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It takes somewhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours to fix a broken phone screen, but the time it takes depends on the amount of damage, the phone repair method, and the pro's schedule. You'll also have to factor in additional shipping time if you send your phone to the manufacturer for repair. Contact a local appliance repair service in your area to determine the best course of action.

Whether you should repair or replace your phone depends on the extent of the damage. Below are common reasons to replace your phone instead of getting a repair:

• A replacement phone costs less than a repair.

• The repair work costs more than the phone is worth.

• You want to upgrade to a newer phone model.

• Your phone has multiple types of damage or issues.

We advise you to let a pro handle phone screen repairs because screen damage can be complicated to fix—and small mistakes can lead to worse damage and lost data.

If you'd like to save money by repairing the screen yourself, see if your smartphone manufacturer offers a specialty kit. For example, Apple has released a Self Service Repair kit, which you can rent for $49. If you want to repair your phone without a kit, ensure that doing so won't void your warranty.

You won’t lose your data if a pro properly replaces your phone screen. However, mistakes during the screen replacement process can damage the phone and result in lost data. We highly recommend taking your smartphone to a professional—either a manufacturer or third party—to repair the phone screen correctly.