Back glass repair
Back glass replacement that does not cook your wireless charging coil
Apple bonds the rear glass to your phone with industrial adhesive, then treats a crack as a reason to swap the entire back housing for hundreds of dollars. We do not. We use a laser separation machine to ablate only the glue, lift off the shattered panel, and bond a new one — without torching the wireless charging coil, the camera ring, or the antennas living right behind it. iPhone and Samsung, quoted honestly before anything is opened.
Yes, we replace shattered iPhone and Samsung back glass without swapping the whole housing. A laser separation machine burns away only the adhesive in about 10 to 20 minutes, so the wireless charging coil, camera ring, and antennas behind the panel stay cool and intact. We quote honestly, reseal for water resistance, and test wireless charging before you pay.
A shattered back is not just cosmetic. The rear glass seals out water and sits directly over your wireless charging coil, rear mic, flash circuitry, and on many phones part of the antenna array. The wrong removal method — a heat gun and a pry tool, the way a lot of shops still do it — bakes the coil and warps the camera surround. Because we are a board-level lab, we treat this as a precision job, not a smash-and-glue.
Heat-gun shop vs WeFixed laser vs Manufacturer
| Approach | Heat-gun shop | WeFixed laser | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Removal method | Heat and pry | Laser ablation | Full housing swap |
| Coil risk | Can cook coil | Heat kept off | Replaced whole |
| Camera ring | Often warps | Stays true | Replaced whole |
| Wireless tested | Rarely | Before you pay | N/A |
| Warranty | Varies | 1 yr OEM | Limited |
Laser targets only the glue, not the coil or camera ring living right behind the glass.
Signs of a board-level fault
- Shattered, spider-webbed, or spider-cracked rear glass after a drop
- Lifting, peeling, or separated back panel that no longer sits flush
- Sharp glass shards or flaking pieces around the camera ring or edges
- Wireless charging that has gotten slow, intermittent, or stopped working
- Cracks radiating from the camera bump or a damaged camera lens cover
- A previous heat-gun repair that left bubbles, gaps, or a misaligned panel
Honest by default
Every board starts with a $65 diagnostic and a written report — exact cost and timeline before we touch it. The fee applies toward your repair.
Why does Apple charge so much for back glass?
Because for years Apple did not really repair the back glass at all — they replaced the entire rear housing as one bonded unit, which is why an out-of-warranty iPhone Pro back can run several hundred dollars. The glass is fused to the frame with strong adhesive and shares space with the wireless coil and antennas, so a full-housing swap was their workaround. We do the harder, cheaper thing: separate and replace just the glass.
What is laser separation, and why does it matter?
A laser separation machine follows a model-specific template and burns away only the adhesive holding the glass down, turning the glue to fine powder in 10 to 20 minutes. The old method — heat gun and pry bar — is slow and easy to get wrong, and that heat is exactly what damages the wireless charging coil and warps the camera ring. The laser targets the glue, not the metal frame or the coil, which is why we use it on every back glass job.
Will wireless charging still work after the repair?
Yes — protecting it is the whole point. The wireless coil sits right behind the glass through a cutout in the metal shield, and a careless removal cooks it. We keep heat off the coil during separation and test Qi wireless charging before you pay. If your wireless charging was already failing before the crack, tell us, because that may be a separate board-level issue we can diagnose.
Will my phone still be water resistant?
We reseal the new panel with fresh adhesive and clamp it properly, which restores most of the original resistance. Be honest with yourself, though: a cracked back already voided your factory IP rating, and no opened phone — here, at any shop, or at the manufacturer — carries its original seal. Treat a repaired device as splash-resistant, not pool-proof, and we will tell you straight what your model can take.
How much does back glass replacement cost?
It depends on the model and color, and we quote it plainly before any work starts — but it is a fraction of Apple's housing swap on most phones. Many back glass jobs are quoted on the spot for free. If your device needs to be opened and assessed first, our $65 written diagnostic applies in full toward the repair, so you never pay twice.
Do you replace Samsung back glass too?
Yes. Samsung went to glass backs to enable wireless charging, and the same rules apply — the coil and camera ring sit right behind the panel, so it is a laser-and-patience job, not a heat-and-rip one. We handle iPhone and Galaxy back glass, match the color and finish, and stand behind the work in writing.
Why a board-level lab is the right place for back glass
Back glass looks like a cosmetic swap until the removal damages something underneath — a scorched wireless coil, a warped camera ring, a torn antenna trace. That is the moment you want a lab that lives at the microscope and owns a real laser separation machine, not a counter that reaches for a heat gun. As an independent Arlington shop, we are not steering you into a full-housing replacement you do not need, and we put our work in writing: 1-year warranty on OEM and genuine OLED-grade parts, 30 days on aftermarket. Walk in from anywhere in Arlington and the DMV, or use tracked mail-in from all 50 states. Many back glass jobs are quoted free on the spot; when a diagnostic is needed it is $65 and applies toward your repair.