How to control your Android phone if the screen is broken

You feel your phone slip out of your hand. A wave of panic surges from your toes to your scalp. Time stops. The phone bounces on the floor. You hold your breath and pick it up. The screen stares back at you, fractured in a million pieces. You stare at the sky and belt out your curse word of choice.

But did you know that you can control your Android phone even if the screen is broken? Follow along…

A key prior purchase

The screen is broken and your life is over, right? Keep breathing. We’re not going to use the screen to handle your cell phone. Instead, we’ll use a mouse. Yup, an ordinary PC mouse.

To manage this, we first have to buy a USB OTG adapter. This adapter lets you have micro USB or Type C USB connections. On one side, you have the output and on the other, a classic USB. In fact, you may have one inside your original smartphone packaging, since many cell phones come with a default one. However, if not, here’s a link to get one.

$7

Micro USB OTG Cable, POSUGEAR Micro USB Male to USB 2.0 Female OTG Cable Adapter Gold plated

From: Amazon

Add to Cart

Once you’re ready to go, just plug one end into the cell phone and the other into the mouse (which has to be USB compatible, though 99% of models are nowadays). Once that’s done, the cell phone will display a cursor on the screen, just like a mouse on a PC.

With the left click, you can tap; with the right click, you can go back. The wheel scrolls the screen.

Of course, this method only works if your screen isn’t completely destroyed. If so, you have a serious problem, since you won’t be able to see the mouse. And in that case, feel free to let out another of your favorite curse words and prepare to shell out for a screen repair.