iPhone back glass serves both practical and aesthetic purposes. Practically, Apple introduced back glass for the iPhone to allow for wireless charging, which metal backing would have interfered with. Aesthetically, the iPhone’s back glass has become iconic—synonymous with the sleek, modern aesthetic we’ve all come to know from Apple.
There are downsides to using back glass, however—most notably, it’s prone to chipping, cracking, and shattering. While Apple’s back glass is incredibly tough compared to most glass, it’s not immune to impact, and anything from chips to shattered glass can occur when you drop your phone.
You might be tempted to remove and replace your iPhone back glass yourself; you can purchase aftermarket and refurbished back glass. We don’t recommend handling iPhone back glass repair yourself; doing your own repairs can cause a lot of problems.
Reasons To Avoid DIY Phone Repairs
DIY phone repairs are risky at the best of times; you can easily end up damaging your phone or voiding your warranty. DIY back glass repairs are especially tricky; Apple is very picky about who they allow to offer iPhone repair services, and attempting to repair the glass yourself will almost certainly void your warranty. Here are three reasons why you should leave iPhone repair to the pros:
It Can Be Extremely Difficult
Back glass replacement is much more complicated than you might think. iPhone back glass is secured to the rest of your iPhone using powerful adhesive. This adhesive must be dissolved before the back glass can be removed. The back glass itself is built to be resistant to impact; it’s very solid. To get it off your phone, you must meticulously remove small pieces of the glass.
These two factors make removing broken back glass one of the most labour-intensive iPhone repair processes. Once you’ve removed the back glass in full, you’ll need to replace it with new back glass, and if you apply the new adhesive incorrectly, your back glass can end up loose in spots, or fall off altogether.
The technicians at our repair shop have replaced the back glass on hundreds of iPhones; we have the process down to a science. By working with professionals, you’ll save time, and eliminate the risk of failure.
Proper Tools Are Required
Removing an iPhone’s back glass safely requires the use of specialized tools. Repair shops will use knives and chisels of various sizes and shapes, as well as specialized heat guns or lasers to remove iPhone back glass.
Most people do not have access to these specialized tools, and when you use other tools, you risk damaging your iPhone; other tools also aren’t as efficient at removing the back glass.
Hypothetically, you could purchase the specialized tools needed to remove back glass yourself—but unless you plan on opening your own repair shop, this isn’t a viable option; these tools can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars—not worth it to repair a single iPhone.
You May Void Your Warranty
Apple gives you a number of repair options for replacing rear glass; you can visit an Apple Store and you can stop by an authorized repair shop like Cell Mechanics. Self-repair is not one of Apple’s options, and trying to do glass repair yourself can void your warranty.
There’s a good reason for that; your iPhone back glass is attached to a number of internal components. Phone repair is complex, and if you try to remove glass without the necessary tools, you could end up damaging these components. When you get professional help from an Apple-authorized source, Apple knows that the technicians have experience replacing iPhone back glass—your warranty can remain intact.
You May End Up Causing Greater Damage
When you replace your broken back glass yourself, you risk causing damage to other components on your iPhone. The wireless charging coil, your rear camera, and several other components are all attached or adjacent to the back glass. When you try to remove the back glass yourself—especially without the right tools—there’s a serious risk of damaging these other components.
There’s also a risk when you try to place new glass onto your phone; you might put the adhesive in the wrong place and damage components. Additionally, your new back glass might not be secure, which can lead to more damage in the future.
Damage to your phone is one thing—but it’s also important to consider the risk of injuring yourself. We’ve worked with a lot of broken glass—and we can tell you from experience that broken glass shards can fly around at high velocity when you’re trying to remove back glass. We keep ourselves safe with goggles, gloves, and other safety gear. Don’t risk hurting yourself to save money; leave the repairs to the professionals.
Bring Your Phone to the Experts at Cell Mechanics
Fortunately, broken back glass doesn’t mean you have to purchase a new phone. Repairing broken glass is easy when you bring your device in for professional repair services. The team here at Cell Mechanics offers iPhone glass repair, which includes back glass repair, cracked iPhone screen repair, and more.
We’re an Apple Independent Repair Provider. This means that Apple has approved us for out-of-warranty repairs like broken glass replacement. We have access to genuine Apple back glass and utilize high-quality adhesive to keep the glass on without any issues. Our technicians are Apple-certified so you know your iPhone is in good hands.
Don’t spend money on a new phone—and don’t risk performing repairs yourself. Bring your phone to Cell Mechanics for glass repair; you’ll save money, and we’ll repair your iPhone until it’s as good as new.
