Replace android screen: How to Replace a Damaged Phone Screen Display

How to Replace a Damaged Phone Screen Display

As mobile phone displays are much tougher than they used to be, it seems like they’re indestructible. Sadly, they’re not. Dropping your phone can often break the display. Your phone can no longer be considered useful.

Want to replace a damaged smartphone display? It’s a relatively cheap and straightforward process. Here’s how to do it.

The Costs of Replacing Your Phone Screen

Cracked your mobile phone display? Dropped it in the street, or crushed it playing football? Sat on it, even? You know by now that you’ve given yourself a headache. Can the phone be repaired, and if so, what are the costs?

Many services available online and locally will repair your mobile phone, for a price. But if you have access to the parts and they’re inexpensive, why not perform the procedure yourself?

You should also consider the non-monetary costs: time spent without a phone, data that needs archiving from the device. Hopefully your mobile platform’s cloud service can help here, or perhaps a desktop utility can check the phone’s contents.

Fitting a new display that costs the same as a replacement phone is pointless. However, if replacing the mobile phone screen is closer to $15, it makes sense to have a go yourself.

If you don’t want to attempt the repair, here’s how to recover data from a cracked phone.

Where to Find a Replacement Phone Screen

The most obvious location for a replacement display is eBay. Simply searching for the mobile phone model and the word display will turn up the required parts. Just remember to shop safely when using eBay.

In my case, “nexus 5 display” returned a wealth of accurate (and, sadly, slightly inaccurate) results. Take the time to check that the component you choose is genuinely for your device. Often, components may appear in the results thanks to a poorly written listing.

Amazon is also a resource for replacement screens, but you should also consider a general Google search as this will turn up specialist suppliers who might be able to provide a lower price.

Note that you may find listings that offer just the display, versus listings with half the phone’s chassis. Which one you buy depends on how complicated you want things to get. For example, just the display means melting the adhesive using a heatgun or hairdryer.

Alternatively, a replacement display kit that includes half the phone’s body will require components being transferred from the old body into the replacement.

The Tools for Replacing Your Phone Screen

Often, replacement displays ship with the tools included. Typically, you’ll receive:

• Mini screwdrivers
• Mini Torx drivers
• Plastic tweezers
• Plastic wedges
• A guitar pick/plectrum

You should also have:

• Curved tweezers
• Precision knife or craft scalpel
• Hairdryer or heat gun

These tools are included to remove the case and unscrew any components that obstruct replacing the display. For example, a mobile phone will have Torx screws under the battery cover that will need removing before you gently prize the case apart.

Note that spending money on these tools isn’t totally necessary. Sanding off the ends of a couple of plastic bicycle wheel levers will produce usable alternatives—otherwise, they can be sourced relatively cheaply.

The Basics of Replacing a Phone Screen

There are so many different mobile phone models on the market (either new or used) that providing a standardized guide is next to impossible. Additionally, some models cannot be repaired without sending them back to the manufacturer.

Head to YouTube to check how your particular phone’s display can be replaced. You’ll find many detailed device-specific guides on the procedure.

Most smartphones are essentially made up of several layers of components. Each layer must be carefully detached for the glass display to be replaced.

These guides typically follow this procedure for replacing your smartphone display:

1. Open the phone
2. Remove the display
3. Replace the adhesive
4. Fit the new display
5. Ensure correct cable connection

Read on to learn how to fit a replacement smartphone display.

Step 1: Open the Phone

To begin, remove (where possible) the rear cover, battery and identify where the Torx (or standard) screws might be hidden. Look under labels and beside USB ports. You might find screws in the battery cavity if you have a device with a removable cell.

Prize the phone apart using the levers and plectrum; additional screws will need removing, too.

Watch out for ribbon cables, which require careful unlatching from their connectors. Use a flat plastic blade or plectrum for this.

These are often threaded through the different layers of hardware within the phone. Ribbon cables are delicate; easily broken, take care as damage to these could change the dynamic of the repair considerably.

Step 2: Remove the Screen

By now you should have the front of the phone in your hand, empty, with the glass display ready to remove. Soften the adhesive with the heat gun.

Alternatively, you can leave the phone in a warm place (such as on a radiator) for a while.

Persuading your phone’s display to part with the body isn’t usually difficult. Pushing through the camera hole against the glass to begin with, slowly prize the glass display away from the body.

As noted, some replacements are basically half a phone.

In this case, you won’t need to remove the display, but you will need to remove components (and even the motherboard) from the damaged device into the new body.

Step 3: Replace the Adhesive

Narrow rolls of replacement adhesive can be bought online. Have some double-sided sticky tape laying around? Cut this into narrow 1 mm slivers, then apply the adhesive to the phone’s frame, rather than the glass.

Step 4: Install the New Screen

Once the adhesive is in place remove the protective strips on the adhesive and push the glass into place.

Apply light pressure where the display meets the adhesive. Take care not to put pressure on the middle of the glass display. Excessive force can break even the strongest Gorilla glass.

Step 5: Ensure Correct Cable Connections

It’s now time to put the phone back together.

Reconnect the relevant cables, locking them down where necessary. Place the components back in the case with care, checking that there are no cables or screws left over. Test the phone to check that it works.

You should be able to switch the phone on without securing the final screws in order to check functionality.

Planning to use a video guide? Review it before you start to familiarize yourself with the steps.

Does the New Phone Screen Work?

The moment of truth: does the new screen work? Remember, a touchscreen display has two purposes: touch interaction, and displaying the phone’s operating system.

A successful replacement will give your phone a fresh “almost new” look, and if the touchscreen works, well done.

However, it isn’t always plain sailing. I’ve fitted a replacement display that caused the phone to overheat. Therefore, it is important to buy components from reputable sellers, and ensure you’re buying the right parts for your phone.

DIY Smartphone Repair, Success!

Confident? Replacing a mobile phone screen isn’t simple, but it is something that you should certainly consider if the price is right.

While there are no hard-and-fast rules—devices differ from manufacturer to manufacturer—the steps provided should illustrate what is entailed.

Most importantly, don’t walk into performing such a repair without some device-specific research first. Video guides are particularly useful; once you’re ready, get hold of the right tools and surprise yourself!

Here’s another tech problem you can solve yourself with a bit of time and effort: phone display flickering. And if you drop your phone into the water, don’t panic, follow these tips to help save it.

How to Repair a Broken Phone Screen

You could almost see it happening in slow motion: your smartphone is in your hand one moment, and the next thing you know, it’s barreling toward the ground in a nosedive. Sometimes the layers of glass and plastic will hold up, but all too often, this scenario will lead to a chipped, cracked, or broken phone screen.

Thanks to the right-to-repair movement, the options for mending a broken phone screen have expanded. Between simple DIY fixes, third-party repair shops, and even manufacturer-sponsored mail-in programs, there’s an option for everyone.

So take a deep breath before you pick up your damaged cell phone to examine it. Even if the cracks radiate out like a spiderweb, there’s a fix.

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Why Do Screens Break So Easily?

Artur Debat//Getty Images

Ah, the perennial question: Why is this $1,000 device so prone to damage in the first place?

It all boils down to a difficult-to-reach compromise between consumer desires and engineering reality. In other words, we want phones with maxed out displays that also feature an elegant design. However, those slim edges and nearly bezel-less screens have to make some concessions in the durability department.

But regardless of the design specifics, it’s really about elastic energy, according to Red Zombie, a Clearfield, Utah-based repairs and accessories shop.

“When you drop your phone, elastic energy stored in the phone’s glass is converted into surface energy, which is why your glass cracks,” the company notes in a September 2018 blog post. “[W]hen you drop your phone, the force of impact will overcome the surface compression, resulting in small stresses that could lead to the shattering of your screen.”

To combat this reality, manufacturers like Apple and Samsung are constantly experimenting with tougher kinds of glass to absorb the impact. Red Zombie says most companies mix zinc into aluminum to create a strong base for the body of the phone.

What to Do Right Away

Broken screens come in various levels of severity—from light scratches, to spiderweb-like patterns, to entirely missing chunks of glass—and you could be dealing with anything from a completely shattered display and a broken phone, to a simple cosmetic issue.

First, you should assess the damage, which means getting your phone on a solid surface and under a good light, not just giving it a quick once-over before stuffing it back in your pocket. With a little bit of stress testing and careful prodding you should be able to work out whether the screen is about to fall off or fail completely. In a lot of cases it will stay in place, cracks and all, so you can at least keep tweeting, as long as the screen is still visible and functioning.

Prepare for the Drop

• Is AppleCare+ Really Worth It?

If the phone is seriously damaged, back up your data as quickly as you can, making sure all of your photos, videos, and important files are saved somewhere else just in case it dies completely and you can’t get the phone working again. If it’s already stopped functioning, then a professional repair is probably your best bet.

Here are the solutions, in ascending order of professionalism.

Option #1: Apply 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.

Scotch Heavy Duty Packaging Tape

Now 44% Off

$15 at Amazon

X-Acto No 1 Precision Knife

$6 at Amazon

Option #2: Use a Screen Protector

Douglas Sacha//Getty Images

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

📱 More Smartphone Guides

• How To Recover Deleted Photos on Your iPhone
• How To Back Up Your iPhone to iCloud
• How to Make a Simple, DIY Wireless Fast Charger

Option #3: Replace the Screen Yourself

MirageC//Getty Images

It’s possible to replace a broken 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 a replacement screen. Today’s phone screens, which incorporate touch interaction and possibly biometric sensors, don’t come cheap.

You should 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 the iOpener, a tube you heat up and apply to the phone to soften its adhesives.

Screen Repair Kits

iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit

$75 at Amazon

iFixit Screen Opening Toolkit

$47 at Amazon

Lifegoo 27-Piece Repair Kit

$13 at Amazon

TSIOFO iPhone 11 Screen Kit

$49 at Amazon

Option #4: Call In a Pro

You can always just take your broken phone screen to a professional repair shop. If you’re an iPhone person, look for your local Apple Store here or consider trying out Apple’s mail-in repair program. Best Buy will work on iPhones and Samsung phones. And finally, UBreakIFix has more than 700 locations across the country.

Kevin Dupzyk

Kevin is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn. In past lives he’s been an economist, computer salesman, mathematician, barista, and college football equipment manager.

Courtney Linder

Deputy Editor

Before joining Pop Mech, Courtney was the technology reporter at her hometown newspaper, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied English and economics. Her favorite topics include, but are not limited to: the giant squid, punk rock, and robotics. She lives in the Philly suburbs with her partner, her black cat, and towers upon towers of books.

Smartphone touchscreen replacement

The displays of modern smartphones are very fragile, they crack and break literally after the first fall. This is due to the fact that the display is a complex part of the smartphone, made of glass and other fragile materials. Unfortunately, modern engineers have not yet been able to solve this problem.

Users are offered to stick additional protective glasses, covers, etc. – but this does not provide 100% protection. Therefore, replacing glass (screen) on a smartphone is a very common procedure. In this article, we will talk about what a touchscreen is, whether it is possible to change the display on your own and what problems the touchscreen has.

Contents

1. What is a touchscreen?
2. What is the difference between a touchscreen and a display?
3. How to replace the touchscreen?
4. How do I replace the touchscreen myself?
5. How to calibrate the touchscreen

What is a touchscreen?

Touchscreen means “touch” – pressing and “screen” – the screen. That is, this is the part of the screen in the smartphone that determines your clicks. A touchscreen is also called a sensor.

It is only used to recognize keystrokes. If the touchscreen does not work in the gadget, or they work involuntarily, then the touchscreen is broken. The display is responsible for the quality of the image and the display of the picture on the screen, it should not be confused with the touchscreen.

What is the difference between a touchscreen and a display?

Touchscreen – touch part responsible for recognizing clicks. The display is responsible for displaying information on the screen through pixel illumination. In other words, we press the touchscreen and look at the display. These two devices work together and are located one on top of the other. Together, this structure is commonly referred to as a screen and is protected by glass.

This is why cracked glass can damage the quality of touch recognitions or the picture quality of a smartphone. Sometimes severely broken glass damages the touchscreen and display.

How to replace the touchscreen?

If the touchpad does not work well or refuses to accept pressing at all, it should be replaced. Fortunately, smartphones can be disassembled by yourself. It is not necessary to change the device or its screen in order to fix the touchscreen, it is enough to separate it and change it to a new one. Service departments and equipment repair centers are fully engaged in the replacement. There you can easily fix your smartphone for an additional fee. Usually the procedure takes a couple of hours for the master and a couple of days for the client. The price varies depending on the type of device and the complexity of the work (from $5 to $350 per service).

Now the principle of screens without an interlayer, or “sandwich” body, has become popular. In this case, the touchscreen, display and glass are glued together, completely glued together with a transparent sealant over the entire plane.

The so-called “laminating technology” is done for several reasons.

• Firstly, such a screen has no interlayer and looks much better.
• Secondly, it takes up less space and makes the smartphone thinner and more convenient.

If the smartphone has such a screen, then it is impossible to replace only one part. In this case, you will have to change everything at once. This is usually the most expensive part in the device and is installed only in premium smartphones of well-known brands. This is easy to check – the glued screen does not have a layer of air inside and looks very thin, and when pressed there is no jelly effect.

How do I replace the touchscreen myself?

If you want to save money, you can replace the touchscreen yourself. Please note that such actions require some knowledge and skill. It is not recommended to perform this in case of doubt and lack of specialized equipment. If something is not done according to plan, then not only the smartphone screen, but also its battery board can be disabled – in this case, the repair will cost approximately the cost of a new device.

A new screen must be purchased before replacement. They are sold both in offline stores on the streets of the city, and in online stores. You can often save a lot by buying online. Before buying, be sure to make sure that the display you are buying will fit your smartphone. Some devices have different types of screens, especially for the Chinese like Xiaomi and Meizu. Pay attention to the smartphone version and compare it with the screen version.

If you have a new screen in hand, have the necessary equipment and enthusiasm, then you can start. Required for work: new display, hairdryer, screwdriver . First of all, turn off the smartphone and unscrew all the bolts on the frame (or open the back cover and unscrew everything there). Be sure to remember the location of the bolts, as they are different and will not fit in their sockets.

Next, carefully slide a thin card or paperclip under the display. In order for this to work, the screen should be heated with a hairdryer and sprayed with alcohol on it.

When slowly removing the display from the adhesive, carefully lift it up, but do not pull it out, as it is still on the cable. After successful removal, you need to pull out the battery.

Then remove the cable protection. It is attached with bolts and latches. It all depends on the smartphone model, it is better to look at the disassembly of your smartphone before starting and repeat the steps from there.

After removing the display, you can take a new one and put it in the same position and in the same place.

Many devices have a function button and touch pads on the front. They will have to be removed from the old panel and put in a new one. This action is not difficult. We need to see what is missing on the new display and take the missing parts from the old one. After that, insert a new one into the smartphone and screw it on in the same way as the old display.

After successfully connecting the cable, you need to check how the smartphone works. Turn it on and watch the sensor response. If everything is fine, then you can start gluing the screen with the case. You can use any superglue, but you can’t remove it back. For smartphones, silicone glue is used – and you need to use it. Such glue can be easily peeled off later by heating with a hair dryer.

Don’t forget to tighten the screws and attach the display well to the housing. After the done actions, the touchscreen should work normally.

How to calibrate the touchscreen

Usually, after replacing the display, it is already calibrated and should work normally. However, there are situations when touch pressing occurs in the wrong place. There are several reasons for this problem: poor-quality replacement and damage to modules, non-optimized software and a damaged cable on the plan.

Calibration is carried out by a software method through special applications on a smartphone. Apple IOS devices are not calibrated because they do it themselves. If there are problems with the sensor on an iPhone or iPad, it is a matter of poor-quality replacement or damaged hardware elements. Also, before making a conclusion, it is worth rebooting the device. The sensor may also not perform well due to extreme temperatures or moisture. In this case, you need to place the smartphone for a couple of hours (or better, a day) in a familiar and dry environment, such as a room. After a while, you can check the sensor.

Android devices can be calibrated using software such as Clinometer, TouchScreenTune or Power Bubble. After downloading one of these programs from Google Play, just open them and follow the instructions. Calibration takes only a couple of minutes.

How to Fix Cracked Android Phone Screen without Data Loss

Posted by Boyi Wong / Jan 26, 2021 09:00

No luck, my android phone screen cracked after falling to the ground. It really ruined my day because of this. Does this mean I should buy a new phone? Or are there repair options to save me money? More importantly, will the data stored on the phone be lost?

Phone screens are made of glass and glass breaks when you drop it. Sometimes, you’re lucky, nothing happens to your phone, and sometimes it doesn’t. Your android phone had a beautiful web pattern blooming on the screen and was not responding to operations.

But don’t be discouraged, a broken screen on your mobile device doesn’t necessarily mean buying a new expensive phone. Here are your options to fix it or deal with it.

List of manuals

• Part 1: 3 ways to fix cracked phone screen
• Part 2: Recovering data from a phone with a cracked screen

1. 3 ways to fix a cracked phone screen

1. DIY phone screen repair. Repair guide websites such as iFixIt have several screen repair guides for broken devices. You will find guides on what components you should buy and where to get them. But not everyone has the skills or the time to do so.
2. Contact your manufacturer. Before planning any DIY screen repair options, you should contact the company that made your phone in the first place. This can slightly reduce the cost of phone screen repair.
3. Local repair shop. If you don’t want to send your phone back to the manufacturer, you can contact your local repair shop to have your phone’s screen replaced.

As for the stored data, I suggest that you make a copy of it before deciding to repair. You can use FoneLab Broken Android phone data extraction to help you do it.

2. Recover Data of Cracked Screen Phone

FoneLab Broken Android Phone Data Extraction is an able application that can recover contacts from Android phone with broken screen, photos, messages, attachments, videos, music, documents, etc.

What’s more, it can also restore Android device to normal when it is stuck on black screen, rebooting or a welcome logo appears, etc. It is compatible with almost all Samsung models, such as Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy Note, and Samsung Galaxy Tab. You can download a free trial to have a try.

FoneLab Broken Android Data Extraction

Fix your frozen, crashed, black screen locked or locked Android system as normal, or recover data from broken Android phone or SD card.

• Fix your android problems and recover data from phone.

• Extract contacts, messages, whatsapp, photos, etc. from broken android device or memory card.

• Android phone and SD card data are available.

Free Download Learn More

Step 1Download and install the program on your computer from the link above. The program will then automatically launch when it is successfully installed. select Broken data extraction from Android phone from the interface.

Step 2Connect your device to your computer using a USB cable. Press Start If your Android device remains idle, black or unresponsive screen, you cannot enter your passcode or cannot touch the screen. Otherwise, click Install device if your Android device is damaged and you cannot manage it.

Step 3Make sure you have selected the correct information about your Android device, including device name and device model. Then press to confirm to move on.

Step 4 This step will put your Samsung phone into download mode. Follow the instructions on the screen to enter: turn off the phone – press and hold Volume down + Home + Power button together – press Volume up button, and then press the Start button.

Step 5 The program will scan data from your phone. After this is finished, select any file types in the left column and press Next .

Step 6Preview and mark the items you want to recover and click Recover to save them to your computer.

You can click the video below to watch the video on how to use extracted data from FoneLab Android phone to recover data from broken Android phone.