The brief moment of horror you feel when your phone slips out of your hand and falls towards the pavement is one we’ve all experienced. If you get lucky, your phone won’t have a scratch. If you aren’t quite as lucky and you find your screen in bits, then you’re probably here reading this article.
Luckily a damaged screen doesn’t mean you need a new phone, as there are a few different options available to you depending on how extensive the damage is.
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How to fix your phone screen
Step one
First of all, assess the damage. Carefully look around your phone to make sure you have a good idea of the extent of the break, ideally in properly lit conditions and on a solid surface. If your screen is still displaying a picture, you should be able to control your phone. Now would be a great time to back it up if you haven’t already.
The screen is not only used to control the phone, but also to protect it. Any damage to the screen will expose the inner workings of the phone to the outside world, which can seriously affect the performance and lifespan of the phone. Getting your hands on a plastic cover for the screen, or if all else fails some tape, could help prevent any further damage occurring and allow you to continue using it.
Step two
Now that you’ve taken care of the immediate issue, you’ll need to work out what you’re going to do regarding a longer term fix.
If your phone is insured or still under warranty, then you may be able to get your screen repaired for no additional cost. This will obviously vary on your insurance plan, and some companies like Apple won’t replace your screen under warranty if it was an accidental breakage, so check the small print.
If you don’t have insurance or warranty, then you have a couple of options.
You can attempt to repair the phone yourself by purchasing a screen replacement kit for the model of your phone. If you are confident enough and don’t mind opening your phone up, then this will likely be the cheaper way to repair your screen. The kits come with all the necessary tools and instructions, and there are some fantastic guides on the internet that will walk you through the process.
However, if you don’t feel comfortable opening up your phone and playing around with the insides (and who can blame you) then taking it to a local phone repair shop would be the next best thing. Yes, you’ll be paying more than if you did it yourself, but you’re leaving the repairs in the hands of someone who repairs phones for a living. Repairs are usually very swift taking no more than 30 mins on average, but do be prepared to part with some cash.
It’s important to note that with iOS 11.3 there have been some issues reported when fitting third party screens onto Apple devices. To be 100% sure that your fix is going to be effective, the easiest way forward is to send it back to Apple for repairs.
If all else fails and all your cracked screen has done is give you an excuse to upgrade, then you can still sell your phone despite your screen being cracked. There are plenty of ready buyers on e-bay, who will buy your phone to repair the screen, and then sell it on for a profit. You could also recycle your phone through one of the many recycling services, if you’d like to be 100% sure that your phone is being disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.
Step three
So how do we stop this from ever happening again?
If you’re prone to dropping your phone slightly more often than the average bear, then perhaps a more protective case might be the best solution for you.
There are several rugged options for phone cases that protect your phone from falls of up to 10 feet, which means you’d have to try really hard to damage it in any way. While these cases will make your phone a bit more bulky, it may not be quite as bad as you’d think, and a lot of the rugged cases still look great for any of the fashion conscious out there.