Torx Plus: The High-Tech Screw Hiding in Our Gadgets

What the %#@$ even is Torx Plus? It solves a lot of the problems of earlier screw designs, but we're skeptical of wide adoption.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Torx and its new, high-tech cousin, Torx Plus, are the current kings of the screw hill. Torx Plus features a modified lobe profile with completely vertical sidewalls, yielding a true 90° drive angle and putting all of the twisting force directly into turning the screw. This design eliminates cam-out and provides secure contact along the full wall height of the screw. While Torx Plus is starting to be used by companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, it's still a rare sight in people's toolboxes, and the humble Phillips screw remains the repair champion.

Why it matters

Screws dictate who gets to open a device, who gets to fix it, and who gets to throw it away. As great as Torx Plus is, it can be a barrier to repair for people without a comprehensive toolkit. If the right tool for the job is proprietary or hard to find, repair becomes harder, and more devices end up in landfills.

The details

Torx Plus was introduced in the early 1990s as an evolution of the Torx screw design. It uses a modified lobe profile with completely vertical sidewalls, creating a true 90° drive angle and eliminating the cam-out issue of earlier screw designs. The larger cross-sectional area of the lobes also spreads the contact patch over a greater area, preventing wear on bits and damage to screws. While a Torx bit can be used in a Torx Plus screw, the opposite is not true - a Torx Plus bit won't fit in a Torx screw. This means that using the correct driver is important for high-torque applications, though the smaller fasteners in gadgets are usually not subjected to as much force.

  • Torx was introduced in the 1960s as an improvement over Phillips screws.
  • Torx Plus was first seen in the early 1990s as a further evolution of the Torx design.

The players

Torx

A 6-lobed, star-shaped screw design that was explicitly designed to prevent cam-out, relying on new torque-limiting tools instead of the sloped walls of the Phillips screw.

Torx Plus

A modified version of the Torx screw design that features elliptical lobes with completely vertical sidewalls, creating a true 90° drive angle and eliminating cam-out.

Phillips

A 'cross-head' screw design introduced in the 1930s as an improvement over traditional slotted screws. It has a tendency to cam out, which prevents damage to the screw threads and the part being screwed, but can also lead to stripping of the screw head.

Robertson

A square-headed screw design that was a Canadian invention and almost became the standard for Henry Ford's Model Ts, but ultimately remained a 'what-might-have-been' of engineering history.

Apple, Google, and Microsoft

Companies that are starting to use Torx Plus screws in their products.

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The takeaway

While Torx Plus is a significant improvement over earlier screw designs, its lack of widespread adoption in people's toolboxes means it can still be a barrier to repair. The humble Phillips screw remains the repair champion, being ubiquitous and accessible to everyone. As more companies adopt Torx Plus, it will be important for the repair community to ensure that the right tools are available to maintain access and affordability of device repair.