Phone Screen Replacement Basics

A screen is usually the part that breaks first and the one most people want fixed quickly. This page explains the routes the makers offer, what the job involves at a high level, what can go wrong, and when to hand it over. It does not give step-by-step instructions. The makers and iFixit publish those, and we link to them.

Who can replace a phone screen?

A professional provider or a self-repair owner can both replace a screen, but the makers steer most people to professionals. Apple’s iPhone service and repair page lists in-person service at a Genius Bar or Apple Authorized Service Provider, or mail-in service with a prepaid shipping box. Its genuine battery page says that for most customers a professional provider using genuine Apple parts is the safest and most reliable way to get a repair.

None of these pages publishes a flat price for a screen. Apple’s page offers an estimator and says it must inspect a device to give a personalized estimate, and that Authorized Service Providers set their own fees. Check the current estimate on the maker’s page for your model.

What does a screen replacement involve?

A screen replacement means removing the damaged display assembly and fitting a replacement made for your model, then finishing any software or calibration steps. Apple’s Self Service Repair page describes the process for owners in four stages: read the repair manual first, order parts and tools from the store, repair the device following the manual, then return the replaced part for recycling. The store is operated by a third party authorized by Apple, and some purchases need your serial number or IMEI.

The parts can matter as much as the labor. Apple says genuine parts are individually calibrated with data stored at manufacture and retrieved to finish the repair, and that Repair Assistant and System Configuration are postrepair tools the manual may call for. Apple’s Parts and Service History page says that if calibration is not finished you cannot use Face ID or Touch ID until the calibration for those parts is completed. Google’s page points Pixel owners to a Repair Diagnostics app for checking a phone before and after a repair.

The job varies by phone design. iFixit’s smartphone scores page lists the iPhone Air and iPhone 16 family as having a design that prioritizes screen repairs, and the Pixel 9 family likewise. It says the Galaxy S25 Ultra and S25 Edge have a screen tightly glued to the chassis, which it calls tedious or wasteful to repair. Those are iFixit’s assessments of specific models, not rules for every phone.

What can go wrong with a screen replacement?

The main risks are damage to the phone, loss of water resistance, injury and a complicated warranty position. The makers state them plainly:

• Damage and injury. Google says that if you try a fix without relevant technical skills you might get hurt or break your device, and that choosing self-repair means assuming the risk. Samsung’s precautions cover static discharge and residual voltage in circuit board parts, and tell owners to wear safety equipment and repair in a safe place.
• Water resistance. Apple says splash, water and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and might decrease with normal wear, and its list of things to avoid for preventing liquid damage includes disassembling your iPhone, including removing screws. Liquid damage is not covered under Apple’s warranty.
• Warranty. Samsung says its Limited Warranty is not impacted by self-repair, but a repair attempt that causes damage may not be covered afterward. Apple says its warranty does not cover accidental damage; Apple’s own repair guarantee is 90 days or the remaining term of your warranty, whichever is longer.
• Parts that do not verify. On iPhone 12 models and later, Apple’s Parts and Service History shows the display as Genuine, Used or Unknown. Apple says an Unknown part, for example a nongenuine display, might affect trade-in value.

When should I use a professional?

Use a professional if you lack repair experience, if the phone is under warranty, or if it is a foldable. Samsung says to call a qualified technician or Samsung support if you have any doubts about the safety of a repair, and not to attempt a self-repair if you identify a safety issue. iFixit’s listings for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Pixel 9 Pro Fold say foldable repairs in general present challenges because of their inherent complexity, and that repairs involve carefully de-gluing and re-gluing the outer display or back cover. Our library has seven folding or flip phones from Samsung, Google and Motorola, so this applies to a real share of newer models.

Which phones in our library have iFixit screen guides?

Six of the 41 phones in our library have a direct screen or display guide link to iFixit. All 41 have a repair page, and 35 link to an iFixit device page.

Source: guide links recorded on our phone pages from iFixit’s device pages. For any other phone, open its repair page and follow the iFixit device link, or browse iFixit’s phone and iPhone indexes.

What kind of screen does my phone have?

Most phones in our library use OLED. Thirty-six list OLED, four list LTPO OLED and one lists LCD. The display type affects what the panel is called and how it behaves, not whether a maker supports its repair, so read our explainers on OLED, LTPO OLED and LCD if the terms are new, and refresh rates for what the numbers on a spec sheet mean.

Related

Battery replacement basics, repairability scores, the repair hub, the Apple hub, and the phone library.