Will a Skin Ruin the iPad Magic Keyboard? | Removing a Skin from iPad Magic Keyboard

It’s been a few weeks since I installed the SopiGuard skin on my iPad Magic Keyboard, and many of you wanted to know whether it would damage the rubbery material or leave residue. As much as it kills me, I’m removing it, just for you.

Why I like it

This is the 3M Matrix skin, and it completely changed the way I use the Magic Keyboard. By itself, the case picks up grime and oil easily, and I felt I always had to baby it: wiping off a table or putting a towel down before setting the iPad on it. With the skin, it feels much more durable and I use it without the anxiety of getting it dirty. I’ve made a video about cleaning it with dish soap and rubbing alcohol, which works for much of the oil and stains, but the skin made all that unnecessary.

Removing it

• Trackpad piece first: I’d said in the install video that I’d probably remove the trackpad skin because it made the trackpad less sensitive. It comes off smoothly with a fingernail (or a spudger), with nothing left on the trackpad, and I do miss the smooth glass.
• Side pieces: these sit on the actual rubber, the first test for damage or residue. It grips well and takes a minute to peel slowly back. At first glance, no residue at all. If you worried about the skin peeling off on its own, you can lay that to rest: it’s a tight grip. The skin itself has no particles of rubbery material on it, and the case looks like I’d just cleaned it with rubbing alcohol: spotless, like new.
• Bigger pieces on the front: same story: on tight, taking force to remove. There’s a little spot I’m pretty sure was there before I installed the skin (I had a number of spots on this keyboard). Nothing wrong with the case, no residue, nothing sticky. Interestingly, the Apple logo is now kind of permanently “embossed” through the skin.
• Texture feels as it did before.

One caveat: a slight amount of residue right around the camera cutout on the back. Rubbing it with my fingers made it ball up and come off. If there were a greater amount, you could spend a couple of minutes rubbing it off with your finger or a microfiber cloth with maybe some rubbing alcohol, but in general I don’t think it’s needed.

I removed the rest of the skin (“I can’t leave it half skinned and half naked”).

Conclusion

There should be no worries about installing at least a SopiGuard skin on the iPad Magic Keyboard: it didn’t leave residue or damage the case. (I’ve only tried SopiGuard, not other brands.) I’ve had it on for three or four weeks, and I need to go buy a new one because I’m already going to miss it. I’d have to decide whether to pick the same 3M Matrix or another color; suggestions welcome. With or without a skin, the iPad and the Magic Keyboard are awesome. See my iPad playlist for tips, tricks and reviews.

Links

• If this was helpful I have a tip jar
• SopiGuard 3M Matrix Skin
• Magic Keyboard for 11” iPad Pro
• Magic Keyboard for 12.9” iPad Pro
• Follow Me on Twitter
• • iPad Magic Keyboard Skin
• • Copy files from iPad to iPhone
• • 6 Weeks with the iPad Magic Keyboard | Is It Worth It?
• • Turn the iPad into a Laptop
• • Should you get a Magic Mouse for the iPad Pro
• Rode VideoMic NTG
• iPad Pro 12.9
• Used DJI OSMO 3 Gimbal for some shots
• Tascam DR-10L Audio Recorder with Lav