iOpener Instructions

Written By: Andrew Optimus Goldheart
  • Comments: 117
iOpener Instructions

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

5

Time Required

30 seconds

Introduction

The iOpener is an insulated, heat-retaining bag that can be heated in a microwave and used to transfer heat to the adhesive along the edge of an iPad or similar device.

Follow these basic instructions to get started with your new (black, liquid-filled) iOpener. For the white, solid-filled iOpener, follow this guide instead.

For detailed instructions specific to your device and repair, see our set of iPad repair guides.

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    • We recommend that you clean your microwave before proceeding, as any nasty gunk on the bottom may end up stuck to the iOpener.

    • Place the iOpener in the center of the microwave.

    • For carousel microwaves: Make sure the plate spins freely. If your iOpener gets stuck, it may overheat and burn.

    I didn't find this to be as hard as I had built it up in my mind to be; HOWEVER, saying that I need to say years ago I was the local Nokia service center in my town. But many years ago right after they got rid of analog times. Yeah. A classic installer/repairer mistake when starting something they haven't fixed or installed before is picking up the instructions, flipping through them; maybe even reading a section that is new-then tossing the instructions over the shoulder. "I got this." This usually comes right before something major gets broke. And I can tell you when you try to do it yourself and then mess it up horribly then take it to the repair shop. Well we called that "I can do it myself" syndrome and charged extra to put back together what they brought in in the box. Now knowing all this - I can't stress this enough because I am stupid, stupid, stupid. COVER YOUR SCREEN IN CLEAR BOXING TAPE AND READ ALL THE INSTRUCTION BELOW THROUGH TO THE END BEFORE EVEN ATTEMPTING THIS FIX. Take my advise.

    windizy -

    I didn't have an iOpener, so I used a wheat type heat bag. If you do this though, make sure you put a layer of plastic between your Mac and the bag, or you'll get condensation in places you don't want it.

    Martin Gray -

    I started out using the iOpener but switched to my wife's hairdryer. A heat gun or hair dryer proved to be much more convenient and is a time saviour. You can heat more and the glue becomes more fluid make the next steps with the opening picks much easier

    Jan Van Puymbroeck -

    I know this is obvious, but backup your iPad with iTunes before you start. I'd also turn off your passcode if you have one.

    Laurie Higgins -

    Ther first time you heat up the iOpener for this repair when its room temperature I had to heat it up for more than 30 seconds. I remember I had to heat it up for around 45 seconds. However, after that when you need to reheat it again during the repair 30 seconds will be enough.

    Yousef Ghalib -

    I used the wheat bag in a sensor microwave heating up to 65-70 deg C (155 def F).

    ian cheong -

    Get yourself a cherry pit bean bag the size of your iPad. Heat it, put the iPad on it for 3 to 5 minutes or so, reheat the cherry pit bean bag, again put your iPad on it. Then heat the iOpener and start working. The cherry pit bean bag will have to be reheated several times, but it will soften the adhesive so you have less problems with the iOpener

    Tim Feyaerts -

    The heating can be done very effectively (and quickly) with 3d printer heated bed. Make sure the bed is clean. Set the temperature to 60c, (130f ) and put the ipad face down for +/- 10 minutes. Repeat as needed throughout the “gentle prying” stages.

    polleyphony -

    The iOpener did not work at all for me.

    I had to use a heat gun and bring the edges of the case up to ~200 degrees (used an infrared thermometer to measure) before the glue would weaken. This obviously superheated the metal frame, so I also had to wear gloves to handle the phone while prying the back off with the included picks.

    Mike Jeanette -

    Repair instructions worked like a charm. Had to be patient with the iOpener and getting the screen off. I tried repeatedly without success until shifting the suction cup a bit to the left side where perhaps the glue had loosened up a bit more.

    Kyle -

    The iOpener, in my opinion, is of no help. Many warnings to say “don’t warm it too much”, but the glue doesn’t melt if not warm enough. As a result, a complete waste of time and energy. In addition, too much liquid in it, so it doesn’t lay on the device on a sufficient surface. I took a hairdryer and it worked much much better.

    laurentvidu -

    I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method.

    breadandbits -

    My experience. I was replacing the screen which had been cracked and a little shattered in some places. The iopener is pretty much useless, so was the suction cup. The suction cup would probably be more useful if I was doing something besides the screen. Also you probably want the clean the screen before using it so it can get good suction. I used a hair dryer on high for a couple of minutes at a time (someone on this tread suggested that). I used my exacto knife and a razor blade to get into the adhesive. First the exacto to get the initial cut, then the razor blade to go a little deeper. Could have probably just used the razor blade, but the exacto has a little more finesse. I got the razor blade in and a little under the glass then I used the picks to wedge in. I didn’t want to risk anything using the razor blade too much. Used tape to keep the shattered glass together.

    trebor65 -

    My experience pt2

    Fortunately the shattering was mostly on the edges and most of it had adhesive on the back so it stuck together. Just take your time and work your way around following the guide to get the screen off. Have some goof off or goo be gone to clean the frame when putting the new glass on or putting the existing one back. (someone suggested that also, very good idea). Be careful of the LCD (you should know that). The cable on my LCD was pretty tight, so I propped it up while taking the cable cover off and when I put it back on I did the same thing. I just put a bottle on the battery and leaned the back of the LCD on that while attaching the cables and putting the screws back on the cover. Also be careful with the home button and the bracket on the back of it. I had enough old adhesive on left on the bracket that it stuck back to the new glass fine. So far only 12 hours in, so we will see how that holds up when the kids get at it.

    trebor65 -

    Another alternative if you do not have the iopener is to use a bed time hotwater bottle. Do not over fill it though. Just put enough hot water in to support the phone while you work around the adhesive.

    I use both the hot water bottle and iopener together on Samsung's. It makes life easier

    gazza667 -

    I followed the directions and heated my iOpener for 30 seconds in a 1000 watt microwave, and it came out at 160 degrees F, as verified by a infrared thermometer. This allowed me to separate the last bit of the back of my Samsung S8, which was already coming off due to a swollen battery (hence the reason for the repair).

    Dennis -

    Hallo,habe den Akku erfolgreich getauscht.Doch seitdem gibt es bei Telefonaten eine Rückkopplung für den anrufenden.Bei mir ist alles normal.Woran liegt das?Mfg

    Manu R -

    If you follow these instructions, you will crack your screen like I did. Heating the iOpener for 30 seconds, using it to melt glue, then waiting 10 minutes to reheat is useless. The iOpener can be used to maybe warm the glue on whatever side you aren’t working on. You need a hairdryer and/or a heat gun to melt the glue and separate the glass from the iPad.

    Anyone want to buy an old iPad with broken glass and a dead battery?

    mpulliam -

    Not everybody has a microwave. You should provide a target temperature for the iOpener and instructions for a conventional oven, or pot of warm water, or whatever. Although I will probably use a heat gun …

    Esmond Pitt -

    Three times heating opener and no luck. Tried pressing down gently on opener with a towel, and the opener broke. Wondering if I now replace table mats, fancy table cloth, etc. or will this stuff wash out.

    Not impressed so far. Maybe the hair dryer next.

    doug -

    I support the comments about the iOpener. Everyone has a hair drier, FHS, so get a cheap IR thermometer (£18) and blow heat until the area is 60+ deg C. Still takes w while, and getting the screen off is v scary, but just add more heat if you feel resistance.

    The rest of the kit is good, esp the magnetic screwdrivers.

    Richard O'Brien -

    No, everyone does not have a hairdryer. Some of us don’t even have hair. Thank goodness I already had an IR thermometer, though.

    nin10doh -

    #### WARNUNG WENN MINIMALSTER SPRUNG IM DISPLAY IST FUNKTIONERT DAS NICHT!!! ######

    Hatte einen winzigen, minimalen Sprung im Display. Ich dachte es könnte gehen, weil der Sprung “abgeschlossen” war. Er hat in einer Ecke ein winzige Glasteil rausgeschnitten. NEIN! Geht nicht. Habe alles mit viel Geduld dem iOpener und einem Föhn erhitzt. Es ist trotzdem sofort über das komplette Display zersprungen…

    T z -

    I’ve started with iOpener but changed very quickly to a heatgun. That was more efficient.

    Mizzoo, s.r.o. -

    I could not get the iOpener hot enough to melt the glue on my ipad 6. I heated for 45 seconds once and it was boiling and it still never worked. Thank goodness contributors mentioned using a hair dryer. Using an 1700w hair dryer on high did the trick to get the screen off. Still took some time and the case got pretty hot but be patient. It took twice as long and a lot more patience to get the battery out.

    Randal Haufler -

    I have an Ipad with touch screen issue, if i replace this part it should be Ok?

    janderson martin -

    WARNING - DO NOT MICROWAVE ON A METAL MICROWAVE RACK

    The metal microwave rack can heat up and melt through the iOpener cover letting the contents leak out.

    Not a big issue for me as I have a heat gun and used that instead.

    Run Up A Tree -

    I opened my iPad with the iOpener. Be patient! It may take quite a bit longer to it the iOpener in the microwave than it says in the guide. My microwave can only do 800W and I had to put the iOpener in several times (maybe a total of 90-120 seconds). I recommend that you have the transparent side up an watch the bag carefully. As long a the bag doesn't bloat up and the liquid doesn't start bubbling you should be fine. But I recommend to take the iO out from time to time to check it. (More comments in Step 6.)

    marcelflueeler -

    I gave upon the I opener and used a hairdryer. (Fixed an iPad 6)

    Tom Weber -

    iPad mini gen5. I used the iOpener. My microwave is 1200w with carousel. 30 sec got the iOpener to 155ºF. For the 2nd heating, after 10 minutes sitting, the temp was still around 125º so I only cooked it for 15 sec. Not enough increase so +5 sec more which me to 165-170ºF. This should be considered ballpark info because who knows the real output of the various microwaves and the quality of the IR tool used to determine temp.

    To successfully open my iPad mini I applied the iOpener twice to the left edge and twice to bottom. & once to R edge. Using the suction cup was difficult for me (I'm in my 70's so my hands don't work too well anymore). I had trouble holding the guitar pick and slipping them in (at an downward angle). In the end, sliding my thumbnail along the edge opened it very slightly and allowed the pick to get into the gap. I marked the ends of all my picks with a sharpie pen for the recommended 2mm insertion to avoid going in too deep. To get the screen open it took me approx 1 hour.

    jharrison -

    Can’t you just use a hair curler instead?

    Aspect22 -

    A hairdryer or heat gun works, if heating is kept around 100 deg C (212 deg F - boiling point of water). But… heating this way is cumbersome. Using a hotplate, set to 100 deg C, measured carefully with a fairly inexpensive IR gun, is simpler and easier, if you can afford the hotplate (I used an old pancake griddle with a thermostat knob). It works great for phones, setting them face down for 2 minutes, then picking them up with insulated gloves - cheap, wool gloves work fine. This may require repeated reheating to continue the display removal, but its much simpler.

    Because its almost impossible to repeatedly lay an iPad/tablet on the hot plate, I propose an alternative.

    Initially lay the larger iPad/tablet, face down, for 2 min, to heat all of the adhesive surrounding the display. Lift and begin the picking process describe in your removal steps. Then lay an iOpener on the hotplate for 2 min (already set to the exact, desired temp) to bring it to working temp for the remaining operations.

    Dan Smith -

    For iPads in particular, it makes sense to construct a simple, aluminum window frame, laid on a hotplate (see my comment above) that only touches the edges of the display, heating only the adhesive underneath. This prevents general heating of the entire device. Four strips of aluminum, placed together as a frame, would be the simplest and allow variations for all devices - envision it as a pinwheel of strips, radiating outward. Use it for any size device.

    Dan Smith -

    BTW, always read all comments at each step. New, and possibly useful, suggestions appear on occasion that can be crucial.

    Dan Smith -

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    • Heat the iOpener for thirty seconds.

    • Throughout the repair procedure, as the iOpener cools, reheat it in the microwave for an additional thirty seconds at a time.

    • Be careful not to overheat the iOpener during the repair. Overheating may cause the iOpener to burst. Do not attempt to heat over 100˚C (212˚F).

    • Never touch the iOpener if it appears swollen.

    • If the iOpener is still too hot in the middle to touch, continue using it while waiting for it to cool down some more before reheating. A properly heated iOpener should stay warm for up to 10 minutes.

    I had to heat mine up for more than 30 seconds. After 30 seconds on high it was only warm. It had to keep trying different times and checking it until it got hot. I think the initial time that I put it in for was over a minute.

    whale13 -

    DO NOT USE IN NON ROTATING MICROWAVE! It will pop a hole. I had it in for 45 seconds the first time. It wasn't very hot inside and I saw it started to leak on the paper towel I put under it. Just a fair bit of advice. I think I will just stick with the heat gun. Loud but useful.

    Alex Jackson -

    I heated mine up for 30 seconds, tested, then again for 30 seconds. It felt adequately hot. Leaving it on the left side, per the instruction, for a minute did not loosen the adhesive. I ended up pulling the suction cup hard enough to shadder the old screen. Moral of the story, I don't think it gets hot enough safely to have an affect.

    Travis Dixon -

    There is a clear problem here with the heating part using the iopener things....no details are given. Whoever is testing them needs to make it clear - What temperature does it need to be? And for which phone models, because they differ in what's needed. It's only £10-15 for a laser guided temp sensor unit, and the designers/repairers should have one of those already for doing these kinds of repairs. Explaining half a repair, is worse than not explaining at all :-(

    assortedrubbish -

    All phones/devices differ it’s unrealistic and unsafe to put a exact time/temperature needed to soften the adhesive. It’s really quite simple you warm the device evenly and in a controlled manner just enough to enable pry tools and picks to begin separating. Best tool in my opinion but again this is because I have experience is a hot plate and heat gun both of which are used at nearly the lowest settings and I can handle flat palming the plate for almost 10 seconds I leave the device to conduct heat until approx it’s about 110 at most 120 ish this will be plenty to soften all the adhesive if any problem areas I use heat gun while prying. Again you need go slowly and learn with a throw away phone

    Greg Latta -

    I used a hot water bottle, works well as it covers the whole screen and stays hot for longer.

    dave -

    If I may suggest include your microwave wattage so people can get an idea on time for there own

    Patrick Storey -

    I agree with this.

    Jarl Friis -

    I ended up using a hair dryer. That iOpener thing took forever.

    mark fitzgerald -

    30 seconds sure isn’t cutting it… 45 didn’t get the screen of my iPad air 2 to budge either… even after resting on the ipad for 4 minutes.

    60 seconds in the microwave, the iOpener burst.

    I’ll get a new one and try once more with heating it 45 seconds and repeat that for 30 minutes like others have said here. If that doesn’t work it’ll have to be the heat gun.

    K

    Karl Marble -

    I can’t recommend the microwave. If the the iOpener becomes too hot, it bursts. Better put the opener in cooking water. Dry it and use it. Instead of an iOpener you can use hot/cool packs as well.

    Bernhard Keim -

    Great idea with using the heat packs. I will try that next time. Thank you

    Collins -

    Trust the directions! I forgot and left it in the Microwave too long and after 1 minute I had Mt Vesuvius - the iOpener burst and spewed the goodies out. The problem is, the Digitizer can be damaged by a hot air gun, so I had to tough out and remove the glue the hard way. I made it … with lots of patience! Tough lesson.

    Larry Bennett -

    I also used a hairdryer. I used it on the low setting and I cut a piece of carboard to protect the rest of the screen. The iFixit tool and method is vert tedious and very time consuming in comparison. With the hairdryer method you can literally have the display apart in a few minutes. Using your other hand nearby the area you are heating it should be very hot but not enough to burn your hand. You only have to heat metal part of case near glass edge. If you have a cellular model then you need to be very careful because the black antenna area is plastic. So less heat and work your way up in adding heat just enough to separate around the area but not so much you melt the plastic!

    Fixrights -

    iOpener was the worst part of the kit. Followed directions for :30 in microwave and took 4 trips to the microwave to loosen adhesive on left side of home button. I thought I was figuring it out and it was working well… even set a timer to wait 10 minutes between heating it up. Was on the right side and was on my 12th heat up when it exploded in the microwave. My only tip is that if you set it clear side up, as soon as you see any bubbles or boiling in the liquid, STOP! If you put a pot holder over the iOpener and press slightly to make good surface contact, that seemed to help. I finished heating with a “Corn Sack” that held heat better than the provided iOpener.

    digital_only -

    Mon iopener n'a pas tenu une réparation. Je ne vous conseille pas ce produit

    Berard Romain -

    Bonjour,

    Nous sommes désolés que votre réparation ne se soit pas déroulée comme prévu. Il se peut que le produit était défectueux. Veuillez contacter notre service client support@ifixit.com (boutique américaine) ou eustore@ifixit.com (boutique européenne) en décrivant ce qui s’est passé.

    Claire Miesch -

    Readers looking for temperature advice might check the comments of the previous instruction, as there are more there. I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method.

    breadandbits -

    Thank you for posting some actual temperatures. I have a heat gun with a very fine self-temperature regulation setting capability.

    I will set it for 150-180 F, and use that to soften the adhesive.

    G Trieste -

    Get a heat gun.

    alesha adamson -

    I followed the directions and heated my iOpener for 30 seconds in a 1000 watt microwave, and it came out at 160 degrees F, as verified by a infrared thermometer. A second heating about 15 minutes later in the micro and it came out at 190 degrees F. Plenty hot enough to soften the adhesive for removing the back on my S8. Based on the comments above I think people just need to use more patience.

    Dennis -

    I used various time settings. It got very hot. It would soften the glue but not a whole lot. If my screen had been intact and I was replacing something that was not a digitizer, it may have worked. A broken screen makes the process significantly more difficult. I ended up breaking the home button cable. Good bye TouchID…

    cvela90 -

    After reading previous comments I didn't even use the i-opener. Used the heatgun ( hairdryer ) which works great for me. Maybe I was lucky as this is my first attempt at replacing a cellphone battery. Motoz 3

    Collins -

    It appeared 30 seconds were not enough, so I heated it more, by 5 seconds at a time until I got the right temperature about 70 degrees Celsius (measured with infrared pistol) to get the screen heated up to 60 C, the best for softening the glue. But the heat was quickly dissipating by the big aluminum back cover, so the best I got in 2 minutes of applying iOpener was around 45 C, which made the procedure difficult and having risk of breaking the screen. So I eventually abandoned iOpener and user a hot air gun with precise temperature setup. I set it to 90 C, which allowed me to open my iPad quickly and safely.

    Sergey Kofanov -

    I, too, ended up using a hot air gun. I’ve done earlier versions of iPad before but the adhesive used on this IPad 5 A1822 was particularly difficult to remove.

    Also, while the suction cup worked great when the glass is in tact, any cracks in the glass make the suction cup useless.

    manningrl -

    You need to remember here are different sizes of microwaves. I had the same issue.

    Heating on a smaller unit I used 45-60 seconds. That worked but was time comsuming

    William Draheim -

    Yeah, the iOpener didn't work for me either.... ended up using a hair dryer and that worked. The iOpener was too warm to soften the glue in my case.

    Andrés Vettori -

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    • Remove the iOpener from the microwave, holding it by one of the two flat ends to avoid the hot center.

    • The iOpener will be very hot, so be careful when handling it. Use an oven mitt if necessary.

    I did this repair. I used a hair dryer, I think it works better: gets very hot fast.

    Cobus de Beer -

    I did too, you get far more control and no expense on fancy equipment.

    Billinski -

    Readers looking for temperature advice might check the comments of the previous instruction, as there are more there. I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method. I don’t know how much microwaves vary in heating consistency with these pads, but knowing how inconsistent the temperature of a bowl of plain rice gets in my microwave, I wasn’t interested in even trying to use it for this.

    breadandbits -

    I used an electric griddle set to the lowest setting. It seemed to work very well.

    John -

    I vote for the hair dryer. The other methods work too but if you aren’t having any luck, switch to the hair dryer. While holding the iPad in my hand, I found that I am aiming the dryer at my finger at the same time and it gauges how hot it is. I stop when my finger can’t take it - maybe five seconds up close. Repeat as needed like I did.

    Robin -

    This thing melts when placed up side down in the microwave…

    Mark -

    If the maximum temperature for this iOpener is lower than the gadget glue minimum temperature, this device does not make sense.
    I think the maximum temperature for this iOpener is below 100⁰C and most gadget glue minimum temperature is higher than 100⁰C. So the iOpener is useless for many opening steps in repair guides. But who knows because temperature range is not specified for this iOpener.

    Jarl Friis -

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    • If you don't have a microwave, follow this step to heat your iOpener in boiling water.

    • Fill a pot or pan with enough water to fully submerge an iOpener.

    • Heat the water to a boil. Turn off the heat.

    • Place an iOpener into the hot water for 2-3 minutes. Make sure the iOpener is fully submerged in the water.

    • Use tongs to extract the heated iOpener from the hot water.

    • Thoroughly dry the iOpener with a towel.

    • The iOpener will be very hot, so be careful to hold it only by the end tabs.

    • Your iOpener is ready for use! If you need to reheat the iOpener, heat the water to a boil, turn off the heat, and place the iOpener in the water for 2-3 minutes.

    What do I do if I don’t have a iopener?

    alexdelarge103@gmail.com -

    Use a hair dryer

    Edited To the max -

    2 or 3 cups Rice in a sock, heat for about 2 minutes. But, I recommend the iopener.

    Robert Garcia -

    When boiling in water you can put the iopener in a ziplock to keep it dry.

    Robert Garcia -

    Even if you don't put in a ziplock bag, I found that the surface is mostly hydrophobic so drying it is very easy. I also didn't have tongs, but the bag is denser than water, so it sank and I attached clothes pins to the ends and was able to remove it with those.

    Jack Adrian Zappa -

    2-3 minutes in near boiling water, then 2-3 minutes on my s10+ and it was super easy to cut the glue off.

    Kipras Bielinskas -

    I have a question, if I have a pan, and I have water, and a mean to boil the water, won't it be easier and cheaper to just use that.

    Ollie Tan -

    Have you tried it? Water limits your temperature to 100℃, whereas 'pan on the stove' can easily get up to twice that. If your pan is even slightly warped, you'll have a few hot spots of direct conduction with convection everywhere else, heating things unevenly. Assuming you get the device up to temperature, how will you get it out without scratching it or burning yourself? After you're finished, do you really want to prepare food in the pan you warmed up adhesives and trace manufacturing substances in?

    .

    Boiling something form fitting to heat your device with is a lot more foolproof, and not being foolish is easier and cheaper. Direct pan heating can work, but you are leaving yourself open to a lot more problems than just taking the safe route.

    James Beegle -

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    • Lay the iOpener clear-side down, flat on the edge of the device, over an adhesive seal you wish to heat. The liquid will flatten the iOpener against the surface, ensuring good heat conduction.

    • Let the bag sit on the device for approximately 90 seconds before attempting to open the front panel.

    • At this point you should be able to begin prying under the screen with a plastic opening tool. Be sure to see your device's specific guide for where and how to do this.

    • During the procedure you may need to reheat the iOpener. To prevent overheating the iOpener, always wait until the iOpener has cooled enough to touch safely. Do not microwave the iOpener for more than thirty seconds at a time.

Author

Andrew Optimus Goldheart

Member since: 17/10/09

502341 Reputation

41 comments

I bought two of these, and I can't get an iPad 2 to open using the iOpener; I'm going to keep trying, but heads up, it's not as easy as 1-2-3. I'll update if I get it to work.

Kevin McCartney -

I used a flat toaster maker and turned it off and on as required, Fixed my Ipad mini ok.

Chris Newman -

Step 2 says to wait 5 minutes between reheating, step 4 says to wait 3 minutes.

Also, do you sell the "this is a microwave" stickers? xD

Mark Brown -

Did you ever find out where to get those stickers? XD

Aztrinity -

That's just a label printer label using a fancier font, I think.

towo -

Will this tool damage the lcd/ pixels or even the camera/sensor if placed on the edge above those? I need to soften up the adhesive only, not replacing the screen at all. I have a surface pro 4.

allanwl -

A short remark about how much force will then be needed to separate the old battery from the heated adhesive would be helpful. I found that even after I was able to begin the insertion of a plastic card between the battery and the case, it required a great deal of force to push the card further under the battery to complete the separation.

Steven Aigner -

While the iOpener tool kit may be the best solution for some applications it is decidedly NOT the optimal tool for removing and replacing a badly cracked Samsung S7 back. The iOpener was simply unable to get the adhesive hot enough to get it to release. Also, the cracked back did not provide enough uninterrupted surface for the suction cap to maintain enough suction to lift the back after I heated it with a heat gun. Overall an EXTREMELY frustrating experience. I do not fault iFixit for this but there could be a little more nuanced explanation about which applications are the best fit for the kit. Mostly I’d like to send a big effuuu to Samsung and all the other smart phone manufacturers who are systematically locking end user out of their purchases. Setting aside the sealed backs it’s absurd that we spend $700 on a smart phone and then have to spend another $40-60 for a protective case and a screen protector. The is no other consumer good we would put up with this.

Alain -

I absolutely could not agree more, Alain.It’s a %#*@ joke what they charge for Data too, just criminal.

nwrrshow -

The back glass on iPhones and Samsung devices is fixed to the device using a permanent adhesive. It’s essentially cemented to the frame. You can get it off but you need a hot air gun. One that’s hot enough to melt solder and you need to apply heat to the back as you use something thin and rigid to pry up the broken glass in sections. Make sure to wear eye protection. This is the cheapest method I know of. You can get a heat gun from Home Depot.

The best way to do it is by finding someone with a machine that can burn the cement between the glass and frame with a laser. It’s quick and painless but the machine is expensive.

James Sassu -

Thanks Andrew! :-)

Tony -

If I have no microwave, is there a way to heat the iOpener in a hot-air baking oven? If ‘yes’, at what temperature and how long? Thx

Andreas Horn -

Hi there Andreas! Do not place the iOpener directly in an oven on on a stovetop. If you don’t have a microwave, you can place the iOpener in boiling water for about a minute (if you place the iOpener inside a temperature-safe plastic bag you can keep it dry and make it a bit easier to remove from the hot water. Don’t place a wet iOpener on your electronics, and try to handle the iOpener only by the tabs on the end, especially if using sharp tongs to remove it from the water.

Sam Goldheart -

Is there any other ways to heat the iopener other than using a microwave

nixon nelson -

Hi Nixon, if you don’t have a microwave, the safest heating method will be to place the iOpener in boiling water for about a minute (if you place the iOpener inside a temperature-safe plastic bag you can keep it dry and make it a bit easier to remove from the hot water. Don’t place a wet iOpener on your electronics, and try to handle the iOpener only by the tabs on the end, especially if using sharp tongs to remove it from the water.

Sam Goldheart -

iPad Air (Gen. 1) - Broken Screen

To this day, I have followed the procedure multiple times to heat the adhesive in order to remove the screen, yet it has yet to allow me even just one pick under the screen. What could possibly be going on? I’ve placed packing tape on the screen due to high fracture but that’s all.

Gavin -

Anybody try a low-heat setting with a hairdryer?

jameslongpdx -

You can not use anything other then the microwave or boiling method to heat the opener.

Greg Latta -

Can it be used to replace the back glass of an iphone X ? If so, how many time should be applied the on the Glass and for how long to let it rest on the glass without damaging the internal components of the device

ilmar suazo perez -

Absolute waste of money the iOpener… Tried it on a Xperia Z3, Mate Pro 10 and ended up having to use a hair drier to heat up the glue.

Miguel Oliveira -

30 seconds in a 800W microwave will result in a mildly warm handwarmer. Seems to be just legal disclaimer so that theyre not responsible for when its actually heated to its operating temperature.

Vesa-matti Niemistö -

I would not suggest over heating! I heated in a 1000W microwave for 30 seconds and upon taking it out the iOpener split and splashed scalding hot liquid over me.

Ben Hart -

Ouch!! God I hope that internal liquid is not from Nukashima or you are in for a double-bad day!

Robert S -

“Hot to the touch is pretty subjective” what is the max temperature that it should be?

Prosper Van -

Too hot to touch is about 40-45 degrees Celsius. I recommend to wait until you get 40.

Temperature of heated iOpener should not exceed much above 140 degrees Fahrenheit or 60 degrees Celsius in order to avoid damaging electronics (especially battery).

Matthew -

What is the temperature of the iOpener after heating it up? Does anyone measure it?

Matthew -

Heated iopner, On iPad pro, 5 mins iPad pro still cold. Repeated. Same. :(

bob.blues -

Given that microwave power varies from 800W to 1300W, instructions to heat for 30 seconds are inadequate. What power level is 30 seconds sufficient for? What is the operating temperature we want the iOpener to reach?

Myk Dowling -

Can I warm the iOpener by putting it in hot water??

Turtle -

What is the approximate temperature immediately after heating?

Shannon Lawson -

Burst on first use. Moderate power setting (warm up), 30 seconds, turntable locked. I wanted to go easy to first get a feel for how to use the product. When I opened the microwave I was greeted by a puddle of a clear liquid and a bad smell. It’s cute that the website suggests to clean the microwave before using the iOpener. I now have to clean my kitchen to get rid of that weird liquid. I assume that my product was flawed so that mild heating was enough to flood my microwave. Very disappointed. I repair my devices to reduce the waste, not to produce more of it.

P.S.: Just returned to my kitchen and noticed that my countertop is now smeared with that liquid. Is there an ifixit kit to clean up that mess?

Knut Gerber -

Which power would I set the microwave to? I can choose from 200 to 1000 watts in steps of 200 for my microwave oven. The guide is missing some critical information it seems as it heavily affects the outcome and/or safety of the product.

Tom Vieweg -

Just got mine today microwaved it for 30 seconds put a temperature gun on it I got a 1200 W microwave mine got up to 120 Fahrenheit let it sit on there for about four minutes and was able to pry the side up enough to get the card underneath it used a hairdryer to heat up the rest of the iPad to open it worked like a charm but it needs to be set on there for longer than 90 seconds This is my experience though. Follow ifixit instructions then adjust accordingly.

Darrell Stanley -

Worked really well for me. I was surprised, given the other comments. 45 seconds in a 750 watt microwave. Let it sit on one edge of my phone for a few minutes, then was able to easily slide in a little plastic thing to separate the back glass.

manishie -

I need to remove a cracked bezel on the bottom of a MacBook Air M1. I am wondering if it would be better to use the iOpener versus a hair dryer to safely remove the bezel, considering the display panel might be damaged by using too much heat (or by using too little heat - necessitating additional force to free the bezel).

Thoughts?

Gene -

I tried the iOpener several times on my HTC U12 phone’s back glass to soften the adhesive, after 2 hours of trying - I’ve quit as the iOpener doesn’t heat the adhesive up enough to allow any give in the sides of the phone to get any of the prying tools inside. I followed the instructions heating it up for 30 seconds at a time, placing it one the phone’s sides and alternating every (2) minutes around all four sides in an attempt get the phone to open up with prying tools to no avail. I heated up the iOpener tool several more times, waited the 10 minutes each time and attempted to repeat the process, this time placing the iOpener on each of the phone for (3) before rotating to another side, going around the phone on all four sides – this too failed as I was not able to get any side of the phone to soften up enough for any of the prying tools to get inside. I see others report mixed results for some devices given the level of adhesive the iOpener might work, it did not work for me with an HTC U12 Plus.

Hector Vera -

The back glass on iPhones and Samsung devices is fixed to the device using a permanent adhesive. It’s essentially cemented to the frame. You can get it off but you need a hot air gun. One that’s hot enough to melt solder and you need to apply heat to the back as you use something thin and rigid to pry up the broken glass in sections. Make sure to wear eye protection. This is the cheapest method I know of. You can get a heat gun from Home Depot.

James Sassu -

this was really helpful

CASSIM LOMBARD -

The official instructions for the iOpener really need some additional info for different microwave wattages. You don't even clarify what wattage is used for 30 seconds. I've read elsewhere that the guide is written for a 1200W microwave, but even with that info we're left guessing for lower wattages, and guesswork leads to either an overheated, burst iOpener, or a damaged phone from not heating it enough before trying to open it. As things stand, technically I've invalidated the warranty if I heat it for more than the recommended 30 seconds, as I've not used it as instructed. Please update the instructions.

ArmyOfGayUnicorns -

I didn't want to open my Samsung NOTE8, it's separating by itself from it overheating. HOW DO I RESEAL IT? IT goes into constantly rebooting mode, the only way to stop it and turn it off is to put it into the refrigerator for a couple hours! You can hear the AT&T JINGLE thru the fridge! ANY IDEAS on resealing it? Thanks

matermark -

Any recommendations for what kind of glue is best for gluing a new mobile display? Any links to specific glue products in UK would be appreciated. Cheers!

Dimitris Dracopoulos -