iPhone 4S Rear Camera Replacement

Step 1

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.
Remove the two 3.6 mm Pentalobe P2 screws next to the dock connector.
Be sure the driver is well-seated when removing Pentalobe screws—they are easy to strip.

The Liberation Kit just stripped the screw. Now what.

Had local iPhone repair shop remove the screw. Repair complete!

I left the battery in and everything above the middle, using a pen knife to flex the logic board, I had plenty of room to else the old out and the new in.

Worked well and saved a lot of time.

Keith M -

After reviewing the steps I decided to follow this guy's advice and left the battery in.....one less item to possibly foul up. I don't know if it made it any faster (first time to open my phone, so nothing to compare it to) but I can say that my phone is charging for the first time in 6 months :D

Jennifer -

BEFORE YOU START:

1) This is doable but not easy, quick or without risk.

2) If this is your 1st time, the whole process can take >2 hours (half of it reading this fixit manual and notes, which I highly recommend!)

3) I highly recommend placing a large, thin clean white cloth on the table. This prevents screws from rolling around and you will clearly see anything falling out.

4) If you have them, use tight surgical (latex) gloves. This prevents you from greasing up contacts.

5) Have e.g. a big old egg box ready, so you can place the screws in order (and maybe write step/screw size on the side).

6) I bought my display from "Generic" on Amazon ($20.36). Screen works fine and tools were ok but not great (screw drivers do not withstand force needed to unscrew some).

7) I had my own 2mm Phillips screw driver and a 2.4mm flat (for the big screws).

8) Have a nice cold beer by your side! Good luck!

superedu111 -

Sounds like this comment relates to a screen replacement, not a rear panel replacement. No way a rear panel replacement would take 2 hours - can be done in 2 minutes!

Jonathan Deamer - 01/10/14

I was paranoid about stripping the pentalobes - I used the ifixit pentalobe screwdriver TOGETHER with a layer of Glad Wrap (cling film or saran wrap for the non-Aussies) over the pentalobe holes - absolutely no problems. Guess it helps the driver head gain purchase?

Anyway hat tip to this guy:

http://modmyi.com/forums/hardware/806092...

jimforbes - 23/05/14

It's also called glad wrap in the US as well. :)

Scorppio500 Webmaster - 31/03/16

After seeing the comments about trouble finding the carrier, I shut down the phone, did a soft reset (by holding the power and home buttons until it started and then shut down and stayed off), and removed the SIM. After the repair, I replaced the SIM and plugged it in to the charger. It started up and found the carrier (Verizon, as it happens) immediately. I would guess that only the soft reset made a difference, but I did both.

DavidLewis - 20/07/14

Thank you David, will I need to reload operating system if I replace thr logic board? I'm hoping to use a 32gb boards from a locked but working phone to place in my 8gb device. Thanks for your advice,

Sharif

Sharif Bagnulo - 27/11/15

I pried one end of the back off only to find 2 funny little screws holding the other end on so I took my Dremel, like Jack said, and ground those suckers out. Once I had the back off I loosened all the screws then turned it upside down and shook the crap out of it. The screws went flying everywhere and fell on the floor. Its my moms house so of course she's got gross brown carpet. How am I supposed to find my screws in that? I get the vacuum out and go over every inch of the floor to suck up all them screws. Then I dump the bag on the table and all I find is a bunch of hair and gods knows what else, but no screws. When I look for my phone I see its covered in all that stuff that came out of the vacuum. I mean, what's up with that? How can I work on my phone if its covered in dirt? Nobody said anything about that, did they? The average guy's gonna screw up his phone big time if he follows these instructions and nobody warns him about all the dirt that's gonna end up in his phone. Are you kidding me!! Now what?

Marv - 08/02/15

Here's a little vacuum trick for anything small: put nylons/panty hose over the end of the hose and then you don't have to dig thru the bag contents.

paul - 11/02/15

Marv you a first class pleb! Please don't try and fix anything again. Tool

ticklejahfancy - 09/05/15

It's clear who's at fault here, Marv.

It's as clear as the day has long legs. It's your Mom's fault.

Milfs who make earth-tone carpet choices, are more likely to twerk, than tweek.

And as far as trimmin the hedges are concerned, she's more likely to float a turd in the punchbowl,

than to give you your inch.

I know you think I'm crazy. But everyone else agrees. We all politely try to the other way...

Your cuck stops here. We'll not near me, go over there...

Nathan Brazil - 12/12/16

my screws are stipped and i am going though the front glass to get to the logic board could some one give me a guide on how to get to the board please... thanks

Caleb Croft - 07/05/15

all you need to do is remove the clip over the wifi antenna and the one that actually attaches the wifi antenna to the iphone two steps to do this job...

Ray Leahy - 08/06/15

The physical battery replacement went off without a hitch, and saw that the phone had no network connection, but also had no way to unlock. The slide lock said "Slide for Emergency Call" over my custom wallpaper and sliding would give the passcode screen, but it would reject the 6 digit passcode (it would buzz and go dark after the 4th digit, re-awakening and putting in the last 2 would indicate bad passcode). Very frustrating! I get it into recovery mode and convinced iTunes to "update" the OS, but it still didn't let me in. I performed a restore to fully factory reset the phone, and it worked! Sort of... the start screen kept being replaced by "Temperature - phone needs to cool down" but it's cold. Temp sensor is on the battery and returning to old battery fixed it. New battery is bad, and phone is wiped. Fun night.

I'm going to guess that disabling the password might save you from a similar fate. So, I'll suggest BEFORE YOU START, backup your phone and disable the passcode. Good luck.

Ian Epperson - 05/01/16

Same here.. Going through that terrible night myself! Guess you had to return your battery right?

Nuno Alves - 17/05/16

Is it possible to replace front glass only? If so, please provide a manuel

Iva - 28/11/16

Yes, it is. But it's very difficult and risky. Forget it... Have a look here: https://youtu.be/L_kCY05jR10

Jiri Altman - 14/12/16

I didn’t find this particularly difficult, even though I’m pretty inexperienced at this sort of work. I watched the video overview to get me going and then followed the steps in the guide. My tips would be to keep the screws and parts organised as you dismantle, and ensure you read all the reassembly tips as you go; it’s easy to skip over them. I also found using the Liberty Kit to replace the pentalobe screws was worthwhile.

Poor old Marv of Feb 2015. Suggest he sticks to chopping logs.

graemebagnall - 18/03/18

caught fire as soon as I replaced the back phone destroyed

Stuart Laurie - 02/02/20

The battery on the phone is swollen so I need to replace it but I can’t turn it on to drain the battery, what do I do?

Beetroot - 10/02/21

Step 2

Push the rear panel toward the top edge of the iPhone.
The panel will move about 2 mm.

how can i take out the screw if it is stripped

Manny Chaidez -

with a small driller, but I guess it is very difficult. Never attempted that myself on an iPhone.

lantzero -

There is no screw in Step 2?

Is the screw stripped or the head stripped?

I have used superglue on the screwdriver to remove a stripped screw, it would turn but not come out, with superglue I could turn and pull the screw out. May also work on a stripped head.

Trevor -

If you are careful, use a Dremel tool and a micro drill bit (sold where Dremel tools are purchased) to drill it out. Last resort kind of thing, good luck.

Jack -

Why isn't it moving? I removed my screws.

Thomas The Train - 28/11/14

I didn't see any extra screws holding the back in place. I had to use the included pry tool to get the back off. Just start at the bottom and pry gently...if you just "pull" like the guide says it won't work.

Brian - 29/04/15

Don't use too much force to slide the back -- the back on my phone was hard to slide, and I bent and broke a silver metal contact tab at the top of the back (on the inside).

perryskeath - 31/01/16

Super easy fix. Thanks for the tutorial!

Terrence Carlson - 28/12/16

Those little screwdrivers are easy to mix up, for those of us without ultra-perfect vision! Once I used the correct screwdriver, and my 13yo son's little fingers and perfect eyes, it went smoothly! Also my son noticed that the rubber piece around the camera len was covering the camera; it likely slid out of place when sliding off the back cover. A little playing around (with plastic tools only!) and it looks perfect now!

ashleedawg - 05/05/17

sorry but the rear panel is not pushed up. I pulled out the screws in the step 1 but still the rear panel does not move with even when I push it strongly.

Doo Re Song - 20/09/17

I too tried to push and slide the rear cover without success. I then tried just pushing the bottom edge up with my thumbnails. It moved very easily forward. Just a few mm movement is needed and then the cover can be removed.

Michael Lakeman - 21/11/19

The finger friction approach did not work for me, even when using a sticky pad.

Here is what worked for me: Grab the iPhone in your right hand with the screen facing your hand and the top facing your body. Find a sharp edge of a desk or counter and place the bottom of the phone's back cover on is so that when you push it, the back cover remans against the desk with the body of the phone sliding free. BE GENTLE as this approach takes far less force than the finger friction approach.

lesfam5 -

Step 3

Pull the rear panel away from the back of the iPhone, being careful not to damage the plastic clips attached to the rear panel.
Remove the rear panel from the iPhone.

On reassembly, be sure to clean the metal plate at the place of contact with the tiny pressure contact mentioned in step 4.

Harald Brandt - 20/11/14

I pried one end of the back off only to find 2 funny little screws holding the other end on so I took my Dremel, like Jack said, and ground those suckers out. Once I had the back off I loosened all the screws then turned it upside down and shook the crap out of it. The screws went flying everywhere and fell on the floor. Its my moms house so of course she's got gross brown carpet. How am I supposed to find my screws in that? I get the vacuum out and go over every inch of the floor to suck up all them screws. Then I dump the bag on the table and all I find is a bunch of hair and gods knows what else, but no screws. When I look for my phone I see its covered in all that stuff that came out of the vacuum. I mean, what's up with that? How can I work on my phone if its covered in dirt? Nobody said anything about that, did they? The average guy's gonna screw up his phone big time if he follows these instructions and nobody warns him about all the dirt that's gonna end up in his phone. Are you kidding me!! Now what?

Marv - 08/02/15

The replacement panel I got had two sheets of protective plastic on the inside and one on the outside. I used a toothpick to carefully lift and peel the two inside sheets off. One small one was over the lens on the inside. The other was over some large brown sheet of unknown function (though I think it goes over the battery). When I peel that away, some of the brown material tried to lift of with it, so be very careful.

Dave Hein - 09/07/15

From this point go to step ?? Just peel off the tape from the chip. Take some aluminium foil and cut a hole the size of the chip (Use a second layer of foil if you don't thrust it). Heat the chip as described at temperature 300 deg C for 5 minutes. Let it cool down. Reassemble and ..... hura WIFI is on again.

Lucasa Clearman - 04/02/16

Step 4

Remove the following screws securing the battery connector to the logic board:
One 1.7 mm Phillips screw
One 1.5 mm Phillips screw

This step needs a few more caveats.

The bottom screw on my phone was locked with some thread adhesive, and required more force to loosen it than I expected.

Even after removing the screws, the battery connector was rather firmly seated, and required a fair bit of persistent gentle prying with the opening tool before it came loose.

The ground clip came loose and nearly flew off while loosening the connector, so it would really help people if there were a warning on this step to watch out for the ground clip and make sure it doesn't bounce away.

threephi -

I had the same problem with the ground clip! I’m glad that I didn't for it.

iScott - 10/02/18

The battery connector is attached to the battery. You're not going to completely lift it out and remove it. It pulls out from the socket you can see in step 5 picture 3. The pressure contact (little black and gold thing) will probably just slide out from under the connector. Not a problem.

DMcG -

I completed this successfully, but this step gave me the most trouble. The pressure contact is really difficult to reseat. So much so that it should probably be called out more clearly in it's own step.

Greg Fulco -

If your pressure contact pops out you might find the video at http://www.hightechdad.com/2013/05/07/ho... helpful

Martin Cleaver -

I found this link to be incredibly helpful in identifying how/ where to put the pressure contact back in place

Elizabeth Harris - 01/10/16

In french: attention avant de retirer le contacteur de la batterie. La vis du haut tient "en sandwich" une petite pièce métallique noire et dorée. Cette pièce a pour but de faire contact de masse avec le dos de l'iphone quand il est refermé. Donc il ne faut pas la tordre. Quand les deux vis du contacteur sont retirée, attention au moment de débrancher le contacteur: cela va faire bouger cette pièce qui ne doit pas être abîmée ni tordue. Au remontage, il faut bien la remettre en place sous le contacteur de batterie: il est tout à fait possible de mettre d'abord le contacteur, puis de glisser la petite pièce au dessous pour qu'elle soit bien à sa place, le trou en face du trou de vis et du trou du contacteur. En remettant la vis, la pièce tient bien en place. Elle doit bien continuer à dépasser de manière a faire contact avec le dos de l'iphone.

stephane lecreux - 09/05/14

Top screw didn’t move with iFixit Philips #000 driver. The metal is too soft and in the result the screw was damaged while still in place. Having nothing to lose I also tried #00 and #0. Any way to remove the stuck screw? I would gladly saw it off if I could.

viktorcode - 05/09/14

Ok, I had to drill the screw to break it. It was very delicate and time consuming operation. But in the end the screw cap finally broke off and I was able to remove the battery!

viktorcode - 18/09/14

The Liberation Kit Philips head screwdriver strips the battery connector screws! It stripped the ne 1.7 mm Phillips screw circled in red in the photo above. I was able to remove the other screw, then I lifted the battery connector off while the red screw was still in position and wound the connector around in circles while lifting upwards and managed to unscrew the stripped screw. Advice, find a decent philips heard screwdriver for the internal screws like the two found on the battery connector.

remsta - 01/12/14

Bottom screw was totally stuck, nothing could budge it. I removed top screw, heated up battery with hair dryer to release the glue, pulled it out using the spudger. Lifted up the metal plate thing (after taking out the ground piece and putting it aside). Cut off the flexible bit between the plate and the battery and twisted the plate around the screw as you did.

Well, the screw eventually came out—but only the top half! Yes, it split in two. Then the bottom half came out, still attached to the thing it was screwed in to (a sort of barrel).

I put the new battery in, put the bottom half (with the barrel) of lower screw back in its original position, replaced the ground piece and positioned the new plate over it, and screwed the top screw back in. Then put the top half of the lower screw in and tightened it.

Et voila!

Extra: It was helpful to discover that the 1.5 and 1.7 mm measurements refer to length of screw, not size of Phillips head.

Claudia Baragiola - 16/03/18

When reassembling, use EST tweezers to get align the pressure contact over the top screw hole. using the pointy end of a spudger to assist: put the point through top screw-hole on the battery connector, then through the pressure contact and into the screw-hole. this will help to keep the small piece in place while re-seating the battery connector. Leave the top hole spiked as such until the screw in the bottom hole is gently fastened. Remove the spudger and replace the top screw.

tallismanproductions - 02/12/14

Pressure contact needs to be remain EXACTLY in the same position if you remove/replace battery. I had to re-open my iPhone 4S after a battery replacement (the mobile connectivity was lost) and tweak the position of the Pressure to restore functionality.

Peter Schoeman - 13/01/15

I used my 16x magnifier loupe to be certain I had the pressure sensor aligned with the screw hole - no problem, no stripping. I consider it indispensable for tricky steps like this, and IFixit sells a similar tool for just $14.

Jen Morris - 21/04/15

The pressure connector is the battery connector under the silver plate. BE CAREFUL. It seems like it'd be really easy to tear that pressure connector out without meaning to. The bronze and black thing is the ground, *not* the pressure connector. If you remove it just keep track of it and re-install it.

Brian - 29/04/15

The phillips head screwdriver provided in the ifixit repair kit does not work well this these two screws after my first attempt at unscrewing the screws became stripped. The 1.7 mm phillips screw gave me the most trouble. It took an hour to unscrew after the screwdriver from the kit stripped the screw. I used a piece of masking tape over the screw for grip to loosen it, then used finger nail clippers as pliers to unscrew. I would recommend investing in a better screwdriver for this one step. Assembly is otherwise simple and easy.

teeteebaby5 - 26/05/15

Here's a tip if you're having trouble removing the 1.7 mm screw. I had real problems removing it – the 1.5 mm screw came out easily using a Phillips #000 screwdriver but I almost stripped the 1.7 mm screw using the same screwdriver. What I did instead was use a flathead screwdriver from the iFixit pro tech toolkit I got, the one with a "–" sign and 1.0 size. That worked perfectly!

Lars - 11/07/15

When disconnecting the battery make sure to use a plastic tool not a metal tool that could short out the battery

echow2001 - 06/01/16

I would agree that a decent magnifier would help as the screws and components are small.

Also take necessary precautions to ensure the screws are not lost or mixed up.

Other than being a bit fiddly (particularly the earth connector), the only challenge I had not covered was that the battery was fixed with glue close to where the connector is and despite releasing the battery along the side, I couldn't get the battery to lift out using the tab. In the end I had to use the plastic tools to gently lever the battery away, working from the outside edge and ensuring I wasn't levering against the volume control buttons.

The new battery is in and following the advise given, I hard reset the phone and all my usual functions are now running... and if this £18:00 fix gives the phone another year or two of use, it will be well worth the effort.

Dave Mann - 28/10/16

Vous dites "Le connecteur de batterie s'enlève verticalement de la carte mère. Ne forcez pas latéralement"

Ou placez vous la verticalité ? pour moi c'est connecteur d'alimentation en bas, bouton d'alimentation en haut ?

Parce ce que sur la photo suivante, vous enlevez le connecteur de la gauche vers la droite ... c'est à dire latéralement ...

Soit nous n'avons pas le même sens vertical / horizontal, soit il y a un GROS problème dans l'explication, ou dans la traduction.

En tout cas, à la lecture de votre explication, j'ai essayé d'enlever le connecteur vers le haut !!

Donc il m'est maintenant impossible de remettre la batterie neuve, le connecteur est cassé !!!

Bravo pour l'expertise ifixit :(

Appoline - 28/11/16

I've gone through this process twice now. I found this video also very helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYYdbk3U...

The little contact thing that sits under top screw is always the biggest hassle to fit back into place (I do it after attaching the battery cable) with tweezers from ifixit.

My personal tips:

- plan that the incredibly tiny screws or the top-screw contact thing, might get away from you. so work in a space where you can find them easily. Not over carpet, etc.

- I use strips of tape on a piece of paper to secure the screws while they are out, and position them so I know which one goes on top of battery connector, and the one on bottom.

- If you have access to a spouse's/mate's iphone, in Accessibility settings there's a Magnifier option (triple-click home button) which does an amazing job at magnifying stuff at a circa 4-6" distance. Lacking any good magnifying glasses, this feature helped a lot. https://www.imore.com/how-use-magnifier-...

Wayne Walrath - 29/07/17

Why the guide don't mention PH000 or PH00 instead of Phillip 1.7 mm / 1.5 mm? I didn't know it is PH000 until some comments here save my time. Thanks guys

wanhor - 09/09/17

I wonder if the two screws shown on the picture are not inverted. It would seem logical to me that the longest (1.7mm) screw be placed on the upper hole, (where there is the yellow circle) ie on the hole where there is extra thickness (of the gold plated grounding contact sheet metal) in the sandwich. I have not checked, however, I just put the screws in the same location as found.

Yves - 19/01/19

I was able to remove the screws without problem, but almost stripped one of the screws when reinstalling the battery connector. Be careful how much force you use!

Matt - 28/08/19

It does not work

Jonathan Sousa - 24/05/21

When removing the 1.7 mm Philips screw, on rare occasion, the socket it is threaded into, might come out with it. (It depends on how little of that blue glue was used underneath on the assembly line.) Grab the socket under the removed plate between your fingers and use your Phillips screwdriver to back out the 1.7 mm screw from the old shield. Then once separated, thread back in the socket, into the case where it came from. You will want to do that before installing the new battery. You will need a small flat blade to span the socket hole in order to thread it back in snug. When the 1.7 mm screw is threaded back in with the new shield (with the Phillips screwdriver), it should tighten the rest of the way. Don’t over tighten. Great little kit!

Jim Henkel -

Step 5

Carefully push the pressure contact away from the battery connector until it slides free from its position.
Remove the pressure contact.

Step 6

Use a plastic opening tool to gently pry up the battery connector from its socket on the logic board.
Place the tip of the tool between the loudspeaker enclosure and the metal cover of the connector, and lift the bottom edge of the connector first.
The battery connector comes off vertically from the logic board. Do not apply force sideways.
Be careful not to pry at the battery connector socket itself, or it may detach from the logic board. There are four very small solder points awaiting this mistake!

No idea what exactly this step means. I just pulled the battery connector without trying to move the pressure contact. Installed new battery, plugged in connector and aligned the pressure contact slightly for the screw to fit.

Got a big scare as the phone would not connect to the cell network at first boot, only WiFi. Shut it off and when it rebooted it seemed to work. WIll probably know in a day or so if everything works fine or if there are interference issues, etc.

andries -

This is normal ... removing the battery resets internal clock to start value and your provider doesn't accept that, hence no network.

Going online through wifi or manually setting date right corrects this after a reboot.

Dreetn - 19/03/15

The black & copper contact piece is missing from my iPhone. Does that explain why my phone won't restore and keeps re-booting? I have tried every kind of restore with no luck. Any ideas?

ozarkana -

After reassembling the iPhone I the GSM connection wasn't working. After cleaning all parts with isopropyl alcohol it still didn't work. What solved my problem was to turn on WiFi and then synchronizing the date and time which was set to 1970-01-01. After a reboot everything worked just fine. :)

Florian -

I had the same problem. Thanks for the solution!!

Manolis Mylonakis - 03/11/14

thanks for this!

Bill McNamara - 19/11/14

The black ground contact needs still more "flagging." This is a simple metal strip that is attached ONLY by the 1.5mm (upper) screw. It will help if you look at it before you remove the upper screw. Notice the gold contact arm and point. That contact point must be in a plane above every other surface inside the device when you replace the battery connector, because it makes a ground contact with the metallic inner surface of the device back plate.

When I replaced it, I used the Pentalobe driver to line up battery connector and ground contact with the screw socket post. I then attached the 1.7mm (lower) screw loosely, removed the Pentalobe driver gently, and inserted the 1.5mm (upper) screw into the assembly. There is a tab on the ground contact that helps it align properly once pressure begins to applied. I completed driving the upper screw, pressing lightly with the spudger on the battery connector plate to make sure it was seated on the pressure contacts. Finally, I completed driving the lower screw.

Matt McCaffrey -

I didn't find any need to remove the pressure contact. I just pried the battery connector up (gently) with a spudger and left the pressure contact in place. Connected the new battery and aligned the pressure contact screw hole. Replaced the screws, finished reassembly and all was good.

Roger Mercer - 04/07/14

After reassembly, the CELL CONNECTION WASN'T WORKING. You might need to slightly bend the contact in step 5 up just a little, so it will make contact with the metal back plate. Did that and it worked perfectly.

Great kit, great instructions, thanks!

AirPhonesApp - 02/10/14

all those teeny screws...and the world is so...well...BIG!

go slow and put those parts INTO something...

putting them "on" something will just cause heartache and and an infected bladder...

°¿°

after a lot of froofroo and very errant iphone behaviour problems, i concluded that that tiny grounding piece must be being lazy as hello. i spread it out a bit to ensure a better contact with the back plate and everything appears to be working smoothly.

did this repair, as well as the battery replacement...GTG!!!

spoke too soon, i 'spect...random reboots persist.

richard - 03/01/15

Just went through the replacement and the battery "plug" (step 5) on my replacement battery was slightly misaligned relative to the metal plate used to screw it onto the board. The plastic and "gold" "plug" was slightly askew on the metal plate, which meant that when the plug was inserted, the screw holes (step 4) were poorly aligned.

I managed to pull everything back into line using the screws, but the QC on these replacement batteries is a bit suspect.

cvdwl - 16/07/15

Guess what happens when you rotate that ground connector 180 degrees...it grounds what I deduced to be the heat sink of the power amplifier for the speaker! So it is silent. It took me a couple of attempts to discover this as I was distracted by the new speaker not sitting down properly and a little dot of stuff under the main connector stuck to the pins. The latter was cleaned-off with a pin under 5x magnification followed by some isopropyl alcohol.

I suggest that Step 5 is more explicit about the orientation of this ground connector. It's only obvious after a really close look and if one has a lot to do like I did, it's a long time before one comes back to this step so the correct orientation is not obvious.

Michael Scollay - 31/08/15

I accidentally removed the pressure contact and I was not able to put it back in place and so far haven't ran into any problems. Is this safe??

Vasu Reddy - 04/05/17

I did it als well. All Funktionen well.but i am Not sure if that reduce battery power? Thanks very much for information

Lupus - 10/06/17

The hole in the pressure contact aligns with the top screw. The IFIXIT tool kit I bought contained a black sharp “thing” that I used to align the pressure contact with the top screw hole. I used this tool to align the bottom screw hole also. I put the bottom screw in first but did not tighten it all the way. A good magnifying glass with a light helped a lot. Tim

Tim - 26/01/18

Aligning with the black pointy “thing” definitely helps. Also, the small copper end of the contact piece is supposed to stick up once attached, to make contact with the back plate of the phone after re-assembly. The piece slides under the silver metal plate, and the the pointer can be used to align the silver plate hole and the black/copper plate hole in place for the screw.

Rog - 11/05/18

88888888888888

Данил Шилякин -

888888888888

Данил Шилякин -

Step 7

During reassembly, be sure to carefully position the pressure contact back in place. It should rest on top of the Philips screw post shown, and the gold contact should point towards the battery connector.
Be sure to clean the pressure contact with a degreaser such as windex or isopropyl alcohol. The oils on your fingers have the potential to create wireless interference.

Without that contact. Will the iPhone still use wifi? I need an answer ASAP!

Gabriel Vaughn - 12/10/18

Nope, Just tried it and without it it won’t connect to cellular or WiFi

posthumus - 10/08/19

What if i lose that little metal ? Huhu

Zheea Patang - 02/05/19

Reattached it before removing the battery in next step? Or you mean upon reinstalling after all following steps ? Little confused why I would disconnect then reconnect then take battery out ? Or that is just for reinstalling?

Nikko M - 26/06/20

Hi Nikko,

You’re right—reattach it when you reassemble the phone. I’ll re-word it to hopefully clarify that.

Arthur Shi - 29/06/20

Arthur, you still need to re-word steps 7 & 8 ;-)

Excellent job highly appreciate by the way!

Regards,

Antoine L

Antoine Labourgade - 04/04/21

Thanks Antoine!

I’m not sure what needs to be re-worded in step 8?

Arthur Shi - 05/04/21

What if you lose it?

Andy Shen -

Can I use 72% ethanol instead of isopropyl alcohol?

Hohoho Hahaha -

As I understand it 72% is good for disinfecting, but at that concentration there's a lot of water and therefore residue once it evaporates. I think that you'll need a higher concentration to get the best results.

Sam Goldheart -

Step 8

Insert the edge of a plastic opening tool between the battery and the outer case near the bottom of the iPhone.
Run the plastic opening tool along the right edge of the battery and pry up at several points to completely separate it from the adhesive securing it to the outer case.
If the adhesive is too strong, 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.
Use the flat end of a plastic opening tool to gently lift the battery.
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.

This can be very tricky because sometimes theres just too many glue on the back of the battery, and eventually the battery will be deformed.

Carlos Lopes -

Yes, there did seem to be a lot of glue holding my battery in. At first I was afraid of breaking it, but after reading up on the subject I've learned that it is okay if the battery gets a little deformed. Due to the nature of the battery it will still work if slightly deformed.

djlogic26 -

I found the plastic pull tab to be useless. Peeled pretty much the whole battery out from the left side. Used a probe to "break" a few strands of glue to help. Just watch the connector and ribbon cable in the lower left corner as you pry up so you don't crimp them or damage them.

gregsrow -

Try a used plastic credit/gift card to apply gentle pressure to lift the battery out of the phone, the short edge of the card fits within the gap on the logic board side between the battery and video cables. You can also use it on the opposite side if there is room between the battery and iPhone frame. This has worked on all of the 4 and 4s models I've replaced screens on.

I offer an alternative image if interested.

Wallace Karraker -

Removing the battery wasn't necessary. I attempted the removal but decided not to in the end. It didn't get in the way at all.

BigFatCat -

i also skipped the battery removal step. the battery didn't get in the way, but it did make it difficult to see if the wifi grounding fingers (step 14) were underneath the case lip. everything worked in the end though so i don't think removing the battery is a strict requirement.

rippergirl -

How can you not remove the battery in a battery replacement fix? Step 14, there are only 7 steps. Me thinks these comments are getting mixed up between different fixes!

bluezzer -

I did not remove the battery to do a Speaker replacement and had no issues with getting the Speaker out/in. So, steps 4 and 5 are required but not step 6.

rcrodriguez2 -

The plastic tab is not attached to the battery. I just pried from the right and slid tools under until I broke all the adhesive.

DMcG -

I found it easier to start by pulling the plastic lip to loosen the battery, then, if needed, use the plastic tool to pry from the side.

superedu111 -

I tried to get the battery out as depicted in the first picture. It deformed and is now broken. Not happy. It seems better to leave it or get it out by gently pulling the tab.

Paul Baars - 05/09/14

Please, Please, PLEASE avoid using probing elements to try remove batteries. I have had dozens handed in to me with punctures and two that actually started smoking due to people trying to prise the battery out. DO NOT DO IT.

The best way I have found to remove the battery is this process;

1) Try remove it with the pull tab directly, some will come out, some will not. Do NOT use excessive pull force else it'll deform the battery and reduce the capacity.

2) If the pull test didn't work, then get a hot air gun on medium and warm up the area around the battery for about 30 seconds, focusing on the perimeter of the battery. If you see ANY popcorn'ing then you're too hot, you don't want to cook the battery.

2.1) Wait about 30 seconds for the heat to now wick underneath the battery to soften the adhesive.

2.2) Now try pull the battery up, the extra heat should have softened the glue that you can remove the battery without excessive force and without sticking objects under the battery.

Paul L Daniels - 24/09/14

Step 9

Use the exposed clear plastic pull tab to peel the battery off the adhesive securing it to the iPhone.
Be careful not to pull the plastic pull tab too hard as it can be ripped off very easily.
Remove the battery.
If your replacement battery came in a plastic sleeve, remove it before installation by pulling it away from the ribbon cable.
If your replacement battery came with an uncreased cable, carefully crease the cable into the proper shape before installing the battery into the phone.
While installing the replacement battery, temporarily connect the battery connector to the phone to ensure proper alignment. Once the battery is glued in place, disconnect the battery connector.
Perform a hard reset after reassembly. This can prevent several issues and simplify troubleshooting.

Be VERY careful NOT to pull off the part of the connector that is on the logic board! Mine now has only contact but no solder until I can get a small enough soldering iron and a less shaky pair of hands!

Rob Hendricks -

I lost the 1.5mm and 1.7mm screws when replacing my 4s battery. Is there a place that sells just these two screws? I bought a 4s screw kit from Zeeton.com but figuring out which screw out the of 39 screws were the the 1.5mm and 1.7mm was impossible.

admin -

Buy a cheap pair of digital callipers ($20 -$30) and it will be clear. You can then use them to measure all kinds of things instead of squinting with a ruler.

bluezzer -

I bent the wire of the silent button on right top of the battery. Now the silent botton don't work. The wire on the bent is half-cut. BE CAREFUL when you put the new battery inside!

orzo -

Was having a hard time getting the screws back into the battery connector. Read another tip online that helped - pushed the end of my phillips screwdriver into some soft candle wax which gave it just enough stickyness to have the screw stay attached to the screwdriver while I was moving it toward the hole. Thought I'd pass that along.

bill -

I did as wazzamagu did (and stated above), "My Pentalobe tool was slightly magnetized so I used that to bring the screws in for tightening with the Philips screwdriver." That made replacing the screws fairly easy. Thanks for all the advice on this page. It was not hard at all. Go slow and carefully, everything is smaller in there than I expected. The "searching" thing came up as it seems for most people, but just took a reboot and all is fine.

amorteguy -

TO ALL WITH NETWORK PROBLEMS!

I had the same issue with "searching network". After resetting the network settings in settings it did work perfectly!

Klemt -

Took about 15 minutes. The only thing that was confusing was the reference to parts, using the partname, and I didn't know what they were referring to. So I had to figure it out by the photos. Slightly frustrating. Got it in and it worked. My problem then, was it kept SEARCHING and couldn't find my carrier. I followed everyones advice on here, plugged phone into my computer to itunes. then turned off network settings in settings, then turned them back on, and I got 3 bars. good to go.

sally - 10/10/14

Instructions were good and everything works fine after replacement. Needed to use a tweezer on the pressure contact on the top screw of the battery. Thanks

jeff -

I swapped out the battery today. No real issues. Pretty easy task.

ddbbsr - 01/08/14

For the past couple of months, my phone had been dying very fast. I knew that my phone's battery capacity was getting quite low as this phone is older now, and is out of warranty. So I ordered a replacement battery about a week ago, and just installed it yesterday. The install was pretty easy, if you pay attention to where everything belongs. But my draining issue has not gone away. It stays charged a bit longer, my capacity is at almost 100%, yet it can't even hold a charge over night. I'm not sure what is causing this and would love any tips or stories from someone else!! Please help!!

loucksls92 - 23/01/15

Beim Einbauen des neuen Akkus ist es sinnvoll diesen zuerst anzuschließen und dann erst wieder in die richtige Position zu bringen da man so dass Anschlusskabel besser verlegen kann

Andreas Richter - 30/08/15

OMG thank you iFIXIT, the apple store wanted 3 times the cost of this repair kit. It took less than 5 minutes with most of the time spent trying to prise out the battery as it was glued in nice and tight but steady pressure from the spudger did the trick.

I think the best advice would be to touch nothing with your fingers as with careful use of the spudger I was able to position the tensioner point no problem. Everything else was nice 'n' easy.

Finally there was no cell connection only Wifi when I powered up so I simply powered down and up again and all is well in the world!

Thanks again.

Yvonne Frankl - 11/10/15

The battery was incredibly hard to remove. I slid the spudger underneath the battery from the right side as far as it would go. Then, I worked it from the bottom to the top. The battery still was adhered and wouldn't budge using the pull tab. I wound up leaving the spudger underneath the battery at the top and then pressing down on the bottom of the battery to get leverage. After a few strong pushes, and then swapping the top and bottom in the last sentence, the old battery came loose.

I used tweezers to hold the tiny screws and align them with the screwdriver head before taking the screw to the destination hole.

One more tip.. if you don't have any other cartons or containers convenient, use the box that the product comes in as a workspace for holding the tiny screws while you work.

Steve B - 08/12/15

good tips, i took a couple of photos so i knew what it should look like and removed the screws and placed them in the order i removed them pretty easy if you take your time and be gentle

Sam B - 18/02/16

Be VERY careful not to pull on the plastic tab before you fully detach the adhesive or else you will rip the tab clean off. If you did this it is still possible to remove the battery. I just used the guitar pick tool things to slowly work it through the adhesive and under the battery

Zach Mangs - 20/02/16

It is possible to remove and replace the upper antenna WITHOUT removing the logic board!! So skip from step 7 to step 21 to 26 and 27.

What - 09/07/16

Stuck on searching after unplugging and plugging in the battery?

This is due to the date and time being set back to default. To fix this you will need to synchronize the date and time back to what it is currently.

You can do this by either:

- Connecting the phone to either a Wi-Fi network, Cellular Network (Mobile Data).

- Connecting the phone to iTunes (It will synchronize the time automatically once iTunes is opened and can detect and access the iPhone).

Once the date and time is synced you will need to turn airplane mode off and one as it may display 'Searching... 3G' or if it still says searching (which most of the time happens if the sim card has a sim pin lock enabled on it) you will then need to turn the phone off and on.

Ben - 07/09/16

Watched the video and ordered the kit, followed all the steps and it all went brilliantly - thank you all so much.

diegodesignsbiz - 04/01/17

Is it suggested that I add more adhesive with the replacement battery?

Sam Love - 26/01/17

One thing I noted with the replacement battery - from AussieBattery here in Australia; not from iFixit - but the same problem might occur; is that the cable on the new battery had to be 'tamed' (bent here & there like on the old battery, before I could reseat the screws and even the battery itself. One again the black - pointy & flat ended - spudgers, that we use in desktop iMacs, were helpful in getting under that battery and releasing it from sticky-!&&*! I used a pair of '2.5' reading glasses for this job, but '3.0' might have been better, as those screws are INFINITESIMALLY small!!!!! :(

amicuset - 20/02/17

Thank you IFIXIT! The battery replacement went very well for me. I was exceedingly careful with the minuscule fasteners. Reading through the instructions, watching the video and reading these comments before jumping in helped. I found the parts and tools to be of good quality. I feel like I beat the system! I used a pair of diopter 3 reading glasses which was a real aid. I hope my comment encourages others...

Colin Murdoch - 05/06/17

My rare earth magnets came in handy when I managed to lose the little grounding connecter screws. Those little guys will go flying if, while trying to align them for reassembly, pressure gets applied in just the wrong way. I say one fly out and bounce off my shirt, then it was gone, on the floor I presume. I grabbed my stack of 8 little magnets, waved it around on the floor under where I was sitting and what do you know? A little screw was stuck to it! I never would've found it just by looking...

William Wingstedt - 30/07/17

You really need to include information about the pressure sensor. It WILL inevitably pop out, leaving us wondering how and in what order it should be replaced. I had to look elsewhere for videos outside of iFixit to figure this out. Also, tell us which screwdriver to use using the label on the bit (PH000, P2, Y000, etc.). Providing only the sizes of the screws does nothing to help determine the appropriate bit to use when they aren’t labeled as such. Otherwise thank you!

Thomas Price - 09/01/18

I replaced the battery and the phone started right up. But I cannot get it to charge It was half charged when it went in new and I plugged it into a charger Checked it later - not charged. So tried another charger and the green charging light still will not come on . Any suggestions? Thanks Don

Donald Brown - 01/03/18

My iPhone 4s somehow has another connector on the battery. I cant connect the new battery to the phone. Its a complete different looking connector. And yes its never been replaced before or opened. The iPhone is one of the first versions for the german market after the fall of the simlock. Pls help

macadi - 07/04/18

If it doesn’t look like what you’re seeing here, it’s probably not an iPhone 4S. Check the model number carefully. People mix up the regular and “S” models all the time. ;)

Jeff Suovanen - 16/04/18

I succeeded to replace the screen, but I made a mistake with the batterie cable, and it finally broke, seems that the cable was too long and I was forced to make too tight loop.

Maybe a series of photo to explain how to make this the right way.

Serpieri - 07/12/18

yoooo that was so easy and fun man!!!!!! love y’all

Felix Santoyo - 22/03/19

January 21st, 2020. My original iPhone 4s battery finally kicked the bucket. I just finished installing the new battery with ifixit.com and their parts kit. $16.99 and 30 mins of my time and the phone lit back up and is currently doing the charge for calibration. Thanks so much ifixit!

Cynthia Biondo - 22/01/21

I succeed without any trouble. Tools and guide are excellent! Thank you

Fabrice Bianchi -

Great instructions. Couple of things. If new battery comes with a removal tag make sure you remove the old tag, Step 7 could be clearer, the pressure connector just falls loose when you first remove the battery connector and its hard to work out how correctly realign.

Excellent product - and now for a glass of Australian Shiraz to celebrate

Paul Upton -

Mon iPhone 4S se trouve ressuscité et je peux l’utiliser comme second téléphone en activant les réglages de transfert d’appels et des SMS vers d’autres appareils sous iOS (via le Wi-Fi et iCloud). Merci iFixit pour vos précieux tutoriels ;

Cancan -

Step 10

Be wary of the outer plastic ring located on top of the rear camera's flash assembly. It can be easily displaced if not removed during disassembly.
You can use tweezers, a plastic opening tool, or a spudger to remove the outer plastic ring.

Sometimes found stuck to the inside of the back cover.

Jeremy Jones -

Don't do it!!! you can skip that, it will stay and its more of a pain to remove it.

Nic Harper -

This is unnecessary step!! Don't do that!!

javamonk - 26/06/14

Agreed, mine was stuck inside of the back cover

fidelvila - 23/07/14

So was mine - thanks for telling! Rests of soft glue could be scratched off the place - so the ring was already off and I looked for it everywhere.

Ida - 25/07/14

Mine was stuck to the cover too, thanks for posting.

davisyang - 28/11/14

Mine too, thx :)

Katja Huovinen - 22/02/18

Step 11

Remove the following four screws securing the cable cover to the logic board:
One 2.7 mm Phillips screw
One 2.6 mm Phillips screw
One 1.3 mm Phillips screw
One 1.2 mm Phillips screw

On reassembly, note that the metal lip below the (red) 2.7mm screw and to the right of the (green) 1.2mm screw goes between the ribbon cable and the main logic board, as can be seen in the picture for Step 12. If you don't get this right, the 2.7mm screw is difficult and, worse, there's a risk the edge of the lip will tear the ribbon cable.

David Bruce -

I had challenges here. As noted, the metal lip below the (red) 2.7mm screw and to the right of the (green) 1.2mm screw goes between the ribbon cable and the main logic board. That lip points away from you, towards the screen, THEN BENDS UP towards the power button. You need to pull the metal shield down a little (which stresses the ribbon cable) to get the hook-shaped feature free.

griffn - 10/09/15

The fastening on the board came loose when trying to remove screw the 1.2 mm Phillips screw. So the screw hole for that screw is still attached to the cover that I removed.

Aasmund Gravem - 22/06/14

Got to step 13 and could not remove the 1.3mm screw (yellow circle), even using a different Phillips head screwdriver than the one that came with the kit. So frustrating. Was able to remove the other screws leading up to this point without difficulty (used the saran wrap trick on the other screws to prevent stripping, but this 1.3mm screw just would not budge).

Ended up abandoning the screen replacement--luckily the phone works after putting it back together.

Gayle - 07/09/14

In my case, the 1.3 screw (yellow) wouldn't tighten on reassembly. I might have tightened too much so that it stripped the screw hole. Anyone know whether this has damaged the board in some way. The phone works fine, but concerned about the long run.

Casltech - 10/11/15

Step 12

Use the edge of a plastic opening tool to pry the cable cover tabs out of their slots cut into the EMI shield on the logic board.
Lift the cable cover from its edge nearest the top and remove it from the iPhone.

If you just very slightly twist this plate clockwise as you are lifting it out, it will help as there is a little hooked piece at the lower edge on the very far right. You have to be careful not to turn it too much though because this hooked piece is right beside a ribbon that could be damaged.

Trisch -

To add to Trisch's comment:

If turn the plate clockwise doesn't do the trick, the hooked piece on the lower right comes off when you pull the plate towards you a tiny bit. Still, watch out not breaking that ribbon the hooked piece is behind of.

jasperm - 24/08/15

If you're having trouble removing the EMF shield, try using a plastic prying tool to lift the top right part while pushing it ever so slightly downwards with a finger. Consult this video for details: https://youtu.be/8fujLMaxJsw?t=6m42s

oysteinespedal - 13/01/16

Step 13

Use the edge of a plastic opening tool to pry the rear camera connector up from its socket on the logic board.
Be careful not to break any components off the surrounding area on the logic board as you pry upwards.
Remove the rear camera from the iPhone.
There is a small rubber gasket that sits underneath the rear-facing camera. Make sure that it is properly seated before reassembly.

Im pretty sure that when you reinsert the cam the grounding clip has go to between metal sticker and the cam body, or the camra wont be grounded

Michael Rygaard -

I've got a trouble at this step. Is there anybody who could help me out with my problem? When I was removing the camera module, accidently removed small element, which is marked with the red line http://i63.fastpic.ru/big/2014/1022/4e/9...

As I figured out - that is the SMD capacitor. After that Iphone was switched on, and it seems to be working fine at the moment, but I am very scared, if it will continue to work well without that small piece. Anybody to help?

soubi8 - 22/10/14

In my case, the grounding clip was taped to the camera! In addition, my repair process stopped at this step as the left screw on the power button had come out and was floating around next to the camera slightly stuck to the tape. This was lucky since a loose screw in an iPhone under the logic board would be a bad omen.