Guides · Screens

Cracked glass or broken screen? How to tell the difference

Lines, black spots and dead touch mean more than a cracked top layer.

Oct 22, 2026 · 3 min read

A phone screen has two layers: the glass on top and the display (OLED or LCD) underneath. On almost every modern phone they're fused into one part, so a repair replaces both. But which layer is damaged tells you how urgent it is.

Only the glass is cracked if the picture looks normal everywhere, touch works across the whole screen, and there are no lines, spots or colour changes. You can keep using it for now, but the cracks will spread and let in moisture. Put a screen protector over it so the edges don't cut you.

The display is damaged if you see green, pink or white lines, black spots or ink-like bleeding, flickering, or parts of the screen that don't respond to touch. This gets worse over time and can stop the phone from being usable.

Black screen but the phone rings? The phone is on and the display has failed. Your data is fine, and a screen replacement brings it back.

What to do next. Back up your phone while it still works. Then get a quote for your exact model. Most screen replacements are done while you wait.