X

Fixing a cracked iPod Touch screen

Snapshots documenting the repair of a cracked screen on an Apple iPod Touch.

Donald Bell
Donald Bell has spent more than five years as a CNET senior editor, reviewing everything from MP3 players to the first three generations of the Apple iPad. He currently devotes his time to producing How To content for CNET, as well as weekly episodes of CNET's Top 5 video series.
Donald Bell
IMG_0912.JPG
1 of 10 Donald Bell/CNET

Tools for iPod surgery

If the screen cracks on an out-of-warranty iPod Touch or iPhone, you either need to pay for it to be repaired, purchase a new one, or attempt to make the repair yourself. In this case, we chose the latter option and purchased replacement glass and some iPod opening tools from iFixit.
IMG_0913.JPG
2 of 10 Donald Bell/CNET

Unsticking the battery

After prying off the iPod's chrome backing, the second hurdle was carefully pulling the rechargeable battery pack away from the other components--a task not helped by the considerable amount of glue used to affix the battery.
IMG_0916.JPG
3 of 10 Donald Bell/CNET

Removing the logic board

The battery was small potatoes compared to the removal of the iPod Touch logic board, which aside from being the fragile heart of the entire system, was held in place with both glue and four miniature screws.
IMG_0919.JPG
4 of 10 Donald Bell/CNET

Universal dock connector

Here you can see dock connection and headphone output, along with the chips making up the logic board.
IMG_0922.JPG
5 of 10 Donald Bell/CNET

Unscrewing the LCD

The iPod Touch LCD is secured with sixteen individual screws, which take a long time to remove, and even longer to relocate and put back in.
IMG_0934.JPG
6 of 10 Donald Bell/CNET

Removing the LCD

Here's a shot of the iPod Touch LCD, separated from the rest of the components. Fortunately, the LCD was unharmed from the drop that cracked the exterior glass.
IMG_0926.JPG
7 of 10 Donald Bell/CNET

Home button

With the LCD removed, the iPod's home button pops right out. Be careful not to lose it, as the replacement glass does not include a new home button.
IMG_0932.JPG
8 of 10 Donald Bell/CNET

Old frame, new glass

After using a hair dryer to heat the adhesive that held the broken glass in place, I removed the old glass and prepared the metal rim to receive the replacement glass. Once the glass was in place, a hair dryer was used again to bond the leftover adhesive to the new glass.
IMG_0939.JPG
9 of 10 Donald Bell/CNET

Fixed!

Once the new glass cooled down from the hair dryer treatment, I reversed all the steps, reassembled the iPod, and breathed a sigh of relief as I watched the screen light up.
IMG_0945.JPG
10 of 10 Donald Bell/CNET

A man and his iPod, reunited

Once the repair was finished, I reunited the iPod Touch back with its owner, Associate Editor Antuan Goodwin. Happy feelings ensued.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos