iPhone 15 Screen Replacement

Written By: Clay Eickemeyer

Comments: 11

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

1 - 2 hours

Introduction

Use this guide to replace a broken or cracked screen in your iPhone 15.

Note: Since you can't disconnect the battery during this repair, be especially careful not to use metal prying tools or touch exposed contacts in your iPhone.

Due to Apple's parts pairing restrictions, your iPhone will disable True Tone and auto brightness after a screen replacement, even with a genuine part.

Tools

Step 1

Allow your phone's battery to drain below 25%, as a charged lithium-ion battery is a potential safety hazard.
Unplug any cables from your phone.
Hold the power and either volume buttons and slide to power off your phone.

Step 2

If your screen or back glass is badly cracked, lay overlapping strips of packing tape over the glass to protect yourself and make disassembly easier.
Make sure there's a smooth area near the bottom edge that's big enough for a suction cup to stick to.

Step 3

If inserted too far, an opening pick can damage your device. Follow this step to mark your pick and prevent damage.
Measure 3 mm from the tip and mark the opening pick with a permanent marker.
You can also mark the other corners of the pick with different measurements.
Alternatively, tape a coin to a pick 3 mm from the tip.

Got to step 2 and realized the fix kit doesn't include an opening pick! Looks like a guitar pick, and I have those lying around. Is that expected? Looks like the pick is used in many steps below. There's a little blue crowbar that isn't mentioned in the instructions. Perhaps that replaces the opening pick?

Sloan Looney -

Hi! I can't see which guide you were using when writing this comment. Can you reply here with which guide and fix kit you used?

Clay Eickemeyer -

I see you posted this in Meta. I hope it's resolved soon! In the meantime, a guitar pick may work well enough for your repair.

Clay Eickemeyer -

what fix kit?

Meow Purr -

My fix kit didn't include an opening pick either

WILLIAM HARRIS -

Make sure you check inside the black boxes after emptying them. My pick was stuck inside one of the boxes.

AndyF -

My AliExpress refurbished screen came with a pick that has a coin-like circle that pops out, so no modification was necessary

Gijs Leegwater -

Step 4

Use a P2 pentalobe driver to remove the two 7.7 mm-long screws on either side of the charging port.

Step 5

The next four steps demonstrate the Anti-Clamp, a tool we designed to make the opening procedure easier. If you aren't using the Anti-Clamp, skip down four steps for an alternate method.
For complete instructions on how to use the Anti-Clamp, check out this guide.
The Anti-Clamp applies suction to both the screen and the back glass. To open the screen, you need to secure the back glass with tape. You can also check out the full instructions on how to use this tape.
Cut two strips of tape, apply them along the long edges of the phone, and fold them over the back glass to secure it.

Step 6

Pull the Anti-Clamp's blue handle backward to unlock the arms.
With the screen facing up, slide the arms over the left edge of your phone, with one suction cup on the screen and the other on the back glass. Center the suction cups near the bottom edge.
Support your phone so it rests level while between the Anti-Clamp's arms—a small box works well.
Squeeze the cups together to create suction.
If you find that the surface of your iPhone is too slippery for the Anti-Clamp to hold onto, use tape to create a grippier surface.

Step 7

Pull the blue handle forward to lock the arms.
Turn the handle one full turn (360 degrees) or until the cups start to stretch.
As the cups stretch, make sure they stay vertically aligned with each other. If they tend to slip, remove the Anti-Clamp and apply tape for the cups to stick to.
If you don't have tape, you may use your hands to clean the suction cups and warm them up to help them stick.

Step 8

Use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat the bottom edge of the screen until it's hot to the touch.
Be careful not to heat the phone hotter than this—the battery is susceptible to heat damage.
Wait up to a minute for the adhesive to separate and a gap to form between the screen and the frame.
If a gap doesn't appear after one minute, apply more heat and rotate the handle a quarter turn. Let the Anti-Clamp and time do the work for you.
Insert an opening pick into the gap.
Remove the Anti-Clamp using the pull tabs on the suction cups.
Skip the next two steps.

Step 9

Use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat the bottom edge of the screen until it's hot to the touch.
Be careful not to heat the phone hotter than this—the battery is susceptible to heat damage.

Step 10

Apply a suction handle to the bottom edge of the screen.
Pull up on the handle with a strong, steady force to create a gap between the screen and the frame.
Insert the tip of an opening pick into the gap.

Step 11

As you slice the adhesive securing the screen in the next steps, be careful of the following areas:
There are two delicate cables connecting the screen to the phone, one just above the mute switch, and the other about halfway between the volume down button and the bottom of the phone.
There are multiple spring contacts around the perimeter of the phone. Be extra careful not to insert your pick deeper than suggested in these locations to avoid bending the contacts.

Step 12

Don't insert your opening pick deeper than 3 mm along the bottom edge.
Slide your pick back and forth along the bottom edge to separate the adhesive.
Leave your pick inserted in the bottom right corner to prevent the adhesive from re-sealing.

Step 13

Heat the right edge of the screen until it's hot to the touch.

Step 14

Don't insert your pick deeper than 5 mm along the right edge.
Slide your pick around the bottom right corner of the screen and toward the power button until you feel a hard stop at a clip securing the screen.
Rotate your pick so the flat edge is under the screen.

Step 15

Hold the pick with one hand and twist it to increase the gap between the screen and the frame and release the right clip.
Insert a second opening pick to the right of the first one.

Step 16

Slide the first pick back to the bottom right corner of the screen.
Slide the second pick to the top right corner of the screen to separate the adhesive.
Leave these picks inserted to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 17

Heat the top edge of the screen until it's hot to the touch.

Step 18

Don't insert your pick deeper than 3 mm along the top edge.
Insert a third opening pick in the top right corner, just above the previous pick.
Slide your pick around the top right corner and along the top edge until you feel it stop against the top left screen clip.

Step 19

Rotate your pick so its flat edge is under the screen.
Twist your pick to release the top left screen clip.
Slide your pick to the top left corner.

Step 20

Heat the left edge of the screen until it's hot to the touch.

Step 21

Don't insert your pick deeper than 3 mm along the left edge to avoid the two cables connecting the screen to the phone.
Slide your pick around the top left corner of the screen and along the left edge to release the clips and separate the adhesive securing it.

Step 22

Gently swing open the screen over the left edge of the phone.
If the screen feels stuck, go back around the perimeter to check for missed sections of adhesive or stuck clips.

Step 23

Use a tri-point Y000 driver to remove the 0.9 mm-long screw securing the front sensor connector cover.

Step 24

Use tweezers to lift the cover to a 90-degree angle.
Unhook the cover from its slot in the logic board.
Remove the cover.
During reassembly, insert the cover at a 90-degree angle to re-engage the hook before laying it flat against the press connector.

Step 25

Use the tip of an opening pick to pry up and disconnect the front sensor press connector.
To reconnect a press connector, align it over its socket and gently press down on one side until it clicks into place, then press down on the other side.

Step 26

Use your tri-point Y000 driver to remove the 0.9 mm screw securing the screen connector cover.

Step 27

Use tweezers to lift the cover and unlatch it from its hook on the logic board.
Remove the cover.

Step 28

Use the tip of an opening pick to pry up and disconnect the screen press connector.

Step 29

Remove the screen.
During reassembly, use this guide to reapply adhesive and install your new screen.
Be careful not to damage any of the spring contacts as you clean the frame.

Conclusion

To reassemble your phone, follow this guide to reapply adhesive and install your screen.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.

Author

Clay Eickemeyer

Member since: 19/09/22

65196 Reputation

4 comments

Is it safe to remove the screen of Iphone 15 or even 14 without disconnecting the battery? Thank you.

Laurentiu.P -

Hi Laurentiu,

In the case of the iPhone 15 series and the iPhone 14 vanilla models, their design is intentional so that you may replace the screen without disconnecting the battery. To mitigate any ESD-related risks, don't use any metal prying tools, use ESD-safe tools, and discharge and shut down your device before opening it up. Read more about ESD here.

Good luck!

Clay Eickemeyer -

Ok, I got you, thank you very much. So it doesn't matter if we change the screen and battery is still unplugged, even if we use lcd or led screen, if we use the right tools.

Laurentiu.P -

This may not be true for all devices, but Apple devices are quite robust. You should have no problem swapping a screen out on an iPhone 15. Just make sure that the press connectors are fully connected, since the insulating foam around the sockets may prevent them from laying flush!

Clay Eickemeyer - 01/02/24