Quick answer
Updated September 2026Can you sell an iPhone with a cracked screen in the UAE?
Yes. SellYourMac.ae buys iPhones with hairline cracks, shattered glass and dead touch, from the iPhone 13 and SE 3 to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo, with the iPhone 11 and 12 taken at an adjusted figure. The screen damage is graded into one of three tiers and written into the quote as its own line; the rest of the figure still follows storage, battery and back glass. Enter the model, storage and screen condition in the quote form for a written AED quote, free pickup anywhere in the UAE and same-day payment.
- Three tiers: hairline with touch working, shattered with touch working, dead or black screen.
- The tier is written into the quote; storage, battery and back glass set the rest.
- Repairing first rarely recovers the cost; a third-party screen lowers the quote.
- Find My can be turned off from icloud.com if the touch no longer works.
- Written AED quote on WhatsApp before pickup, valid 1-5 days.
- Free pickup in all 7 emirates, same-day bank transfer or cash at the door.
Key facts
- Applies to
- iPhone 13 and SE 3 to iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo outright; iPhone 11 and 12 at an adjusted figure, any screen damage
- Storage tiers bought
- 64GB to 2TB, every tier
- Damage tiers
- Hairline, touch works; shattered, touch works; dead touch or black screen
- Full-quote battery health
- 85 percent or above, assessed separately from the screen
- Quote validity
- 1-5 days, written on WhatsApp
- Pickup
- Free, all 7 emirates, same-day in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman
- Payment
- Same-day UAE bank transfer or cash on collection
- Buyer
- SellYourMac.ae (Azizi Technologies), Dubai Media City, trading since 2013
This guide is for anyone in the UAE holding an iPhone with a cracked screen who is deciding whether to repair it, sell it as it is, or keep using it behind a screen protector. By the end you will know how SellYourMac.ae grades screen damage, what else in the phone still carries the quote, why a repair before selling usually costs more than it returns, and how to get a written AED figure on WhatsApp without leaving home.
A cracked screen is the most common fault the desk sees, and it is the most predictable one to quote. The glass is one component; the battery, cameras, logic board, back glass and housing are all still there, and on a recent Pro model they are most of the value. The crack sets one line in the quote, and the rest of the phone sets the others.
How does the desk grade a cracked iPhone screen?
Into three tiers, by what still works rather than how the crack looks. A hairline crack with full touch and no lines is the lightest tier; the display is replaceable and everything behind it is sold as working. Shattered glass with touch still working is the middle tier. A screen with dead touch, black areas, green or pink lines, or no image at all is the heaviest tier, because the whole display assembly needs replacing and the desk cannot verify the rest of the phone through the screen until it does.
In the quote form, describe the screen damage and say whether touch works everywhere. That is enough for the SellYourMac.ae desk to place the tier and write the quote.
| Tier | What it looks like | Touch | What to send |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hairline | One or two lines, no missing glass | Works fully | Photo with the screen on |
| Shattered | Spider-web cracks, possibly missing corners | Works fully | Photos on and off, confirm touch |
| Dead or black | Lines, dark patches, no image, or touch fails | Partial or none | Photos, and clear Find My from icloud.com |
What else still carries the value of a cracked iPhone?
Storage tier, battery health, back glass, cameras and the TDRA region, in that order. A 512GB iPhone 15 Pro with a shattered screen and a healthy battery is quoted from the 512GB figure with the screen tier written as a deduction; it is not quoted as scrap. Back glass matters as much as the front on Pro models because it needs a housing swap. Cameras and Face ID are checked at pickup if the screen allows it.
The practical point is to send the full picture. A cracked screen plus a strong battery, intact back and original parts is a very different phone from a cracked screen plus a Service battery and a third-party display, and the written quote reflects each line separately.
- Storage: sets the starting figure, same as a working phone
- Battery health: quoted separately, 85 percent or above earns the full line
- Back glass: a second crack there is a second deduction, not the same one
- Original display and battery: a third-party panel lowers the quote
- TDRA UAE model: quotes higher than an import, both bought
Should you repair the screen before selling an iPhone?
Usually not. An out-of-warranty Apple display replacement costs more than the difference between the cracked and working quotes on most models, so you would pay for the repair and get only part of it back. A cheaper third-party screen is worse: the desk detects a non-genuine display, True Tone is often lost, and the phone is quoted in a lower band than the cracked original would have been.
The exception is AppleCare+. If the phone is covered, the screen replacement is a fixed service fee and the phone then sells as a working unit with a genuine display. In that case, repair first, then sell.
| Option | What you pay | How the desk quotes it |
|---|---|---|
| Sell as-is | Nothing | Screen tier written as one line; rest of phone at full lines |
| Apple repair, out of warranty | Full Apple screen service | Working phone, genuine display; rarely recovers the repair cost |
| Apple repair under AppleCare+ | Service fee only | Working phone, genuine display; usually worth doing |
| Third-party screen | Cheaper repair | Lower band than the cracked original; True Tone often lost |
How do you turn off Find My when the touch does not work?
From another device. Sign in at icloud.com in any browser, open Find Devices, select the iPhone and choose Erase iPhone if you want the data wiped, then Remove from Account. The removal is queued if the phone is offline and applies the moment it connects at the desk. If a Mac or iPad is signed in to the same Apple Account, the Find My app under Devices does the same.
If the screen still shows an image and touch works in part, a wired keyboard through a USB-C or Lightning adapter, or VoiceOver with a Bluetooth keyboard, can get you to Settings, General, Transfer or Reset iPhone. It is usually faster to do it from icloud.com and let the desk erase the phone by cable.
- icloud.com, Find Devices, Remove from Account clears Activation Lock
- Erase iPhone from icloud.com first if you want the data gone before pickup
- Payment waits until the Activation Lock prompt is clear at the door
- The desk runs a certified erase by cable on every phone before resale
Where should you sell a cracked iPhone in the UAE?
To a buyer that grades the screen in writing before pickup. Apple Trade In returns store credit and treats a cracked screen as a repair item; a marketplace listing for a cracked phone brings offers that change at handover. SellYourMac.ae writes the screen tier into the WhatsApp quote, collects free anywhere in the UAE and pays the same day, and has bought Apple devices from Dubai Media City since 2013.
How do you sell a cracked iPhone from home?
Five steps, usually one day. Photos first, quote second, Find My cleared before the courier arrives.
Send the details in the quote form
Send the model, storage, battery health if you can read it, the screen damage, whether touch works, and your emirate in the SellYourMac.ae quote form.
Receive the written AED quote
A figure in the thread with the screen tier and every other adjustment shown. It holds for 1-5 days with no obligation.
Clear Find My
Settings, your name, Find My, Find My iPhone, off if touch works; otherwise icloud.com, Find Devices, Remove from Account.
Free pickup at your door
A courier with company ID checks the serial, storage, battery, screen tier and Activation Lock against the quote while you watch, anywhere in the 7 emirates.
Same-day payment
UAE bank transfer on verification, or cash on collection if requested when booking. The desk erases the phone by cable before resale.
