A cracked iPhone back is one of the jobs we see every week at our Emu Plains store, and warmer October days make two different faults look the same. Phones left on car seats and in school bags around Emu Plains and Penrith either crack from a drop, or they lift because the battery underneath is swelling. Telling them apart matters. One can wait for a convenient time. The other should come in today.
At On the Spot Mobile Phone Repair Centre we replace iPhone back glass in store at Shop 7, Lennox Village. This is the same check we do at the counter before we quote.
What a drop usually looks like
A fall onto concrete, tiles, or a car park is the usual cause. You will often see:
- A spiderweb, or a single crack that starts at one corner
- Glass that is still sitting flat in the frame
- A chip you can feel with a fingertip, sometimes with a sharp edge
- The front screen still working, and Face ID still unlocking the phone
Face ID lives at the top of the front of the phone, not in the back glass, so a cracked back on its own does not stop it. The phone will usually still charge, make calls, and take photos. The risk is the crack. Loose glass can cut a finger, and an open crack lets dust and moisture in. If the glass is rattling, or a piece is missing, bring it in rather than waiting for the crack to spread.
We replace the back glass in store. Most jobs are finished the same day, with a 12-month warranty on parts and labour. The price depends on the model and is listed before any work starts. Booking online saves $10 per repair. If we cannot fix the phone, you do not pay for the attempt.
What a swollen battery looks like
A swollen battery pushes from the inside. The clues are different from a drop:
- The screen or the back is lifting away from the frame, even without a hard knock
- The phone rocks on a table instead of sitting flat
- The case no longer clips on, or it has started to split
- The phone feels hot during ordinary use, dies early, or shuts down while it still shows charge
Warm weather makes a tired battery show these signs sooner. A phone left on a dash, on a car seat, or in a closed bag in the sun has to work harder, and a worn cell can swell. Our guide to phone batteries in warm weather covers the battery checks. If the glass is lifting, the glass is the warning, not the whole problem.
Stop charging the phone. Do not press the back flat, do not sit on it to close the gap, and do not keep using it while it is plugged in. A swollen lithium battery is a fire risk, and pressing it can crack the glass further or damage the screen. Bring it in the same day.
If the battery is the cause, we fit a genuine-quality cell and run a health check. Most batteries are replaced in under 30 minutes. A new back glass on its own would not fix a swollen cell, so we confirm which fault you have before we start.
A one-minute check at home
- Set the phone on a flat table. If it rocks, or the screen or back sits proud of the frame, treat it as a swollen battery and stop charging it.
- Look at the crack. A crack from one impact point, with the glass still flush, is a back-glass repair. A gap along the edge is not.
- Check battery health. On an iPhone, open Settings, then Battery, then Battery Health and Charging. A low maximum capacity, or a service message, supports a battery fault. A healthy reading does not rule swelling out if the glass is already lifting.
- Notice the cable. A phone that only charges with the cable held at an angle may also have a blocked port. We clean and realign charging ports from $39–$49 before we recommend a new port.
When the symptoms overlap, our guide on screen, battery, or charging port walks through the front of the phone as well.
After the glass is replaced
A case stops the next drop from landing on bare glass. We fit clear, rugged, and wallet cases in store, and we can fit a tempered glass screen protector while you wait. A camera lens protector is worth adding if the lenses sit proud of the back. Your photos and apps stay on the phone. A back-glass replacement does not wipe the storage, though a backup is still a good idea before any repair.
Back glass repair in Emu Plains and Penrith
On the Spot Mobile Phone Repair Centre is at Shop 7, Lennox Village, Cnr Great Western Highway & 1 Pyramid St, Emu Plains NSW 2750. We see iPhones from Emu Plains, Penrith, Glenmore Park, Kingswood, St Marys, Blaxland, Springwood, Leonay, Lapstone, and Jamisontown. You can walk in. No appointment is required. Call 0420 739 151, or check the price for your model and book online.