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Nosy parkers - they’re everywhere.

We’ve all had our sixth sense kick in when someone is reading over our shoulder while flipping through The Standard on the tube or bus. Worse still, a figure in the periphery eyeing up your newsfeed.

I have unwittingly sat behind a passenger drafting a breakup email (brutal) to their soon-to-be ex. With my phone battery nearly dead and a few stops left to go, it was easy entertainment (let’s just say I wouldn’t want it dropping into my inbox).

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It’s easy to blame overly curious folk who clearly have nothing better to do, but sometimes it’s the tech itself that slips up. Plans of a surprise birthday are exposed if a notification pings through at an inopportune time with the guest of honour present.

In some ways, tech is an invaluable tool, streamlining our lives in endless ways. In others, it is a gobby snitch.

Is it a price we must pay to the digital gods in exchange for having the world at our fingertips? Luckily, where there’s tech ire, there’s usually a solution.

Screen protectors are for more than guarding your handset against accidental knocks and spills. The right ones will keep your screen clearly visible when viewed straight on, but utterly inscrutable from the side, the angle most favoured by the terminally curious.

Like phone covers, there are versions for every mobile, no matter the model. Privacy is a headline benefit - no more shielding the view when handling online finances or reading sensitive emails - but it will also protect against scratches, spills, smudges, blue light, and, to a point, sudden impacts, which is good news if you happen to be the clumsy sort.

The best one? That’s where our list comes in. Below, we’ve listed the finest options to protect your screen - phone, tablet, laptop - from prying eyes and accidents. All of them make relatively inexpensive insurance policies that you can apply quickly without damaging the expensive tech underneath.

Nosy side-eyers, vamoose.

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Best screen protectors for smartphones to prevent scratches and other damage

Keep your iPhone 16 shielded from prying eyes with Zagg's screen protector, made from tempered glass. The cover is anti-microbial, keeping bugs and bacteria at bay and boasts a two-way privacy filter, rendering the screen unreadable from the side.

Forked out for the latest Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra? Then adding this protector to the top is a drop in the ocean.

A modest splash it may be, but it's one worth making. The tempered glass cover means your secrets remain your own, and there's anti-fingerprint and anti-grease technology too, ensuring your screen stays looking crystal clear.

Wannabe spies will have a tough time trying to penetrate this screen protector, available for iPhone models from 11 to 15. It's made from tough tempered glass and comes with camera lens protectors too.

This bundle comes with four sets, making it perfect to kit out the whole family or share with friends.

Pixel user? Keep your phone hidden from peeping side-eye with British Modules' clear sticky cover. The military-grade gel design claims to protect your handset from knocks and bumps, while the anti-spy coating will absorb small scratches too.

Keep your MacBook activity for your eyes only with this protector that makes the screen appear gold when viewed from the side. It's perfect for business travellers who need to stay on top of emails in busy areas, like cafes, airports and hotel business suites.

One five-star review said: "Perfect for working on the train, as the angle does not allow the person sitting next to you to see what you are doing, at the same time, there is no significant effect on your work when you look at the screen directly. Way more effective than the black one and despite my initial reservations about a gold filter, the colour from the side is a red/goldish reflection that looks stylish."

Prying eyes are everywhere, even at work. Divert unwanted attention to your screen with this screen, made for monitors. It will make the screen appear black when viewed from the side, and also protects against UV and blue light while reducing glare too.

Available in a variety of sizes.

It's easy to attract unwanted glances when you're working remotely. Give them nothing but a blank screen to gawp at with 3M's privacy screen protector, available for laptops ranging in sizes from 10.1 inches to a whopping 30 inches.

The clever accessory comes in a reversible finish with glossy on one side and matte, gentler on the eyes, on the other. As well as keeping your meme obsession to yourself, it's perfect if you're reading sensitive information - a doctor's email, say.

Made for iPhones, JETech's screen protectors have hundreds of thousands of reviews. One calls the tempered screen "superb", and many confirm it's easy to put on. However, some reviewers have reported a tendency for the screen to crack easily, but for privacy, it's perfect. You'll get a two-pack of covers in this bundle, so should yours do the same, you'll already have a replacement to hand.

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