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Mobile phone repair
Mobile phone repair means diagnosing and fixing faults such as damaged screens, batteries or charging ports. You can start with a narrow range of repairs, practise carefully and arrange bookings directly with local customers.
Open the interactive guide (checklist, video, read-aloud) →In plain words
- You find and fix problems with mobile phones.
- Start with a few repairs you have practised.
- Agree the work and price before starting.
- Keep the phone and its parts safe.
- Test the phone before giving it back.
Who it suits
Suits patient people who enjoy practical troubleshooting, can explain repair options clearly and are willing to practise before taking on customer devices.
People pay to get a damaged or faulty phone working again. A clear diagnosis, agreed price and careful repair can help customers decide whether to use your service.
Step by step
- Choose a few repairs to learn first. Pick a narrow starting range, such as screens, batteries or charging ports. Do not advertise a repair until you have practised it and can explain its limits. About 1-2 days to choose; longer to learn.
- Practise on devices you own or may use. Get permission before working on any device that is not yours. Write down the model, fault, steps tried and result so you can learn from each attempt. About Several days or weeks.
- List tools and check parts match. Make a checklist of the tools and parts needed for each repair. Check the exact phone model and part compatibility before ordering, and keep parts labelled. About 1-2 hours.
- Make a simple booking form. Ask for the customer’s device model, reported fault, contact details and relevant repair history. Include a way to request contact by message or another accessible method. About 30-60 minutes.
- Inspect the phone with the customer. Before accepting it, note its visible condition and the fault the customer reports. Take agreed condition photos where appropriate and keep the notes with the job record. About 10-20 minutes per device.
- Give a written quote and explain the limits. State what work is included, what could change the quote and what you will do if the repair cannot be completed. Get the customer’s approval before starting. About 15-30 minutes per quote.
- Tell customers how to prepare their device. Give clear preparation instructions before the appointment. Vodafone advises customers using its own repair service to back up data and remove SIM and memory cards before sending a device; consider giving customers clear preparation guidance too. Vodafone Ireland About 10-15 minutes to prepare instructions.
- Repair in a clean, organised workspace. Keep each device and its removed parts together, and work in a clear, well-lit area. Stop and contact the customer if the repair differs from the agreed work. About Varies by repair; allow extra time.
- Test the phone and record the job. Test the device and the functions affected by the repair before handing it back. Tell the customer what work you completed and give them a record of the job. About 15-30 minutes per device.
Your first 15 minutes
Choose one repair type, practise it on a device you have permission to use, and write a booking form and quote template before offering the service.
The money
Work out the parts cost, the time involved and other business costs, then set a price you can explain clearly. Check that parts match the device and state in writing what the quote includes and what might change it; customer prices shown by repair chains are not your expected earnings.
Example only: UK week — 2 repairs at £70 each = £140 income; £40 parts and £10 other costs leave £90 before tax. Ireland week — 2 repairs at €70 each = €140 income; €40 parts and €10 other costs leave €90 before tax. These are made-up figures, not a typical price or earnings promise.
The rules
There is no general phone-repair licence in the UK or Ireland. Take care with tax, customer information and customer agreements. If you’re unsure about local requirements, check with the relevant local body.
UK and Northern Ireland
- Trading income. The first £1,000 a year of trading income is covered by the trading allowance. If your income is higher, tell HMRC. The allowance applies to gross income before expenses. If you need to register for Self Assessment, do it by 5 October after the tax year ends. GOV.UK Tax Help for Hustles GOV.UK
- VAT. You must register for VAT if your taxable turnover is over £90,000. Business.gov.uk
- Customer rights. Give your customer a clear written quote. Explain what will happen if you can’t complete the repair. Specific consumer-rights requirements for repair businesses aren’t set out here. Check with Citizens Advice or Trading Standards.
- Customer information. Use the ICO self-assessment tool to check whether your business needs to pay a data protection fee. You’re likely to be exempt if you hold customer details only for your own accounts and transaction records. This does not include information processed by or obtained from credit reference agencies. ICO
- Insurance and permission. Consider insurance for damage, parts or customer disputes. Check what your policy covers with an insurer. Get permission before working on a device that isn’t yours. There’s no general legal requirement for repair-business insurance identified here.
- Age and local rules. The module is aimed at people aged 18 or over. That isn’t a confirmed legal minimum age for phone repair. There’s no general repair licence or vetting rule identified here. If you’re unsure, check with your local council.
Ireland
- Income tax. If you work on PAYE, register for self-assessment using Form 11 if your taxable non-PAYE income is over €5,000 or your gross non-PAYE income is over €30,000. Below those limits, declare the income on Form 12 through myAccount. Revenue
- VAT. The VAT registration threshold is €42,500 for services and €85,000 for goods. Check which threshold applies to your business’s supplies. Revenue
- Business name. If you trade under a name other than your own, register that business name with the CRO. Online registration costs €20. Companies Registration Office
- Customer rights. Give your customer a clear written quote. Explain what will happen if you can’t complete the repair. Specific consumer-rights requirements for repair businesses aren’t set out here. Check with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission or a local Citizens Information Centre.
- Customer information. Keep customer details secure. Don’t access personal content unless it’s genuinely needed for the agreed repair. Irish data-protection fee rules aren’t set out here. Check your obligations with the Data Protection Commission.
- Insurance, age and rules. Consider insurance for damage, parts or customer disputes. Check what your policy covers with an insurer. The module is aimed at people aged 18 or over, but that isn’t a confirmed legal minimum age. There’s no general phone-repair licence identified here. If you’re unsure, check with the relevant local body.
Checked against official sources: 22 October 2026. Not yet reviewed by a qualified tax or legal adviser. General guidance, not legal advice. Check the official link beside each point before you start.
Common mistakes
- Advertising repairs before practising them on devices you own or have permission to use.
- Ordering parts without checking the exact phone model and compatibility.
- Starting work before recording the device condition and getting approval for a written quote.
- Failing to explain what will happen if the diagnosis changes or the repair cannot be completed.
- Rushing final tests or accessing customer data that is not needed for the agreed repair.
AI-made demonstration: this module has a 20-second street-chat video in the interactive guide. The presenter and the people in it are computer-generated, not real people.