How to replace a broken screen on an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus

The iPhone 7 Plus's screen is beautiful, to be sure — but that glass beauty can break if dropped, smashed, or otherwise chipped against similarly-hard surfaces. Some breaks are worse than others — I've gotten by with a slightly-chipped 7 Plus screen for a month — but if you completely smash your screen, you're probably in need of a screen repair. When you crack your screen, it also destroys your iPhone's water resistance; if you're used to keeping it near water, you'll definitely want to fix your device.

There are several ways to repair or replace a broken iPhone screen, depending on your monetary situation and free time. Here are a couple, in order of easiest (and cheapest) to most complicated.

Repair it yourself

In past years, I would have recommended this option above making an appointment with Apple, but as the iPhone screen has gotten more complicated — and expensive, a home-brew repair can often hinder your device from full operability. (You won't be able to re-calibrate your screen for water resistance, for instance.) It's also now pricier than either the AppleCare+ repair or out of warranty repair, with a screen replacement and toolset averaging around $230.

As the iPhone 7 ages and screen prices go down, this may change, but for now, I find it hard to recommend users go this route. If you're really curious about repairing an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, however, you can watch JerryRigEverything's how-to explainer below.

Questions?

Have any questions about repairing your iPhone's screen? Have a better option? Let us know below.

Serenity Caldwell

Serenity was formerly the Managing Editor at iMore, and now works for Apple. She's been talking, writing about, and tinkering with Apple products since she was old enough to double-click. In her spare time, she sketches, sings, and in her secret superhero life, plays roller derby. Follow her on Twitter @settern.