Introduction

Use this guide to correctly apply replacement adhesive under your iPhone's display after a repair. Replacing the adhesive can help maintain your iPhone's water resistance. The pre-cut adhesive strips are very delicate and are easily damaged if not applied correctly, so you may want to have a spare on hand if following this guide for the first time.

Be sure you purchase adhesive that matches the color of your display to maintain the original look of the phone.

This procedure applies to iPhone models 6s and newer (earlier models don't use adhesive).

Before you begin, you should have already removed your iPhone's display assembly and set it aside. If not, return to your specific iPhones repair guide and follow it until you're ready to reinstall the display assembly.

  1. ERpa5PULfFOkCDZy
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    • Begin by removing all the old display adhesive around the perimeter of your iPhone's case.

    • You can pull the adhesive off with tweezers, or roll it up on the tip of a spudger with a roll-and-pull motion.

    When you do not really want to get rid of the glue, but you do not have it, you can tie the glue off and pick it up with tweezers! You can remove it.

    yejin jun -

    Are we really sure this glue uses an alcohol solvent? By the way it rolls away and taunts me, I suspect it is rubber solvent-based. I owned a Macintosh used/refurbished computers and peripherals business for many years (refurbmadness.com) and have cleaned literally everything from old equipment. Alcohol doesn't seem to be doing the trick. there are five solvents and glue is usually rubber-based or turpentine-based unless it's Gorilla Glue Ultimate, which is alcohol-based. I'm going to check....YEP! Rubber cement solvent: brand name "Bestine." Please change this.

    Janie Wilson-Cook -

    What I found to work best is to use a pair of angled tweezers, scrape off part of the adhesive so you can grab onto it, and pull up vertically instead of horizontally. It will come off as one long piece which is much more efficient compared to horizontally where the glue may snap off in smaller pieces.

    Afiq -

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    • Use the tip of your spudger to remove any remaining smaller bits of adhesive.

    Its crucial to get this done properly, otherwise the glue strip doesn’t sit properly. After thoroughly picking with a spudger, I cleaned up the remainder with a q-tip and brake cleaner.

    Nick Pope -

    Small strips of good duct tape can be very useful for removing the remaining adhesive as well as any dirt left behind. Just cut narrow strips and press them firmly into the channel where the adhesive was, then peel away the tape along with any foreign material.

    Benji -

  3. toog1Qm4r2ii1rS5
    • If you're reinstalling your existing display rather than replacing it with a new one, be sure to remove any remaining adhesive from the back of your display as well.

    This is important. About half of my old adhesive stuck to the display. Be sure to look under the clips at the top that hold the screen in place. Adhesive there may make it difficult to properly align the screen.

    donkkrueger -

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    • Using a lint-free cloth (or coffee filter) with a bit of isopropyl alcohol, clean the areas of the case and rear display where you removed the old adhesive.

    • For best results, swipe your cleaning cloth in one direction, not back and forth.

    • This will help remove any remaining adhesive residue and prep the surface for the new adhesive.

    I used an Isopropyl alcohol patch from a first aid kit.

    Joe Teichert -

    I used a pre-moistened isopropyl cleaning wipe for eyeglasses, works great and cheap too. Heed the advice to only go in one direction as well - that adhesive will just get pushed all over if you don’t.

    anpav -

    The video shows using a Q-tip with Isopropyl. Don’t use a Q-tip, the cotton will just stick to the remaining adhesive and make it hairy. An eyeglasses cleaning cloth moistened with acetone did the trick for me. Don’t get it drippy wet with the acetone, it may attack some plastics.

    bradiac -

    not only hairy, it will spread isopropyl everywhere. i ruined my display because the iso got under the glas of the display and attacked the screen adhesive between glas and lcd. now i got 2-3 spots where you can see that. it still works but it’s not perfect anymore.

    butch coolidge -

    who the heck has isopropyl alcohol lying around to use

    charlie B -

    I guess everybody’s situation is a little different, but I’ve always kept some in the medicine cabinet. You can get a bottle at any drugstore for a buck or two; also many/most hardware stores. Look for the highest concentration you can get—anything over 90% works great!

    Jeff Suovanen -

    My wife handed me some of her Nail Prep & Polish Wipe = Isopropyl Alcohol :-D

    Chris Brobin -

    careful with the isopropyl alcohol, some went under the screen and now the LCD looks weird

    Paul Richard -

    For this finishing step I tried iFixit’s Adhesive Cleanup Kit. The first pad of the kit, the Adhesive Tape Remover Pad, is soaked with a slippery solution that did an incredible job of cleaning residuals of glue and dirt. May I have to redo this repair, I would put less effort at the previous steps, relying on this pad instead, hopefully saving a lot of time.

    This slippery solution doesn’t seem to evaporate. Obviously it needed to be cleaned if the new adhesive was intended to stick. That’s the role of the second pad, saturated with 70% IPA. Caution with the fluff that detaches from this pad, however.

    Aubin -

  5. rsNr1WoDqCLNfUIX
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    • Begin peeling the large backing from your replacement adhesive, starting from the bottom edge.

    • You'll usually find a large tab of some kind on the bottom edge.

    Saw in a different persons YouTube video the battery connector was causing a problem with the film because its disconnected and up, they cut a small slit in the film, Might test laying the film hold the adhesive on the phone before starting and see if thats a problem depending on phone and adhesive. Never hurt to check

    Dwayn Draper -

    +1 Great tip. Thanks

    Critter -

    Great tip. Had this issue.

    robert langley -

    I cut a strip of backing film and placed it under the battery connector, then manipulated it’s ribbon to make it lay flat.

    bradiac -

    Make sure you peel the underside down, the adhesive kit for the iPhone 8 looks different.

    Also, study the instructions and photos here carefully before proceeding.

    lmuraro -

    Great hint, thank you

    PRADES Lionel -

  6. FJadOyZ3IsmuVV4R
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    • Before applying the adhesive, make sure your iPhone's battery connector lays flat so it doesn't press against the blue release liner. It's okay to temporarily reconnect the battery if needed—just be sure to disconnect it again before installing the display.

    • Carefully align the exposed lower edge of the adhesive strip with the bottom edge of your iPhone's case.

    • Once the adhesive is pressed into place, you can't reposition it—you'll have to remove it and start over with new adhesive.

    • When it's correctly aligned, gently press the exposed lower adhesive strip into place.

    The three pictures show him peeling the adhesive backing away as he lays the adhisive in the phone. I found it easier to peel the whole backing away and then very carefully align the whole adhesive before gently pressing any of it in place. This way, you can be sure it will line up perfectly and avoid having to redo it.

    Joe Teichert -

    Props to Dwayn Draper for his above comment above. I see no way to do this step without either pressing the battery connector down (which would energize the logic board and perhaps be bad), or cutting a hole in the adhesive backing to accommodate the battery connector while it sticks up. I laid the whole blue thing over the phone and used a sharpie to mark where the connector stuck up. Then I used a sharp pair of scissors to cut out the marked part of the backing. This allowed the adhesive to line up nicely around the edges of the phone.

    Joe Teichert -

    I tried peeling off the whole backing like the comment above suggested and I completely messed up this part. thinking about this next time i would align it first with the backing on, then carefully peel it back, similar to how this ifixit article directs.

    Radd Guarin -

    i destroyed the seal immediately cause of my thumbs not being in the right spot as i tried to peel the protector back a bit… more of a personal error, everything else in my build was easy peasy… i wish it was a bit clearer on the seal where to start from, the picture shown and the protective backing on my seal was slightly different so i wasnt sure if i was starting from the correct side to start peeling away and think that may have led to my error as well…. hopefully i can remember mine isnt waterproof anymore and ill try to replace it again next time something goes wrong on this phone

    douglas -

    Before exposing the adhesive, test fit the packet to see which way it orients. There was several cutouts on mine for the various components which protrude above the perimeter. The adhesive looked pretty symmetrical, but the backing only went one way.

    bradiac -

    This was definitely the most harrowing part of the battery replacement process.

    Anthony -

    This step needs to be done before you mount the battery, if this is the reason why you open your iPhone. The battery connector points up and makes the blue film to curve up and not align properly with the edges of the phone. I know, small details, but this is making the job even harder than already is. Maybe a cut out in the blue film, for that area, would have been useful.

    redishman -

    Booth strips i had with batteries was just top edge too short :(

    Arnolds Balins -

    Peeled off the first sheet, aligned, and then placed. I used one of the existing holes to make a cutout for the battery connector (since I had already inserted the battery when the other guide indicated the adhesive should be placed). Used two sets of tweezers gripping inside the holes to carefully align and place.

    Nicholas Anchor -

    It was OK to re-connect the battery temporarily rather than slicing holes in the plastic. Just be sure to disconnect it again before reconnecting the display.

    Also, I lined up what I thought was the bottom correctly, only to have the top fall short. Looking back, I should have put the plastic sheet entirely within the phone, and not have it overlapping the edge. With an extra pair of hands, we were able to fix the top edge somewhat, but I had placed the plastic about 1mm too low.

    Mark -

    Instead of peeling off the backing progressively, I found it safer to cut the bottom part of it with scissors, so that about 1 cm height of adhesive was exposed. This way, the sheet laid FLAT over the iPhone frame and could be centered accurately. Once precisely centered, I held the sheet in place with one hand, and with the other hand took the spudger and pressed down the bottom part of the sheet, to actually stick the adhesive to the frame. Then peeled off the rest of the backing as the pictures show.

    Aubin -

    Great tip from Aubin. Cut 1-2 cm of the first or big tape (foil), on the Bottom of the phone. Then without pressing: first go to the Top of the phone and align and hold. Then check the Bottom for correct alignment, and start pressing the Bottom of the adhesive, and then peeling the big foil towards the Top, and then pressing the rest of the adhesive.

    Renout -

    Aubin has the best tip for this. trying to peel back the large backing piece bends and curls the whole thing such that it’s impossible to align properly. Once you get it aligned, press down on the bottom exposed piece and then you can remove the backing, and it falls neatly into place.

    Manuka -

    I removed the obvious bits of old seal with the spudger then just used a microfibre cloth and lighter fluid to remove the rest. I have used lighter fluid for any adhesive residue type job for 30+ years and never had a problem. It doesn’t attack any kind of plastic EVER plus, it hangs around for longer than IPA which is also a bonus. With regard to the battery connector, not sure if the problem is common in models other than the 7? The connector on mine was well under the level of where the backing sheet would span the width of the phone as I applied the seal?

    Guadalo -

    Also, when applying the seal, make sure you pull the backing away straight, not at an angle like you see in the pics below. I tried that way and it started to ‘steer’ the seal sideways and over the edge of the relief. Pull the backing away keeping it parallel with the phone and the seal should follow it. After a few attempts at positioning the very bottom edge of the seal to start with I managed to apply the whole thing perfectly first attempt. Careful with that initial positioning though as the seal is so sticky it almost feels magnetic!

    Guadalo -

    I’ve done multiple iphone repairs and I ALWAYS find this the hardest part of the whole process. In fact, I awlays buy an extra adhsive pice for each repair because I mess this up and have to redo it about half the time.

    r torrance andrews -

    The adhesive comes sandwiched between two sheets of blue release liner, one slightly larger than the other. When you peel them apart, the adhesive is meant to stick to the small sheet, which you then apply to your iPhone. In my case, when I peeled the two sheets apart, the adhesive stuck to the large sheet, making it impossible to apply. I don't think it was anything I did wrong - probably just a fault in the manufacturing process. I will try reassembling it without the adhesive, or possibly using a liquid adhesive like B-7000.

    Peter Gray -

    I completely missed how this was done first time. The big blue backing sheet is pulled out from underneath. I was in too much of a hurry to study the instructions carefully. I paid the price. Somehow it worked how in the end, but would have been so much easier with a clear idea.

    garyrclark -

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    • Continue peeling away the backing from the adhesive, gently pressing the adhesive into place from the bottom of your iPhone to the top.

    • If you correctly aligned the lower edge of the adhesive, the side and top edges will fall perfectly into place. If the adhesive is misaligned, remove it and start over with fresh adhesive.

    • If you don't have another set of adhesive strips handy, it's okay to temporarily put your iPhone back together and use it normally without any adhesive. Just keep in mind that your iPhone's water resistance will be compromised until you replace the adhesive.

    Please take your time with this and slowly get done right. I almost messed up on this step because I was rushing.

    Jeffrey Robinos -

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    • Finish separating the adhesive backing and discard it.

    Doesn’t make sense, the screen connectors are below gasket. How do you attach screen after installing gasket?

    fm Haynie -

    The screen connectors are INSIDE the PERIMETER of the screen adhesive.

    John -

    What about the blue backing? How do you connect the screen connectors? How do you disconnect the battery before putting the screen back on? I decided to cut away openings with small scissors and razor to access them.

    PMFSentrie -

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    • Use the tip of a spudger to press all the adhesive into place around the entire perimeter of your iPhone.

    • Be careful not to press on the camera or other internal components.

    Press hard. Some of the adhesive came off the phone as I was peeling the backing away in the step 11. You want to make sure it stuck on the phone so it doesn’t stay attached to the backing.

    Joe Teichert -

    I’d recommend resting the tip of your spudger against the vertical notch of the edge and press down rather with the side of the tip, just so your hand doesn’t slip inwards causing the nearest bit of glue to unstick.

    Richard Kraus -

  10. doGQQogrWy1JRMcs
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    • Use the flat edge of your spudger to press the adhesive into place at all four corners of your iPhone.

    Using the spudger to hold the tape down for a few seconds helps the tape adhere to the phone rather than sticking to the liner when you pull it off

    Sarah Salvini -

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    • Grab the small pull tab (located at one of the corners) and peel off the large front liner from the adhesive.

    • On some versions, this liner may consist of up to four smaller pieces rather than a large single piece.

    Make sure you pull the tab as close to the phone as possible, parallel to the phone. This should lower the probability of the adhesive in the corner separating from the frame. Do NOT pull up and away from the frame!

    If it does separate, just put it back and press it firmly in with the spudger and try again.

    Richard Kraus -

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    • Completely separate the front adhesive liner(s) and discard it.

    • At this point you may still have very thin strips of release liner covering all of the adhesive, which prevents it from accidentally sticking to anything while you begin reassembling your iPhone. Don't remove these small release liners just yet.

    My iPhone 6s Plus kit did not have the thin strip of release liners but worked fine.

    sputterer1 -

    The release liners either stuck to the main backing as I pulled it off, or it pulled the adhesive itself away from the phone! Be very careful, or you’ll have a sticky mess trying to get the adhesive back in place.

    Joe Teichert -

    The iphone 6s does not have this thin film so when I was attaching the screen I ruined my adhesive. Not sure why this one is different but it definitely makes things more challenging.

    Brett Gragg -

    Same here. I ended up placing a wide strip cut from the front adhesive liner across the top end where the display cables attach, as well as placing the rear adhesive liner crossways over the phones mid section to help keep from touching and/or damaging the adhesive during reassembly.

    bradiac -

    La même chose pour moi, le kit pour changement de batterie 6S n’avait pas la fine pellicule à enlever juste avant l’assemblage final.

    Ainsi comme montrer dans la vidéo, il est important de tester son écran avant l’assemblage final : il n’était donc pas très simple sans cette pellicule de ne pas toucher l’adhésif en reliant les nappes et en faisant le test.

    Mais tant mieux tout s’est bien déroulé ! Merci pour vos tutos !!

    BOUCHARDON Bertrand -

    This instruction contradicts itself - It says to completely separate the adhesive liners and discard them then, in the next step, it says to leave in place some of the liner. It should be clear that there are two layers of adhesive liners, the top layer may be in several pieces and the bottom layer should be left in place. Maybe it should read "The adhesive liner has 2 layers. The top layer (the one you can see) is the size of the phone and is used to help position the adhesive. While it looks like one piece, it may come off in several pieces (it may have small cuts in it to make removal easier). Under this top layer, there is a second very thin liner that covers the very edge of the phone where the adhesive is. Remove only the top layer front adhesive liner and discard it. Leave the the second very thin liner in place to protect the adhesive while you complete the next few steps."

    Martin Danger -

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    • Refer to your iPhone's display replacement guide in order to:

    • Reconnect all display cables

    • Reconnect the battery

    • Reinstall the cable connector cover brackets, and secure their screws.

    • This is a good time to power on your iPhone and test all functions before you seal the display in place. Be sure to power your iPhone back down completely before you continue.

    We were initially disappointed when the test power-on failed. I tried reconnecting the battery, but it felt no different than the first time. Luckily, one of us thought of recharging the new battery, which proved to be the problem.

    After a 10 minute charge, the phone powered up normally. We tested the screen and audio, and were happy to see it working. There’s a chance that your new battery might be out of power also.

    Mark -

    I think I can’t find the answer to my issue, my iPhone 6S has a weird problem with the display, where in my phone, where the screen connects to the base of the phone, the part you're putting into the phone in this step, is split into 2 from adhesive degradation and my phone is a ticking timebomb to the end of its life.

    Peyton -

    Hallo bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt hat alles super funktioniert. Wenn ich das Iphone jetzt allerdings anschalte um die Funktionen zu testen, funktioniert alles außer der Homebutton. Woran kann das liegen?

    Thore -

    Wenn ich das wüßte, wäre vielen Menschen geholfen. Ich habe bei meinem iPhone 7 den Akku gewechselt, alles läuft, außer, daß der Homebutton nun tot ist.

    Indes geht es vielen Menschen gleichermaßen, haben alle das gleiche Problem - Home tot - ferner interessant ist, daß von “ifixit” nicht einmal eine Hilfestellung dazu kommt.

    Patrick S. von G e c k s -

    Just replaced , put on charge, only an apple symbol is showing on screen?

    Jack Daniels -

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    • iPhone 7 / 7 Plus only: Before installing your display, check the condition of the black gaskets on the two small screw bosses on the bottom edge of your display, near the home button.

    • If the gaskets are misaligned, use tweezers to carefully recenter them.

    • iPhone 6s and 6s Plus models don't have these gaskets.

    The gaskets on my iPhone 7 are actually sleeves that slide onto the screw bosses, covering both sides. Be sure both gaskets are fully in place, not only pressed on one side of the boss. This is not shown in the pictures here.

    zachcramer -

    My iPhone 7+ didn’t have gaskets or sleeves, bought directly from Apple, SIM free/unlocked. I’m the 1st to open it.

    jeffrey griffith -

    same case for my iPhone 7+ Model A1784 , it didn’t have gaskets or sleeves, bought directly from Apple, SIM free/unlocked. I’m the 1st to open it also.

    Xavier LESTEVEN -

    No bottom hole gaskets or sleeves for my 7+, either. 1st time opened. The adhesive did not stick to the case frame, even after multiple passes with the spudger. I had to carefully push and tack the unstuck adhesive onto the case rails (thin side channels) with the tweezers.

    Eyan Lee -

    Mon iphone 7 + pas de joints ou les manchons de vis aussi.

    Serge 26 mars 2023

    Serge -

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    • While supporting the display, use tweezers to begin peeling off the final release liners, exposing the adhesive.

    The iPhone 8 replacement screen I bought came with an adhesive set and didn’t have final release liners.

    Cool_Breeze -

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    • Continue removing the release liner from the entire perimeter of the iPhone.

    • Take care not to touch the exposed adhesive.

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    • The release liner may consist of two or more pieces. As you remove the final piece, you may need to pause and reposition the display.

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    • Hold the display out of the way as you remove the final piece of release liner.

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    • Carefully align the top edge of the display with the top edge of the phone body.

    • Position the display so that the tabs along the top edge fit into place just underneath the top edge of the iPhone's case.

    Make sure to not push the screen upwards too hard, mine ended up sticking up a bit at the top.

    Richard Kraus -

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    • Before closing up the display, check to make sure that all cables are clear.

    • If any cables get pinched between the edge of the display and the body of the iPhone, they may be damaged beyond repair.

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    • As you lower the display into place, apply gentle pressure against the display's bottom edge so that the top edge stays flush with the top edge of the iPhone.

    • This also prevents the two small gaskets near the home button from scraping against the iPhone's lower edge.

    • Press on the sides of the display near the top of the iPhone, and work your way down to click the display into place.

    My new LCD screen part didn’t come with gaskets! And I forgot about the ones on the old cracked screen until too late.

    Therese Peffer -

    Does anyone know where to buy replacement gaskets?

    Redding -

    Oddly enough, my iPhone 7+ never had these foam gaskets from the factory.

    I bought it new online, SIM free/unlocked from Apple and I’m the 1st to open it up.

    jeffrey griffith -

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    • In order for the adhesive to bond correctly, you'll need to apply even pressure around the perimeter of your iPhone. The camera bump complicates matters, but you can compensate by laying your iPhone face-down and placing coins around the perimeter.

    • Alternatively, you can use screen vise clamps around the perimeter of your device to set the new adhesive.

    • You can use coins of any denomination, so long as they are as thick or slightly thicker than the camera bump.

    • If your iPhone has a high-gloss finish, such as Jet Black, add a strip of tape around the perimeter to protect the finish before placing any coins.

    • Place a coin at each corner of your iPhone, and place two coins on either side of the camera bump.

    • Place additional coins around the entire perimeter of your iPhone.

    • Using a hair dryer or heat gun, evenly heat the side edges all the way around the iPhone until they are slightly too hot to touch. The heat will help the adhesive form a more complete bond. Don't overheat the iPhone, or you may cause the battery to ignite or damage other heat-sensitive components, like the display.

    What happens if I skip this step of heating the phone and just placing some heavy books on my iPhone 6s? I have this question because I don’t own neither a heat gun nor a hair dryer. Pls help

    Sreeram ASRK -

    Your phone will work fine. This step is more about getting the adhesive to bond securely to help create a waterproof seal. If you don’t have any way to heat it, using more weight and leaving it there for a longer period of time may help.

    Jeff Suovanen -

    You can set you iphone screen UP in the sun for a while to heat it up pretty well before the pressure/weight step

    John -

    With the potential of electronics, I would like to have seen an quantitative temperate referenced as well as the qualitative (subjective).

    Thomas Tritt -

    Also, an actual spacer would helped - coins kept sliding off as I was heating them.

    Thomas Tritt -

    I just put a soft cover book on the bottom and stacked other books on it. Worked just fine for me :)

    Richard Kraus -

    Pennies are light enough that my hair dryer just blew them off. I just heated the phone and then put the coins and books on as quickly as I could. Still worked just as well.

    Maxwell Osborn -

    I just used the box the iPhone came in which has a perfect cradle for the phone. Glad I saved it!

    Martin Salem -

    Thank you so much for the advice on this and the suggestion of heating coins and using books. I did as suggested and three weeks later my phone was knocked into a bath of water. It had a mophie case around it which helped bit I immediately fished out the phone, turned it off and dried it. Tapped out water in ports, removed the SIM card and then placed in front of a fan to dry put for 24 hours. I wanted to wait longer but I needed my phone for a long trip so prayed and turned it on. It was fine. Nothing wrong with it abs I can only thank you foe your suggestions to improve the seal that made the difference.

    David Gordon -

    Instead of using a heat gun/hair dryer (I do not have one) — I used the coins trick, and put a kettle on top that I filled with hot water. I used water at around 80ºC. The weight of the kettle also provides additional pressure, making sure you get a good seal. To cool it down, simply add some additional cold water to the kettle.

    steinmb -

    Cut a piece of styrofoam to roughly the shape of your phone. Place it on the phone, and press down over the camera bump to mark its location. Then shave out a bit from this spot so the styrofoam will sit more or less flat on the phone. You can now heat the phone and then quickly toss the styrofoam and weights on top. SO much easier than juggling all those coins.

    Vin T -

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    • While the iPhone is still hot, grab at least four or five of your heaviest hardcover books, and place them squarely on top of your iPhone.

    • The coins may leave a slight impression on the bottom book cover, so don't use anything valuable.

    • Leave the books in place for about thirty minutes.

    Love the book selection :P

    skrolikowski -

    who has a PDR just laying around?

    Raw Dawg -

    I put an 8 lb. barbell weight on estimating it would be equivalent.

    enric -

  24. SYilQRBOwo3mOELL
    SYilQRBOwo3mOELL
    THApOQANVRTnjVKI
    • Remove the books and use your fingers to press firmly on all four corners of the display.

    • Press for about 3 seconds and then release.

    • Remember to install your iPhone's two pentalobe screws.

    Very good tutorial but why this last step ?

    Easy Repair -

    A bit of belt and braces.

    Rob leach -

    Step 25: Pray that it all works and your phone turns on :p

    skrolikowski -

    Seems like a better idea to move reinstallation of the pentalobe screws to Step 21 or immediately after it.

    D Davis -

    Two problems:

    1) The adhesive for the bottom of the phone has a tiny extra lip. My first attempt was to line up the corners rather than the middle. This resulted in the adhesive being be a bit short at the top.

    2) During the final assembly, I could not get the phone to close. Double bad. I tried to peel up the screen to realign and tore one of the screen’s ribbon cables! I just received my second screen and adhesive today.

    I believe these two areas could be easily added to the above instructions. Everything else went fine.

    Arthur Yeh -

    Ifixit please sell and release the adhesive for samsung s9+ to restore my water resistance after battery replacement.

    cutterpillowm -

    They couldn’t care less about Samsung phones, they are like most apple biased company ever.

    Dinan Blueje -

    Thank you very much ifixit for this guide!. I replaced the adhesive on an used iphone 8 i bought, followed every step very carefully and now the screen seals perfectly with the frame.

    Luis Alfredo -

    Can you use iPhone 12 without the adhesive?

    Jáchym -

    Jáchym, yes you can use iPhone 12 without the adhesive. The adhesive is protection against water entering the phone, and does not have any impact on function of the phone.

    Daniel Tan -

    I just used this guide for an 8.

    I failed to remove the adhesive on the back half, but realized it in time, so all went well.

    thanks for the guide

    john keating -

Jeff Suovanen

Member since: 06/08/13

427153 Reputation

45 comments

I just bought few iPhone 7 adhesives from my supplier, and I noticed that the adhesive is not really fitting on the frame.

The iFixit shop pictures show us the iPhone 7 Plus adhesive for black color and the iPhone 7 adhesive for white color.

The iPhone 7 Plus seems to be more precise and correct than the iPhone 7 one : the iPhone 7 Plus one respect the screw hole at upper left corner for example, but the iPhone 7 one doesn’t, it has extra curves (same as iPhone 6s lower left corner) and it doesn’t take up the full width of the frame edge.

Can anyone show us the shape of an original adhesive from a brand new iPhone 7 to compare ?

Martial B -

This was the trickiest part of my screen replacement. Slim double sided adhesives always intimidate me because you only get one chance to line it up. I succeeded on my first attempt by following this guide and taking my time to line up the first edge as best as I could. The sides are the hardest part as they are very thin and I almost failed getting them lined up. Luckily I hadn’t pressed them down and was able to correct my alignment. Good preperation of the phone by removing the old adhesive completely and cleaning the area is my number one recommendation.

Nathan Stark -

Adhesive makes everything harder. I chose to replace the adheasive on my 6s plus during a battery replacement, and it was easily the hardest part. No fault of Ifixit or this guide… the instructions above are spot on. But the cleaning of the adheasive takes forever, easily tripled my total repair time. And its really, really nerve racking to place the new adheasive. I do stuff like that all the time, but this was nuts. The strips are so tiny and delicate! Be really, really careful and take your time. This earns its “moderate” difficulty and then some.

Corban Young -

wow that was hard to get in place. clean the edges well and use isopropyl alcohol. also practice a lot before removing the cover protection.

ericrose62 -

am working on this now

BRONIC MUSIC (NowTv) -

i did it. i did the last step before using the books..

pantelg95 -

After doing this step, is it still waterproof?

M. Refeir Yudio Ikhwanudin -

As long as the adhesive is not damaged at ANY point during installation then yes it will be waterproof.

David Sladdin -

Thank you! Went better than expected on my 6s.

Gagerminnix -

Used a tooth pick and soft tooth brush to clean around the edges and then Is-propyl alcohol to finish before the seal. Ready :)

William Hudson -

I totally failed this haha, had to remove some of the new adhesive to be able to put my screen back on the iphone. It holds now but %#*@ that was the longest part...

Casano Matthieu -

Do you have to change it when only changing the battery to keep it being waterproof?

dajonny -

Yes. Technically speaking, it’s your phone you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. But it is strongly recommended as it’ll restore the dirt/dust proof resistance.

Matt -

Hi there,

I was wondering, is it okay to replace the screen without replacing the adhesive, will the screen fall off in and places or anything.

Basically i’m asking is it a requirement to replace the adhesive when replacing the screen?

Thank you~

Roberto Bombeeto -

@thymother Not required at all; screws and brackets secure the display, and it’s in no danger of falling out regardless of whether the adhesive is there or not. The adhesive seems to be more for a little extra cushioning during hard-presses and as a dust/water seal.

Jeff Suovanen -

Took me two attempts, luckily I did both screen and battery at the same time, had two screen adhesives and the second one I nailed. 10/10 guide, just take your time.

Alex Bouchard -

First iPhone screen replacement a breeze just had to be very attentive. Adhesive install you have to take it nice and easy.

Jeffrey Liangjokechai -

Hi there,

How do you choose the colour of the display assembly adhesive for the IPhone 6S Plus?

bobby li -

The adhesive color doesn't matter, unless you're concerned about keeping up appearances. In that case opposites attract. Black LCD = White ADH.

Matt -

Thanks Jeff! worked a treat

Kola -

Oh and cutting a small hole in the backing for the battery connector was a genius idea!

Kola -

It was better for me to start with one of sides less control issues. deltakilo

david koval -

Used this as a guide to replace the LCD and digitizer in Motorola Droid Mini (XT1030). Main difference is that the screen is not held in by screws, only adhesives. Sat the phone face down on a paper towel with books on it, while on a 3d printer bed heated to 80 degrees C, for total of about 20 minutes (IR thermometer measured screen/frame at around 65C). Will see how well this holds up…

rbol -

I would pay extra for a kit that includes an alignment jig for each specific phone type. You only get ONE shot to get the alignment of the adhesive correct, and I’ve never managed to do it.

Either that, or sell the replacement displays with the adhesive already attached to the back of the display assembly so all I have to do is swap over the home button, attach my cables, peel off the protective cover over the adhesive, and just lay it down.

Rocky Carr -

You should add a note that getting isopropyl in the screen will permanently ruin it. Don’t ask me how I know.

Justin Howlett -

Even a brand new phone, sides tend to unstick causing slightly raised bezels. I used a hairdryer and a lot of pressure to reseat the edge. Seems flush and uniform without any lifting

jerry123456789101112 -

I had to open my iPhone 7 up just to replace a loose screw (I could hear it vibrating next to the taptic engine), and this was the trickiest part. Working with double sided adhesives like this isn’t easy. Best tips would be to clean the old adhesive off really really well, use isopropyl alcohol, and take your time practicing before you remove the cover protection.

Also, don’t remove the last layer of cover protection until after you’ve reconnected the display and verified it’s working. Don’t want to accidentally touch the adhesive while you’re reconnecting the display.

Happy fixing

Jake Wynn -

Everything went very well in replacing the screen on my Apple 8plus…except now the phone won’t accept a charge. I was very careful in all the tasks. I did accidentally let the battery connector make contact while installing the display. What might be the reason the phone is not taking a charge and is there a fix for it? TIA

Timothy Bonham -

This helped me to replace my waterproof seal when I replaced my iphone XR screen. Thank you for posting this.

Kyle Closner -

I had troubles removing leftover adhesive (this took me about an hour) - isopropyl alcohol didn’t work well, so I used rubbing alcohol (Benzinum medicinale) which is also being used to remove band aid glue from skin, etc.. It worked, but I cannot recommend it, as I don’t know whether it will attack the surfaces or do some other damage. YOLO

Wilk Polarny -

La benzine médicale est un dérivé d’hydrocarbure (alkanes) il est donc possible qu’il attaque les caoutchoucs et surfaces similaires. La concentration de l’alcool joue grandement sur son efficacité comme solvant, et il est donc conseillé d’utilisé un alcool à 90° (l’alcool isopropylique est courament à 70° dans le commerce)

Cajuteq -

Translation to English of Cajuteq's comment

"Medical gasoline is a derivative of hydrocarbons (alkanes) so it may attack rubbers and similar surfaces. The concentration of alcohol greatly affects its effectiveness as a solvent, and it is therefore advisable to use 90° alcohol (isopropyl alcohol is commonly 70° on the market)"

I'm wondering if this contributor means what in English we call "Benzene" That has been used in the past to remove sticking plaster residue. Benzene is indeed a hydrocarbon but it is an aromatic hydrocarbon(the simplest, most basic, and basis of the aromatic hydrocarbons) and not an alkane

Je me demande si ce contributeur veut dire ce que nous appelons en anglais "Benzene" qui a été utilisé dans le passé pour éliminer les résidus de plâtre collant. Le benzène est bien un hydrocarbure mais c'est un hydrocarbure aromatique (le plus simple, le plus basique et la base des hydrocarbures aromatiques) et non un alcane

Peter Kershaw -

Cleaning off the old adhesive is important to allow new one to be seated properly. Done it twice now. Heat and alcohol is the answer.

Kevin McNamara -

this process is always the hardest and least forgiving part of every repair I do. I would estimate that I waste the adhesive and need to get a new one about 50% of the time. Seriously—can’t we come up with a better procees?

robert andrews -

Definitely the trickiest part of any iPhone repair, but this guide helped a lot! I definitely recommend having a bright light over your work area, and perhaps even a magnifying lens to help see better and get this just right.

Nick -

Top Beschreibung???

Danke für die Mühe

Horst -

Thank you,

very helpful guide, followed step by step battery and waterproof seal replacement for my iphone7. Not one issue during or after the process... My recommendation is go slow, take your time..

Full kit purchased from ifixit.

so far very satisfied.

Juan Camilo Martinez -

Painfully time-consuming but also weirdly satisfying... Bright light definitely helps, as does taking your time and plenty of awareness of where the replacement seal sits. Great guide, but made me think I should buy a Fairphone next.

[deleted] -

If you heat too much with a pad or dryer
-or-
add books or other stuff on top that are too heavy,
you could leave a permanent discoloration spot at the bottom right of your new screen, as on mine.

A B -

While cleaning the edges with isopropyl alcohol, be careful to not use too much. My screen got some alcohol and it has a 'cloud' spot now, more noticeable in white backgrounds :(

bplusv -

I used a toothpick as well as a cotton swab to clean the edges and corners . I found the corners to be more dirty than the rest of the edge and the tooth pick cleaned the gunk in the corners well. Of corse I payed close attention to not leave any wood splinters or cotton behind.

rkoch -

I didn't feel the video instructions were clear due to the reliance on colour coding to determine which cover to remove before positioning the adhesive, so I ruined the adhesive. I was going to buy a replacement part but the shipping cost was almost double of the part price ($15 to ship this?!? Come on!!) so bought two that look exactly like the one on the ifixit website from amazon (got 2 adhesives and free shipping for less than the ifixit price).

Kevin Tobias -

If I run over my iPhone 40 times will the warranty cover it??????

bsssmn -

Assaholic que no 👎

bsssmn -

Hi, does this guide also apply to iPhone 15 Pro? Can’t find it listed among the adhesives at the top of the page. Thanks

Marco Scotti -