I was pretty shocked when we broke the screen on our iPad 2, but luckily we already had a plan in place for repairing it.
My Story on How to Fix a Broken iPad
Just prior to this incident our tablet’s Wi-Fi had stopped working, so we had immediately jumped onto Amazon to search for a replacement iPad. Then I recalled a report I’d seen a few months prior about iPad repair, so I suggested we attempt a repair instead of a replacement. The report I’d seen was a ‘do-it-yourself’ article on iPad repairs, and this certainly seemed like a less expensive and greener alternative to simply buying a replacement device. Besides, I really wanted to see if I could fix it!
A quick Google search and – voila! Lots of self-help articles and tutorials on how to fix a broken iPad. Turns out there are hundreds of internet sites, including overseas, who can supply parts (which includes the replacement touchscreen glass).
In my research, I also discovered the location of the iPad Wi-Fi antenna, right below some glass that must have broken long before, and ultimately started lifting off the bezel. Obviously, this was the reason for the disturbed antenna, so by replacing the antenna itself, and the broken screen, not only would the problem be fixed, but we’d have our iPad back again – in its blemish-free and original condition.
The Tablet’s Checkered History
This tablet arrived in our home about three years ago, a gift from a friend. In that time, it’s had a pretty interesting history. I thought I’d use the tablet myself, but I made the grave mistake of showing my prize to the kids, and since that time I’ve only seen it in passing.
I did have a fleeting thought in the early days of adding a screen protector, but by the time I got around to it the screen was already scratched and well-used. When my young son was playing trucks and cars one day I was appalled to see him pushing the iPad along the passageway to the kitchen – face down! As you can see, it was used in many ways!
Then, a year later the iPad was thrown, dropped, whatever – who knows. Anyway, the damage caused the break above the Wi-Fi antenna; and then another year later the breakage loosened so much that it now wasn’t working well at all.
In all this time our loyal iPad has been used on a daily basis, being quite a testament to Apple and the quality it puts into its devices. Knowing all this I really believed that, if I could repair it, we’d still get many more useful years out of it.
It’s a Tricky Repair Job
Do-it-Yourself repairs can be quite tricky, and this one was no different.
The iPad is a sealed unit when it leaves the factory – during manufacture the screen is bonded on with adhesive. In order to remove the screen you must melt the adhesive using some kind of industrial-strength hot air blower, and slowly and gently lever it away. Great care must be taken to not harm any of the fine and delicate components situated directly beneath it.
This operation should take about three hours for an inexperienced amateur, so I decided to allow myself around six hours, just to be on the safe side. This was a big time commitment, however I really wanted the challenge, besides, as a father, I hoped I’d be able to return the repaired tablet to my son who would be endlessly grateful for all my hours of selfless labor. I was also very aware that if something went wrong there was going to be huge disappointment in our home.
As with a lot of men, most of my do-it-yourself disasters have been caused by not having the proper tools at my disposal. And from my research on the internet I discovered that this was the major reason why most iPad screen repairs failed. Unfortunately, no-one seemed to really know precisely what tools I should be using.
After careful consideration, I decided that the best (and only) way to resolve this problem was to seek help from the person who already had experience, plus the right tools, to complete this job successfully. I had to find a specialist in repairing iPads.
Another internet search, and it turns out there are quite a few repair shops, but I very quickly narrowed it down to just one – iResQ seemed to be exactly what I needed, plus their reviews showed that they provide top quality and speedy repair work with great customer service; all at a reasonable and fair price.
Today, two days after sending it off for repairs, it has returned home – complete with Wi-Fi working and a new screen. It looks just like new! The best bit is that I have a happy son, who has spent most of the day playing his favorite games.
Regarding the cost of these repairs, it came to less that some of the parts-only products I’d seen online, so I was pretty happy.
iResQ’s promise of top quality workmanship was met; even exceeded. Had I followed through with attempting the repair job myself, I believe I would have spent more on tools and parts, plus I was very concerned that I may have damaged other delicate components of the iPad. And the time! Look how much time I would have wasted. Even if I had been successful, there’s no way the finished result would have looked as it does with the repair job from iResQ.
Now my son proposes to buy a screen protector and case, which will hopefully keep our loyal and trustworthy iPad safe and protected for another three years – maybe even more.
So, some points to remember when trying to decide how to fix a broken iPad –
- If your iPad has a shattered or damaged touch screen, don’t just write it off.
- The screen can be removed without damaging other components, even though the manufacturing process by Apple seals the screen in place.
- Because the glass screen is not an expensive item, by removing it you have the opportunity to replace any other parts that may be faulty.
- Yes, you can replace a broken or damaged iPad screen yourself, but it’s a messy, time-consuming job, always with the risk of damaging other components.
We’re certainly living in a throw-a-way age, and re-use and repair are much neglected. Sometimes, however, it’s a more efficient way of conserving resources than recycling and scrapping.