iPhone 4 Front Facing Camera Replacement

Written By: Walter Galan
  • Comments: 173
iPhone 4 Front Facing Camera Replacement

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

21

Time Required

No estimate

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the small VGA front facing camera. This guide may also be used to remove both cameras for those employed in camera restricted facilities.

  1. UXdMvAYPaTlMoXxb
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    • Before you begin, discharge your iPhone battery below 25%. A charged lithium-ion battery can catch fire and/or explode if accidentally punctured.

    • Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.

    • Your iPhone 4 rear cover may have either two #000 Phillips screws or Apple's 5-Point "Pentalobe" screws (second image). Check which screws you have, and ensure you also have the correct screwdriver in order to remove them.

    • Remove the two 3.6 mm Pentalobe or Phillips #000 screws next to the dock connector.

    • Be sure the driver is well seated when removing Pentalobe screws, they are very easy to strip.

    using something like the 18-compartment tray will GREATLY help with this one; there are over a dozen groups of parts. For re-assembly having a digital calipers to measure the 2.4 vs the 2.6mm screws also helps greatly.

    awr -

    My method for hardware management during delicate phone surgery is to take and print out on 8.5"x11' paper, one or more pictures of the open phone in various stages of disassembly, and then tape the screws to the appropriate spots on the pictures. Also write numbers on the pictures next the screws to indicate the order in which you removed them.

    lens42 -

    I use a plastic egg tray, I drop all the screws and small parts (like the camera) for each step into the same egg indentation. You can see that the screws are different lengths, so I don't put one screw into it's own spot. I used 5 egg indentations to replace my screen.

    Mangled Jargon -

    I did a successful surgery on my iPhone, be warned this is not for the faint of heart!

    I've done iPod screen replacements, battery replacements, this is by far much more difficult and intricate.

    Great write up! Thanks a million.

    Jaysen Strange -

    I've changed some iPod screens as well and that has been the least pleasant experience so far. Glue and the main connector that has to be unwrapped and connected from the rear where you have no feel or control where it belongs.

    iPhone repair is complex, but doable and has very few "traps".

    mcbohdo -

    Couldn't even get both screws out of the bottom of the case. One was easy and other refuses to budge. Screws so small I can't see if it is turning or screw driver is properly seated. Sad I too have done screen replacements on other phones. Don't know any secrets to get the screw out

    ckracht -

    I also have a problem with seeing what is happening with some of those tiny little screws and parts. For other projects that I do, I use an Opti-Visor. It slips over your head and provides 10x magnification. ( You can find them on Amazon).

    Yeah, it adds cost to the project and you would have to wait for delivery, but it sure makes a world of difference in seeing what you are working with / on.

    jhow -

    On an early iPhone 4 I found that the #000 Phillips bit included in the 54 Bit Driver Kit didn't actually fit the screws. However the JIS #000 also in the kit did fit quite well. This is due to the JIS bits "thinner" design to prevent camming out of the slot. Otherwise everything went well. Looking forward to replacing the battery in my other phone that has the pentalobe screws. Glad I got the 54 Bit kit!

    etler -

    Use a vacuum duster and a sharp tool to pry out the dust, this can increase the volume insanely!

    Dpairs -

    What does the park that is gold and next to the 4.8mm screw for the antenna? Looks like I am missing that part and almost positive that is why I can't pick up or connect to any wifi signals. I have the screw and the antenna from another phone that is working and tried it on the broken phone and still doesn't work. Only thing different is that gold metal piece to the left of that 4.8 mm screw. Can I buy that part? how do I attach it?

    Jay Pennington -

    great instructions did it the first time

    Mr J -

    For organisation of the parts and for a much easier process of rebuilding i use a big magnetic flat surface with a grid drawn on it. Then I use a dry erase marker to make any notes I need and to number the parts in order as i disassemble . Believe me it saves a lot of time and hassle especially if you drop one of those tiny screws good luck finding it but when your working over the magnet and drop a screw its going to be right where it fell. At first I tried the piece of paper to keep organised but all it takes is one small slip and you move the paper too quick and your left with a jumbled bunch of screws and parts and a painstaking task of putting it all back correctly, aka a big waist of time and effort.

    case-yg -

    I found it very useful to use a magnet sheet when doing these repairs. I use electrical tape or a sharpie to make a grid, and place each micro screw in a separate box on the grid.

    I work directly over the magnet sheet, so that if something drops I have a better chance at not losing it.

    If you do lose a screw, go over the work area with a fridge magnet. It will pick it up if it hasn’t popped too far away.

    Megan Telliano -

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    • Push the rear panel toward the top edge of the iPhone.

    • The panel will move about 2 mm.

    the back won't budge! I cant get it off! what do i do?

    Debbie -

    Use a suction cup to pull the back screen gently.

    gio -

    If the back doesn't slide in properly upon reassembly, you didn't insert the motherboard properly. Remove it and try it again, DO NOT try to force it down!

    Addison Rasmussen -

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    • Pinch the rear panel with your fingers and lift it away from the iPhone. Alternatively, use a Small Suction Cup .

    • Be careful not to damage the plastic clips attached to the rear panel.

    • If you are installing a new rear panel, be sure to remove the plastic protective sticker from the inside of the camera lens and the sticker from the large black area near the lens.

    using suction cup with too much force breaks rear panel

    lily einstein -

    Remove the single 2.5 mm Phillips screw securing the battery connector to the logic board- for me this Phillips screw won't budge from its place have tried all the phillips combinations 000, 00, 0, 1 and the straight /slotted 1.5 mm but nothing. can some help me please purchased a replacement battery for my iPhone 4 but not able to do it just because of this screw.

    Naved Zaidi -

    If the screw head is not buggered, press the tip of a hot soldering iron to the screw for a second or two. Don't get it too hot, or you'll damage something.

    splaye -

    don't use hot soldering iron . the female outlet the battery plugs into is very fragile . for no extra money you can buy a battery that has magnetic tools specifically to pick this screw out . if worse comes to worse be certain the screw will come no looser then use tweezers and pick it out . the #1 fear with this technique is DO NOT DROP THE SCREW . I have done this and crawling on my hands and knees till I find it was depressing

    michael andrie -

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    • Remove the single 2.5 mm Phillips screw securing the battery connector to the logic board.

    • Some devices may have two screws, one of which holds down the contact pad which is located above the screw indicated in red in the photo.

    I was going through the take apart and after reassembly, it seems to just sit there an power cycle. It's as though the battery is no longer working. Any thoughts as to what I may have done wrong?

    Social Apples -

    you potentially messed up the ribbon cable from the battery to the adapter. I have done it before. Its not fun...

    barri80 -

    Use #000 fine screw driver!!!

    bfbogaert -

    Use an #000 fine screw driver to remove two screws from iPhone 4s!

    bfbogaert -

    There is a metal bracket that secures the connector, that will be removed before the conector is unfasten

    poseido -

    Stuck on step 4 can't unscrew the battery screw. stopped trying as all i seem to be doing is damaging the screw any tips as to how to approach this?

    Tazziii -

    I ended up drilling the head of one of my screws off. It was already damaged. Then I think I used needle pliers to spin it out once the plate came off and there was more room to grab the shank.

    torqvette -

    I didn't need to remove the battery !! why would you take the battery away, the motor can be removed easily with the battery in place, and the whole process would take less than 2 minutes if you exclude the battery steps

    Mohammed Fahmy -

    I was VERY careful but the interior philips screw holding the battery in place but it stripped immediately. I see others have had this problem. What do I do now?!

    tbodington -

    I've tried three different #000 drivers but they don't fit this screw. Stuck now. Also blows my confidence about proceeding because even if I do get this off.... I see some even smaller Phillips head screw further along in the process

    Jake -

    If the screw is not damaged by previous attempts, the screw driver should fit perfectly. You can also tap the screw with a small mass to unlock.

    revher -

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    • Use a plastic opening tool to gently pry the battery connector up from its socket on the logic board.

    • Pry from the top and bottom of the connector bracket—there isn't as much of an overhang on the sides, and you may damage the connector.

    • Be very careful to only pry up on the battery connector and not the socket on the logic board. If you pry up on the logic board socket, you may break it entirely.

    • Remove the metal clip covering the antenna connector.

    There is a small black L-shaped bracket of some sort that tits between the battery connector and the motherboard socket, with a loop on one corner that sits betwen the riserand the battery connector. Remove this now, and do not forget to re install it on assembly.

    stevesontheroad -

    When reattaching this bracket make sure your Battery ribbon is already tucked underneath the battery with only the minimum clearance required. Then make sure the brackets overhang is over the battery ribbon. Dont try to slide it under the Ribbon.

    crimney -

    In Step 5 be EXTRA careful with the battery connector as the socket can come off extremely easy. This can mess up the replacement a little bit and cost you extra. Otherwise, this guide is excellent.

    Good luck, fixers!

    I fix(ed) it!

    mateuszkus -

    When removing this L shaped piece, it should be shown ON CAMERA where it came from and the exact position it was in while in the phone, I had to take 2 screws (not 1 like said in the video) out to get to this piece and once that second screw came up I didn't get a chance to see where this piece came from because it popped right out. I was extremely nervous but I believe I got it back in properly.

    kellicaudill -

    Putting the antennae cover back in place is impossible without a good photo. I used this link to refer to:

    iPhone 4S Battery Replacement

    Ruth Kaldor -

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    • Use the clear plastic pull tab to gently lift the battery out of the iPhone.

    • If the tab breaks before the battery is freed, apply a few drops of high concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol under the edge of the battery. Wait about one minute for the alcohol solution to weaken the adhesive. Carefully slide a spudger under the battery tab to release the adhesive.

    • Prying in other places may cause damage. Don't try to forcefully lever the battery out. If needed, apply a few more drops of alcohol to further weaken the adhesive. Never deform or puncture the battery with your pry tool.

    • If there's any alcohol solution remaining in the phone, carefully wipe it off or allow it to air dry before installing your new battery.

    • If your replacement battery came in a plastic sleeve, remove it before installation by pulling it away from the the ribbon cable.

    • Before reconnecting the battery connector, be sure the contact clip (shown in red) is properly positioned next to the battery connector.

    • Before reassembly, clean metal-to-metal contact points with a de-greaser such as windex. The oils from your fingers have the potential to cause wireless interference issues.

    • Perform a hard reset after reassembly. This can prevent several issues and simplify troubleshooting.

    Just be careful when removing the battery with the plastic pull tab. On some units, they use so much glue that it's virtually impossible to take the battery.

    In such an instance, you could use the iPod opening tool to assist (just be careful where you stick it!)

    klubn -

    use the iPod opening tool to pry gently under the battery from the outer edge of the phone and work towards the plastic tab. the tab is not actually attached to the battery itself, but a plastic sheet between the battery and inner frame. the adhesive on the battery tends to be under the edge of the battery nearest the center of the phone.

    David Iwanicki -

    Understand that the plastic pull tab is part of the phone. It sits under the battery like a tray and is not connected to the battery so it needs to stay in tact.

    mattcfi -

    once the iphone restarted, the battery was at 30%.

    baldus -

    This i think is the most diffucult part.

    Because they use so much glue on it. I have to did this with so much force.

    Glad that i didn't kill the circuit board when i took this out.

    Shoung0690 -

    My battery was so firmly glued in, it took a long time to slowly pry it loose. Patience is the key to this process. I could see easily damaging the circuit board by using too much force. The plastic tab did not help at all.

    The ribbon cable attaching the new battery to the battery connector clip is longer than the original. I clicked the clip into the socket first and then was very careful to fold the excess while putting the battery back in so the ribbon cable didn't kink. One kink in this could sever the battery leads.

    drathbun -

    My ribbon cable was also longer than the original. How did you get it to not kink while placing the batter back into the phone? That seems to be my only hang up at the moment

    cvbaseballsean22 -

    Piece of cake! The hardest part was being sure the outer pentalobe screws were actually turning and I wasn't stripping them. Battery was glued firmly in, so I loosened it from the outside instead of using the plastic pull-tab. I pre-bent the battery connector neck before putting it back in and had no problems with it fitting in. Getting the battery connector aligned with the antenna piece underneath was a bit fiddly. Got the case back on, put in the new screws, and powered the phone on without problem. Had 40% charge, all seems well. Yippee!

    chezbuttons -

    Do NOT use a spudger or similar type of prising tool to try lift up the battery. Instead, just warm up the whole area with a hot air gun or hair drier to soften the glue.

    The reason why I say don't use an implement to try lift the battery is because far too many times I've seen punctured & bent batteries come in to this workshop that have to be thrown out for safety reasons. It only takes a grain of sand, or a burr on the spudger and you're risking a potential cell rupture and potential fire.

    Just use a bit of heat ( not a lot! ) to soften up the glue and it'll come away with the plastic pull tab.

    Paul L Daniels -

    These instructions don't mention putting the 2.5mm screw back in. I found this very challenging because it is so short, so very difficult to line it up to get it back in the hole, and very easy to drop it inside the phone. Take care.

    robshopping -

    Apparently it's not necessary to remove the battery, but try at least (I'm curious).

    The battery was stuck (too much glue) and the plastic tab didn't help, and I ripped it...

    So I use the plastic opening tool on the other side to remove really gently the battery, it was really really stucked with the glue... Now I'll know when I'll need to change it.

    I put a little piece of tape to repair the plastic tab for the next time.

    For the other part of the guide, it was a piece of cake and I'm a bad bad handyman :)

    Thanks for the guide!

    tasseb -

    You are right. This is the reason why their is simpler guide: iPhone 4 Battery disconnection to be used when there is no necessity for removing the battery. Disconnection is sufficient for many fixes except replacement of the battery!

    revher -

    you have to remove the battery for digitizer replacement, however i would suggest removing it at the very last stage, i.e. step 24. cause it is easier to remove without the logic board being there

    Winnie Lee -

    Adhesive was holding battery VERY firmly, so during this step I used a hair blow dryer on low setting to carefully heat up the device. Then used the plastic tool to gently but firmly pry up one place on each edge. At first it felt like barely anything was happening, but within a few tries the adhesive gave away easily and the battery came right out.

    misc -

    The new battery from iFixit already had the cable properly folded, but before inserting the battery I used the plastic tool to press the fold closer to the battery body.

    misc -

    Before inserting the battery I put the contact clip into position. It has a hooked shape on one side which fits between the socket and the folded battery cable. If you try to position it AFTER the battery is installed the whole process is much more difficult. I used a tweezers to hold it in place while inserting the battery.

    misc -

    When inserting the battery I started by guiding the folded cable into position against the side of the contact clip, then proceeded to lay the battery in position. This made it very easy to have all parts in their original positions -- no need to fiddle with the battery cable or contact clip afterwards.

    misc -

    When pressing the battery connector into the socket, the first time I pressed from bottom to top. That didn't work because there is a little tab at the top of the connector which must fit into a tiny notch or else the connector won't lay flat properly. Pressing the connector from top to bottom worked easily.

    misc -

    Needle-nosed tweezers were very helpful when lining up the screws. After everything was reassembled I tried powering up the device, but the battery had insufficient charge. I plugged it in and immediately the screen displayed a battery with a thin red line (illustrating no charge). After 25 minutes the device sprang to life and indicated a 10% charge. At 70 minutes the battery indicated 30% charge, and at that rate should be fully charged in under 4 hours. It's fixed!!

    misc -

    Battery is in, phone fires up, charger works. This is the first 10 minute job I've ever completed in 10 minutes, thank you!

    arkay -

    Why they didn't say this, I have no idea: HEAT UP THE BACK OF THE PHONE! This helps the adhesive give so much easier, worth the extra 2 minutes to make sure you don't tear anything.

    Addison Rasmussen -

    super easy, battery had plenty of glue for what ever reason, I put the screw in 1st then set the battery and was easy to set the new battery. Charge was at 94% strange seeing it next to my Iphone 6 but glad I did it as now I can use it for music and save the battery on the main phone. Thanks for a easy instruction guide.

    Greg Wischmeyer -

    Strictly speaking re-assembly is NOT the exact reverse of dismantling. In particular do not put the battery in and then try to plug in the connector, Rather, start by plugging in the connector (having straightened the ribbon-wire attaching it to the battery) and only then re=position the battery on its (gluey) base. Also I used a wooden cocktail stick to position the antenna connector correctly (pushing the stick through the hole in the antenna piece and into the threaded base where the screw will eventually go) and then I held it all in place (temporarily) with a tiny blob of Bluetac until I managed to successfully withdraw the cocktail stick and fit the proper screw.

    Stuey 25/2/2018

    Stuart -

    .Heating a towel and wrapping the phone for 3 min did the trick of removal of the battery.

    Athena Myring -

    I used the plastic opening tool to nudge the battery a bit and then shoved in the guitar pick. By sliding the guitar pick over the length of the battery, the battery got unstuck very easily.

    Andre van der Ham -

    When attaching the battery connector make sure that it snaps in place. My replacement battery connector did not snap in place and I forced it on, that caused the connector to detach from the ribbon cable. I had to solder the connector back onto the cable which requires a very steady hand and SMD soldering tools. So, if it does not snap in place with a clicking sound, the connector is probably of bad quality and your battery will probably not work. I placed my old battery back (where the connector nicely snapped in place) and am waiting for a replacement of the dodgy replacement battery.

    Andre van der Ham -

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    • Use a SIM card eject tool or a paperclip to eject the SIM card and its holder.

    • This may require a significant amount of force.

    • Remove the SIM card and its holder.

    The grey cable on the top right of the 1st picture might be confusing, it's the connector with cable which you'll disconnect in step 9 only, so you can't see it this way in this phase.

    mhejjas -

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    • Remove the following two screws:

    • One 1.2 mm Phillips

    • One 1.6 mm Phillips

    • Remove the thin steel dock connector cable cover from the iPhone.

    • Before reassembly, be sure to clean all metal-to-metal contact points on the dock connector cable cover with a de-greaser such as windex. The oils on your fingers have the potential to cause wireless interference issues.

    Be careful to make sure you don't pinch the clear plastic tab under the mobo when reinstalling. :P

    jonathan -

    I had trouble with my SIM card at this point. It wouldn't go all the way in - only about 1mm short but enough to keep the phone from being able to read it. It seems that the red screw in this step is the culprit. I loosened it up a bit and the SIM card tray was able to fit flush.

    budgetbooksfl -

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    • Use an iPod opening tool to gently pry the dock cable connector up off the logic board from both short ends of the connector.

    Use the 1.6mm screw standoff as leverage against to lift the connector.

    Mark -

    Make sure not to pry too much under the flex cable because you will likely damage the gold / silver shining adhesive tape that is located beneath it.

    The guide is missing a comment on this and one would not expect the tape there. Check out the photos of step 10 to get an idea of how the tape looks like.

    I assume this to be some kind of head-conductive component.

    It won't be much of a problem if you damage parts of it though.

    But if you peel off / coil up too much of it, it could get too big and the flex cable could get damaged when it's pressed against it.

    Stefan -

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    • Carefully peel the dock ribbon cable off the logic board and the lower speaker enclosure.

    • Do not use excessive force to peel the dock ribbon cable off the logic board. Doing so may tear the cable.

    be extremely careful to check that there isnt any metallic conductive glue sticking, some may remain attached to the motherboard-connecter position in its space on top of the logicboard

    Dai -

    This is held down by adhesive, don't try to just yank it off. Peel it slowly. If you damage this cable, you are slightly screwed.

    Addison Rasmussen -

    Peel back NOT off. It needs to just pull aside. If it comes off, throw the phone.

    Rhys Thomas -

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    • Use a plastic opening tool to pry the lower antenna connector up off its socket on the logic board.

    NOTE: When replacing the logic board, be sure this antenna remains exposed and doesn't become trapped under the board.

    charlesholt -

    Just wondering if it is possible and where to get one of those indicators

    edward -

    what are you talking about here???

    Steven Munoz -

    Yeah, would like to know the value of the little blue inductor ... my iPhone 4 doesn't have it any more and I have the worst signal.

    PressureFM -

    I wasn't sure how to carefully detach the antennae. Can anyone offer some insight on how to reattach the antennae? Is it supposed to be soldered to the board? Or is it a pin attachment?

    kulpsterdaman -

    see that tiny little blue thing just to the left of the antenna connector but before the screw? make sure you DON'T knock that out of place otherwise your iphone becomes a heavy ipod touch (yes. this idiot made that mistake while struggling to get the antenna connector back in - which for the record just clips back in). this would have been a handy tip for me while i was reading the instructions, which apart from that little trinket of information, were very easy to follow.

    -dan

    dan -

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    • Remove the 1.9 mm Phillips screw securing the bottom of the logic board to the inner case.

    Be careful, I almost damaged this specific screw by using a Phillips #00 screwdriver. It's screwed in tighter than most others. You will need a Phillips #000 or else your #00 has to be a really sharp one.

    Kelvin Leong -

    The cross on top of the screw on my phone is all messed up - not from me stripping it, it just looks like a manufacturing error. The screwdriver won't even fit into the screw, and I can't get it out (I have no idea how they got it in in the first place). Any suggestions?

    Mike Machado -

    same here, screw stripped any suggestions?

    Gary Woodward -

    Couple of ways to get rounded-out-head screws;

    1) use a tiny drop of super glue on the top place your screwdriver on the drop/screw, then sprinkle a bit of bicarb-soda on to the wet super glue, it'll harden very rapidly and form a fillet; wait a minute and you should be able to then unscrew the screw.

    Be VERY CAREFUL when doing this, because you don't want to have superglue wicking between the screw and the circuit board.

    Perhaps practice on some other things first.

    I've removed several like this before; frequently I find the culprits for rounded out slots are ham-fisted people trying to do their own repairs in the past.

    Paul L Daniels -

    Get a set of these precision screw extractors. I own a small electronics repair shop and I wouldn't be without them. If you buy them remember that the ends are reversible in case you dull one end. Precision Screw Extractor Set

    Joshua -

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    • Remove the following five screws securing the Wi-Fi antenna to the logic board:

    • One 2.3 mm Phillips

    • Two 1.6 mm Phillips

    • One 1.4 mm Phillips

    • One 4.8 mm Phillips

    • When re-assembling, start off with replacing the 4.8 mm Philips screw first, then the 2.3 mm. This is to ensure there is no mix-up, and avoid rendering the LCD and digitizer useless.

    • Also make sure to put the long 4.8 mm Philips back in correctly when reassembling. This is the ground for the Wi-Fi antenna and is often the culprit if you are having bad Wi-Fi reception after reassembly.

    Be careful about the very small spring contact that is under the shield and around the 4.8 mm screw - it can spring out when the shield is removed. It must be reinserted prior to installing the shield, with the thick part up and the spring in contact with the gold pad to the right of the screw hole in the case.

    Steve Noland -

    INCREDIBLE! Steve this probably happens to people all the time. The "very small spring contact that is under the shield and around the 4.8 mm screw" I will elaborate on. It's not so much around the 4.8mm screw as it actually part of the assembly where the 4.8 mm screw is tightened. I added an arrow to this picture to visually illustrate:

    http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/9/i...

    I had no wifi at all until this was present. I had overlooked the piece and spent hours trying to figure out where it went. BIG THANK YOU to Steve for his comment. After fixing, my wifi was perfect.

    Jimmy -

    Thanks for your notice! It really helps me.

    antonvbondarev -

    There is a washer under the plate that is held together by the 1.4mm Philips. This might come loose. Be careful not to lose it.

    nsolis -

    Confirming this. It's not in the description and it came out when I disconnected the screw. At first I was unsure where it came from, but when I reassembled the phone, the yellow screw didn't make contact, so I realized the washer had to go under the contact plate.

    marcx77 -

    If a nut under the YELLOW screw is rotating, hold the nut with tweezers.

    yujin yamada -

    On my phone the "washer" that the 1.4mm screw goes into I think is actually the mounting post that had come detached. I realize afterwards there was therefore no point removing this screw, but I did remove (and put it back afterwards) by holding onto the loose post/washer with tweezers to prevent it turning.

    Anthony Berkow -

    Print this image out (step 13) - trust me, you'll need it later!

    Alan Shenton -

    The "washer" that a few of the commenters have mentioned isn't a washer nor a broken post. It is a circular nut that helps the WiFi antenna get a good connection to the logic board. It is part of a sandwich: 1.4mm screw head WiFi antenna logic board ++ circular nut. I held it in place with tweezers and then screwed the 1.4mm screw in. Don't lose this nut!

    tdroz -

    I found that the 1.4 mm screw measured a little less than 1.1 mm on my phone. So don't be confused by that.

    Daniel -

    When I came to reassemble at this step, I noticed the 1.4mm screw no longer had anything to screw to. The nut or washer or whatever it is that you mention has gone. My screen does not work any more. Is this connected and/or is there anything I can do to peplace what is lost?

    Chris -

    This screw is supposed to tie into a very small nut that sits under a small u-shaped tab in the EMI shield that is fixed to the PCB. Maybe that nut has moved or got lost. I recommend you to lift that small tab to find it because if loose it could create a short-circuit.

    But that screw/nut is absolutely not essential to the LCD. It should work without it.

    Christophe De Wolf -

    I didn't see that small "nut" and the 1.4mm screw is loose. So I didn't install it back. My iPhone is working now but wondering any thing would turn wrong later...

    Judy -

    Do you need a different screwdriver for every one of these screws? They all seem to have different sizes.

    Kaz -

    The second of the Two 1.6 mm Phillips was stripped...or I stripped it? So I got this far and now i'm retreating and putting the iphone back together. Was going to sell on ebay but now I can not. Oh well...

    brian -

    I used an elastic band pulled taught over the blade of a flat headed screwdriver to hold the nut (beneath the yellow screw) in place. Alternatively I was thinking of carving the eraser on the end of a pencil into a wedge shape to do the same job when tightening the screw on reassembly. Just needs something to grip it in place to stop it spinning.

    Lee Noble -

    A note about screw management: ALWAYS remove screws from left to right if you are just putting them in order of removal on a magnetic trey, it helps with re-assembly. If you can, I recommend getting a magnetic white board and writing the size of the screws on it and categorizing by that, it makes it way easier and you won't ever have to worry about putting the wrong size screw in anywhere ever again.

    Addison Rasmussen -

    the nut of the yellow screw falls be careful ...to re install it again

    Hisham chohan -

  14. e3BUKVbWOYnpEgkC
    e3BUKVbWOYnpEgkC
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    YKHWNAweXyIYqJ4C

    • Use an iPod opening tool to slightly lift the top edge of the Wi-Fi antenna away from the logic board.

    • Use the tip of a spudger to pull the Wi-Fi retaining clips away from the inner frame.

    • Remove the Wi-Fi antenna from the iPhone. Make sure you don't lose the metal clips on the top of the cover where the 4.8mm screw attaches or the 4.8mm screw. That's the primary reason for abnormal Wi-Fi performance after the reassembly.

    • Before reassembly, be sure to clean all metal-to-metal contact points on the connector cover with a de-greaser such as Windex. The oils on your fingers have the potential to cause wireless interference issues. Do not clean the connectors themselves with Windex.

    watch for the connector cover here - it tends to be quite "springy" and may fly towards you when you attempt to release the clips

    David Iwanicki -

    Be Careful of a tiny metal piece attached to the black bit on top that acts as the screw spot for the blue screw. I just slid it back on. Hopefully no harm done.

    crimney -

    The clip actually looks like it might be a ground. it's gold and is folded in two. There's a screw cutout and something that looks like it physically is supposed to touch something. Phone works fine without it, though.

    stores -

    So as I'm prying the plate off a tiny little nut falls out. I've repaired 4 iPhone 4s now and this is the first time this has happened. Anyone know where exactly it goes? I'd upload a pic, but this forum doesn't support images I see. I'm pretty sure it goes to the long bolt at top center, but where in the stack it goes I'm not certain.

    powers74 -

    It's probably the nut for the yellow screw of step 13. It sometimes comes off the motherboard, with no adverse effects. Just put it back, under the small u-shaped metal shielding

    Christophe De Wolf -

    Yes, that belongs to the yellow screw and is (badly) glued to the motherboard. You'll need very thin pliers to place and fix the nut while reassembling.

    mcbohdo -

  15. pTDGiLAb6eVKVyCV
    pTDGiLAb6eVKVyCV
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    • Use an iPod opening tool to carefully lift the rear camera connector up off its socket on the logic board.

    • Remove the rear camera.

    the rear camera has an extra long tab which runs under the digitizer cable - be careful not to bend this while removing the camera.

    David Iwanicki -

    To avoid damaging the Main Camera, it will probably be better to do Step 18 first before doing this step. This is because part of the camera is actually under the Digitizer and LCD cable.

    nsolis -

    Took me a few tries to get the camera seated properly - if it's not seated correctly, you'll have problems attaching the WiFi antenna. Should sit flat and square.

    rolfsf -

    Just to clarify, the little tab on the side of the camera does not go under the motherboard, it goes under the cables. This misunderstanding is common for those new to mobile repair. Always make sure you take notes on the small things like this!

    Addison Rasmussen -

  16. 5HMOiAyZLuOvuCuA
    5HMOiAyZLuOvuCuA
    RMfHTUBkgVZBtOWR

    • Remove the small circular white sticker (warranty sticker and water indicator) covering the screw near the battery pull tab.

    • Remove the 2.4 mm Phillips screw that was hidden underneath the sticker.

    There was no screw underneath the warranty sticker or even a place for a screw. Disappointed.

    Ed Wiliams -

    I removed by accident the other white sticker on the logic board. What happens now? Will the phone work?

    Vit Rozehnal -

    It won't hurt anything.

    Joshua -

    I have a big Problem with this screw, it seems that it is more stuck and weaker than the other screws. Now the Phillips screw is totally !@#$%^ up after several attempts of trying to get it out, do you have any idea how i can get it out?

    Peter -

    Danger! Since the last screw I took out before is the 4.8 mm (step 13) it can happen that one messes up the order and uses this one instead of the 2.4 mm! This will break the new Display again. I'd add a distinct warnig here to use the right (short) one.

    Now I'll a order a new display...

    Eric Lehmann -

    I agree with Ed Williams: no screw under the sticker on my phone.

    jamminactor -

  17. mXXSHImkINJcBFxh

    • Use the edge of a plastic opening tool to gently pry the following connectors up and out of their sockets on the logic board:

    • Digitizer cable (pry from bottom)

    • LCD cable (pry from bottom)

    • Headphone jack/volume button cable (pry from top)

    • Top Microphone/sleep button cable (pry from top)

    • Front camera cable (pry from top)

    blue, green and yellow down, orange and red up. red BEFORE orange, as part of the ribbon is UNDER red.

    unklbyl

    unklbyl -

    Windex didn't work well for me for degreasing the connections. It made the connections worse in fact. Now my digitizer AND my screen don't work.

    johnpetraborg -

    It seems that you misunderstood the notes throughout the guide. You should only clean metal to metal contact points, such as the contact area between the EMI fingers and the metal case on the speaker enclosure. Applying Windex in connectors or sockets of any type will almost certainly destroy components in your phone.

    Andrew Bookholt -

    If you are replacing any of the cables that connect here, be sure to save the foam from the top of the connector to put on your replacement part. It helps secure the connector once the connector cover is put back during reassembly.

    Blarg -

    When re-plugging the yellow connector (the leftmost of the 3 connectors that you disconnected from the top) put the cables behind and not before the metal part with a hole where the EMI Shield 2 clips in. Otherwise you will not be able do step 13.

    Philippe Leledy -

    Be carefull of a very small component soldered near the yellow connector. It can pop off and make your front camera irresponsive.

    Christophe De Wolf -

    When reassembling, the various connectors have a leading plastic lip that allows you to align and then slowly snap in place. i pushed on the pads on top of the connectors with the flat tool provided in the kit. Also, the first time, i did not press the LCD cable very well, so the phone was working, but no display showing. once i snapped this in place the second time, it worked like a charm.

    hansiemys -

    After reassembly, when I changed to the front camera, the display got stuck in shutter mode. The website bellow suggests I lost a microscopic jumper that enables the front camera. I am guessing this happened when I disconnected the 3 connectors. The dang jumper is so small I never even noticed that I lost it. Oh well at least the rear camera still works... After replacing screen camera app now stuck on shutter?

    Slobird -

    I ran into a not workin front camera after a screen replacement on Iphone4. I found out that I had broken the tiny jumper on the main board when I pried off the headphone plug. That jumper is next to the right upper corner of the headphone/volume button plug (yellow marked in step 17 of relacement guide), you can see it in the picture as two silvery dots. If your prying tool sits on that jumper when levelling the plug off, it is history. I took a ampoule of conducting silver liquid, but instead of shaking it I took some of the sediment out with a thin wire and aplied a tiny blob over the two remaining soldering pads left. And alas, it worked ! Front camera is ok again. Thanks to those who found out about that jumper.

    dl7utx -

    On reassembly, be really careful when reattaching the digitizer cable - the cable breaks very easily, rendering your nice new display useless. In my case, I must not have threaded the cable through properly, so it was just a bit too short to reach the connector. I gave it a gentle tug... and snap!

    I was much more careful the second time through :(

    rolfsf -

    did you have to buy a whole new display?

    same thing just happened to me:((((

    mstutz12 -

    What is the correct length of flex (ribbon) cable for the Digitizer cable and the LCD cable? I've threaded the cables correctly through the mid frame, however, I keep encountering the same issue. Once I've tried seating the cables into the sockets, the Digitizer cable is too short by approximately 5mm. I've tried several different makes of the front panel display (front screen replacement) but have encountered the same problem with each and the supplier, stating each have been 'defective units'. It just feels a stretch to believe I've been unlucky in purchasing 4 that have all been defective. I can't check these against the original (Apple) screen, as it was too damaged and the removal process of these iPhone 4 screens is a nightmare. Any help is appreciated

    Naborro -

    Feeding those ribbon cables through the frame is one of the trickier parts of this repair. Check Step 30 of the Display Assembly Replacement Guide for detailed instructions. If you check the comments, you'll find a lot of others have struggled with this—but it can be done! :)

    Jeff Suovanen -

    My setup was nothing like this. The headphone jack, top microphone, and front camera connections were not in these locations. Rather, they were on the logic board below the main camera connection. Furthermore, the logic board was held in place by a Phillips head screw that was hidden under a small black piece of tape. This screw also held the small gold connector tab. Additionally, the bottom of the logic board was held in place by a Phillips head screw.

    Tom Murphy -

    Sounds to me like you have an iPhone 4S. This guide is for the iPhone 4. ;)

    Jeff Suovanen -

  18. SLFgmkHrY3QjYr4t

    • Remove the 4.8 mm standoff screw near the headphone jack.

    • Standoff screws are best removed using a standoff screwdriver or bit.

    • In a pinch, a small flathead screwdriver will do the job—but use extra caution to ensure it doesn't slip and damage surrounding components.

    • When reassembling the device, this standoff sets the height of the Wi-Fi shield removed in step 13. If not torqued down, the shield will be above the plane of the frame and the back will not slide into place in step 2. The shield should be flush with the headphone jack.

    • When reassembling the motherboard, ensure that its edge sits under the circled standoff, otherwise the screws will not fit.

    • When reassembling ensure that the small rubber spacer attached to the top of the motherboard is in place.

    • Without this part, the motherboard could damage the ribbon cables around it.

    There is a small rectangular rubber bumper on the top of the logic board. You can see it a little at the top of the picture. I knocked mine off and had no idea where it came from! Took my wife forever searching the pictures to locate where it was from.

    nickbits -

    Take care to put the small ruber piece into place to protect the ribon cable for the lcd dyplay

    Hanspeter -

    The smallest screw below the Digitizer connector is held by a tiny nut which is fixed below the EMI shield. Beware because this thing can get loose easily.

    mcbohdo -

    Is this it? http://i.imgur.com/AQlJS8g.jpg

    crimney -

    I believe that's the one he's referring to...

    Joshua -

    The screw anchor/stud came loose on me as well... How did you repair it? If you left it broke did it effect anything?

    iyacyas -

    Image of rectangular rubber piece

    http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/835/i...

    Rajan -

    Thank you Rajan for this picture. The rubber piece fell out and i was frantically trying to find its spot.

    hansiemys -

    Yes! Thanks for this pic! I found this little piece in the body of the phone after I removed the logic board and was stumped! Real lifesaver!

    Joshua -

    how do i remove the 4.8 mm stand off? ifixit instructions arent detailed enough.

    Austin -

    I have found that the easiest way to remove these standoffs is to loosen them with a 2.0 or 2.3 mm standard (flat) blade driver bit. Then, once it is loose, you can either loosen it the rest of the way, or for better control, insert your pentalobe driver into the center of it and loosen it the rest of the way. If your pentalobe driver won't turn it, then it is not loose enough, or the end of one of the small screws has broken off in it (actually fairly common).

    Best of luck to you! Just ask if you need more info!

    Joshua -

    When reassembling, ensure the ribbon cables for the connector are between the silver metal and the circuit board. the wifi antenna plate clips into the silver metal.

    Victor -

    there are several versions of what appears to be the iphone 4S. It has more screws and a hidden 4.8mm flathead at the top close to where the exposed one was in this step. I rendered my iphone useless not knowing this. If you have this version, stop, put everything back and bring it to a professional, or you will find about 6 or 8 extra pieces that are not covered in these instructions and a broken phone as well.

    Wesley French -

    Wesley, this is the guide for the iPhone 4, not the 4S. The two are distinctly different.

    There's no multiple-variants of either model to best of my knowledge (having repaired hundreds of both the 4 and 4S)

    Paul L Daniels -

    Didn’t see the comments about the rubber strip until too late - severed the digitizer ribbon cable on the edge of the board! Screen worked fine, but no touch control - had to buy a new screen and do it all again…! :(

    David Morgan -

  19. lkUd4rn5yUWj5IXD

    • Carefully remove the logic board from the iPhone, minding any cables that may get caught.

    • Be careful not to damage the small gold prong (marked in red, near the top) as it's very fragile.

    • On reassembly, be careful not to trap the lower antenna cable beneath the logic board.

    Note where the little rubber thing is. It's there to protect the digitizer and LCD ribbons curving over the top of the mobo. If you do these a lot, you're going to have a WTF moment when you go to put it back together and you have this short rubber strip....

    jonathan -

    where can i buy logic board from the iPhone

    jamie -

    AliExpress is the place for you.

    Daniel Zaprev -

    be careful when putting the logic board back in: i trapped the lower antenna cable under it (see step 11). Also, it 'hooks in' at the top and rotates down; there is a notch cut into the outer case to capture the top of the motherboard.

    awr -

    Missing rubber guard can causing touchscreen sensitivity & accuracy problem.

    Otniel Yoreiza -

    Do not forget the rubber piece. When replacing my home button, I noticed this rubber piece fall out of the phone, and couldn't figure out where it went. I left it out, and my touchscreen had all sorts of problem. I thought I had damaged the digitizer ribbon. I even bought a new screen and had similar problems after putting that in. I finally put a makeshift piece of rubber that I cut up into the spot where this rubber piece had gone, and currently haven't had problems for over a week. This rubber piece must suppress interference problems of some kind.

    dreyna -

    Great point! I had the logic board put back in and then found this little thing hanging out. I found a "tip" on a different site that showed it going between the rear-facing camera and the logic board! Thanks!

    Joshua -

    Can we get a better photo of where rubber piece goes? Mine fell off, and I have no idea where to put it back on to.

    csuslog -

    It goes on the edge of the logic board where the Digitizer and LCD Panel ribbon cables bend over the Logic Board before they plug into it. The rubber piece protects the ribbon cables from chafing like a bumper and from interferance.

    fasthans -

    You can see it on the upper left of the Logic Board, just to the right of the camera in the photo for Step 18. It is easier to see if you click on the view huge link to blow up the photo.

    fasthans -

    Note that when re-installing the logic board, do not forget about the antenna connector near the bottom of the phone. Make sure that it does not get trapped under the logic board when you are placing the logic board in the case.

    Scott -

    Ear piece metal connectors: You can see them on step 22. If those are not bent up enough (laying flat) you won't have contact with the logic board... and no more audio from the ear piece. This is what happened to me. I had to unmount it again to bend them and hop the ear piece worked again!

    chuvux -

    This was a very tricky part. Just make sure that you don't put pressure on the login board to get it into place, take your time and ease it in. There will be a bit of spring in it when you push down which is a combination of the folded LCD and Digitizer Ribbon Cables and the two copper contacts underneath.

    gregjames -

    This was absolutely the hardest part - had to do it over many times. The digitizer ribbon cable kept insisting on folding up under the logic board. Tip: do not let the cable fold up, even it that's how it naturally wants to go, it will be too short.

    Julian Boilen -

    My small gold prong fell off, what do I do now?

    Eric -

    Mine did too but I don't notice anything wrong yet???

    C Khripin -

    hi, the small gold prong (step 19) in my phone is fragile what should i do? what function from that small gold prong? thank you

    Syekh Sulthan R -

    I found it easier to do step 19 after removing the screw (step 20)

    Uffe L -

  20. r1JeJHLKwXMZBAHZ
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    • Use the edge of a plastic opening tool to lift the thin steel front camera retainer off the front camera.

    • Remove the front camera retainer.

    • During reassembly, position the clip's tabs on the outside of the receiving metal slots.

    I found it easier to remove the camera after removing the headphone jack. The right side of the retainer was refusing to come off.

    Patricia Z -

    Can someone please explain why you take the front camera out? It is on the opposite side of the power button, and not in the way. Am I missing something?

    Anthony -

    My screen is kaing really funny lines now and the phone doesnt come on. I dont know if i out the little gold thingy back correctly though, need help please!!!

    Wesley Barnes -

    I had funny lines aswell.

    I think I had a minor case of them because:

    - they only occured int the OS(lock screen, home screen, apps were fine(apart from some keyboards))

    - only in the horizontal pixels in the lines with text in them were darker

    - int went away after two days (pretty much non-stop on the power-line)

    Sebastian -

  21. GBwa5KRrKfkdMsgP

    • Carefully lift the front facing camera out of the iPhone.

    • It may be helpful to use tweezers to reinstall the front camera retainer.

    This step is completely unnecessary- you don't need to remove the camera if you need to install the headphone jack part. The cables don't even overlap.

    Daniel Maloney -

    Agreed, this step is not necessary, please remove it from the tutorial!

    Arthur -

    I agree, steps 20 and 21 are completely useless. In fact I found it hard to remove the metal cover, so just skipped it, seeing that it shouldn't affect the button. And it didn't. I also think these steps should be removed not to cause the confusion.

    Daria -

    Yes the camera does not need to be taken out. It can stay in. Removing the metal camera clip is a pain. This is the step that took me the longest and would have saved me an hour if I didn't have to do it. If you do take the clip off and take the camera out can you put a higher resolution camera in? Anyway when putting the clip back the clip arms/legs go on the outside of the receiving metal slots-NOT ON THE INSIDE. I tried too long to get them to clip on the inside thinking I was doing something wrong.

    hubafrost -

    Hello, a really pain to replace the front camera retainer. Can you confirm the climb arms go inside of the receiving metal slots? Which tool can I use to easy the operation?

    unlockeur -

    I found this explanation about how to reattach the f**g clip: "I normally use a pair of tweezers. Start with the right side first, then the bottom and then the top. You have to make sure the retainer clips go on the outside of the points where they attach. But you are right, this is a very difficult thing to get back in to place."

    Source: How to put back on front camera retainer?

    annakilian -

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Author

Walter Galan

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