Cracked phone screens are more common than anyone would like to admit, and they typically render the phone useless and require professional repair or a replacement. If you’re dealing with a cracked phone screen for the first time, here’s what you need to know.

For starters, not all cracked phone screens are the same. There are varying stages of severity, from a small crack to an entire phone screen broken into hundreds of pieces, making the phone useless and in desperate need of repair or replacement. While there are a few different ways to fix a cracked screen, they are entirely dependent upon the severity of the damage.

So, review the screen damage carefully by placing your phone on a desk or counter (any solid surface will do) and in good lighting. This way, you should be able to tell whether the screen is still intact, or if the screen is close to falling off or failing entirely. If the screen is visible and looks like it will stay in place, and the phone is working, you can still use the phone with some discretion.

Once you’ve reviewed the damage, you can choose from the following solutions, ranging from temporary to permanent.

  • You can use packing tape as a kind of band-aid for your phone screen. Line up the tape accordingly and cut it with an X-Acto knife or something similar for a neater appearance. This is not a permanent solution by any means. However, it is something you can do if you’re waiting for a paycheck to pay for repairs or replacement, or if you’re waiting until your able to get a mobile phone upgrade in a few months or weeks. You’ll also keep the glass together and prevent cuts to your hand while using the screen.

  • Purchase a screen protector. This is an upgrade from the packing tape method and ensures that there is a clean line around the edge of the phone screen with no seams. This can also help prevent further breakage of the screen.

  • If you have the skills or you’re willing to research how to do it online, you could try replacing the screen yourself. However, you should pay attention to the pricing of the items you’ll need to replace your screen versus how much it would cost to take the phone in for a screen repair. Screen repair can get pricy, and it won’t make sense to repair it yourself if a professional can do it for less money. However, if you try to fix the phone yourself, it is quite likely you will void the warranty (if cracking your screen didn’t already void it), and you stand a good chance of ruining the phone completely if you aren’t careful, even if you know what you’re doing.

  • Take your phone to a professional to have it fixed or replaced the right way. iPhones can be taken into Apple stores and Best Buy stores. Best Buy will also repair phones by Samsung. However, here at Cellular Repair and Exchange, we will fix LG phones in addition to iPhones and Samsung phones. If it’s an iPad or another mobile tablet that you’ve cracked the screen on, we can take care of those as well.

Ready to fix or replace the cracked screen on your mobile device? If you’re in Tulsa, Oklahoma or Little Rock, Arkansas, you can visit one of our stores in person. You can also fill out and submit the form on our Contact Us page, or call 918-551-6550 for more information.