Repair your smartphone display yourself & save money
It happens every day, and you’ve surely experienced it as well: Your phone’s just beeped in your pocket, so you quickly and carelessly reach to pull it out. The next thing you know, your smartphone’s on the ground with a broken display. A sturdy Nokia from the old days would have been able to handle it, but not the sensitive smartphones of today. A specialist is expensive, so you do it yourself! But is it even possible? Can you also repair your new Galaxy S9 yourself? Oftentimes only the glass on the display is damaged. So how does cell phone repair work? Assuming you aren’t totally clumsy, you can also repair your smartphone yourself if it’s just damaged glass you’re dealing with. This is where you’ll find instructions and the most important answers to your questions.
Contents
- My cell phone’s display is broken. What can I do?
- Can you repair a cell phone’s display yourself?
- Why repair it yourself?
- What tools are needed for a repair job?
- Tutorial: Repair a cell phone and smartphone display yourself
- What helps against cracks in the display?
- Should I use an original or third-party part?
- Where can I order spare parts for the display in a store?
- What happens to the warranty after the repair?
- How expensive can a workshop repair get?
- While repairing a display, what shouldn’t be done under any circumstances?
- Conclusion
When your new iPhone crashes to the ground, you should first keep calm. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and be pleased to see it’s neither broken nor defective. But if it is indeed damaged, you can buy a new one, consult a trusted specialist, or try to repair the display yourself.
Repairing a cell phone’s display yourself sounds like rocket science at first, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s also cheaper because you save having a specialist perform the repairs. However, it requires a little skill and some tools that can be found in every household.
Whether it’s an iPhone or smartphone you’re dealing with, it’s expensive to get a professional or cell phone repair service involved. Professionals will easily take up to 150 euros for a simple repair, so you can save that money if you try to do it yourself.
Cell phone repair kits are available online for 20 to 30 euros. They usually consist of an adhesive film and the matching replacement glass. Other accessories for this repair project are time (about one to two hours at most), adhesive tape (preferably double-sided), a blunt and a sharp knife, a small suction cup, a hairdryer, and a helping hand — after all, you can always use one.
The following tutorial provides step-by-step instructions for repairing a defective display on a cell phone:
- Turn off the cell phone to prevent a short circuit.
- Before opening the cell phone, it has to be warmed up. This is because the display is often very strongly glued to the rest of the casing — you first have to soften the glue to remove the glass. A hair dryer works best for this heating process.
- When the edge of the display is nicely warmed up, the suction cup can be applied and the display can be pulled up.
- Once a narrow gap has been created, insert a flat, sturdy tool into the gap. Slowly and carefully work your way under the glass, from the bottom up. The cell phone should remain warm during this process. A helping hand can be very useful here.
- Once you’ve made your way around the display, you can slowly lift up the glass using the suction cup and carefully separate it from the rest of the phone.
- Small scrapers should be included in the repair kit! One of them can now be used to clear the display of any residue.
- The touch sensors can now be covered with the double-sided adhesive tape. As additional protection for the future, it is also recommended to tape the edges again. This protects the smartphone from contaminants down the road.
- Now stick the adhesive film on the cell phone.
- Carefully peel off the protective film.
- Remove dust, dirt, and other contaminants from the LCD display.
- Carefully attach the glass and heat everything again with the hair dryer. This allows the adhesive to bond strongly.
- Insert the battery and turn on the cell phone — it’s ready to be used again.
Unfortunately, cell phone displays scratch easily. Even though the internet has all sorts of home remedy suggestions such as baking soda or toothpaste, you should put a few euros into polish paste and anti-scratch kits. They solely exist for this purpose.
Spare parts for your cell phone can be expensive if you buy them from a partner that is authorized by the manufacturer. To save money, you quickly resort to third-party providers and sometimes don’t even know what you’re doing to your cell phone. Costs can be saved, but often damage occurs after the repair. Even though the low price is tempting, third-party providers should be avoided.
When it comes to spare parts or repairs, an authorized partner is always the right way to go. They are certified by the manufacturer to perform services such as a repair. Online, you can go to the manufacturer’s site — such as Apple or Samsung — and search for authorized manufacturers from the region.
Any warranty on the part of the manufacturer applies only to repairs carried out by authorized partners. If you have your phone repaired by an unauthorized partner, you will forfeit the manufacturer’s liability as well as any remaining warranty period.
Replacing a display takes professionals no more than half an hour, but the cost can be high. Calculations are conducted depending on how old or new the phone is and how expensive it was.
- Do not sand down a scratched display under any circumstances
- Keep your hands off toothpaste and baking powder
- Scratches can’t be filled with oil
- Let a professional do the work
Replacing a damaged display isn’t rocket science, but it requires a bit of caution and a steady hand. If you want to be on the safe side, pay the money and let a professional do it. Especially with a new cell phone. This also won’t void the warranty.