If you break a phone you haven’t paid off, who pays for the damage?

If you buy a phone through AT&T or Verizon, you’re looking at 36 monthly payments before you technically own that phone. With T-Mobile, it’s less than 24 months, but still a long time to pay for a phone before you actually own it. Naturally, you should protect your phone as much as possible with a case and screen protector; there are a lot of high-quality cases, like the best cases for Galaxy S24 or the best cases for Pixel 9, but accidents can still happen.

Now, if you break your phone before paying it off, there are a few things to double-check before panicking. First, if you have a protection plan, repairs could be heavily discounted. Second, if you don’t have a protection plan, you can get it repaired on your own, and it will more than likely be a lot cheaper than simply buying a new phone.

Payment plans on new phones aren’t rentals

As soon as you open the box, it belongs to you

There are a lot of financing options for new phones designed to make the high price of modern flagships more palatable, but at the end of the day, you’re still paying for the phone. That means that, as far as your carrier is concerned, the phone is your responsibility.

One of the reasons carriers spread these payments so thin is to keep you around to pay for your service plan, so even if you got a great deal on a new device, it’s more than likely bill credits for those 36 months.

If you want to upgrade early, you can with some phones and carriers, like T-Mobile’s Go5G Next plans, but you’ll need to return the old phone in good condition. You’re not out of luck, though, especially if you’ve signed up for a protection plan.

Do you have a protection plan or insurance on your phone?

Protection plans can come with discounted repairs

Protection plans, or what a lot of people call phone insurance, don’t offer the coverage a lot of people expect. For example, you’ll still need to pay for a phone repair if the damage was caused by the user.

For the most part, common repairs like screen or back glass replacement are offered at a discount, often around $29. If this is available to you, it’s your best bet for a repair, not only because you can be reasonably sure a properly trained technician will do a good job, but because your coverage will still be valid.

If you get a second-rate repair job done, sure the phone might work, but you can’t be sure all the right adhesives were used, EMI shields were properly placed, and that an official part was used. If it’s discovered you used a non-certified repair, it’s not uncommon for your claim to be denied. This can seem harsh, but if a repair isn’t done properly moisture could get inside, leading to oxidation that ruins a lot of internal components.

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If you’ve got a protection plan for your phone, check to see what your repair options are so you don’t lose coverage over an unsupported repair.

If the device is lost, stolen, or completely destroyed, these plans will, more often than not, provide replacements, so long as you pay the deductible, which can be quite high. Just make sure that if you can’t retrieve the phone, you fill out the proper paperwork to report it being lost or your claim could be denied. This information will be provided by your coverage provider, such as Assurant.

Find your own repair options

You can even get authorized repairs with genuine parts

Source: Samsung

Modern phones can be tough to repair thanks to sealed backs, expensive displays, and fragile ribbon cables, but a trained technician shouldn’t have too much trouble. A self-taught tech can absolutely do a good job repairing a phone, too, but if you want to keep your warranty intact and remain qualified for a protection plan, you’ll want to find an authorized repair option.

Sometimes, this is inside a carrier's store, but there are other options; check your phone manufacturer’s website for support options.

For example, in the US, UBREAKIFIX is a nationwide authorized repair center for Samsung and Google phones. You might also find stores operated by those companies, such as a Samsung Experience Store, or a Google Store. Using an authorized repair option, not only will your warranty stay intact, but you can trade in your phone for a new one for as much credit as possible when you decide to upgrade.

Source: Samsung

If you’re comfortable working on your own phone and are willing to accept the risks, you might find official parts from stores like iFixit. iFixit has genuine parts for quite a few phones, such as those made by Samsung, HMD, and Motorola. There are even parts for Google’s latest Pixel phones.

Keep in mind, though, that newer Samsung device parts may not be as easy to find, since Samsung and iFixit have ended their partnership. If you do attempt your own repair, however, make sure to get a proper adhesive pack to both make the repair as genuine as possible and keep moisture out.

If you break your phone, it’s up to you to get it fixed

While it’s a bit of a drag that carriers won’t repair your phone for you, it's a good reminder that, even when a phone looks free, you’re still on the hook for the value of the phone without the assistance of bill credits if you need to upgrade early. If you can swing it, buying one of the best Android phones unlocked instead of from a carrier gives you a lot more flexibility, especially if you want to switch carriers later on.