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Broken screen backlight still on does that mean the phone will still work with screen replacement

casperibz

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I broke the screen on my iphone 5 it was still working for a while but then my child got some food on it where the bits of glass had broken off and the screen went off a while back now, but the backlight still comes on when I turn on does that mean the phone still works and I just need to replace the screen?

I should add nothing happens when I plug it into the PC but then the phone does have a passcode on it and it's not trusted to this pc, but it doesn't recognize it,,,
 
That the backlight still works when the iPhone is turned on isn't a guarantee that the rest of the phone with the exception of the screen still works. Have you considered a Genius Bar appointment at the nearest Apple Store where they can run a full diagnostic to determine exactly what is needed to bring the phone to full operating condition. That would enable you to decide whether or not to repair the iPhone 5 or upgrade to a newer iPhone.
 
There's no Apple Store here I checked on the Apple Service Store Locator, and if the search thing was wrong then there's probably only one in Dublin and that's a few hours drive away...what are the chances of it still working if it's only the backlight working and not responding to being connected to a computer? When I plug it in the charger it turns on, well the backlight does...I just need to know an opinion really before I decide whether it's worth taking it somewhere
 
I've been looking to see if I can find a solution to your problem and all the solutions I've seen to get your computer to recognize your iphone require input on the touchscreen. Are there any Apple certified repair shops in your area? They may be able to determine if anything other than your screen is damaged and how much it will cost to repair.
 
Just discovered it is recognized in DFU mode if that means anything...
 
If it can be recognized in DFU mode does that mean it should be ok when i replace the screen and its not completely dead?
 
If it can be recognized in DFU mode does that mean it should be ok when i replace the screen and its not completely dead?
It should be. Once your iphone is connected to iTunes in DFU mode, do a backup of your phone to use when your screen has been repaired.
When buying a replacement screen you should be willing to pay for the cost of a genuine Apple part. It may be more expensive than the cost of the cheap knock off screens, but buying and trying several different dud screens cam make installing the cheap screen more expensive in the long run. Once the new screen is installed, use DFU mode to restore your phone.
 
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Thanks for your help, i'm not worried about the data i had luckily backed up up my photos a few days before it happened. I will take into your advice regarding the screen ill probably get it replaced by someone else just wanted to know whether it was worth it if the phone was broken beyond repair before wasting time or money
 
Let us know how it goes.

Last night I decided to restore the phone to see how it went and if I got any errors, I didn't it went through the full update and restore, but at the end when it said your phone is restarting and after restart should be displayed nothing happened, the phone wasn't recognized again.

Is this related to the screen needing replacing or does that mean there is probably more damage to something inside the phone....
 
Last night I decided to restore the phone to see how it went and if I got any errors, I didn't it went through the full update and restore, but at the end when it said your phone is restarting and after restart should be displayed nothing happened, the phone wasn't recognized again.

Is this related to the screen needing replacing or does that mean there is probably more damage to something inside the phone....
When you restore your iPhone like that, it requires input on the iPhone's touchscreen to restart the phone. Since your screen isn't working, you can't complete the restart process. With a working screen, this shouldn't be a problem.
 
When you restore your iPhone like that, it requires input on the iPhone's touchscreen to restart the phone. Since your screen isn't working, you can't complete the restart process. With a working screen, this shouldn't be a problem.
Thanks your awesome, I was worried that some moisture had got into the phone through the broken screen from the food that was dropped on it. I was reading on other forums about people with water damage that could connect to iTunes or get into DFU Mode but when they restored they just got a Error Message and Number on iTunes so that's why I thought I'd just try and go through the process...
 
There's no absolute guarantee that the screen is the only damage on the iPhone but there's no way to tell without disassembling the phone, checking for signs of internal damage, installing a new screen, then seeing if the phone works. The chances look good, however.
 
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