The finger friction approach did not work for me, even when using a sticky pad.
Here is what worked for me: Grab the iPhone in your right hand with the screen facing your hand and the top facing your body. Find a sharp edge of a desk or counter and place the bottom of the phone's back cover on is so that when you push it, the back cover remans against the desk with the body of the phone sliding free. BE GENTLE as this approach takes far less force than the finger friction approach.
