Introduction

The Lightning connector, headphone jack, and cellular antenna are on a single assembly and must be removed and replaced together. If you've tried cleaning the lightning port to no avail, replacing the Lightning connector can solve charging and connectivity issues.

You can also use this guide to replace the microphone gasket.

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    • If your display glass is cracked, keep further breakage contained and prevent bodily harm during your repair by taping the glass.

    • Lay overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPhone's display until the whole face is covered.

    • Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from any glass shaken free during the repair.

    Having completed this repair using the rear camera part from Ifixit I have to comment that the camera is noticeably lower quality. Its not huge - You don't notice it looking at the photos scaled down to fit but viewing one for one there is significant detail lost. My staff member has an Iphone 5 bough at exactly the same time as mine so I was able to take a photo side by side on his and mine after my repair and when you view 1 for 1 pixel in product boxes on mine the text was just a colored blur where on his although you couldn't read the text it was more obviously text. Overall though its still better than having a camera that wouldn't focus at all and being that Apple seem to refuse to supply genuine spare parts (Which there has to be a low against??? - Imagine if a car manufacturer did that) its still good buying one from someone who gives good support. At the end of the day its a phone camera not an SLR and its still better than the older Iphone 4 camera.

    matt -

    The majority of product manufacturers are not required to provide parts, and apple will fix items under the various warranties it offers. Car manufacturers on the other hand are required to make parts available by law. It is part of the regulation of their industry. They get a lot of protection for their business model, but have some obligations too. It's why the EV1 was pulled, they didn't want to have to make the parts, and why there are so many Delorian parts.

    William Leeper -

    This is a great guide. However, I'm having a hard time popping the screen back into place. Everything works but I'm afraid of putting too much pressure least I crack it again. Any advice?

    amciotola -

    To avoid broken screens during reassembling:

    Put the hooks of the screen in the right place in the housing, then close it loose, don't press it. Turn your phone upside down with the screen on a very flat surface (e.g. table). Now press the housing on the screen -> no more risk for braking the screen because of inhomogeneous force applied on the glass!

    mondbewohner -

    I hope folks read this comment before proceeding to attempt a Sleep/Wake button repair on the iPhone 5! Apple has an iPhone 5 Sleep/Wake button replacement program, free, for iPhone 5 devices manufactured through March 2013. See program details at https://www.apple.com/support/iphone5-sl.... Don't do this yourself if you don't need to. It's a difficult repair.

    Mark Luscher -

    I was willing to add the following important remark on top of this guide but, strangely, it has been refused! Here it is:

    ---

    *Check if your Iphone 5 is eligible to the Apple special program for a free battery replacement (devices sold between September 2012 and January 2013, within a limited serial number range).

    * If not, watch the video and use this guide [video|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ogE8USs...]

    ---

    And thus, as my Iphone 5 was eligible, I went to the Apple store of Le Louvre in Paris and the battery has been changed for free instead of 65 euros. Thanks to Mark!

    revher -

    Hi every one i drop my iphone5s 16gb

    I replace 10!new screen but cant back to live i see on the "logic board" where u conect the screen i se damage HOW CANT FIX THAT WHITOUT LOST MA DATA ??? Thaks for anny hellp!!!!!

    aliroberto01 -

    Steps 12-15 seem to be not necessary for battery replacement. They are not required to remove and replace the battery and they at least DOUBLE the amount of work. Most of the time spent on this process involved working with those tiny screws and maneuvering them in place and screwing them down. Steps 12-15 are three of the five screws that you work with inside.

    Also, there should be a note at the beginning of Step 2 that if you bought the iFixit kit that you should go directly to Step 6.

    Bob Hatcher -

    please wear safety helmet too, integral helmet and cover mouth with an N95 facemask underneath, just in case the battery punctures, explodes, you knock your head back to the wall and slam it back forward hitting the screw in your eye and and inhaling toxic fumes! can never be too careful ;-)

    ibisiki -

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    • Before you proceed, 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 screws next to the Lightning connector.

    I would recommend keeping multiple pieces of double-sided tape for each step that requires removing screws. Also perhaps label them, or take notes, so you know which piece of tape (and the screws attached to it) go with which step number. It's easy to confuse screws, especially if you go past these instructions to remove everything required to replace the ribbon cable that is necessary for the buttons.

    irwin fletcher -

    To avoid misplacing screws or other elements, printout the instructions, apply transparent tape onto the print wherever you have colored circles marking different screws. Then, as you start removing screws, tape each one on top of its image on the instructions. At the end, to reinstall everything, proceed from the end of the instructions, removing each taped screw from its image, to return it to its original position. I have done this with many iFixit repair instructions, never losing or misplacing any screw!

    bduault -

    Ordered and received the Phillips #00 Screwdriver ($5.95 · 50+ In stock). It is a tiny Philips screwdriver. The screws next to the lightning port have tiny star-shaped holes. I will have to find a different screwdriver.

    jacklingwood -

    Unfortunately, the kit I ordered that was to come with a suction cup didn't include one; thanks for quality control, ifixit. Tape doesn't work. Now what?

    btarver -

    I'm sorry to hear that. I have a suction cup being sent out today (Tue 3/11/14) and it will be there tomorrow for you.

    Scott Dingle -

    I've managed to replace the battery successfully in my iPhone5, but something went wrong with a friend's (battery status is stuck, sometimes the phone reboots for no reason).

    So, i decided to open it up again and reseat the ribbon cables in case they came loose.

    I can't open it now. The Pentalobe screwdriver is worn out! I can't open these screws no matter what. I don't know what to do now as I can't be sure I haven't worn out the actual screws themselves, too. Any ideas?

    Saltank -

    I seem to be having a similar situation. Attempting to open the phone again and either the pentalobe screws or the screwdriver itself is stripped. Any suggestion is welcome for removing the screws.

    Battery replacement went well and works great. But I must have a loose (hopefully not damaged) display ribbon.

    pwarkolla -

    Saltank, thanks to your comment I didn't overtighten those little screws! I would try to get a better quality driver from a local hardware store to see that helps, the one ifixit sent are not very good quality. If that doesn't work, you may have stripped the screws.

    SMSHAHKHAN -

    Wish I ordered a back case as well with my repair being so easy!

    Daniel Hatton -

    my phones screen displays the dead battery sign and the plug below it sign too, when your phones battery is dead. Bought a new battery and charged overnight...... any ideas?

    Steve Freed -

    Hi Steve! I'm experiencing the same issue. Were you able to fix it? Please let me know

    Brittany Hutchinson -

    Steve. Please contact me asap re: the issue on your phone. Thank you.

    Brittany Hutchinson -

    Now here's an issue that would seem to apply to many users doing this repair: if the screen is nonfunctional, how do you power-off the device? When I dropped my iPhone, the screen went almost completely dark, midnight blue, actually. I can use the power button at the top of the phone to turn the display on and off, but I can't get the phone to power off. Seems the only way to do it is to wait until the battery is exhausted.

    dwhyink -

    Protip: take all the soda out of a case of pop and complete the repair in the empty cardboard tray. That way if you drop a screw it won't go flying off the table.

    John Penfold -

    Ok, at the end of the repair, I tried to use the new pentalobe screws that came with ifixit replacement battery but they did not seem to fit. So, reverted to the original pentalobe screws for the final step to close up the phone. Beside that, everything went smooth. I also skipped the steps about detaching the frontpanel (seems not necessary if only replacing the battery)

    Srikanth -

    Weirdly I had to use two different screw attachments to remove the pentalobe screws so possible they use different screw heads for each one sometimes.

    Sam Ashken -

    The “Pentalobe” screws require the STAR DRIVE driver, NOT a Phillips driver.

    Vard Nelson -

    I seems the P2 is too big, My Iphone 5 seems to have 0,8 pentalobe screws. I ordered the new battery and your Pro Tech Toolkit and now I find out this bit isn’t in the kit? Am I missing something?

    Naampje -

    Hi, i am trying to remove the serews, i have all the tools neded for it but when i try to unscrew them, they turn but they don’t came out, any ideas of what to do? Tank you.

    Joel -

    Hi Joel,

    Chances are, the threads may be slightly stripped. You can try to wedge the point of some tweezers behind the screw head to pry the screw out.

    Arthur Shi -

    This was the second repair in the same iphone5. First was the screen, and all the screws came easily. After a year, I wanted to change the battery. From the two Pentalobe screws, one came easy. The other just turn but did not come out. I search and tried to glue the screw with superglue to the screw-driver, but did not work. Finally, I separated the glass from the phone, removed the button, and pushed the screw from inside to outside. It came just enough I could catch it with tweezers and turned meanwhile pulling. Finally came out. I know, not the best solution, but I did not find another way. I put the battery and works.

    daniel -

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    • In the following steps you will be pulling the display up out of the phone body. The display is composed of a glass screen and a plastic bezel with metal clips.

    • Regardless of the tool you use, you need to be sure you pull up the entire display.

    • If the glass begins to separate from the plastic, as shown in the first image, slide a plastic opening tool between the plastic frame and the metal phone body to pry the metal clips out of the case.

    • If you are reassembling a phone with a separated display bezel, you may want to place a thin strip of adhesive between the plastic bezel and the glass to keep the phone closed.

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    • The next two steps demonstrate the Anti-Clamp, a tool we designed to make the opening procedure easier. If you aren't using the Anti-Clamp, skip down two steps for an alternate method.

    • For complete instructions on how to use the Anti-Clamp, check out this guide.

    • Pull the blue handle backwards to unlock the Anti-Clamp's arms.

    • Slide the arms over either the left or right edge of your iPhone.

    • Position the suction cups near the bottom edge of the iPhone just above the home button—one on the front, and one on the back.

    • Squeeze the cups together to apply suction to the desired area.

    • If you find that the surface of your iPhone is too slippery for the Anti-Clamp to hold onto, you can use tape to create a grippier surface.

    The iSclack is a marvel. I've had it in my toolkit for a while but this was its first use. I recommend this tool.

    jlwilliams03 -

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    • Pull the blue handle forwards to lock the arms.

    • Turn the handle clockwise 360 degrees or until the cups start to stretch.

    • Make sure the suction cups remain aligned with each other. If they begin to slip out of alignment, loosen the suction cups slightly and realign the arms.

    • Insert an opening pick under the screen when the Anti-Clamp creates a large enough gap.

    • If the Anti-Clamp doesn't create a sufficient gap, apply more heat to the area and rotate the handle a quarter turn.

    • Don't crank more than a quarter turn at a time, and wait one minute between turns. Let the Anti-Clamp and time do the work for you.

    • Skip the next two steps.

    Step 4 is a bit dangerous, as the Display is pulled out very fast and (depending on the position, the suction cups are placed at) it could stress the cabels connecting display and mainboard. So, please, hold the phone with finger and thumb at the top, to avoid the display is pulled out to fast.

    Guido Dampf -

    I sure wish they did a better job showing in the video how hard it is to take of the front screen without the iSclack tool!

    CHRISMIYAMOTO -

    I had to position the suction cup _over_ the home button in order to get the screen far enough away from the frame to slide my trim tool in there. Putting it down above the home button just wasn't working at all...

    tparkinson -

    Was someone able to answer this question? I have the same issue

    Brittany Hutchinson -

    without this suction cup clamp thing, removing (and replacing) the screen was the hardest part of this job. Especially when the screen is cracked badly as the suction cup loses suction due to air leaking through the cracks. In this case, use tape over the screen to create a smooth surface. ***Also, the screens have rubber running along the side, so use a heat gun or hair dryer to make the rubber softer for removal of cracked screen and installation of replacement screen

    fakik0240 -

    I am amazed how simple this is and to make a fortune off of. Wish I had thought of it.

    Bigi44

    wayne44 -

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    • Press a suction cup onto the screen, just above the home button.

    • Be sure the cup is completely on the screen to get a tight seal.

    • If you're opening an iPhone with cracked glass, neatly lay a couple strips of packing tape across the front and squeeze out as many bubbles as you can. This will give the suction cup a surface to grab, and minimize the spread of broken glass.

    I found it was easier to start opening from the top left of the display and working straight down towards the home button as there are no clips in this particular area. I realize there are cables on the right side right next to the area, however, this way requires less force as a starting point. Let me know what you think.

    boxerbc -

    I think that's not a good idea as the top of the display is held in place with plastic tabs.

    If you apply to much force they can break.

    Johnny -

    This part was the most frustrating part of the guide, granted I didn't do the whole thing. I was expecting to slip the plastic separator tool in-between the case and the display. This did not happen and I ate away at the tool in the process. For me after much pushing on the top edge of the case and pulling the screen away it released all of a sudden. I managed to make a dead stop at 90 degrees, but felt like I almost ripped off the ribbon cables(I didn't).

    maxturkewitz -

    No matter how hard I tried, I could not get the screen to separate far enough to where the pry tool could get it. Reading through some of the other comments, I followed 2 other people's advice to work the bottom left corner above the headphone input and then use a pushpin at the same time. (this is not recommended, but it worked!) I made a couple of hard to see marks in the corner but was finally able to get the screen off. I also did NOT take off the connectors to the screen and skipped the next few steps all the way down to step 14. Looks like a lot of people damaged their phones that disconnected the top screen.

    CHRISMIYAMOTO -

    I'd recommend to use packaging tape to attach the upper edge of the display to the back of the phone so you won't rip off the ribbon cables if the display suddenly comes loose.

    Cupper Chopper -

    I took the suction cup off of an old navigation Tom Tom and it worked great!

    fijisomeday -

    My battery needed replacement because the battery had swollen and was warping the glass. Looking at it from the side it looks like gasket that was partly sticking to glass and partly to the case. This is actually part of the glass frame and you need to make sure to separate it from the case not the glass. I did it wrong and ended up removing the glass but there was a metal case covering the inside. I eventually got the rest of the top off but now I'll have replace it all because I can't find a good way to glue the glass to plastic.

    Wade Whitaker -

    I initially had trouble, but focusing on the area of the faceplate right above the headphone jack worked for me. There's a slight divot that allows you to slip in the prying tool earlier than in other places around the faceplate. Once I got the prying tool in there, I was able to pop out the bottom, and then continue up the sides.

    Stuart Nelson -

    IMPORTANT TO NOTE: The top of the screen is attached to delicate cables inside the phone! Pull up carefully and keep a hand on the top of the screen so it doesn't pop up.

    gobluethunder -

    My iPhone 5 only had a weak battery. Now it has a cracked glass panel. Suction cup is strong - so strong the glass breaks before the suction cup lets go. Apparently some of the tolerances in Apple's design occasionally add up to make a front panel assembly that refuses to let go. Phone not worth repairing at this point as it only cost $190 refurbished to begin with. A note of warning - you might want to have this done by an experienced tech - go ahead and spend the $100 or so to have someone experience replace the battery and keep the rest of your phone intact.

    Mark Troeller -

    The suction cup with the blue plastic handle that came with the kit did not work, but I still had the cup with the silver ring that came with an iPad repair kit and it worked nicely. Also, I found that the guitar style picks that came with the iPad kit worked best for getting the screen started.

    Bill Roughen -

    Top center worked for me best (success after 2nd attempt). Near the home button I failed constantly (I have the suction cup with the blue handle).

    Marie -

    I also found that a larger suction cup (from a Garmin GPS) which spanned the width of the glass screen worked better than the provided one.

    Robert -

    I used a heavy duty iFixIt suction cup (used for repairing an old iMac) for the job. Worked like a charm.

    Olivier Biot -

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    • Make sure the suction cup is firmly attached to the front panel assembly.

    • While holding the iPhone down with one hand, pull up on the suction cup to slightly separate the front panel assembly from the rear case.

    • Take your time and apply firm, constant force. The screen is a much tighter fit than most devices.

    • With a plastic opening tool, begin to gently pry the rear case down, away from the screen, while you pull up with the suction cup.

    • There are several clips attaching the front panel assembly to the rear case, so you may need to use a combination of the suction cup and plastic opening tool to free the front panel assembly.

    The suction cup didn't work, because of my destroyed front glass.

    So i take "tesa powers trips".

    With that help, i had enough force to pull up the front display from the rear case.

    ulrichstumm -

    Suction cup didn't work for me. I tried for half hour with my nerd biceps. In the end, I inserted an xacto blade below the home button to create a gap big enough for me to put in a guitar pick and finally able to pry it open. In the process I scratched the frame so you have to be very careful if you decide to take this approach.

    Meng -

    Where can you buy "Tesa Powerstrips?

    latraelmayo -

    The glass on my phone was completely destroyed, making the suction cup entirely useless. I was pretty close to giving up when i tried putting a strip of clear packing tape on the screen and squishing out all the bubbles. Put the suction cup on this and it worked perfectly.

    chriscopass -

    Thank you. I broke the front glass with this technique..

    Olivier S -

    Used a suction cup from my Garmin Navi. The one you use to stick it to your windshield. It has a nice plastic "handle" and made things a lot easier... almost too easy that I nearly pulled the screen off the cables. Go easy on this step.

    michaelychien -

    I'd Advise Against The Suction Cup Here As It Will Separate The Glass From The Black/White Framing That You're Actually Supposed To Pry Under. I Found When Using The Suction Cup, The Glass Came Up, But The Framing Stayed Stuck. If You're Replacing The Entire Display It's Not As Much Of A Problem, But If You're Installing Any Other Part Or A Custom Housing, You'll Notice Your Screen Has A Bit Of "Play" When Pressing Down.

    Mitch -

    While holding down on the lower sides of the iPhone, I found inserting the plastic separator just to the right of the audio jack while gently applying pressure down and back from the edge popped the bottom of the display assembly up. Keep in mind to do this while pulling back on the suction cup ring, like the guide says constant, but gentle force at the same time. Another note is to have the suction cup ring vertical to align with the length of the display, that made the process much easier.

    Canis Lupis -

    You rock! I was having trouble getting the thing to budge, but the moment I put the plastic tool near the audio jack, the screen immediately popped up.

    Justin -

    This should be in the guide. The front panel is actually recessed a bit here making it much easier to get a tool in at this point. No way I would have opened it without this tip. Thanks!

    dave -

    Thank you so much! This should DEFINITELY be added to the main guide.

    After struggling for half an hour and nearly giving up, I was able to easily lift up the screen once I tried to wedge it near the headphone jack!

    Thanks so much!

    diegoholt -

    This was the key for me. Thank you so much for this tip :)

    I was having a lot of trouble. Should be in the guide.!!

    Coact -

    Thank you very much, this worked for me!

    gbmattson -

    I've been using a metal flat opening tool along with the suction cup to pop these bad boys open - remember the tape on the screen trick if you have a smashed screen - so the suction cup can grip and stops the glass going everywhere!

    Ben Watkins -

    Definitely a difficult step. Make sure not to pry the screen from framing. Also, I kept pushing the power button on while attempting separate the frame. Keep your fingers clear from the top of the phone because having it turn on while the casing is popped is a little nerve racking!

    Andrew -

    I had trouble with this step too, since I had to apply quite a lot of force on the suction cup when pulling up on the screen while holding down on the frame with my fingernails. Eventually it popped free, but came almost to 90 degrees before I was able to stop it. No damage, but nerve-wracking, and if there was a better technique, it would be good to figure it out and share the information here.

    Adam Engst -

    Be very gentle! I overdid it and, though the repair was successful, there's now a bit of play when pressing on the top right quadrant of the screen.

    plasticpool -

    When i was reassembling, the screen broke form the pressure. I recommend putting the screen towards your working surface and press your phone downwards. That way your screen is always straight.

    Kenichi Haramoto -

    My front panel flew right off after some puling on the suction cup - no prying was necessary.

    Fortunately, no cables got damaged. Take care.

    Leonid -

    I can confirm, the Garmin sucker cup worked like a charm. Within 5 seconds it popped open.

    Nolan -

    everything worked but i got a problem i hope anybody can help me very fast !

    when i lift the screen up it just lift the glass up not the whole display ....

    what should i do ??

    thanks in advance

    edis -

    Need extra careful while pulling the screen.

    Once there is a gap between the screen and the frame, insert the plastic opening tools and move it around the screen. But don't use it for top area (near to power button) as there is a location for flexible ribbon cable.

    Once the bottom part is free, the screen will pop out easily.

    Ardi Purwalaksana -

    Suction cup is very difficult with a cracked screen. Stick something in the ear jack and carefully push it and the edge of the screen will pop up. Use the plastic stick to open it.

    Julie To -

    I had trouble opening the screen due to a warped suction cup that was bent up at one spot and also due to my cracked screen. My solution: used double sided tape between the suction cup and the glass. I had some command strips, but I think any double-sided tape could work.

    earthhasassri -

    Use needle its a best way

    imran -

    I could never even get the case open. Waste of $30.

    dpetronis -

    The suction cup will hold if you put a piece of tape over the cracked screen.

    prattdesign1 -

    BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL, HERE!!

    -The repair went horribly wrong during this step, for me. I pulled-up on the suction cup, gradually increasing force. Instead of just opening a gap to get the plastic prying tool into, the whole thing gave way at once. This damaged the connection between the display assembly and the rest of the iPhone.

    -During this step, I would recommend placing a rubber band around the phone, over the home button and one near the top of the iPhone for good measure. Even better, invest in the "iSclack". In my case, it would have saved me about fifty bucks and three days without a functional iPhone.

    -When I reassembled, The screen was blank, but I could still sync with iTunes. I may have been able to replace only the cables, but I wasn't sure how extensive the damage was and I was done messing around with it. I replaced the whole display assembly, and now it works just fine.

    -This was STILL cheaper than buying a new phone, and I learned a lot. Overall, it was a good experience.

    peterthemick -

    my phones screen displays the dead battery sign and the plug below it sign too, when your phones battery is dead. Bought a new battery and charged overnight...... any ideas?

    Was someone able to answer this question? I have the same issue

    Brittany Hutchinson -

    1. This is very difficult, you have to use much more strength than it appears and it's very easy to rip out the connector cords. Mine did not rip, thankfully.

    2. Upon replacing the screen, I had to do this 3 times, I would not recommend putting the screws back in but turning on the phone and testing all screens before putting the panel back.

    3. When I finally managed to ensure all displays were working, I was pushing the screen back in and cracked the glass just below the home button. This part is very sensitive as it is the thinnest portion of the glass so be careful and ensure you push from the top and go all the way around. I also had to do this twice because after cracking the glass on the first try, I also realised the top was not fully pushed back.

    kkwang18 -

    We highly recommend using the iSclack tool for opening the phone up. It simply pops it up with very little effort, and you won't risk damaging your screen or device.

    Matt Gordon -

    My older phone had a swollen battery, it turns out it had distorted the display assembly enough that the suction cup only separated the screen from the display assembly. Not good.

    robin -

    I was in no mood to pay for the special tool and wait for it. Took the "right of headphone jack" suggestion and pushed down vertically at the edge of the frame with a "ice pick" sharp tool, " I had two of them. Who cares if you scratch the frame a little, I usually have my phone in a protective case anyhow. I kept working with this until the corner was up, and then the rest of the display was loose without any further work.

    primaljoy -

    My phone is in pristine condition for a 5 year old phone, I have no cracks to speak of on the glass and the suction cup that ifixit sent me doesn't stick to the glass.

    Mary Ellen Cammilleri -

    Holding the other side (top of the phone) down with another hand is extremely important. Plenty of people have damaged their screens by pulling the panel right off, ripping all the cables.

    Eugueny Kontsevoy -

    I made a series of gentle pulls and the front panel came up without problems. The opening started to appear next to the audio jack, as other people indicated. Then, I used the pry that came with the kit and the panel opened easily.

    Javier Buzzalino -

    Upon reassembly, I cracked the glass at this step. The top of the screen seemed to have too play in it and on my phone—I suspect from right side brackets that may have been damaged already. Was nearly finished and applied too much pressure? to the top of the screen area to get it back into position. Snap!

    Robert Innis -

    I pulled and pulled on the suction cup with no results then read the comments! Ugh! Found a kiosk at the mall that will replace battery for $15. Should have saved the cost of tools. They were very pretty and well packaged though! Good fortune to all that succeeded.

    Frank Fulchiero -

    Suction cup does not work. I also had to use the Garmin suction cup

    K G -

    This went easy. Place the opening tool in the seam near the earphone jack to pry as others have stated. Also, as insurance I wrapped a rubber band around the top end of the phone (covering the listening speaker and camera lens) so if the cover suddenly popped open when pulling the suction ring, (which it did!) the cover would not pop entirely off and damage the connector ribbon inside.

    Anthony Baldino -

    I used the suction cup that came with the replacement battery kit. It took me quite a while to get the screen loose, but ultimately it came open. They are not kidding when they said this device is tighter that most. I also use the iOpener to get the battery to let go. The iOpener worked like a charm.

    ershler -

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    • Continue to pry up around the sides of the front panel assembly, detaching the clips along the left and right side.

    while opening the front panel, i lose control and it gone so fast. And now, after putting it back, the screen is not working. What am I supposed to do? I dont have any other phone in hand and I need to repair it immediately.

    yakbu -

    as I wanted to close the display again, the sealing ring wasn't attached to the edge of the glass anymore. did someone have the same issue? thx for help!

    luc -

    I didn’t see any side clips! Could they have fallen out previously because my screen was bulging out from the case? Or did I miss them somewhere? I managed to separate the front panel from the body, but there is yet another metallic looking panel on the body. The back of the panel still attached to the front part is mirror shiny on the back of that panel.

    tom -

    Hey Tom! Unfortunately you only separated part of the display panel, try to reseat the display and open it again, paying special attention to step 3 which shows you where you should be prying to get those clips on the metal rail out of the phone body.

    Sam Goldheart -

    The thin glass front panel has partially separated from the plastic frame along both sides. Should I try to put a small amount of adhesive to keep it from popping out? It was pushed out by an expanding battery!

    Kevin Knoop -

  9. DC4qAlwT1EvIQjPP
    DC4qAlwT1EvIQjPP
    DXiQOlZaEivFVgDK
    GrtZSvf1ESXAdyxM
    • Do not try to completely remove the front panel assembly from the rear case, as there are several ribbon cables still attached at the top of the iPhone.

    • Once the clips have been released on the bottom and sides of the front panel assembly, pull the bottom of the assembly away from the rear case.

    • Open the display to about a 90º angle, and lean it against something to keep it propped up while you're working on the phone.

    • Add a rubber band to keep the display securely in place while you work. This prevents undue strain on the display cables.

    When reinserting the screen, be sure to start from the top and insert the plastic tabs on the screen into the case before advancing the rest of the screen into place, finishing at the bottom. The screen will snap into place once lined up to complete the insertion.

    jeff -

    This is actually very important, I was having trouble getting the front panel to go on by starting at the top. I started from the bottom instead and the bottom ended up secure, but not the top. I then tried to take the front panel back off, but because the top portion was already loose the force required to pull off the bottom led to one of the ribbon cables at the top of phone breaking.

    jjensik11 -

    When reattaching the screen, please start from the top. BEFORE you try to push the bottom of the screen down and snap it in, use some pressure from the bottom edge to push the screen towards the top of the phone. I suggest that by the time you get to the middle of the phone (starting from the top), you do this. It will allow for getting the clips at the bottom by the sync cable clipped in and will sit nicely and allow for you to use overall pressure to make sure the whole screen is secured. I didn't do this and I damaged the seal on the right side of the phone and almost separated my screen from the digitizer trying to reseparate it to reattach the screen. Be very carefull to follow these steps I listed. If you do this while reattaching the screen, you'll have no problem.

    zhunterzz -

    I also agree with it being not necessary to remove the complete front panel. I just kept it attached and kept it at an angle as I pulled with gentle, continuous force (at a 45 degree angle as suggested) on the battery pull tab. It eventually came loose, I set the new battery in and everything works perfectly.

    Jen Robinson -

    That's the way I did it too. I put a piece of packing tape from the screen, over the top of the phone, and onto the back. That kept me from putting any pressure on the ribbon cable should the phone slip and the whole screen try to lift away from the backing.

    Ed Chapman -

    Be careful taking the front panel off. I tried to pull it very careful but it ripped. One of the cables was damaged but luckily, it was the cable that goes out with the old front panel. It also ripped 4.1 mm Phillips screw from step 13 and it jumped to the floor. I was lucky and recovered it from the floor.

    In the end everything was fine and phone works great. But remember to be super careful.

    drummerMarkku -

    BE VERY CAREFUL!! While trying to open the phone, I was must've tried a little too much and the screen came off in one shot, and it damaged the ribbon cables. Screen didn't turn on, and it cost 100$ to repair. BE VERY CAREFUL.

    Marc -

    Hello guys, I would like to first thank iFixit for these amazing repair guides they have always worked for me! Thank you!.

    When reassembling the phone make sure to put the screen from top to bottom, but be aware there are 2 small flaps on the top left side of the screen (you can notice them using another iphone as a flashlight) if you don't put these 2 flaps first then you are going to have a little space between the top part of the screen and the aluminum frame, at least this happened to me and then I inspected the screen using a flashlight and then I found these 2 tiny flaps behind the screen near the top left corner.

    I hope it helps!

    Cesar Valenzuela -

    Was it just me or did anyone else discover a ribbon cable (or something like it) on the bottom end of the phone (under the home button)? It kept me from opening the front panel more than 30 degrees or so, making the replacement impossible. Thoughts?

    Curt Jones -

    It looks like you might actually have an iPhone 5s, that is probably the Touch ID cable, check out the iPhone 5s Display Assembly replacement here!

    Sam Goldheart -

    Thank you, Sam!

    Curt Jones -

    What the heck only the top part of the lcd came off, NOT together with the shield plate. I used the stupid islack opener but only the very top layer came up. I don't see the battery or anything underneath because the shield plate is still in there. I can't even put it back closed and resuction it open because the shield plate is solidly stuck in and there is a cable at the top not settling properly. I have an open lcd top part of this phone. IDK man, PLEASE ADVISE.

    http://imgur.com/a/Qd8gp

    Gabrielle Rivera -

    Hi Gabrielle, sorry you're having trouble! This frame step was meant to show you how to avoid that issue, however, you should be able to use it to pry up the frame and shield plate. You'll need to carefully pry the frame itself up. Insert a thin prying tool between the black or white plastic display frame, and the metal phone case, to lift the frame assembly out of the phone body. If you continue to have trouble, try posting a question in our forum for faster feedback!

    Sam Goldheart -

    Hello, I've changed the earphone piece on my iPhone5 following this guide but I've skipped from step 9 directly to step 17 without problem, just shutting down first. Once opened I've tied the iPhone's body vertically to a small box with an elastic ring, the display assembly resting horizontal at some 90 degrees allows enough place to unscrew and replace the earpiece.

    Cesar Martin -

    So easy! My biggest problem is my eyesight. LOL! Had to wear glasses and use a magnifying glass. Battery took about 20 minutes. Re-installing the cover for the screen ribbons was the toughest for me. If you cant see...have someone hold the screen while you gently wrestle the screws, while holding the plate, back in.

    James Bridges -

    Worth adding to the main tutorial that the screen re-install must start from the top.

    donaldboscoe -

    I found the suction cup to be very effective in removing the front glass. Didn't take that much force to start to see the glass separate from the frame. It's a lot easier if you have a fingernail you can insert when you start to see the glass separate from the frame so that you can let go of the suction cup ring and grab a spudger to pry down one side and then the other.

    Eclectica -

    When reassembling, be sure to work from the top down to get the screen display in place. There are three hooks at the top that need to be seated otherwise they will bend and prevent the top from popping in flush.

    Wendy -

    Add a rubber band in the picture as mentioned, I couldn’t figure out how it should be positioned, also put in instructions that front panel does not have to be disconnected as I agrree with some of the other comments it is difficult to reattach the plate, although it may be a lot easier to pry the battery out without messing with the vertical top. Otherwise, great instructions, thanks Ifixit,new iPhone battery is wonderful. Bil - 1/16/2018

    William Doherty -

    The rubber band and soda can idea for holding the display in place at the proper position as depicted works great!

    Anthony Baldino -

    Thank you to everyone that has posted comments! It has benefited so many who came after you.

    hipplayer -

  10. iUKdGY1HZglUQ3hU
    • Remove the following two screws securing the metal battery connector bracket to the logic board:

    • One 1.8 mm Phillips screw

    • One 1.6 mm Phillips screw

    When reassembling, note the black jumper cable that runs next to the battery ribbon cable. Sometimes this jumper comes off its little groove and can make seating the battery ribbon cable tricky. The black jumper should travel up that little ramp and then curve to the right.

    DOMINIC INFERRERA -

    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 -

    What length are these screws?

    Alberto Anaya -

    You actually need a Phillips #0000 not #000.

    Dan -

    Same for me for the 1.8mm screw.

    Sam Ashken -

    Any risk if I put wrong screw?

    syidan -

    So without ph#0000, i'm screwed, right?

    Osjua Newton -

    I managed to remove all the internal screws with PH000 that came with the ifixit battery replacement kit

    Gavin -

    It helps if you have fine pointed forceps to remove the thin delicate plate after removing the screws. long pointed forceps also help in placing the screws into their holes when you're putting everything back together at the end.

    Eclectica -

    Be very careful with the screws. I almost lost one of the battery ones. No replacement screws in the kit. You can buy them on the web, but that takes time.

    Javier Buzzalino -

    I can’t remove these screws with the tools provided. I’m returning this. Useless.

    Dorian Tireli -

    ifixit should include replacement screws in the kit. i lost one and the plate is now held with one screw. Also the video leaves ALOT out. Plus no need to take cover off; you can replace battery easily without doing that step.

    josephine ottman -

    A 0000 Phillips screwdriver did seem to fit the screw heads better.

    Robert -

    I can also confirm that the Phillips 000 that came with the kit did not work on these. I used another screwdriver from a glasses repair kit and that worked great. Seems odd they would include a tool that is unable to remove the battery connector bracket. I would have been up a creek if I didn’t have the right tool already.

    Clay Withrow -

    The PH000 worked fine for me.

    Gale Benson, April 28, 2018

    Gale Benson -

    The screws have, indeed, Phillips 000 heads. The problem can be that the Phillips 000 driver BIT supplied with the repair kit is of INFERIOR QUALITY! I have extensive experience with Phillips head screws, and no amount of firm pressure and proper driver seating would loosen the screws. I found a micro-tool kit I had for repairing computers, grabbed the Phillips 000 bit, and it worked PERFECTLY! The instructions are pretty good, but the QUALITY of the tools supplied is a real PROBLEM.

    Vard Nelson -

    I had this iPhone 5 battery changed previously at the Apple Store Manchester Trafford on opening the front it was clear that the red screw was missing and only the other screw was in place…. presumably an apple store screw up.

    ipodista -

    I used the same driver for both screws and it worked perfectly.

    Anthony Baldino -

    There must be a quality control issue with production of the PH000 bits. This is the third battery I’ve ordered, and I needed another kit because my pentalobe bit was damaged and no longer working. Anyway, the PH000 bit that came with my new kit is significantly larger than the one that came with my original kit and will under no circumstances remove the 1.6 mm screw. I pulled out the old kit, used the smaller PH000 bit and had absolutely no problem removing the screw. That would explain why some people are having zero issue with the screw and others are unable to remove it.

    Charles Czuhajewski -

    I noticed the 1.8mm screw had a slightly larger diameter than the 1.6mm screw. This may help if you (or I) get it mixed up during reassembly.

    Shannon B -

  11. iyXRDyJMpOEEGSPT
    • Remove the metal battery connector bracket from the iPhone.

    When I did this strep the battery connector (step 12) came with it. There seemed to be a bit of adhesive but it wasn't hard to separate them after the fact.

    davidmeyers -

    Note the long, thin forceps in the photo. These aren't included in every vendor's tool set that ships with the replacement battery and I found it a necessary tool not only for removing this particular plate, but also for positioning the screws back into their holes when you're putting the thing back together. If your replacement kit doesn't include that tool, they're only a couple of bucks and you can get them at any computer geek shop like Micro Center.

    Eclectica -

    When removing the connector bracket note that there is a small square black barrier pad on the undersurface of the bracket at the lower screw location. I suspect this is to prevent the metal bracket from touching the material below it. So, ensure when reinstalling the bracket that you reinstall the pad also.

    Anthony Baldino -

  12. qXDDSRXHVRxTcv5P
    • Use a plastic opening tool to gently pry the battery connector up from its socket on the logic board.

    • Be careful not to dislodge the small surface-mounted components surrounding the socket.

    • Be very careful to only pry up on the battery connector itself and not the socket on the logic board. If you pry up on the logic board socket or the board itself, you may destroy the socket or damage nearby components on the board.

    Oh my God.

    When prying, make sure you do it from the TOP or far TOP RIGHT corner using ONLY a spudger, and NOT like it is shown here on the picture.

    There is a component next to the battery connector that is easily torn off the board if you're not careful. It's a common mistake made by somebody who have never done the repair before. This will make it so the phone looks like it's charging but only ever discharges. The component is the filter for the gas gauge line which is directly to the right of the battery connector and is extremely hard to see. They look like a tiny-tiny silver cylinders and you would need a microscope to actually be able to distinguish them.

    Hope this helps.

    Haytham Alexander -

    HEED THIS WARNING!!!! Not doing so failed my entire repair. When I looked with an eye loupe, I could see one of these components by the connector had been knocked loose after I removed the connector. Pry from the top ot the connector or top right corner only.

    Rob Miller -

    The replacement battery out of the ifixit box: The connector may not fit immediately to the contact on the logic board. I needed to bend the stiff (metal-like?) cable quite a bit to find a shape of the cable that allows the connector to fit to the contact.

    Salta SMR SAS -

    Ditto the comments by Salta. I compared the iFixit battery cable to the battery cable of the one I had removed and found that I needed to kind of crimp the cable a bit where it needs to fit between the battery and the connector. It's all quite stiff. Make sure the connector snaps into place!

    gobluethunder -

    Re-attaching the battery connector was tricky. Make sure you align the pins well. Otherwise you may bend them and that could be a big problem.

    Javier Buzzalino -

    Why do I need to take the battery out? I replaced battery a few weeks ago and it seemed no need to disconnect the screen as well.

    They seem recommending taking out connections more than necessary. Anyone let me know why leaving the battery there would make a problem for replacing the screen.

    kimgcp08 -

  13. l6XiGHn1DtwMvkHW
    • Remove the following screws securing the front panel assembly cable bracket to the logic board:

    • Two 1.2 mm Phillips screws

    • One 1.6 mm Phillips screw

    • This screw tends to not be attracted to a magnetized screwdriver. Take care not to lose it when removing, and make sure it gets back into the right place—a magnetized screw may interfere with the compass.

    Anyone have any idea why the 1.6mm screw is not magnetic? Just wondering why this screw seems to be made of aluminum, its the first screw of its kind as far as iphones go.

    crevz -

    The compass is right next to it.

    Tom Chai -

    I'd recommend if they made that clearer in the guide, luckily I put them back in right, its the one with the little bit of blue on it if i recall that isn't magnetic

    Matt -

    is it necessary to disconnect the front panel assembly cables fore removing the battery ?

    or can you leave it on wile replacing the battery ?

    aardappel -

    I just finished this process using the battery replacement kit from ifixit and it went easily. I did NOT remove the entire screen but rather just had someone hold it at less than a 90 degree angle until I got the battery out. I found it took a while to slowly pry the battery out. Take your time and alternate between gently using the plastic tool and pulling on the plastic pull tab that says "for authorized use only" or something like that. It was MUCH easier than disconnecting the entire screen for the process. Hope this helps.

    david -

    Rule #1 on electronics repair methodology: to prevent damage to the electronics, power should be the first thing to be removed and the last to be restored. I'd disconnect the battery before touching anything else, a slip of the screwdriver or a loose screw could cause a fatal short circuit.

    andrewcilia -

    It's no need to remove front panel to change battery. I just skip to Step 10 and successfully changed battery, and it works well. And THANKS TO ifixit.com, IT IS AWESOME!

    sorrowboy -

    I skipped steps 6-9. leaving the screen attached to the phone makes it that much easier and quicker to repair

    Frank -

    Mon téléphone a pris l'humidité et présente un fond d'écran d'aspect granuleux. Du coup l'éclairage n'est plus uniforme, nuisible pour une bonne lecture de l'écran.

    J'ai démonté l'écran, une pellicule grasse et collante entre le LCD et la plaque métallique. J'ai nettoyé à l'alcool. Tout remonter avec la crainte que le téléphone ne fonctionne plus.

    Le téléphone s'est rallumé, tout fonctionne normalement mais j'ai toujours ses traces sur le fond d'écran. Il faut le changer!

    Mes difficultés étaient de remettre les petites vis aimantés, difficiles à remettre!

    Merci à IFIXIT pour ce tutoriel très explicite.

    Patrick Rosa, june 23 2014

    pkrosa -

    So, of COURSE I dropped the screw that you are not supposed to lose. I was being careful, but as I did not want to lose track of it, I attempted to put it back ing the phone FIRST. Bad idea. This makes the plate kind of springy, and my screwdirver slipped, and the screw popped up, spun in the air, fell between my legs, bounced off my padded chair, and clattered around on the floor. I searched for an hour, and could not locate it. BE IT KNOWN, at least in MY CASE, the screw WAS INDEED attracted to my magnet (I keep a powerful round magnet stuck to the shaft of my drivers to provite the magnetism, far more powerful than a regular magnetic screwdriver. This being the case, I WAS able to provide a substitute fron a bag of iphone 4 screws, and my compass calibrated flawlessly upon power-up. YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY, but I thought I'd add my experience.

    stevesontheroad -

    Be warned, the 1.6mm screw is exceptionally easy to strip. I haven't been able to get it out yet (already tried rubber band trick and a few others) and am on the verge of giving up. The #00 screwdriver that comes with the set did not do a very good job of catching.

    joseparra947 -

    Were you ever able to get it out? Mine seemed stripped from the get go, rendering my attempt to troubleshoot my blank screen fruitless. Rubber band, glue, flat-head all did not work for me. Buying a soldering iron tomorrow to try that.

    randypalmerjr -

    I did the repair without disconnecting the screen. I skipped down to step 13 and carefully held the screen while removing the battery. Adds a small element difficulty, but helps prevent all the issues others are having when reconnecting the screen.

    CHRISMIYAMOTO -

    The non-magnetized screw was very difficult to install. This is how I ultimately succeeded:

    Install the two magnetized screws first. They are easy because the magnetized screws will stick to then end of the screwdriver. They will hold the cable bracket in place.

    Place the third, non-magnetized, screw on the center of the cable bracket. Take a toothpick and nudge the screw toward the screw hole. The threaded part of the screw (the shaft) has enough weight that it will fall into the hole, and the head of the screw will be pointed upward. You will then be able to use the screwdriver.

    alsmith1928 -

    Put a piece of tape on the table sticky side up. Set the screw on the tape head down. lift the tape and guide the screw in place. drive the head of your screw driver through the tape and tighten screw. lift off tape. throw away. :)

    rdgentry -

    The tape trick works well. Another way is to dip the screwdriver in alcohol (isopropanol, do NOT use water) and put the screw on its tip. It will be held there until the liquid is evaporated, which should be sufficient to put it in place.

    Kater_S -

    One of the screw is completely stuck and I cannot remove it! What can I do?

    stefanoclearmounth -

    When putting it back together, I replugged in all three of the ribbon cables and powered on the phone to test before putting everything back together. All was OK except for the Home button, it had no effect when pressed. I ended up unplugging and replugging the 3 ribbon cables a few times and retrying. I then cleaned the connectors using a can of compressed air, screwed the little silver cover back on and snapped the whole phone back together, hoping everything would be fine. It was. I don't know if the problem was a dirty connector, or if you need to close the phone to make the home button work again.

    I recommend wiping the plastic prying tool after lifting the screen off, it gets dirty from the gunk build up and some of that could eventually fall inside the phone.

    My battery was really stuck, so much that the plastic tab broke when pulling. I followed someones advice to heat the back of the phone with a hair dryer, still wasn't super easy but I managed to get the battery out, only deforming it slightly.

    grosstua -

    The contacts for the home button are on the phone base so the screen needs to be in place for the button to work..

    Liam Carson -

    Step 9-12 are totally unnecessary unless you need to replace a broken screen. All you need is to keep the front panel in a vertical position once the front is open. The battery can be removed without taken out the 3 connectors which by the way the screws are very very tiny and difficult to put back.

    rich1812 -

    I completely agree. These are unnecessary steps. Might be a little easier to pry the battery out with the display completely off, but not enough to make it worthwhile IMHO.

    davidmeyers -

    Is the 1.2mm a #000 or #0000? I have a small set and can't get one of these out. The instructions say a 1.2mm, the tools list shows #000, but my set says #000 = 1.5mm.

    Kevin -

    1.2 mm refers to the length of the screw (from head to end), the screw head size is compatible with a Phillips #000 driver. So as long as you have a #000 you should be set! Good luck =)

    Sam Goldheart -

    Invest in and use some colored Sharpie Pens... I color the tops of the screws orange and red etc. to match the colors of the circles in this guide. Then when I go to put them back in there's no doubt as to which screw is the correct size.

    Pete H -

    What an idea, lol.

    bigfnevil -

    frustrated...screws to battery holder is stripped, now what?

    Martin Gonzalez -

    Maybe a small amount of loctite. I noticed the P2 screws holding the display down had a small amount on my iPhone 5.

    Steve Heigh -

    Como se ha comentado más arriba, no es necesario desmontar la pantalla, yo he sustituido la batería aplicando calor con el iOpener y siguiendo atentamente la guía. Resultado óptimo.

    Cesar Martin -

    Yes, right! I, too, do not see the need to remove the LCD display at all; except, when one is replacing a broken display. The battery is ready for replacement once you had removed its bracket.

    valuesphilippines -

    I found that it wasn't at all necessary to remove the front glass. I did need to use a hair dryer to soften the glue holding the battery, but I simply laid the phone down on the face glass and blew the hot dryer on the back for a couple of minutes at almost point blank range. Then I simply held the phone open with one hand, making sure the front glass never went back more than about 80 degrees (no need to stretch it all the way to 90 degrees), and used my other hand to work the spudger around the battery, making sure not to touch any delicate electronics in the area. The top right corner gave away first and then I worked it down from there and the battery came out pretty easily. The trick is to use the hair dryer for a few minutes beyond the phone being too hot to hold in your hand! (you might need to use a towel to pick it up when you pry the battery out.)

    Eclectica -

    The battery of my 2012 iPhone 5 was working well but started to inflate pushing the front panel assembly out from the case. Replacing is faster and easier than on iPhone 5s. No need to remove the front panel completely, just holdig it at near 90º is enough but needed to warm the case to soften the battery glue. Thanks to iFixit for this guides and you guys for your comments.

    Cesar Martin -

    As other people already indicated, steps 13 to 16 are not needed and risky. I asked another person to hold the front panel at 70 degrees while changing the battery.

    Javier Buzzalino -

    I rushed in and did steps 13 to 16 without reading the warning. There were some unexpected events that happen. The short version of this story is my screen comes up with funny looking grey squares but phone is still usable. I don’t care as my main phone is an iPhone SE and I bought the battery as a learning exercise. Plus iOS 11 doesn’t install on an iPhone 5 so it’s days are numbered as a productivity tool.

    Long version. Dissemble was easy. I made sure I had used the phone so the battery was warmed up . First problem with reassembly is in step 13 the bottom most 1.2mm wasn’t biting and screwing in. So it looked like the top of the hole got threaded. Also a screw fell out of what I think is the loud speaker. That was unexpected. This iPhone 5 isn’t my original, it was a replacement phone that came in a white phone that the Apple Store gave me when my original phone from 2012 had 2 recalls on it. So I strongly suspect this is a factory refurbished phone and not 100% mint off the line.

    Ignatius Tse -

    I found I didn’t need to remove the front panel at all so I skipped this step 13 through step 16. These steps seem to add potential problems.

    Anthony Baldino -

    Incredibly helpful tips & comments. Very grateful, thanks!

    Jay -

  14. X3Ph4Rdtaw3RBH3Y
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    • Lift the display cable bracket toward the battery to unhook it, and remove it from the iPhone.

    • During reassembly, clip the left-hand hooks under the logic board and lower the bracket towards the outside of the phone.

    My iPhone 5 (1428) model don't has this bracket and replacing the earpiece don't fix my problem (don't hear anyone).

    plyhell -

    You might check that front camera flex cable.there can be a damage also where war speaker connects

    Vinayak Devadiya -

    Great Guide, Any idea what else could be wrong if Ive replaced the screen with a working 1 and the phone still has no display?

    Thanks for any insight in advance.

    Raistlin -

    When you reverse step 7, make sure you clip the little hooks of the bracket under and then lower towards the outside of the phone. If you don't, the phone won't snap back together properly.

    Dirk -

    I've misplaced this metal plate AND the three screws and two pentalobe screws. I think my wife threw out the ziplock I had them in. Any chance you can tell me where to get them? thx

    Don -

    Don't forget to clip this in flush, my phone couldn't get a cell signal when it was slightly out-of-place.

    julian -

    Remember to put this plate back such that it's sitting evenly. The side towards the battery some times tends to stick up a bit, this in turn will put pressure on the backplate of the screen. After putting everything back together, you see a small yellow smear just to the left of the battery % indicator, you have not put that plate on correctly. Open up the phone, remove that retention plate and put it back such that it sits properly!

    AGS -

    Opened my iPhone 5 etc. When reassembling, I notice the screen doesn't stay clipped into the back tray and is raised a couple of mils.

    There is also a new brighter spot on the screen. Any ideas anyone?

    Ian Campbell -

    I really wonder about the wisdom, and risk, of removing this upper plate in step 14 - unless I missed it, those three cables are NOT connected to the battery in anyway - and the chances for stuffing up said cables re-assembly are moderate to high! I can see that one would have to be careful taking that bracket and disconnecting those three cables ( I certainly was), but it looks to me like there's a case for just undoing the battery bracket & screws and carefully - very carefully - with great patience and some good spudgers, esp the black ones we use in desktop iMacs, - flat one end; pointy the other - plus the usual blue plastic ones and even a guitar pick - prying the battery out from its hideyhole! Much less stress regarding the upper bracket and the three cables while only a bit more stress over releasing the battery from its sticky grip! Anywho, I might have to stand corrected - but next time I'll go for this abreviated method. :)

    amicuset -

    please do not do this part....after you remove the bracket over the battery don't mess with the 3 cables at the top or remove its bracket. Just carefully remove the battery and insert the new one. the idea of using the rubber band helped a lot with the entire procedure and i did it in one very easily. thank you ifixit and most importantly the comments. Make sure to read all the comments before doing each step even when you r reassembling.

    Anderson Ashby -

    I confirm the previous post! It’s the third times I change the battery and I just realize this time that it’s completely useless to remove the front panel. You just have to be careful if it’s your first battery change because the original one is strongly sticked on the board. Don’t be brutal! Proceed slowly.

    I think that lots of problem may occur when you reassemble the front panel cables. So just don’t disconnect them !

    Ifixit is great. The comments are usefull too.

    jproubin -

    I also made the mistake of trying to remove the cable bracket. Once again I had to resort to another screwdriver since the included 000 in the battery kit did not work on these. But once I got the three screws removed I noticed the bracket’s top corner (near the top of the unit) was stuck even when I properly pulled the bracket back to unhook the lip from the logic board. I tried pulling it free every which way but nothing seemed to work so that’s when I checked the comments here and realized I shouldn’t have even bothered trying to remove it.

    Clay Withrow -

    Can I leave the bracket out? Does it have any shielding or antenna function? It’s hard enough to get the replacement screen in without it…

    Andi -

    I agree, it is not necessary to remove this cover or the cables underneath. nothing is covering the battery so just pry it out. I had the battery changed in less than 10 minutes.

    chriswood -

  15. qyrrmC3tPAKqsfDL
    qyrrmC3tPAKqsfDL
    g1qXXgcNiSkruVnO
    ZW43Q1f4ipOsacub
    • Make sure the battery is disconnected before you disconnect or reconnect the cables in this step.

    • Use a plastic opening tool or a fingernail to disconnect the three front panel assembly cables:

    • Front-facing camera and sensor cable

    • LCD cable

    • Digitizer cable

    • When reassembling your phone, the LCD cable may pop off the connector. This can cause white lines, or nothing at all to appear when powering your phone back on. If that happens, simply reconnect the cable and power cycle your phone. The best way to power cycle your phone is to disconnect and reconnect the battery.

    The part itfixit sent only has two cables: the digitizer and LCD are combined into a single cable. (And the guide is great! Thanks!)

    baileyswanson -

    After replacing the screen I was presented with a no image screen (but backlight was ok), so I refited the shartered one, same issue, no image, but backlight. thinking I might damage the pcb, I just did a power cycle (disconnecting the battery) and now it's fine.

    so... always powercycle :)

    poseido -

    Be very careful here, at this point the phone power is live! a slip of the connectors or a loose screw could let the magic smoke out of the chips (chips won't work without their magic smoke, you know :-)

    I'd disconnect the battery before messing with the connectors.

    andrewcilia -

    This is a troublesome step, since the LCD connector is particularly difficult to reconnect, and know that you've gotten it on. And thanks to the note claiming that if it's disconnected, if you might just get a black screen, you're left with having to disassemble the entire unit again, without knowing if it's powered off (since you presumably tried to power on). That's also nerve-wracking. I had this problem and disassembled and reassembled the entire phone, only to have the problem again. On the second try, I plugged the phone into power, and after a little bit, got the dead battery screen showing. So the problem was that the battery was discharged, not that I'd biffed the LCD connector.

    Adam Engst -

    A tip for knowing when your device is powered:
    Activate VoiceOver before you start. this can give you audio clues with the volume control.

    I did not do it on purpose, but it saved me, because I got the black screen.
    I also had to re-insert the display cable for like 3 to 4 times until it worked for me.

    (Note: Check if the display port cover is hinged on the battery side, otherwise there will be room for the connectors to come loose.)

    Eric Nöske -

    The hint to disconnect the battery was very useful for my successful repair. After rebooting the phone everything was working just fine. Thanks!

    Benjamin Richter -

    BE CAREFUL HERE.

    Take a good look at that camera loosely sitting there. It is possible that it will be slightly offset when shutting the assembly back into place. This causes it to not properly focus on closeups. If you don't move it around you will probably be okay.

    Also, look at the display assembly, it has three small locking tabs that can bend easily if not pushed in at the right angle into the iPhone frame. Be careful not to be too forceful. Good luck.

    info -

    I am having issues removing the white lines on my screen. I made sure to connect the digitiizer connector was seated all the way and I also power cycled my phone several times. Anyone else having this issue?

    eric51redding -

    If your lcd is properly fine then it can be a LCD Ic issue on pcb

    Vinayak Devadiya -

    When I was reassembling this the front facing camera cable was a bit longer than the previous one. I had to kink the ribbon cable a bit to get the connection to line up. Everything seems to be working but I wanted to note that the part might be slightly off spec.

    Aaron Martina -

    I am very satisfied with the replacement display assembly (including FaceTime camera and Home button) iFixit sent. It arrived a day early, fit perfectly, and has fixed the color banding, cracked screen, and scratched edges very well. In addition, the home button now has a much crisper "click" to it, more like the new MacBook's keys vs those of an older MacBook Pro.

    Nathan Jones -

    This step is not needed to remove the battery and complicates the process by having to reconnect the sensors.

    nicholaskan -

    if my lcd metal plate is scratched can i replace it to remove the lines or do i need a new lcd

    brittany stapleton -

    When I started the phone again, there was a grid pattern and touch was not working consistently. It turns out there were two separate problems. (1) We had over-handled the cables and a quick swab of alcohol helped remove the oil from the connections. (2) The first connection is really tricky to get right and comes undone easily during the final reassembly.

    Jeannie Crowley -

    I had this problem too (not the oil though). When I first restarted the phone, I had white crosses over the display, and the digitiser didn't work. The only way to shut down the phone was to hold the home key & power key for 8 seconds until the display went black. Reseating the LCD & Digitiser connectors, and power cycling by reconnecting the battery fixed the problem. Hope this info helps others.

    Tom Hannen -

    In the image you can see the camera has lifted out a bit. Mine did this too, because the old screen had levered it out. To push the camera back into position you need to insert a fine tool behind a small metal spring contact because it catches on the camera's casing otherwise. This little spring is to the left of the metal case, between the camera and ribbon.

    pauldevans -

    Great pics too. Pls confirm if the three photos in Step 15 only show removal of 2 of the 3 connectors mentioned in the instruction (and colored bullets). I could not tell which was the third one to remove in the three photos. Thanks!

    gandarlmg -

    So I keep getting the "white lines on the LCD" bit with no resolution. I've tried reconnecting the connector like 6 times and power cycling and I get the exact same thing every time? Is it possible that the replacement screen has an issue?

    Jared Spencer -

    May I ask what the 4th little connector is that comes from under your battery and connects to the board mine came undone during repair and won't go back in

    Cameron -

    Watch the soft pad between the rear camera enclosing and the top side of the frame, especially when reassembling. After replacing the battery, my camera pictures gradually showed lots of dust spots. I opened the device again and discovered that the pad had been displaced. However, I am not fully sure if that is the reason for the spots.

    Kater_S -

    On reinstall, I can't get the connectors to line up and the replacement screen has 3 connectors where as my busted screen had only 2. The cables on the replacement screen are too short? Is that even possible?

    maryann miller -

    I’d say removing the screen is BS. I realized that I didn’t have to remove my screen cable as I was able to flip the screen vertically while I take the battery out. Removing the screen cables causes more problems- you may end up with white squares on the top of the screen which seem to expand over time. Also it is very easy to bend little metal legs on the socket when prying the connector.

    kimgcp08 -

    totally agree, no need to remove the screen. It means you will have to do everything with only one hand (the other one is holding the screen), but you skip so many steps that overall it’s well worth it.

    Metafisco Parapensante -

    It is very important to make sure the cables are fully seated. When I finish assembling the phone I too had a vertical white stripe on the display. I disassembled the phone and reconnected the cables very carefully, and also made sure the shield was properly seated. When I turned the phone back on I found a very faint white line, but after doing a power cycle it disappeared to my great relief. Also, I would definitely recommend removing the display because it’s so hard to get the battery out you don’t need the extra risk of damaging the display.

    Bill Roughen -

    After replacing a friend’s iPhone 5’s rear camera and reassembling their phone the screen displays verticle black lines on the right side now like this: http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i393...

    Anyone else have this problem? I didn’t think about cleaning the display connectors with alcohol at the time.

    Ken Shimabukuro -

    Also, when the battery was too low and before the display produced vertical lines the display showed half of a low battery symbol:

    http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i393...

    Like the right side of the display was blank.

    Ken Shimabukuro -

    On reinstalling the front panel assembly, I had a difficult time lining up the digitizer cable. After struggling with it for a while, I noticed that the plastic shoulders of the small mounting bracket at the ends of the pins had become rounded over. After cleaning these up with a razor blade, everything slid together perfectly. Thanks so much for these guides and all the helpful comments!

    Dave Martin -

    I have done all these operations 6 times to get back a good displaying. The last was the last: nothing on the screen now. It is now black, no sound, no vibration, BUT the iPhone show up in iTunes O.O

    iTunes asked me to update the iOS to 10.3.3 but it’s already done. I clicked OK but nothing more. Still black and quiet.

    The new battery is 100% charged.

    What is my problem, please help :-(

    franck.bremeault -

    I found the part who was deffective: the connector of the screen has broken due to too much movements. :-( Screen is perfect and clean but dead.

    franck.bremeault -

  16. kntTmSteECxqglDO
    • Remove the front panel assembly from the rear case.

    My display was not turning on and my home button was not working (I verified this by trying to activate siri which didn't work). When I replaced the display assembly everything works except for the home button. Since this assembly comes with the button and the ribbon cable, I'm not sure what else can be wrong. I checked the contacts on the phone and I see the little copper 'pins' sticking out. I can't tell if they are making contact since the display has to be closed, but it appears they are lined up correctly. Does anyone have any suggestions or ways to test the contact pins? Could the home button on my replacement be defective? I've already emailed support, but just curious if anyone has any suggestions I could try while waiting to hear back from them. Thanks! By the way, SUPER grateful the rest of the display works. I can now back up my phone and can probably deal with a broken home button if I need to. Woohoo!

    jhagerman -

    I'm having issues where the screen jumps around when you get a finger near it. I'm reading it might be grounding but no idea where any tape could be applied. Replaced the screen twice thinking it was a bad part. Now, I just don't know.

    Ana Van Meter -

    My front camera does not work. I took apart and ensured the connection several, several , several times.... no front camera... anyone else have this issue?

    Patricia Young -

    Try replacing the camera and flex assembly.

    Greg M -

    No info on removing the home button?

    T S -

  17. 2BjYAgvFjDqrVQ6m
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    • Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the antenna cable from the logic board.

  18. b6SDZmyZfCNTZ3VV
    • Remove the following screws securing the speaker enclosure to the rear case:

    • One 2.5 mm Phillips screw

    • One 1.5 mm Phillips screw

    • One 2.5 mm Phillips screw

    • One 2.7 mm standoff screw

    • 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.

    It is not necessary to remove the standoff screw (green).

    Brian Richins -

    That is true. However, during some of the iterations, we found that at least loosening the standoff screw makes it easier to slide the speaker out of its position.

    Arthur Shi -

    what is the function of yellow circle 2.5 mm Phillips screw function?, i torn it by mistakes

    Warren Rumondor -

  19. clFyFQDxCpjcdZdd
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    • Slide the point of a spudger underneath the spring contact flex cable below the battery and gently loosen it from the speaker enclosure.

    This cable is attached with an adhesive patch, and required a bit more force than I expected. It is part of the replacement piece, so don’t worry much about damaging it.

    Brian Richins -

    What is the function of this component?

    Salar Sheriff -

  20. 2C4GQThDGutVYiXm
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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry up and loosen the speaker enclosure from the rear case.

    • Pull the speaker enclosure out of its recess.

    • During reinstallation, be sure to slide the speaker enclosure underneath this metal washer.

    The washer mentioned is part of a cable that wraps around the mic jack, which has to be moved from the original part. The other end is held by the red screw in step 22; when reassembling, just put this end back on top of the speaker assembly after it's back in place.

    Brian Richins -

    2nd reinstall note - make sure the antenna cable (step 17) is routed through the provided slot (back side of speaker assembly). Got mine trapped underneath the first time, looked fine until later in the process.

    Brian Richins -

  21. CDAWM1NZgPcy1DLd
    • Remove the small double-sided metal washer on the speaker enclosure and transfer it to the replacement part.

    Can’t tell from the picture, but this washer is double sided, like an ‘8’ folded in half.

    Brian Richins -

    Thanks for the point. I’ve updated the wording to clarify that.

    Arthur Shi -

    what are this flexible use for? is it ok when i accidentaly torn it?

    Warren Rumondor -

    If I remember correctly that may be the Wi-Fi diversity antenna. Your Wi-Fi reception may be impacted.

    Arthur Shi -

  22. hBWpLrLkcbIMtlkw
    • Remove the following screws securing the Lightning connector assembly to the rear case:

    • One 2.9 mm Phillips screw

    • During re-installation, make sure that the headphone jack's plastic protrusion lies above the metal washer.

    • One 1.5 mm Phillips screw

    • Two 3.3 mm Phillips screws

    also detach the flexible cable that is glued around the audio jack connector (not included in new replacement part)

    rfarfan -

    Hey guys, i followed your instuctions and at first everything seemed to work fine but now i noticed that my headphones are not working properly anymore. Sound is still there but the quality is really really bad, do you guys know where the mistake could be so i can redo/repair it? Thanks in advance!

    Haenger08 -

    Hi, my headphone jack is also not working properly. When I play music only the right earplug is playing the sound. The microphone and the remote is working fine as well but the left is playing no sound. Does anyone know a solution? Thanks!

    michael -

    I have a similar situation to Michael, in that my left-channel headphone no longer works at all. All other functionality with the headphone jack seems OK. Any suggestions for how to fix, or what might be broken would be appreciated!

    dougcleonard -

    Same problem here. After replacing this part, the left channel is not working anymore. Everything else is fine. Did you have to get another replacement to fix?

    hkif -

    My mic was garbled. This worked - 2nd try. When I originally removed the mic from the black rubber grommet I hadn’t noticed well enough how they were put together in the first place. The microphone "board" has one side with a metal colored component on it. I assumed this was the "business side" and pointed this side to the outside; I was wrong. Notice other side of this "board" is black plastic with an EXTREMELY TINY HOLE in it. On 2nd try, I pointed this side the outside world instead. The boot also has a tiny hole in one side of it too and should point outside. Insert the microphone in the side slit of the grommet (hard to see) with the hole of the mic board facing the hole of the grommet. There is also a small piece of flat black plastic sandwiched between the microphone/grommet and the exit holes in the iPhone case. It came loose on my 2nd try. Notice a clear window in this piece (it doesn't block the sound). I have the holes of the grommet/mic pointing through that window to the outside.

    Brian Lewis -

    Note that the cable end held by the red screw goes *under* the plastic ear of the mic jack. When reassembling, this needs to happen around step 26/27.

    Brian Richins -

    I was able to fix this when I noticed it at step 18 (the unnamed cable was protruding), by removing the screw at the other end of the cable, which also holds the mic port. This let me wiggle the mic port enough to slide this end underneath without backtracking.

    Brian Richins -

    That’s a great tip! I’ve incorporated it into the guide.

    Arthur Shi -

  23. EEYAW5h4i3sNBj2n
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    • Use the opening tool to pry up and disconnect the Lightning connector cable connector from its socket on the logic board.

    Does anyone know what the thing left on the headphone jack is? The guide doesn't mention removing it and putting it on the new cable.

    spacec0w -

    I'm guessing it has something to do with using the volume/play-pause button on headphones. Since replacing mine this function no longer works. Considering going back into add this on.

    Chad Phillips -

    It's for cellular signal. the connector/headphone flex cable is also the primary antenna for the phone.

    Tom Chai -

    This step completely ignores the microphone rubber boot (the black thing left of the headphone jack) Without it the microphone will not work right, it will still get your voice but it won't be as clear as before.

    The original mic has a bit of glue holding it into the boot, the replacement part does not have any double-sided tape there so it's tricky to keep it in place when mounting the assembly back. I'd not advice trying to glue it down, if you get any glue on the mic port (the small hole on the bottom) you are toast.

    I have a problem with this instructions not showing the re-assembly of the phone. There are specific sequences and cable routings that must be done right. For example, don't do step 31 until after 28 to prevent damage to the flex cable.

    Also, to prevent damage to the phone electronics the battery should be the first connector to get disconnected and the last one to be put back. There also no mention of ESD prevention or control, a $5 wrist strap could save you from blowing up your $700 phone.

    andrewcilia -

    The removal of the rubber boot IS mentioned in step 31!

    ozarkana -

    In vernal the guide is good but I also couldn't believe there were no steps for reassembly. AlsoI have noticed several comments that contradicted what was in the guide. I think they have updated the guide. I would hope.

    Joe Wasser -

    After re-assembly of the phone you need to do a full power reboot, hold down both buttons for about 30 seconds until the apple logo comes up. This is specially true if you follow the instructions and reconnect the battery before the display. The chips on the display won't get initialized if the display is not connected when the battery is plugged in.

    andrewcilia -

    Okay, I replaced the Lightning dock, and it wasn't easy, but if you go slow and start with the headphone jack and the microphone first, then work your way to the Lightning dock, making SURE it's properly seated! then on to the speaker and power cables, it's not too bad. I did have a problem with the case closing properly. I think it was the Lightning dock or headphone jack that wasn't completely seated down. I readjusted it and tightened the screws but the LCD assembly was still not quite seated properly.

    When I powered it up I got a message saying the USB device was drawing too much power and to disconnect it! I think the logic board is fried. Anybody have ideas on this? I plan to return it under my 30 day warranty if I can't get it working.

    ozarkana -

    Okay, I completed the guide and replaced the part successfully. I skipped those steps to remove the battery and board, no need to do this, and skip those to the last 7-8 steps...and you will find out that the additional work to remove battery is completely unnecessary.

    jayshen -

    After reassembling this, my lightning connector doesnt work. I was replacing this piece because the headphone port wasnt working properly. I think I may have left something unplugged but cant seem to find anything. Where should I look in regards to that port because other that the phone worked great until it ran out of juice.

    Conner Gallagher -

    Replaced mine, Mic no longer works. Not sure what to do - tried to put my original back in and the mic doesn't work on that either and it did work before. I suspect I am doing something wrong. I attempted to make sure that the ground is put on correctly around the mic jack but still no microphone...

    michael -

    i am having the same issue with the mic. it seems like i did everything by the book but the mic still not working?!! i checked 2 times but can't figure it out. please help!

    Tal Alon -

    Hi did you manage to fix the issue?

    NuNu -

    I repaired the lighting once everything has turned mobile mounted correctly, but after a few minutes restarted. In rebooted itself and I thought it would be normal, but then I have not seen that. Because it has become more obvious in the beginning left a vertical Rall before restart. The mobile restarts but leaves the apple logo and returns to where it was. I noticed that the battery is very hot and I decided to disconnect it and turn it off to prevent damage. I reopened the mobile but everything seems to be fine, in fact I have placed the lighting previous to leave it as it was but again do the same. I am very worried because I do not know how I can fix and if you are so I repaired it because I have no money to take it to the Apple Server ...: s

    Jaume -

    I ripped the grounding cable from the edge of the headphone jack. My microphone now sounds muffled on calls. Any idea if the two could be related?

    Thanks!

    Rodrigo Cabrera -

    I was able to replace my lightning connector. The last few steps are quite tricky, and the guide could certain use additional photos or steps for reassembly. You have to work very slowly - take pictures of the pieces before you disassemble the speaker/lighting unit, so that you can see how everything is put together - especially the tiny metal washers for the lightning screws, the microphone boot, the audio out liner - parts that have to be removed from your previous unit and transferred to the replacement unit, which for some reason doesn't include them.

    I also had to go out and buy another flathead screwdriver to get the standoff screws out - it should be at least 2.5mm wide, and I think around .24mm thick in order to fit. Total repair time over 1.5 hours. Also, when putting the logic board back in, be sure that the middle or top connector (of the 3 at the top) isn't stuck underneath the board before you screw everything back in.

    Jan -

    There is a plastic rubber around the Microphone, make sure that you un-mount and mount this proper on the new part, in case it's not there. If the microphone rubber is wrongly placed, the mic works aweful. I had to open my phone twice to fix that.

    Christian -

    Headphone gasket? I guess I lost that. A picture of the items we need to be careful with would be helpful.

    Joe Wasser -

    What is the plastic gasket between the headphone connector and the outer shell?? After replace the antenna coupling cable the signal of my phone is too poor..

    ilios boselli -

    My screen cracked as I was putting it back on. I was careful (I have opened up iphones twice before), and I thought I was doing it properly. I started at the top end, and pushed both sides down evenly, working my way to the bottom. It seated itself properly, and then suddenly, a vertical crack appeared, from the home button, going straight up. And the Home Button no longer works.

    I’m on the fence about opening it all up again to replace the glass. I may take it to a repair place this time. I found this repair to be more than “moderately difficult”… it was a bit more than that. I started at dinnertime, and finished at 3 AM.

    thingsbuilt -

  24. JloQcLgEatwj4gvu
    • Flip the phone face up, heat an iOpener, and apply it to the right edge of the phone for a minute.

  25. iwegFdJNcMdr22Zp
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    • Slide an opening pick underneath the Lightning connector flex cable to loosen it from the logic board and the rear case.

  26. nlgpmpbFkMYkS4VB
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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to loosen the rest of the Lightning connector assembly from the rear case.

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    • Angle the Lightning connector assembly and pull it out of its recess.

    • Remove the four metal washers and set them aside for reassembly.

    • Before reassembly, use the opening tool or the flat end of a spudger to remove all adhesive residue from the rear case. You can use high-concentration isopropyl alcohol to help with the stubborn spots.

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    • Use tweezers to gently pull and remove the rubber microphone sleeve off of the microphone. Transfer the sleeve onto the replacement part.

Conclusion

Compare your new replacement part to the original part. You may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before installing.

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

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

Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our iPhone 5 Answers community for troubleshooting help.

Arthur Shi

Member since: 03/01/18

248646 Reputation

67 comments

Just a quick note that if you're doing this teardown because your iPhone 5 isn't charging unless you apply some force to the Lightning cable, the problem may simply be some lint or other crud in the Lightning port. Blow some compressed air in there before you disassemble your iPhone and see if it solves the problem - it did for me.

Adam Engst -

ifixed my i5 by cleaning the port too (was just about to buy the kit!). I found a paper clip done the job perfectly.

Cheers, Adam Engst.

Abdul Ali -

Also found dirt was the only fault with a number of 5's.

Gary -

Well I bought the replacement first and then realized about the dirt. I removed the dirt and it is now working again. I guess after 2 years the thing accumulates quite a bit of dust.

esleep -

THANK YOU for your comment, Adam, and the others that took the time to confirm it worked for them. Thankfully I read it before attempting this repair on my iPhone 5S. It took only 10 seconds with a very skinny (<1 mm) screwdriver, scraping the deep edge of the port, and I pulled out a wad of pocket lint that was about the size of a pea when uncompressed. A paperclip would have done the job. Charger works perfectly now.

Erin S -

Thanks, Adam! I was dreading the thought of pulling my battery again, and risking bending it again and thus rendering it useless again. One pushpin and a minute later, and I had a big (pea sized, as mentioned) wad of lint. Plugged my phone back in and got instant gratification. Cheers!

michaelcurtiss99 -

Thanks!

I couldn't believe how much lint came out of such a small port. I used a toothpick so I wouldn't damage anything important. Saved me time and money.

matanvatkin -

Dude. Duuuuuuuude. You are a life saver, Adam! Thank you so much for mentioning this. I used a pushpin (like one of the previous commenters) because the crud was so packed in there, I needed to use the sharp (but not too sharp) tip to carve into it and dig it out.

Now it works perfectly!

I was dreading complete disassembly of the phone. But yeah, I've never done this since I got the phone, like 3 years ago.

Thanks again!!!

Kyle Sankowicz -

Dude you truly are a God amongst men

A Metazoan -

Thanks a lot, Adam Engst! It works well now!

San Chong -

It would help if the demonstrator actually had to open the phone and not rely on a pre-opened one. It can be quite tricky to lift the screen on an iPhone 5 and that video does not do it justice.

Steven -

I replaced the lightning dock...twice. The mic still does not work any help?

Matteo Aroffu -

Terrible video doesn't show all the necessary steps! Ordered the lightning connector and the tools that were necessary for this repair, the screwdriver didn't fit any of the screws, the plastic opening tool was of terrible quality and was useless. Now i'm trashing my iphone and buying a new one. Should have done it right away rather than spending money on this !@#$.

aleksanderta -

I agree, you should have left the repair work to someone else or bought a replacement.

Gary -

Sounds like you didnt have a clue to what your doing. Yea this is DIY but actually understand what your reading before trashing the guide. Its idiot proof if you read it.

ctaylor3737 -

@Adam Engst:

Thank you very much for your advice! The iphone of my son didn't charge. The lightning-plug didn't fit anymore. He tried to clean the adapter just by blowing very hard on the connector. This didn't work. So we ordered a new adapter and tools. But after reading your note I just took a very small and thin screwdriver and scratched the bottom of the adapter which brought a big amount of fluff and fuzz back to daylight.

Everything is fine again. So your tip prevented us from some serious distress. Thanks again.

Jens Hahn -

After changing the connector the mic won't work anymore... :(

hotgsx -

Just finished an unsuccessful job following these instructions to a tee. Guess what, IDidntFixIt! I bought the 54 piece kit (by the way the small blue spudger broke off trying to pry the touchscreen) All this is garbage! Just go out and buy a new phone.

chriss1563 -

Anyone having problems with the voice mic after replacing this part... Make sure the plastic corner of the speaker assembly is BENEATH the edge of the grounding cable otherwise the mic will not work and also the case will not fit 100 correctly.

Andy -

You sir, just saved me a replacement part and another tear down. Thank you very very much.

The small right angled grounding piece shown in the final step needs to be tucked under the speaker assembly at the end in the corner. The other end needs to be on top of the speaker assembly plastic.

This is the pic where you can see it best.

http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi...

Jamie -

No problems mate, took me a while and a lot of frustration to figure it out, so I'm very pleased I could help. :)

Andy -

I am also having issues with my mic not working during calls following the lightning connector replacement. It looks to me like my grounding cable is put back in correctly as well. The round side of it in the corner is under the plastic part of the headphone jack and square end of the grounding cable is on top at the other end. I have replaced the dock twice now as i thought the mic was defective on my original replacement part but that doesn't seem to be the case since the 2nd mic didn't work either. Any thoughts?

Ryan -

As several people have already pointed out, removing the battery and the logic board is a complete waste of time and greatly increase the risk of damaging the phone!

Guides that you can find elsewhere show how to do this (correctly?) in 5 minutes.I will definitely make sure to read the comments before following ifixit guides in the future.

kristianottosen -

Wish I'd read these comments before doing the guide, first, because I just found lint in my discarded oem part, and then also because since they labelled it as "moderate" in difficulty, I allowed for a hour and it took me three because of the unnecessary removal of the LB. Ifixit still rocks, though.

stevesontheroad -

I Agree!! Completed successfully without removing logic board or battery.

Dave Smith -

My iphone 5 has no response when plugging in the lightning cable (screen is black). Is there a way to determine if the battery or the lightning port is the problem?

Todd Stong -

It's probably the port. My daughter dropped her 5c, which was just enough of a shock to momentarily disconnect the battery and cause micro shorts at the battery connector (this is what the Geniuses told me after looking at the logic board with great magnification). This being the case, the phone would make the charging sound and the apple would come up but disappear when the cable was removed. Power to the unit, but not the battery.

stevesontheroad -

Hello, I replaced my dock with a new one, and now my wireless only works next to the router, does anyone know the probable cause, I have heard its the washers (the metal washers fell out when i took it apart, and I put them back but possibly in the wrong place) other then that does anyone else know why this could happen?

adam Humphrey -

you probably didn't reconnect the wifi antenna connector very well if at all. It is pretty tricky to get it right.

stevesontheroad -

Hi! I changed lightning connector port and now my iphone 5 does not find service! Can anyone help me plz!

samulikoponen -

Hi! I changed lighting cable port and now my iphone 5 cant regonize my sim card and dont find service! Can anyone help plz?!

samulikoponen -

Everything worked great! Except the fact that all I had to do was clean out the dock connector of dust. Wish I knew that BEFORE I took everything apart. It's ok, I put the original dock connector back in and it works great! The standoff screws were a bit of a challenge. The guide says that the 2.5mm flat head is the best to use but I had a lot of trouble getting them out and putting them back in. Other than that it all went very smooth. Thank you, ifixit!

rwpaine -

This part will also fix a broken home button if the little copper contacts have been ripped off by a co worker that messed with your broken down phone after you told him not to

Athena Strong -

I personally feel that this guide should not be tagged as being of "moderate" difficulty. I am no shrinking violet, and I have completed dozens of the guides here at ifixit (haven't clicked the "success" button on very many, tho) and I would call this one "Difficult" at the very least. First off, my time is valuable, and I allowed for about an hour to complete this moderately difficult repair, and instead it took me three. Secondly, I would not want an inexperienced noob to think that this was a good place to start fiddling with their iphone. If you haven't say, replaced the volume buttons or headphone cable on a 4 or 4s, when you get to this lightning connector, you could EASILY destroy your replacement connector without that experience, and then that unfortunate ifixer is hosed without a phone for days until a replacement can be ordered and delivered. Third, I honestly do not think that calling a complete and total strip and disassemble of a 5 simply "moderately difficult" is accurate. My 2 cents.

stevesontheroad -

If you're contemplating replacing the lightning connector and headphone jack because 3.5mm jacks won't click tight in the headphone jack and make electrical connection, you may have lint packed tight in the bottom of the jack cavity. I fixed my jack by turning off my phone, inserting a ~1mm drill bit all way into jack hole and GENTLY twirling with my fingers, alternating with tapping phone on table to knock loosened lint out of it. Saved me 35 steps of risky phone surgery!

Spencer Adams -

I've changed it due to problems with home button not working. Everyting else is working on it. After some reading around there are some issues with home and powerbutton due to prying, but powerbutton is working. The homebutton just doesnt work and i have tried with 2 different "screens with homebuttons" just to be sure. And i've tried to "shorten" thoose to pins that the homebutton connects to when cloosing the "lid". But homebutton just doesnt work... Anybody got a tip out there ???

thomas -

Take your time and work slowly - fixed my charging problem (which wouldn't respond to cleaning). I'd say moderate to difficult, but the guide works fine.

aerjr -

I replaced the lighting connector but now the iPhone is not booting up, no response, I replaced the battery also but no luck, may be have damage some thing , any one help.

veerupra -

Did you figure this problem out? I'm having this issue!

John hogan -

I completed the repair easily enough.

Prior to the repair i was having a mic problem. I can say with satisisfaction that that now works fine.

However. I have introduced a new problem whereby when receiving a call I can no longer hear anybody.

Clicking volume up and down shows the headphones symbol.

That said I do not have headphones connected.

Any ideas on how to get around this one??

Dean -

I've replaced the connector, and I've encountered several problems. First off, my phone keeps blue screening randomly AFTER booting up,then restarting. Second of all, the speaker doesn't work. Third, it can not connect to my computer in order to link up with iTunes. Finally, it doesn't update the battery percentage. Could anyone please help? I've literally had this phone for little over 5 months, and I really want to get it fixed. Thanks!

nihilbhi -

This guide is very helpful to someone who is handy and has some skills. Beginners, just go buy a new one. My only tip is to stay organized with your screws as to not mix them up and this is pretty much idiot-proof.

joesharpe -

I always love the iFixit guides, this is another good one.

I agree with those who wrote that this guide is a bit overkill to just change the connector, though. There are videos on YouTube that - although nowhere as good as the iFixit ones in terms of video/composition quality - show you how to remove the connector in few, easy steps without removing the logic board or the battery. Much easier, IMHO.

The rubber casing around the microphone, the grounding cable from the edge of the headphone jack and the the plastic gasket between the headphone connector and the outer shell. Those three elements are all correctly mentioned in the guide, but not in the Video.

Finally: the hint about removing the dust/lint from the connector is priceless: it didn't work for me, but I can see how it helped may others... it should be put at the beginning of the video... I know it might take away some $$$ from iFixit, but it would help a lot of people and at the end build more trust and more loyal customers for the future.

corradotoxiri -

I just did this last night, it was a pretty difficult repair. One of the hardest parts was getting the little rubber casing off of the old microphone and onto the new one, as noted in Step 34. Fortunately everything worked perfectly when reassembled, except that I STILL have problems with it not charging! The issue is the same no matter what cable or power source I use, even with a brand new lightning connector. What other reasons would this be happening?

JasonM -

This guide was great! I was worried that there would not be enough detail to allow a successful reassembly, but it worked perfectly. Thanks again.

rbourque -

Have just replaced the Lightning Connector and Headphone Jack Replacement as my phone would no longer charge even after cleaning out the hole. I didn't need to remove the logic board or the battery. Worked perfectly following the instructions. I was worried about separating the speaker assembly away from the Lightning connector ribbon cable, step 34 and the grounding cable, step 35, but actually very easy. Make sure you identify which screw is which!

Everything worked fine, I reassembled everything and all worked perfectly first time. Very happy.

alexgreggsmith -

Is the replacement part the same for the iPhone 5 as it is for the iPhone 5c ?

Jeff -

I did this pretty easily. But following these instructions had you take out a lot more than needed. I found another video that just pulled out the speaker and the assembly and it worked great. Also be aware that there are stickers on the part and you have to mount the little microphone holder. But all in all not super difficult.

rpputt -

I have a problem with Iphone 5, I noticed that when I flicked the silent button it was showing me "headphones" on the screen and the same when I flicked it back, so assuming there was an issue with the jack I first cleaned it with cotton bud and isopropyl , Nothing changed, I then replaced the headphone jack/charging port flex twice and still no change, so any pointers would be a great help as I am now at a loss of what it could be apart from a board issue.

colin -

Flawless instructions. Just take your time…I actually printed out pages here showing screw locations, laid them on the desk, and put each screw ON the printout where it belongs so that they would not get mixed up! Had to back up a couple of times on reassembly and remove the logic board twice - once because the tab extending from the speaker wasn't BELOW the screw stub and blocked the bottom of the logic board from seating properly, and the other because the button connector wasn't ABOVE the logic board before seating it. But sometimes you have to go backwards to go forwards and…at the LAST moment I lost one little foam insulator over the data cable, so I put some plastic tape on the rear of the battery cable bracket just to prevent it shorting to the antenna connector…so a couple of those foam bits in the kit would be nice. ALSO, please instruct to remove blue plastic adhesive protectors on replacement part - it was obvious to me but might not be obvious to all. Otherwise, thank you and Huzzah!

dd -

I did it! Thanks for the guide step by step. I've only a question, the grounding cable from the edge of the headphone jack what exactly do? Thank you again.

Alessandro -

Just to remove the Lightning connector assembly, it is very not worth the effort going thought a field strip of the whole thing as it can cause damage!

the Video should concentrate at the problem in hand.

Removing the assembly at the top and the logic board may cause further untold damages!

christopher Ng -

You can skip steps: 13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,22,23,24,25,29,30,31,32,33. Is not necessary too remove, screen, mother boar o battery. Starting at 34 step is enough just be carefull with a litle (plastic thing) under de mother board (step 36 photo 2) it's a bit triky to remove but you save a lot of time, you can hold the sreen with a rubber and a can (look iphone 5s teardown) It's not easy job, just do it if you don't mind to broke the phone. I did it with success with my wife's iphone that she didn't use it anymore.

andres -

This guide makes things more difficult than they should be. After step removing screen forget messing with battery or removing MB, just loose or remove the lowest MB screw post and next few upward screws(closest to the bottom speaker) so the small tab of the speaker can come out from under MB, once you remove other screws holding speaker in place (start by taking out speaker from the bottom first GENTLY while pulling downward at the same time).

After speaker is out you can start taking out rest of the screws holding charging port/headphone/bottom mic cable. Pay attention to position of metal clips and brackets under screws their position matters (take nice pic beforehand so you can reference from it). After screws are out take some care removing cable and installing new one.

Always take care working with antistatic protection though especially in dry environment and pay attention to how flimsy some of the cables are so be GENTLE and take care not making sudden movements;) (had to do this to fix bottom mic)

aleksandr82 -

i did the repairs and the screen is still black? help?

tcmcgonigal -

If the phone seems like it is getting power but the screen isn't illuminating make sure all of the cable connectors in step 15 are connected properly. If these all seem connected, check the connectors themselves to ensure they weren't damaged at all. If this all seems to be okay or the phone isn't powering up at all, check the battery connector in step 12. Let us know if this helps get you up and running!

Scott Havard -

I have followed the guide from Point A to Z and I am glad to say the replacement worked as expected. I had few difficulties with placing the reverse Step 28. It just would not “click” nicely. And if your home button does not work check the ground connector on the replacement, mine got accidentally removed from original position, after putting it back, all works as expected. My 5 year old phone lives on. Thanks

Maros Kukan -

Tried this to replace my broken headphone socket. Unfortunately it didn’t work and now I’ve lost my speaker and home button . Don’t think I’ll be opening a repair shop anytime soon.

Mark van Bavel -

Worked great for me, thanks! My phone was no longer charging, and unfortunately it wasn’t just a dirty Lightning connector for me - there was a burned pin on the connector which necessitated the replacement. The only (minor) trouble I had was that upon reassembly I discovered that I routed the cellular antenna cable under the speaker - between the speaker and the back of the phone. This necessitated taking some steps backward (remove logic board again after reassembling it) to free the cable, but once done it was smooth sailing after that. I’ve since upgraded to a newer iPhone and my iPhone 5 is no longer connected to cellular service, so I cannot test cellular connection; but everything else that I’ve tested (display, digitizer, home button, headphone jack, speaker, microphone, front and back cameras, and lightning connector) all work as they should. Very satisfied!

Fanboy -

Although there were a couple moments of terror, I was able to complete the replacement of the Lightning Connector and Headphone Jack successfully.

The items that scared me the most were:

Step 37 “Gently peel the speaker assembly away from the Lightning connector ribbon cable.” On initial inspection, I could not see how these two very tenuously connected pieces could be peeled from each other. After a few tentative tugs, I finally pulled them apart successfully.

Step 31 “Rotate the logic board assembly toward the battery side of the rear case.” While trying to rotate the logic board, the flash just did not want to come loose. I again was very tentative and was finally able to figure out how to release the flash. I disagree with removing the flash surround. I found that it was much easier to just press the new flash down back on top of the surround and call it a day.

The soda can and rubber band trick was extremely helpful. It was nice not having to worry about the screen flopping around. Very nice.

Jeff G -

I've got an iPhone 5s with headphone jack not working and a broken 5c .

Anyone knows if I can use the 5c assembly to replace the 5s one?

Thanks

Francesco -

you won't be able to because they are different connectors!!!

Yuri Henrique -

I was afraid to clean out my charging port with a pin or anything sharp, so I just used compressed air. Now that I have the “bad” part out of the phone, I am slowly digging crud out of the port with a long pin. I probably did not need to replace the port after all (and botch the job).

Oh well, we live and learn.

steve

thingsbuilt -

This guide has been updated and streamlined! Unnecessary disassembly steps have been trimmed from the guide.

Arthur Shi -

Hi, I’m also having the bottom mic problem after replacing the dock connector. I found a post here https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mic... very promising. It seemed that the cause was pry damage to the logic board. I’m going to check this on my phone. HTH.

Cheng Zhang -

Merci beaucoup pour ce super tuto, après avoir tenté toutes les solutions de nettoyage, maintien du cable dans les postures les plus incongrues, j’ai dû me rendre à l’évidence mon fidèle iphone avait besoin d’un port de charge flambant neuf! et c’est chose faite grâce à vous! Encore merci pour ce tuto pas à pas avec de belles images super claires ;-)

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linn lluck -