Cracked Phone Screen? What to Do Next
A cracked screen is one of the most common phone faults — and one of the most misunderstood. Left alone it can spread, let in moisture, cut your fingers or stop the touchscreen working altogether. Here's what to do first, and what a proper screen repair actually involves.
First, stop and assess
- Mind the glass. If there are loose shards, pop a screen protector or some clear tape over the crack to stop it spreading and protect your fingers.
- Does the touch still work? If parts of the screen don't respond, show lines or flicker, or "ghost-touch" by themselves, the damage has likely reached the layers beneath the glass.
- Avoid pressing on it and don't pick at lifting glass — extra pressure can push a small crack into a dead display.
Back up your data now
While the phone still works, back it up — a cracked screen can fail completely at any time, and once the touchscreen dies, getting data off becomes much harder. On iPhone use iCloud Backup; on Samsung and other Android phones use Google's backup and Google Photos. Our guide on backing up before a repair walks through it.
Glass, digitiser or display?
"Screen" actually means three things bonded together: the outer glass, the digitiser that senses your touch, and the display (LCD or OLED) that shows the image. If only the glass is cracked but everything still works perfectly, it can be a simpler fix; if touch or the display itself are affected, the whole assembly usually needs replacing. On most modern phones these layers are fused together, so a quick look is the only way to say for sure — and to give you an accurate price.
Why DIY kits often cost more
Cheap replacement kits are tempting, but phone screens are glued down with strong adhesive and sit directly over delicate ribbon cables. It's easy to crack the new part on fitting, tear the touch connector, or damage the fingerprint/Face ID hardware — and on many phones, disconnecting certain parts can disable features unless done correctly. A botched DIY swap often turns a straightforward screen repair into a much bigger bill.
Is it worth repairing?
For most phones, yes — a screen replacement costs a fraction of a new handset and instantly restores it. On a very old or low-value phone it's worth weighing the cost against the device, and we'll give you that honest steer rather than fixing something that isn't worth it.
Get it fixed properly
We replace screens with quality parts and a clear quote first, on all major brands. See our smartphone repair service — and we cover tablets too.