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Published on: 30.07.2023 | updated on: 09.04.2024
Even if you take care of your iPhone, all it takes is a minor mistake to end up with a broken iPhone screen. According to a poll, a quarter of the people owning an iPhone have a broken screen. So, consider yourself not alone.
The screen repair is the most costly out of all iPhone parts. However, if you are willing to do the repair yourself, you can save more than half the cost of iPhone repair. Repairing the screen yourself is not an easy task, so here’s a step-by-step guide that you can follow to make the repair convenient and hassle-free.
You can find step-by-step instructions and a list of the tools you need to ensure you have everything before starting. We weigh up the DIY costs and professional repair costs and why you should avoid home remedies like baking soda and toothpaste to repair your phone screen.
Note: Performing this DIY iPhone screen replacement will compromise iPhone's waterproof capability.
Once a side of the iPhone is heated, place a suction cup on it.
You can buy the LCD screen which starts at $113 for the older models and up to $500 for the iPhone 15. You can buy thhe screen independently or with the tools if you don’t already have them.
If you decide to go ahead with a professional repair, you can ask for a quote first so you know what price to expect, and it gives you a chance to talk about Applecare or your warranty if you are going through Apple for your repair.
You have many great choices, making the choices flexible to have your phone screen replaced.
You can choose to go with Apple, the manufacturer of your iPhone, which is ideal if you have Applecare or are claiming under warranty.
Suppose you do not have any insurance or warranty and want to keep the price low. In that case, there are third-party options you can consider, such as Simply Fixable, which partners with many trusted and affordable iPhone technicians.
Here are Simply Fixable's and competitors' avg iPhone screen repair costs:
Cost |
Simply Fixable |
Apple |
Avg. iPhone screen repair cost |
$155.77 |
$250.15 |
Table. iPhone screen repair cost
*Data in the given table is based on Simply Fixable's market research and the official Apple website
Apple recently launched a Self-Service Repair program that provides users with genuine parts, repair manuals, and equipment to fix broken devices. The program is available to the latest iPhone models, including iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone SE 2022, as well as selected M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models from 2020 and 2021. With this program, you have the choice to fix the device yourself without paying the high fees associated with professional repairs. It will save time and money and reduce electronic waste. Users can also rent the tool kit and manuals rather than purchasing new ones, further reducing costs. Check the website for further information and to see whether the option is available for your country.
It can be tiring and frustrating to put a phone back together. If you do not know where a part goes, ensure you look at the instructions we provide to find where the part may have come from. Every part that you took out of the phone was important and served a purpose never think a part is tiny, so it wouldn't be doing much it is vital to the phone and must be put back in.
It is common for people to have a snack when they are performing the repair but crumbs can fall into the phones inside and cause problems.
Ensure the working area where you are doing the repair is tidy and clean you don't want extra dust and dirt sticking to the parts you take out and then put back in as this can cause problems with the phone and can overheat it. It is also wise to not have other screws and tools around the area as they can get mixed up with the iPhone parts and cause confusion.
Some repair jobs, like a battery or screen replacement, are more suited for a DIY job. Complex jobs like water damage or internal component problems like the motherboard should be left to the professionals if you don’t have any experience with complex repairs. You don't want to risk further damage being done to the phone.
DIY iPhone repair requires patience and the skills to deal with small parts and components. You need to remember exactly how the parts go back into the phone, as one part that is not correctly installed can affect the phone's functioning. If you lack the confidence, patience, and skills, then it might be safer to get expert help.
To carry out iPhone repairs, you need to have specialized tools. You cannot use the same tools you might have on hand in your shed. You also need to ensure you buy the parts you need, like a screen repair kit to match the model of your phone. Buying these from reputable companies is a good idea to avoid cheap knockoff parts that won't last long.
Research the how-to’s and step-by-step guides for your model phone and read over them before starting. Read the guides thoroughly to ensure you know what to do to prevent mistakes from occurring
You want to make sure you are working in a clean environment that is dedicated to the repair of your phone. Keep other tools and parts that you already have there away from the area you are working to avoid them getting mixed up and causing confusion.
Before starting any repairs, it is important to perform a thorough backup of all your iPhone’s data. This will help protect your important information in case any unforeseen issues arise.
Before proceeding with the repair, it's important to evaluate any potential risks involved. This way, you can be better prepared and informed about the process. It's also essential to understand the possible consequences of any mistakes that may occur during the repair, such as unintentionally causing additional damage to your phone. By being aware of these risks and accepting the responsibility that comes with them, you can proceed with confidence and take the necessary steps to ensure a successful repair.
If you're a novice, repairing things on your own can take up a lot of your time. It's important to have enough time and patience to complete the repair correctly without rushing, as doing so could result in mistakes.
Start with easier repairs if you're new to it. Before taking on more complicated problems, build up your confidence and knowledge.
Join online communities and forums for DIY iPhone screen repairs. Seek advice from experienced individuals and take advantage of community support. It can help you troubleshoot unexpected issues.
It's always great to challenge ourselves, but it's equally important to know our limits. If you encounter difficulties or realize that the repair is beyond your skill level, don't worry. Seeking professional assistance can be a great opportunity to learn from experts in the field and expand your knowledge. Remember that attempting to complete a complex repair without the required expertise could result in irreversible damage, but with the right guidance, you can avoid costly mistakes.
You need to test out the touchscreen to ensure everything is working. Touching the screen and icons to see if they respond to your touch, such as swipe, tap, and multi-touch. You also need to check the buttons are in place and working correctly.
Without the right set of tools, replacing the iPhone screen can become a lot more complicated. Therefore, it is recommended to keep these tools on hand for repair.
These are the bare minimum tools you need to complete the repair. All these tools are often sold in kits. If you don’t have any tools, buying them in a kit would be better rather than individually picking out each tool.
When it comes to self-repairing your phone, it's important to purchase genuine parts from a reliable store. Apple and MobileSentrix are two such stores that provide high-quality parts. Keep in mind that Apple parts are genuine and, therefore, a bit more expensive.
If you haven’t dealt with an iPhone screen replacement before, this repair can take you a while. On average, it takes a professional anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour for an iPhone screen replacement.
Since you will need to go over each step of the repair process carefully, it may take 2-5 hours to complete the repair. Therefore, for completing a DIY iPhone screen repair, be prepared to give up a Sunday afternoon. Remember, patience is a virtue!
The iPhone is not a very repair-friendly device. For the past few years, Apple has been focused on keeping the prying eyes away from what is beneath the iPhone.
Luckily, replacing the iPhone screen is among the few iPhone repair that is still doable as a DIY project. However, replacing the screen comes with its complications. Due to the complexity involved with this repair, it is quite difficult. On a difficulty scale of 1-10, the iPhone screen replacement DIY repair comes at 7.
The number one cause of broken screens on mobile phones is dropping them. They fall out of people’s pockets, or they fall when you are juggling all your shopping inside. To avoid a broken screen, it would be wise to put a screen protector on your phone and a wrap-around cover that will help to protect the phone when you drop it. Water is another common cause when people have their drink bottle in their bag with their phone and the drink leaks, or they go out in the rain and forget they have their phone with them, or they take it in the bathroom when they shower. Avoid any liquid or moisture near the phone to prevent water damage from occurring.
If your phone is not obsolete, you can still receive updates, and it runs great, then it is certainly worth fixing a cracked screen compared to the price of buying a new one. If you have significant damage, like a broken screen, camera, or internal damage, and the phone is older, then it might be a better decision to upgrade especially if the phone is starting to run slow.
If you have the right tools, knowledge, and confidence, then you can put a new screen on your phone at home. It can be an easier and cheaper way to solve the broken screen problem. Newbies are not recommended as further damage can be done to the phone, resulting in costly professional repairs. Ensure you read up on the how-to guides and have everything ready before starting.
DIY repair is another option if you prefer not to take the phone to your local repair store. DIY repairs on an iPhone are only recommended if you have experience in this field, as you can cause further damage if you don’t know much about what you are doing.
You must buy the replacement screen and the tool kit to conduct the repairs yourself.
If you are not confident in repairing the device yourself and don’t want to risk causing further damage, you can opt to get a professional to install the screen, which can usually be done within 24 hours. You will get a minimum 90-day warranty on your repair for your peace of mind.
Buying a new phone can be expensive, especially if you are upgrading and buying a newer model. Most newer iPhone models are over $1000, which is expensive, especially if you are
Ensure you know where you stand with warrantys and insurance. If you have Applecare or a 12-month warranty with Apple, then you must get the repair done by Apple otherwise, it will void the warranty. For personal insurance, check with the company, as some only allow you to use their recommended repairers. Always check what you can claim as some warranties and Applecare do not cover water damage and other types of repairs. You need to consider whether it is worth losing coverage if you get a third-party company to repair the phone.
If your phone is flat, then you will get a black screen and no response when touching the screen. If the phone is not charging, check that the PowerPoint is on and the charger is not damaged. If you have a spare one, try it and see if that chargers the phone. Also, check that the charger port area is not clogged with fluff or dirt. You can clean this out with a soft bristle brush.
When you drop an iPhone, in most cases you end up with a broken screen. There is no home remedy for this problem, and the phone will need a new screen to be used properly again. You can opt for a DIY repair if you know how to do it or seek help from a professional repair store for a new screen.
Frozen iPhone screens can occur when the phone is lagging due to too many high-powered apps going on in the background or when you dont have enough storage free on the phone. Closing your apps and freeing up some space should prevent this problem from reoccurring. A simple reset should fix the problem.
The cheapest way of replacing the iPhone screen is through a DIY repair. With a DIY repair, users can save labor costs and pay only for the screen parts needed for the repair. This ends up saving the users a lot of money which they could pay to get the repair done otherwise.
If you don’t fix a cracked iPhone screen, the crack can spread through the screen. Dust can also penetrate through a cracked screen and damage the LCD beneath the glass display. Therefore, a cracked screen should be fixed as early as possible to curtain collateral damage to the iPhone.
No, it is not safe for more than one reason. A cracked screen means the screen glass is broken, and tiny particles of glass can get into your finger when you swipe the screen. If the glass is loose, you could risk it falling into your eye when you put the phone up to your ear. Looking at a phone screen with a crack can cause your eyes to strain leading to headaches, dizziness, and dry eyes.
Toothpaste should never be used on cracked screens. It will not fix a broken screen and can worsen the matter if you fill the crack with toothpaste, and it seeps into the components under the screen.
No, you cannot. Baking soda is good for cleaning things, but it cannot repair cracks in a phone screen. Baking soda, after being made into a paste, dries like a powder, and using it on your phone can risk it dislodging from the crack and going into your speaker or charger port, which will only cause further problems.
Repairing your broken screen is a must to continue using the phone as you previously did and to protect yourself from glass particles and eye strain. Avoid home remedies like toothpaste and baking soda as they cause more problems for your phone and do not work to repair cracks. A DIY screen replacement can be done if you have the right tools and knowledge to do the job. If you're not confident then seek advice from a repair store like Apple or Simply Fixable to assist in making those repairs for you.
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Professional Content Creator
LinkedIn: Hollie Spooner
Hollie is a technical writer with over 15 years of experience specializing in creating content to help keep the rest of the world informed and updated on all tech-related subjects. Hollie has created content for many writing platforms in the tech and IT industry, and her passion for turning words into helpful articles is still growing. Hollie holds several certifications, like "Professional Article and Blog Writing", "Writing Editing and Publishing", "Creative Writing" and "Technology Digital Solutions" by Open Education and Thompsons Education Direct. When she isn’t creating content for the web, she is enjoying a crazy life with her family and friends.
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