The Hidden Dangers of Using a Cracked Screen Too Long
A cracked screen doesn’t always look serious at first.
Maybe it’s a tiny corner chip. Maybe it’s a hairline line across the glass.
Maybe you’ve convinced yourself it “isn’t that bad.”
But underneath that harmless-looking crack are a few problems that can quietly turn your phone into a much bigger (and more expensive) issue.
Here are the hidden dangers most people don’t realise they’re risking.
Moisture Slips In Without You Noticing
A cracked screen breaks the seal that protects your phone from everyday humidity, rain, sweat, and condensation.
Moisture doesn’t need to flood your phone — even a little can reach:
the backlight
the touch layer
camera modules
the logic board
And once water gets in, corrosion gets to work.
The Touch Layer Starts Failing
Cracks don’t just affect the top glass.
They slowly damage the delicate digital layer underneath, which leads to:
random ghost touch
taps not registering
text typing itself
unusable keyboard sections
Touch failures rarely happen all at once — they creep in gradually.
The Screen Can Suddenly Black Out
One day it’s fine, the next day — nothing.
A cracked screen can fail without warning because the backlight or display connector finally gives up.
When this happens, the phone may still be working underneath, but you can’t see or access anything — including your data.
Glass Splinters Become Dangerous
Small cracks shed tiny shards over time.
We’ve seen deep cuts, scratched fingertips, and even pieces stuck in skin.
It’s even riskier for kids, who will happily swipe on anything shiny.
Heat Makes Cracks Worse
Christchurch summers, car dashboards, heaters, even the heat from charging — all of these expand cracks and stress the screen further.
A phone that looks “stable” can split across the entire display just by warming up.
Internal Components Take Extra Stress
A cracked screen weakens the structural support that keeps pressure off the internal components.
This can lead to:
screen lifting
frame warping
pressure on the battery
loose connectors
damaged cameras
It’s a domino effect that starts with one little crack.
Face ID, Cameras, and Sensors Can Fail
A crack near the top of the screen can compromise:
Face ID
proximity sensors
ambient light sensors
front cameras
If moisture or dust gets in, these fail long before the screen does.
You Could Lose Data If It Suddenly Dies
When a screen stops working completely, data becomes tricky to extract — especially on Face ID or passcode-locked iPhones.
Waiting too long risks the one thing more valuable than the screen: your photos, messages, and files.