Protect a Cracked Screen with a Screen Protector and More Tips

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Temporary solutions to seal a cracked phone screen

Co-authored by Linh Le and Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: December 5, 2025 Fact Checked

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Applying a Screen Protector

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Using Packing Tape

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If the Screen Cracks with a Protector

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Fixing a Cracked Screen

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Video

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Things You'll Need

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There’s nothing more terrifying than the moment you drop your phone and have to cross your fingers that it doesn’t shatter. Unfortunately, sometimes the screen does crack. Before you start swiping around to see if it still works, you need to protect the screen to keep yourself from getting cut on the cracked glass–you can use a screen protector or clear packing tape until you have the time and money to get it fixed. Read on to learn the best ways to protect your cracked phone screen, featuring expert tips from certified mobile repair specialist Linh Le and smartphone repair specialist Shavo Hacopian.

Can you put a screen protector on a cracked screen?

If your phone screen is cracked, you can apply a glass screen protector to prevent the cracks from spreading and to protect your fingers while you swipe. If you don't have a screen protector, you can use clear packing tape in a pinch.

Section 1 of 4:

Applying a Screen Protector

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Use a tempered glass screen protector to keep the cracks from worsening. As long as there are no missing glass shards from your cracked screen, you can apply a glass screen protector to your cracked screen to slow the spread of the cracks and protect your fingers while swiping. This is a great way to buy some more time before getting your screen replaced or buying a new phone.^{[1]
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- You can buy a screen protector from Amazon or from many electronics stores–just make sure to order one designed for your phone model.
Tip: If you don’t mind having a cracked screen and your phone still works, there’s no need to replace it. Just be sure to keep your screen protector on at all times to avoid cutting yourself.

Section 2 of 4:

Using Packing Tape

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Get a roll of clear packing tape that is wider than the phone’s screen. Le suggests using clear packing tape to protect the cracks. "It works wonders," he says, "and obviously, it's clear, so you can still see through it, and the touch function still works fine."^{[2]
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Expert Source

Linh Le
Certified Mobile Repair Specialist

Expert Interview} To get started, grab a roll that is thicker than the width of your phone screen. You can pick up wide rolls of packing tape from a moving company or construction supply store.
- The packing tape must be completely transparent and have a slick texture when you touch it. Rougher and translucent tape may not work with your touchscreen.
- You can use a different type of clear tape if necessary, but, as Le explains, "packing tape is generally a bit stronger than your regular scotch tape, so it holds things together better and lasts a long time."^{[3]
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  Linh Le
  Certified Mobile Repair Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}
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Pull out a length of tape 2 in (5.1 cm) longer than your screen. Set your packing tape down under the bottom of your phone. Peel the lip of the tape up and pull out a piece of tape that is at least 1 in (2.5 cm) longer than your phone on the top and bottom. Rip the piece off using the spikes on the tape dispenser.^{[4]
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- "You have to make sure the tape isn't covering up the little microphones and your speakers," Le warns. "But other than that, you can put clear packing tape on the screen."^{[5]
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  Linh Le
  Certified Mobile Repair Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}
- If you aren’t using a tape dispenser, use a pair of scissors to cut the tape off the roll.
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Press the tape down into the screen and smooth it out by hand. Starting at the top of the phone, lower the tape to touch the screen. Smooth the tape down as you lower the rest of the tape to keep air bubbles from forming. Once the tape is completely covering your screen, smooth it out using the pads of your fingers to ensure it sticks evenly to the screen.^{[6]
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- Don’t press down hard as you’re lowering the tape. You want to ensure that the tape is applied evenly before you press it down entirely.
Hold the credit card with the longer side facing out and drag it across the surface of the screen at a 45-degree angle. Use the edge of the credit card to push air bubbles out to the sides of your screen to remove them. Continue doing this until all of the air bubbles are removed.^{[7]
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Trim excess tape using scissors or a small utility knife. Once the tape is smoothly in place, grab a pair of scissors. Trim the excess tape off by cutting around the edges of your phone. If you really want to clean up the tape, get a small utility knife and trim the tape around the edges of your phone.^{[8]
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- Your touchscreen should work just fine so long as there aren’t any big air bubbles in the tape.
Tip: This is only a temporary solution. You will eventually need to replace your phone or get the screen repaired. Tape is prone to peeling and may break down over time.

Section 3 of 4:

What if the screen cracks with a protector on?

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Remove the screen protector only if it's cracked. If you have a “shatter-proof” screen protector, the screen protector may have cracked, and your screen may be fine. If you're not sure whether the crack is in the screen protector or the screen, run your fingernail along the crack; if you can feel the ridge of the crack under your nail, the screen protector is cracked. Alternatively, hold your phone at a 65- to 85-degree angle away from you to inspect the crack. If it looks like the screen protector is cracked, peel up a corner of the protector to get a closer look.^{[9]
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- If you have a hard glass case with a rigid screen protector, just take it off to inspect the crack. These screen protectors don’t put pressure on the screen, so you aren’t putting your phone at risk by taking it off.
- If the protector is cracked but the screen isn’t, peel off the protector and remove it.
- If your screen is cracked but you’ve peeled the protector up, do your best to smooth it back down and keep it in place.
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If the screen under the protector is cracked, don't remove it. If you peel off a screen protector after cracking your phone screen, the adhesive from the back of the screen protector will lift any loose shards up. This can pull the weakened screen away from the phone, ruining the phone's functionality. Your phone is much more likely to continue working if you leave the old screen protector on.^{[10]
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- The exception is if your phone has a crack smaller than 0.5 inches (1.3 cm); these cracks are unlikely to hinder the phone’s usability if you remove the screen protector.
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Wipe away loose glass with a toothbrush or cloth. Do not touch the screen directly to avoid cutting yourself. Instead, grab a clean toothbrush (or use a lint-free cloth). Lift the phone up by its edges and slide a towel underneath. Then, use the toothbrush or cloth to firmly brush the cracked area using back-and-forth strokes. Do this for 20-30 seconds to remove any pieces of the screen that are barely hanging on to the phone.^{[11]
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- Shake the towel out over a garbage can to discard the pieces of glass.
- If you don’t remove the loose pieces of glass, you may accidentally cut yourself while you’re fixing or replacing the screen.
- Alternatively, you can spray the surface of your screen with some canned air. Keep in mind, though, this may send shards of glass flying to the floor if you do it inside.

Section 4 of 4:

Fixing a Cracked Phone Screen

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Buy a DIY repair kit if you want to replace it yourself. Depending on your phone model, you may be able to buy a screen repair made for your specific model. Follow the kit’s instructions to get your old screen off and replace it with the new version. Keep in mind, this process can be pretty complicated, and it may not come out perfect even when you follow the instructions.^{[12]
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- Scrubbing your screen with toothpaste and a cotton swab may remove scratches, but there are no reliable tricks or hacks for fixing a cracked screen.
- Check out our DIY guide to replacing an iPhone screen.
EXPERT TIP

Shavo Hacopian
Smartphone Repair Specialist
Shavo Hacopian is a Smartphone Repair Specialist. With over 17 years of experience repairing and customizing smartphones, Shabin has a follower base of over 119,000 YouTube subscribers on his channel PBKreviews, and has over 29 million views. He specializes in teaching people how to take smartphones apart, repair or replace parts, and make informed decisions about what the right products are for them.

Shavo Hacopian
Smartphone Repair Specialist

There is an adhesive holding the screen to the frame. If you want to remove the screen, you'll have to heat it up using a hairdryer, heat gun, or heat pad. Eventually, you'll use a suction cup tool to help you gain leverage, then get between the screen and the frame with a pry tool to pry it off.
If you can afford it, pay a professional to repair your phone screen. It may cost between $50-200, depending on your phone and the repair company you choose to fix it, but it beats having a cracked screen! Once you get your phone repaired, get a high-quality case and screen protector to prevent the odds of cracking your screen in the future.^{[13]
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