How to Fix Cracked IPhone Screen During Shutdown?
During a pandemic, there is not much you can do – at least if you are smart. You shouldn’t go to the mall (even if it’s open), and you shouldn’t even think about just hanging around the Apple store and taking silly pictures on their demo devices.
However, quarantine – voluntary or otherwise – also comes with some disappointments. For example, if your iPhone breaks, you can’t just waltz to the Apple store to get it fixed at the old smart people bar. You’re kind of stuck. Or you?
If I am in quarantine, how do I get my phone repaired?
In this week’s Tech 911 column, we answer a question from Lifehacker reader Stephanie . She writes:
My iPhone’s screen was very, very cracked before the pandemic hit the US and things have only gotten worse since then. (Since I would never have pulled it out of my pocket when it even starts to drizzle.)
I know this is absurd in the scale of the problem right now, but how do I fix the screen before it’s too late? For your information, I live in New York and several services I have heard of do not currently accept appointments. Also, I am currently receiving a reduced salary and have resigned myself to the possibility that I may very well have no income any day, so spending hundreds of dollars on a new phone, etc. is totally unacceptable.
Thanks and be safe!
You have options, but you may need extra patience
I want to fix my device – this is not absurd. It’s never absurd. Just because we’re in quarantine and you’re stuck in one of the hottest spots for COVID-19 doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have technology working. This is especially true now, as your phone is even more of a lifeline for the world than before. Aside from the obvious calls, texting, and Slacking you are likely to make, this is what you will use to bind other devices if or when your internet goes down. That way, you’ll be recording all the silly videos that keep you sane during these tough times, or the barren streets of New York that you’ll fondly look back at years later when the sweaty hustle and bustle resumes. in a (probably) post-vaccinated world. You might think, “The coronavirus is terrible, but it was nice that tourists don’t stand in front of me wherever I go.”
I’m kidding, but I want to emphasize that wanting to lead a normal life, including the normal and functional use of the gadgets you rely on, is a wonderful, selfless thought right now. Unfortunately, you are right; The “new normal” we live in, especially in New York, means you won’t have an ultralight way to fix your phone. This includes the dubious but sometimes reliable “fix your phone!” stalls were scattered around the city, as was the mighty Apple store itself.
Try to find an Apple Authorized Repair Service Provider that is still open.
I quickly looked for authorized service providers on Apple’s support site and the results weren’t very good for New York. In fact, here’s all I could find:
For those reading this outside of New York, your chances may be much higher – since you probably don’t live in the epicenter of the coronavirus, and you might even live in one of those places where everyone has fun on the beach, celebrates, and so on. like that. So, who knows, maybe you have a choice of 20 repair centers. Anyway, I’d start here: search the Apple Support site for authorized repair centers near you and see if they’re available to repair your device.
Otherwise, you may have to send your iPhone in for repair. It will cost you time, but at least it gets fixed.
I don’t know your specific warranty situation – and Apple will tell you, don’t worry – but you are planning to potentially increase the amount to $ 329 for post-warranty repairs. The figure gets smaller the older and smaller your device is, so you might be in luck if you are repairing an old iPhone SE for only $ 129. You can check Apple prices here .
It was possible to go for a third-party repair, but …
Places like UBreakIFix will be more than happy to come up with a repair order for your device, which may even include a pickup. You’ll probably even be able to pay for its repair is slightly smaller than Apple, but you may also get less than stellar experience , depending on how third-party service repair device. Ah, the joys of Apple’s struggle with the right to repair .
You didn’t mention which iPhone you have, but you may want to rethink your buy-new approach. In fact, I would change that sentence to just read “buy one”. You don’t need to spend over $ 1000 on a new iPhone. If you’re still rocking, say, an iPhone 8, you can get a functional (but maybe not very pretty) for about $ 200 from a third-party vendor . Heck, you could even get the $ 50 “ I Just Need Something To Live” iPhone SE – meaning an older iPhone, not a newer one.
You don’t need to buy an expensive iPhone replacement
Considering the times we live in, and the fact that repairing your iPhone can be a headache (and costly, as you’ve noticed), paying one-fourth of the cost of the repair just for what you can use to get by is an option. This will keep you going until your working hours are back to normal and you can’t get your original device repaired (or maybe buy something better ).
Let’s summarize
I don’t like these options, but they are.
- Send it to Apple. Expensive but authentic parts. You will have to wait, but you will get your iPhone repaired as best you can.
- Find an Authorized Service Provider: This will be tricky in New York during quarantine, but if you find an available Apple provider, you can save yourself a little repair time. Money? No time? May be.
- Find a third party repair shop. Depending on what’s open , you can save money and time, but it can be a gamble. Replacing the screen at an unauthorized repair shop will void your Apple warranty, if applicable, and may result in a deterioration in the appearance of the display depending on what parts the repair shop uses. You may be fine too. This game is less for old iPhones and more for new ones.
- Purchase a used but functional replacement. Whether you’re replacing your broken phone with the exact same model, or looking to go back a generation or two just to get something cheap and functional, deferring repair is definitely worth considering.
- Call a friend. Try asking around. Most likely, someone has a spare iPhone (probably an older one) lying around in a drawer somewhere they don’t use. See if you can borrow it until you’re in a better position to work with, then consider repairing options from there. Replacing the SIM card with another iPhone is very easy.