Broken Screen

What it shows

A screen that looks struck: thin lines of cracked glass running out from a point of impact, with a couple of broken rings around it. It starts with one crack. Click or tap the picture to add another exactly where you want it, or press Add a crack to add one without a mouse. Up to twelve cracks fit at once, and Clear cracks starts again. Choose a dark or light background to suit the screen it will be shown on.

When it looks right, press Go Fullscreen. Each crack appears whole, all at once: there is no shattering animation, no flash and no sound.

Why the cracks go on first

In full screen, a click or tap closes the picture, as it does on every full-screen tool on this site, so nobody is ever stuck behind it. That is why the cracks are placed here on the page first, and then shown.

Leaving it

Press Esc, click, or tap anywhere, and it closes. On a phone that cannot go full screen, the picture covers the browser window instead and an Exit button stays in the corner. Nothing here tries to stop anyone leaving, and the Back button works as usual. Keep screen awake starts switched on while it is shown, and the status line says whether your browser agreed.

A picture, not a broken screen

The glass and the display are untouched: this is a drawing, and it does nothing to the screen underneath. Nothing is installed, changed, stored or sent. It works best on someone who will laugh when they find out, and it is kindest not to try it on someone who has just bought a new phone.