My phone slipped out of my pocket as I was getting out of the car. Landed face-down on the asphalt. The screen looked like a spider web. Apple wanted two hundred and seventy-nine dollars for a repair. I paid thirty-five dollars for a screen kit on Amazon and fixed it myself in an hour.

Would I recommend this to everyone? No. But if you are comfortable with small screws and fragile cables, it is not as hard as repair shops want you to believe.

Before you start — check your warranty and insurance

If your phone is under warranty or you pay for carrier insurance, check what is covered. Some insurance plans include screen repair with a deductible that is lower than the cost of a DIY kit. If the phone is less than a year old and the damage is not your fault — a manufacturing defect — the warranty might cover it.

Once you open the phone yourself, you void whatever warranty remains. Make sure the savings are worth it.

What you need

• A screen replacement kit for your specific phone model. These include the screen assembly, adhesive, and usually the specialty screwdrivers. Buy from a seller with good reviews — cheap screens have dimmer displays and weaker glass.
• A hair dryer or heat gun on low. The adhesive that holds the screen to the frame needs heat to release.
• A suction cup. Most kits include one. If not, a dollar store suction cup works.
• Tweezers. For handling tiny screws and ribbon cable connectors.
• A magnetic mat or an ice cube tray. For organizing screws so you know which goes where.
• Patience. The first time takes an hour. The tenth time takes fifteen minutes.

The general process

1. Power off the phone completely.
2. Remove the bottom screws. Most phones have two pentalobe or Phillips screws flanking the charging port.
3. Heat the edges. Run a hair dryer around the perimeter of the screen for about a minute. The goal is to soften the adhesive, not cook the battery.
4. Lift the screen with a suction cup. Place it near the bottom edge and pull gently. Insert a plastic pick into the gap and slide it around the edges. Go slow. The display cables are short — you cannot lift the screen more than a few inches without disconnecting them.
5. Disconnect the battery first. Before touching any other connector, disconnect the battery. This is the most important step. If you disconnect other cables while the battery is live, you can short something.
6. Disconnect the display cables. There are usually two or three ribbon cables held down by metal brackets. Remove the screws, remove the brackets, pop the connectors up with a plastic spudger.
7. Transfer small parts to the new screen. The earpiece speaker, front camera, home button, and sensors are often not included with the replacement screen. Carefully move them over. They are held in by tiny screws and adhesive.
8. Reconnect everything in reverse order. Display cables first, then battery. Test the phone before sealing it — power it on, check the touchscreen, check the camera, make sure everything works.
9. Seal it up. Peel the adhesive backing, press the screen into place, reinstall bottom screws.

When to just pay someone

Water-resistant phones lose their water resistance after a screen repair unless you replace the adhesive seal perfectly. Curved-edge screens — Samsung Edge series — are significantly harder and break more easily during removal. iPad screens are large, expensive, and glued down with enough adhesive to hold a bridge together.

If any of those describe your device, the hundred dollars a repair shop charges for labor might be worth it. But for a standard flat-screen iPhone or Pixel? Thirty-five dollars and an hour of careful work. I have done three now. All still working.