Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Friend’s phone screen cracked a bit by accident

135 replies

Nousese · 23/02/2026 09:40

Hello,

My son asked his friend for a number that was stored in his friend’s phone. So, My friend’s son gave my son his phone while they were waking the stairs at the station. The floor it was wet as it was raining. My son tripped over quite bad at the stairs when he was going to give back his friend the phone. The screen cracked a bit at the bottom.

I feel i should pay for the repair. I don’t have to much money to be honest. If i had I would not hesitate to pay for it.
So i wanted to ask people for advice here.

thanks,

OP posts:
BigSkies2022 · 23/02/2026 09:42

Yes, pay for the repair. Screens can be done for not much money at a generic repair shop.

MatildaTheCat · 23/02/2026 09:43

Tricky. Did the phone have a screen protector on it? I’d be very irritated if it did not as they work and we all drop our phones.

holachicatita · 23/02/2026 09:43

Yes I'd pay. Accidents happen but if it was they other way round you'd be pissed off surely?

ToKittyornottoKitty · 23/02/2026 09:45

How old is your son?

McSpoot · 23/02/2026 09:45

Not sure how the voting is supposed to go, but I’d pay (at least to split the costs).

IfThen · 23/02/2026 09:46

Is your son a child? Then pay.

nowayho · 23/02/2026 09:47

Does he want it fixed or has he said not to worry about it?

Unfortunately, I guess the right thing to do would be to pay for it
.

IdentifyingAsAWoollyMammoth · 23/02/2026 09:59

MatildaTheCat · 23/02/2026 09:43

Tricky. Did the phone have a screen protector on it? I’d be very irritated if it did not as they work and we all drop our phones.

Guess I've been incredibly lucky. I'm on my fifth smartphone, never used a screen protector, never cracked a screen yet.

I think it's irrelevant whether there was a protector or not. If you borrow someone else's anything and you damage it, you pay for repair or replacement.

rockinrobins · 23/02/2026 10:09

MatildaTheCat · 23/02/2026 09:43

Tricky. Did the phone have a screen protector on it? I’d be very irritated if it did not as they work and we all drop our phones.

It's not tricky at all.

OP's son broke it so they need to pay for it.

Would you actually say 'well you didn't have a screen protector so I'm not paying'? Don't be daft. It's completely irrelevant.

Ohnobackagain · 23/02/2026 10:09

@Nousese yes it needs to be fixed (or at least an offer made), but son should contribute from pocket money/chores depending on age. Depending on age/whether he has a job/any income he should take responsibility and pay himself!

FuzzyWolf · 23/02/2026 10:10

Yes, unfortunately you’ll need to pay for the repair or at least offer to do so.

NotReadyForChristmas2025 · 23/02/2026 10:11

He broke the phone. Your are responsible for the damage. Imagine the reverse??

HereintheloveofChristIstand · 23/02/2026 10:12

I wouldn't pay if it didn't have a screen protector. That is literally what they are for.

TheChosenTwo · 23/02/2026 10:13

Yes of course you need to pay to repair it. You even said you feel like you should.
So actually not sure why you’re asking on here?!

CurlewKate · 23/02/2026 10:13

Pay. Because it’s the right thing to do and it’s good for kids to see their parents doing the right thing, not quibbling about screen protectors.

BerryTwister · 23/02/2026 10:16

Definitely offer to pay. But if it’s not a bad crack, the friend may choose not to bother. Sometimes replaced screens affect the functionality of the phone in my experience. Another clever little Apple scam!

KimberleyClark · 23/02/2026 10:16

I don’t use screen protectors but keep my phone in a wallet style cover which I’m sure most MNers wouldn’t be seen dead with.

BerryTwister · 23/02/2026 10:17

KimberleyClark · 23/02/2026 10:16

I don’t use screen protectors but keep my phone in a wallet style cover which I’m sure most MNers wouldn’t be seen dead with.

So do I !!

Seeline · 23/02/2026 10:20

How old is your DS?

Someone should be offering to pay - either you or DS.

Whooo · 23/02/2026 10:20

Well it depends on your financial circumstances. If you’re in poverty or this money will conflict with bills/food or cause you to go into debt, then you can’t afford it.

VodaSVag · 23/02/2026 10:21

Nousese · 23/02/2026 09:40

Hello,

My son asked his friend for a number that was stored in his friend’s phone. So, My friend’s son gave my son his phone while they were waking the stairs at the station. The floor it was wet as it was raining. My son tripped over quite bad at the stairs when he was going to give back his friend the phone. The screen cracked a bit at the bottom.

I feel i should pay for the repair. I don’t have to much money to be honest. If i had I would not hesitate to pay for it.
So i wanted to ask people for advice here.

thanks,

If it's insured I'd offer to pay the excess. That way any warantee would still apply.

For example mine is £75. Don't know how much a repair would charge. Depends on the phone I guess?

Zebedee999 · 23/02/2026 10:34

Nousese · 23/02/2026 09:40

Hello,

My son asked his friend for a number that was stored in his friend’s phone. So, My friend’s son gave my son his phone while they were waking the stairs at the station. The floor it was wet as it was raining. My son tripped over quite bad at the stairs when he was going to give back his friend the phone. The screen cracked a bit at the bottom.

I feel i should pay for the repair. I don’t have to much money to be honest. If i had I would not hesitate to pay for it.
So i wanted to ask people for advice here.

thanks,

If say the repair was £100, could you offer the lad £25 if he can just live with the small crack? That way it's a win win.

LightYearsAgo · 23/02/2026 10:39

BigSkies2022 · 23/02/2026 09:42

Yes, pay for the repair. Screens can be done for not much money at a generic repair shop.

I wish, I once lived with a cracked screen for ages as even at a local shop it was more than i could afford to repair, I can't remember the exact model but it was one with a curved screen

RoastBanana · 23/02/2026 10:50

Umm, assuming these boys are teens, if I was the other boy’s mother, I would probably be getting my son to pay out of his own savings/pocket money in order to teach him a useful lesson about being careful about handing your phone to people. If the repair was too expensive to be covered by my son, I would appreciate the other boy’s parents offering half but would still expect my son to be paying enough for him to learn something from this experience.

But I appreciate not all parents may feel like so think OP you should offer to pay the cost.

Original poster
Nousese · 23/02/2026 11:13

My son and his friend are 9 years old. I think my son was unlucky as his friend dropped the phone on the same day few hours ago and it did not cracked. My phone has screen protector and i have dropped it a lot of times on concrete and never cracked. I haven’t spoke to her since it happened. She has not asked me for money yet but she is not happy

OP posts: