Smashed screens: Are DIY smartphone repair kits worth it?

Can you fix your own cracked smartphone screen? Sooner or later, everyone's smartphone screen cracks. Ross McLaughlin looks at some do-it-yourself options for getting it fixed.

Think you've got what it takes to fix your cracked smartphone screen? Do-it-yourself repair kits will save you money, but is it worth it in the end? A tech expert at Consumer Reports put them to the test to see how easy it is to go from shattered screen to smooth.

“It would have cost me $129 to get the screen of an iPhone 6 repaired at the Apple Store,” said Bree Fowler, Consumer Reports tech editor.

Instead Fowler rounded up a handful of cracked iPhone 6s to test out a few DIY screen repair kits.

So what does it really take to fix your own screen? According to Fowler, a lot of patience and some skill.

“It was actually really hard,” she said.

In addition to removing the screen you need to disconnect the home button, camera, sensors and microphone. Not to mention, melt adhesive with a hair dryer without damaging the phone.

Fowler successfully did all of that, but when it came to those really tiny screws?

“They were stripped. I mean anyone who’s built anything or taken anything apart knows how aggravating stripped screws can be, but imagine having to deal with those screws and having them be nearly microscopic size,” she said.

And after everything was done, she ended up with a dark, shadowy image in the upper left corner of one screen.

The phone worked, but it wasn’t the same.

“To me, the hours that I put into this, the aggravation and the stress, it just wasn’t worth it,” said Fowler.

But if you do decide you want to save money and you're up for the challenge, most kits will give you everything you need to get the job done.

The kits that Fowler tested are available online. The iCracked repair kits range in price from $50-$70. If you really want to cut costs you buy the Fix It repair kit for about $16 at Walmart. But you’ll have to purchase the screen separately and that will set you back another $20 or $30.