Cracked Phone Screen

How To Repair a Cracked Phone Screen

We give you options, from a quick fix to professional grade.

By Kevin Dupzyk

 GETTY IMAGES

Considering that phones these days are pretty much all screen, learning how to fix a display can become pretty necessary, especially for the clumsy among us.


Luckily, there is more than one way to fix a phone, ranging from passable to perfect. Here they are, in ascending order of professionalism.

Option #1: Packing Tape

The name of the game here is, “hold out until I’m eligible for an upgrade.” If you want to keep using the cracked phone, and don’t want to risk losing glass or slicing up your fingers, cover the screen with a layer of packing tape. Line everything up carefully and trim it with an X-acto knife and it may look almost like a real screen protector.

Option #2: Screen Protector

The gussied-up version of the packing tape solution. This ensures that you’ve got no seams and a clean line around the edges of the screen. Granted, that might not be much of a concern when underneath there’s a spiderweb of cracks.

Option #3: Replace the Screen Yourself


GETTY IMAGES/ANYA SEMENOFF

It is possible to replace a phone screen on your own. We’ll refer you to iFixit for their excellent, step-by-step guide with photos. A few key things to keep in mind here: Before you decide to go this route, look into the cost of the replacement screen. Today’s phone screens, which incorporate touch interaction and possibly biometric sensors, don’t come cheap.

Also look into the warranty situation. If you’re the kind of person who is willing to fix a phone yourself, you’re probably not too worried about maintaining your warranty—but it still can’t hurt to know if you’re going to void it.

Finally, unless you’re already accomplished at repairing modern solid-state electronics, you probably lack the specialized tools you’ll need for the job. Luckily, iFixit sells a handy kit that includes pretty much everything you’ll need, with the possible exception of their iOpener, a tube you heat up and apply to the phone to soften its adhesives.

Option #4: Call In a Professional

You can always just take your phone into the shop. If you're an iPhone person, look for your local Apple Store here. Best Buy will work on iPhones and Samsung phones. And finally, UBreakIFix has more than 400 locations across the country.