Is It Just the Glass? Signs Your Phone Display Is Damaged

When a phone screen cracks, the damage can be in two places: the front glass, or the display underneath it. Knowing which one is damaged tells you whether your screen can be refurbished, and can save you a lot of money.

How a phone screen is built

Your screen is a stack of layers: tough front glass on top, a clear adhesive layer, and the display panel underneath, which makes the picture. In many drops, only the glass breaks and the display keeps working.

Signs only the glass is broken

• Cracks or shattering you can feel on the surface
• The picture is clear and bright everywhere, even under the cracks
• Touch works across the whole screen
• Face ID or the fingerprint sensor still works

If this sounds like your phone, glass-only refurbishment is usually possible.

Signs the display is damaged

• Black spots or ink-like patches, often spreading over time
• Green, pink, purple or white lines across the screen
• Flickering, or areas that are much dimmer than the rest
• A completely black screen, even though the phone is on (you may still hear notifications)
• Touch not working in parts of the screen, or the screen pressing itself (“ghost touch”)

These symptoms mean the display panel itself needs replacing, so glass-only refurbishment is not possible.

Act quickly on cracked glass

A cracked screen with a working display can turn into a damaged display. Pressure in a pocket, another knock or moisture getting through the cracks can damage the panel underneath. Getting cracked glass refurbished sooner rather than later keeps your options open and your costs down.

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