it into the hinge can leave residue behind. Treat the rating as insurance against accidents, not permission to get the phone wet.

Habits that keep it alive

Fussy as some of these may seem, they quickly become second nature. You don’t need to handle your foldable with velvet gloves, but a little attention goes a long way.

6. Check before you fold

Before snapping your foldable shut, glance at the inner screen. A food crumb, a large dust particle, or a SIM ejector tool left on the display is exactly the kind of choke point that leads to lines and cracks. If you spot anything, brush it off gently before closing the phone. It takes a second and quickly becomes automatic.

7. Give it a pocket of its own

Keep your foldable away from keys, coins, and anything else hard or metal, and avoid pockets or bag compartments full of sand, dust, or dirt. I learned this one the hard way. I once shoved my Z Fold 6 into the same pocket as my keys in a rush, and it left an annoying scratch in the top-right corner of the outer screen. I’ve had to learn to live with it. Silly, isn’t it?

8. Keep drinks away, and practise light-touch hinge hygiene

Keep your glass of water or cup of coffee away from your foldable, even if it has an IP rating. A single drop seeping into the hinge is all it takes to start the residue build-up described above.

That said, hinge hygiene doesn’t mean constantly wiping the hinge or hunting for every speck of dust. The goal is simply to keep sand, abrasive dust, and liquid out of the folding mechanism. If the hinge ever feels stiff or stuck, don’t force it. Get it checked instead.

9. Treat the inner screen gently

The inner screen is the most delicate part of any foldable. Don’t press it with your fingernails, unapproved styluses, or anything sharp, and never bend the phone backward past its fully open position. When it needs cleaning, use a soft, dry, lint-free microfiber cloth and wipe gently.

Despite all these rules, don’t turn owning a foldable into a stressful experience. Most of them become habits within a week or two. With the right knowledge, the right mindset, and a little financial preparation, you can enjoy a foldable to the fullest and keep it going for years.