Cracked smartphone screens cannot be fixed with lemon, toothpaste, tape, and a lighter?

checkthis · automated fact-check · How we check · Reel by @afkarabdou

The claim that a cracked smartphone screen can be repaired using lemon, toothpaste, tape, and a lighter is false; experts state household remedies cannot fix glass. Viral social media posts frequently promote using toothpaste and household items as a quick fix for broken phone screens. However, Mobile Klinik and BGR confirm that toothpaste cannot mend cracked glass and may damage internal components by introducing moisture. Replacing the screen or seeking professional repair is the only way to fix broken display glass.

1 claim checked
1 source
Checked 3 Nov 2026
Main source: How to Fix a Cracked Phone Screen | Mobile Klinik

▶

The Reel we checked

@afkarabdou

فكرة رائعة #diy #simple_inventions #experiment #smartphone

Watch on Instagram ↗

What we checked

A cracked smartphone screen can be repaired using lemon, toothpaste, tape, and a lighter.“Toothpaste Can Fix Cracks : This is a myth; toothpaste cannot repair a cracked screen.”How to Fix a Cracked Phone Screen | Mobile Klinik

What the Reel doesn't tell you

Mobile Klinik warns that applying toothpaste to a cracked screen can introduce moisture into cracks and worsen the damage.
BGR lists repairing cracked screens with toothpaste among common viral tech myths that do not work.

How it plays you

It wants you to think: “so you can fix a broken phone screen at home with household items”

Toothpaste and household items cannot fuse broken glass, so the demonstrated screen repair does not work in reality.

Short version

❌ FALSE 👉 The claim that a cracked smartphone screen can be repaired using lemon, toothpaste, tape, and a lighter is false; experts state household remedies cannot fix glass. 👉 Mobile Klinik and BGR confirm that toothpaste cannot mend cracked glass and may damage internal components by introducing moisture. 📰 Source: Mobile Klinik 🔎 Full check: send this Reel to @checkthis.chat