How Much Does It Cost to Repair a Cracked iPhone Screen?

Apple has taken the cost to buy an iPhone to the next level starting 2018, with $1000 becoming their norm. When you’re shelling out that much for an iPhone, the last thing you want crossing your mind is a broken screen. But it’s inevitable — every iPhone owner is going to drop that baby at some point. That all-glass front-and-back iPhone will indeed crack.

So how much should it cost to fix a broken iPhone screen? In an ideal world, it’s free 😇.

But since we don’t live in an ideal world 🤬, Americans have paid north of $10.7 billion according to this study by SquareTrade to fix iPhones (over $23.5 billion if you include Android phones). The study was done in 2014, so it’s safe to estimate that figure is much larger in 2018.

Try to visualize all that money in cash spent fixing broken iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch screens.

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how much it costs to fix that broken screen, and what your best options are:

• Cost to repair iPhone screen by Apple without AppleCare+
• Cost to repair iPhone screen by Apple with AppleCare+
• Cost to repair iPhone screen by non-authorized third-party vendors
• Protecting your iPhone screen

Cost to repair iPhone screen by Apple without AppleCare+

Uh oh. You accidentally dropped your phone while heading home tipsy from the party? Here is what it will cost you to get the screen fixed directly from an Apple Store or an Apple-authorized retailer like BestBuy’s GeekSquad:

Note: If you plan to ship the phone to Apple for repairs, you’ll get charged a $6.95 shipping fee as well. On the bright side, you’ll be numb from the actual repair cost to care about the shipping fee.

Consider this a learning experience. Similar to how you get health or renter’s insurance, be financially prepared and put $200 aside after purchasing a new phone. You’re bound to use it in the future.

Cost to repair iPhone screen by Apple with AppleCare+

You’re at the counter buying the latest iPhone and they asked you the proverbial question: “Do you want to get insurance for your phone?”.

If you were a smart cookie and said yes, pat yourself on the back. Because with AppleCare+ you will only pay $29 to fix your broken iPhone screen.

Apple limits these accidental screen damages to two occurrences. So listen to George Bush when he said “There’s an old saying that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.”. Yes? No? Okay, I’ll see myself out the door.

Note: You can only buy AppleCare+ within 60 days of your iPhone purchase. Here’s how much it costs:

Cost to repair iPhone screen by non-authorized third-party vendors

Ahh, third-party vendors. Some are amazing. Some are terrible. And both get taken advantage of by Apple’s lawyers.

Apple would prefer you buy a new iPhone from them, so they aggressively and regularly threaten the little guys over repairs. Apple is against independent repair, so right to repair activists and independent repair companies expect a constant fight unless there is some legislation.

The average cost to repair your screen by a third-party vendor is between $69 to $99. Some options include iCracked and Puls — which travel to your location to fix it right in front of you.

Pro tip: ask about the type of quality of replacement screen they will be using.

Protecting your iPhone screen

The best measure is always protecting the screen and prevent it from getting cracked in the first place. Here are four brands that manufacture high-quality iPhone screen protectors:

• Tech Armor
• Zagg
• amFilm
• OtterBox

With iPhone cost crossing the $1,000 mark, buying a screen protector is a no-brainer. Seriously, slap one and reduce your chances of breaking your screen. At the very least, they protect your phone from scratches — which can weaken the structural integrity of the iPhone’s display.