iPhone X Battery Replacement

Written By: Jeff Suovanen

Comments: 156

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

1 - 2 hours

Introduction

iPhone batteries degrade with use—over time, they lose their ability to hold a full charge. Apple's batteries are rated to hold 80% of their capacity for up to 500 charge cycles, which lasts roughly 18-24 months for most users. When your battery's chemistry is degraded, it may also cause your iPhone to run more slowly. Use this guide to replace your battery and restore your iPhone to full performance.

If your battery is swollen, take appropriate precautions.

This guide instructs you to completely detach the display and remove the lower speaker and Taptic Engine for better access to the battery's adhesive strips.

For optimal performance, after completing this guide, calibrate your newly installed battery: Charge it to 100% and keep charging it for at least two more hours. Then use your iPhone until it shuts off due to low battery. Finally, charge it uninterrupted to 100%.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Before you begin, discharge your iPhone battery below 25%. A charged lithium-ion battery can catch fire and/or explode if accidentally punctured.
Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.
Remove the two 6.9 mm-long pentalobe screws at the bottom edge of the iPhone.
If the screws are stripped or damaged, replace the screws.
Opening the iPhone's display will compromise its waterproof seals. Have replacement seals ready before you proceed past this step, or take care to avoid liquid exposure if you reassemble your iPhone without replacing the seals.

There are 6.81mm long screws!

Daniel - 25/06/20

One of the pentalobe screws is stripped :( - suggestions for how to get it out?

cgtyoder - 09/07/20

same situation here

kaunomarcius - 11/07/20

Same issue for me too, how do I get the stripped screw out?

patronics - 11/08/20

Update: I was able to get the “stripped” screw out using another Pentalobe-2 screwdriver bit from another company. It seems it wasn’t the screw, but the screw driver that was actually stripped. Hence why the other screwdriver kit I got came with 3 of this bit, I suppose.

patronics - 12/08/20

I ended up going to a jewelry store, and they drilled down into the screw, with of course an incredibly tiny bit. That allowed me to insert the P2 driver, and I was able to unscrew it at that point. Good luck!

cgtyoder - 24/08/20

Same issue with the stripping. The tip of the iFixit P2 head in my $70 kit just ground off on the first screw and that was that. Not much you can do.

Kyle Harris - 29/12/20

yes correct the same happened to me, the screws were perfect shaped never been open and as soon as i used the P2 it stripped the screws, seems like the P2 is slightly smaller but Dremel kit with a very small drill bits and precise knife tool is the way to go.

Dulce Vidal - 14/04/21

This step in automatically followed through, without any thought. Why remove these screws? Can anybody explain? The Screen is detachable all the same, with them well screwed in…

Uri -

These screws attach to a plate that’s part of the screen half of the phone. If you succeed in detaching the screen without removing those, it would seem reasonable that you will have damaged that plate or its ability to keep the two halves together.

Dan Long -

@Dan Long is right

Uri -

Clean out the pentalobe screw heads first so the tool goes all the way in. A small sewing needle works well to loosen any build up and then press some putty/chewing gum into the screw head and pull away quickly for a final clean out.

William Olstad -

The this kit should include screws because you’re going to strip them. Can’t even get past step one. Did anybody figure this out

justin -

Never opened my phone ever, when I went to look at the first step.. I noticed one of my screws was stripped. I thought it was impossible, but I removed the non stripped one, then once I got to the stripped one.. I learned my assumptions were correct. I bought this one straight from the apple site years ago ahaha Any tips to remove the stripped screw?

Clarence Williams -

William Olstad's tip about cleaning the screws with a needle and a bit of poster putty worked well for me. There was a lot of crud in there! The opening is shallow, so it's easy to see how the screwdriver wouldn't catch with even a bit of grit in the way, No problem getting the pentalobe screws out with the ifixit screwdriver.

punkinann -

If all else fails, very carefully cut a slot across the head of the screw with a Dremel tool using a diamond bit that dentist will gladly give you - I ask my dentist for used bits; and chuck them in a drill bit chuck designed for Dremel. The slot allows you to use a tiny, straight blade screwdriver. You can reuse the screw or replace it with a new pentalobe screw.

Dan Smith -

Step 2

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

Step 3

If your iPhone has a cracked screen, keep further breakage contained and prevent bodily harm during your repair by taping over the glass.
Lay overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPhone's screen until the whole face is covered.
Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from any glass shaken free during the repair.
If you can't get the suction cup to stick in the next few steps, fold a strong piece of tape (such as duct tape) into a handle and lift the screen with that instead.
If all else fails, you can superglue the suction cup to the screen.

Step 4

The next three 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 three 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—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.

Step 5

Pull the blue handle forward 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.

Step 6

Heat an iOpener and thread it through the arms of the Anti-Clamp.
You can also use a hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate—but extreme heat can damage the display and/or internal battery, so proceed with care.
Fold the iOpener so it lays on the bottom edge of the iPhone.
Wait one minute to give the adhesive a chance to release and present an opening gap.
Insert an opening pick under the screen and the plastic bezel, not the screen itself.
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 three steps.

DO NOT separate the glass from the plastic bumper or rim around it. These instructions don't clarify that the pick has to be inserted between the plastic rim and the metal body. It is likely that the glass will lift slightly off the plastic surround before the plastic will lift out of the metal body. I had success sliding a card or pick back and forth along the bottom edge of the plastic rim while pulling on the suction cup. Eventually there was a space large enough for the pick to go under the plastic rim.

Anessa -

Thanks for pointing this out! I'll revise this step to clarify this point.

Arthur Shi -

Step 7

Heating the lower edge of the iPhone will help soften the adhesive securing the display, making it easier to open.
Use a hairdryer or heat gun or prepare an iOpener and apply it to the lower edge of the iPhone for about a minute in order to soften up the adhesive underneath.
If you use a hairdryer or heat gun, do not heat to much because that can result in damaging the screen.

General tip regarding heating necessary to remove adhesive:

consider using a heated tip of a small screwdriver or metal spudger (not the one made of plastic, provided in kit), rather than to heat the device itself.

Uri - 17/12/19

You then need to be careful about the temp of the tool which if hot enough can melt plastic components or harm them. Keeping the heat source (heat gun) far enough away from the object that you’ll eventually melt the glue but would be much harder to melt components. I try to keep 4” or 5” gap between the source & object

Sandman619 - 07/01/20

Thanks for the info. Could a air convector do the job

dominique.br -

When opening a device that has previously been worked on, and on which the adhesive might not have been replaced, be extremely carful when opening the phone. It will open much more easily than expected. If you’re not careful you might rip a cable.

jonpol -

Is this tool required or can I just use the Anti-Clamp by itself.

Mikail -

If you have a 3d printer, heat the bed to 80c and put the phone screen side down on it for 30 secs

philip.joseph123 - 28/04/23

Step 8

If using a single suction handle, apply it to the bottom edge of the phone, while avoiding the curved portion of the glass.

If you were using some form of screen protector, it may come off first as soon as you pull on the suction cup. Do not be alarmed. That is normal behavior.

Alain-Daniel Wa-Baguma - 21/06/20

3m VSB double stick tape will stick to the screen when the suction cups fail (see my comment on step 1)

Tawan Khamapirad - 15/12/20

Step 9

Pull up on the suction cup with firm, constant pressure to create a slight gap between the screen and the frame.
Insert an opening pick into the gap under the screen's plastic bezel, not the screen itself.
The watertight adhesive holding the screen in place is very strong; creating this initial gap takes a significant amount of force. If you're having a hard time opening a gap, apply more heat, and gently rock the screen up and down to weaken the adhesive until you create enough of a gap to insert your tool.

In addition to safety goggles, I would recommend you also wear good gloves to avoid getting cut with the glass as you try to pry it open.

Alain-Daniel Wa-Baguma - 21/06/20

The top about applying more heat and gently rocking the screen up and down to weaken the adhesive did the trick for me. Thank you!

Monil Shah -

There needs to be more clarity on where to shove the opening pick into. There is actually two openings that the pry tool can be forced into: one below the black plastic bezel, and one above the black plastic bezel. When I heated my screen with a warming pad and pulled up the suction cup, it actually pried apart above the black plastic bezel which removed the touch screen from the display panel. With this being the first newer iPhone I'd opened since the 3GS, I didn't realize that I was opening the wrong opening as the directions only mentioned one opening and did not warn of this. I was pretty disappointed in the lack of mentioning this, as I was taking my time and following it to the tee. As a result, it destroyed my original iPhone screen.

Caleb Davison -

DO NOT separate the glass from the plastic bumper or rim around it. As someone else noted, these instructions don't clarify that the pick has to be inserted between the plastic rim and the metal body of the phone. When pulling upwards with the suction cup, it is likely that the glass will lift slightly off the plastic surround before the plastic will lift out of the metal body. I had success sliding a card or pick back and forth along the bottom edge of the plastic rim while pulling on the suction cup. Eventually there was a space large enough for the pick to go under the plastic rim.

Anessa -

Thank you for pointing this out! I've updated the step to reflect this.

Arthur Shi -

The suction cup doesn't work at all... The minimum force I apply to lift it up, it comes off completely. This is very frustrating!!!

Mario Silva -

Step 10

Slide the opening pick around the lower left corner and up the left edge of the iPhone, slicing through the adhesive holding the display in place.
Don't insert your pick more than 3 mm, as you may damage internal components.

Step 11

There are delicate cables along the right edge of your iPhone. Don't insert your pick here, as you may damage the cables.

Wouldn’t it be better to put this part BEFORE the step where you have to pry open the phone?

Jan D. Höllwarth -

Step 12

Re-insert your pick at the bottom edge of the iPhone, and slide it up the right side to continue separating the adhesive.
Don't insert your pick more than 3 mm, as you may damage the display cables.

If you have flat feeler gauges (for adjusting engine valve tappet clearance, ignition points … old school) the .003” thick gauge goes right in. Work your way up in thickness until you can get the pic or supplied pry tool in. Don’t insert metal feeler gauge in too far, just enough to hold crack open. I didn’t need to use the suction cup. I used a hot/cold gel pack heated in microwave to heat edges to soften glue a bit. Made sure it wasn’t so hot I couldn’t stand it on my skin.

William Olstad - 16/01/22

Step 13

The top edge of the display is secured with both glue and clips.
Slide the opening pick around the top corner of the display, while gently pulling or wiggling the display down in the direction of the Lightning port.
The clips will break if you use too much force. Work carefully and be patient.
Don't insert your pick more than 3 mm, as you may damage the front panel sensor array.
Slide the pick to the opposite corner and cut any remaining adhesive securing the display.

These are the best instructions I’ve ever read for anything.! Thank you!

Peter Andrew - 23/05/18

Step 14

Pull on the small nub on the suction cup to remove it from the front panel.

Step 15

Open the iPhone by swinging the display up from the left side, like the back cover of a book.
Don't try to fully separate the display yet, as several fragile ribbon cables still connect it to the iPhone's logic board.
As pictured, make sure the frame comes off with display and doesn't get stuck in the device.
Lean the display against something to keep it propped up while you're working on the phone.
During reassembly, lay the display in position, align the clips along the top edge, and carefully press the top edge into place before snapping the rest of the display down. If it doesn't click easily into place, check the condition of the clips around the perimeter of the display and make sure they aren't bent.

My phone came apart in a different way and looks not right the little box at the top of the display as actually bolted to the top of the frame body I think something went really wrong when I opened it.

Mike Kostersitz - 08/06/20

It opens like a book but be careful not to open it all the way — only as far as shown in the photo. Otherwise it will strain the thin cable that connects the sensor module and then no more FaceID for you (or, as it turns out me). This could have been made more explicit in the instructions.

Richard Tucker - 28/11/20

It opens like a book but be careful not to open it all the way … the small stainless steel tabs that hold the screen around the metal frame, that are on the bend place (right side of the phone)… are tend to bend, you can straighten them back to 90 deg. but the plastic base that they are on? very fragile- watch out not to break the plastic bezel … it may come apart of the glass.

dabur872 - 27/04/21

Advice for re-assembly: Before closing up the phone with the seal, check if phone is powering up again and speaker, mic and sensors are still working. If done this check even before installing the board connector bracket in Step 13.

Alexander Nowak -

Step 16

Remove five Y000 screws securing the logic board connector bracket, of the following lengths:
Three 1.1 mm screws
One 3.1 mm screw
One 3.7 mm screw
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your iPhone.

One thing I found helpful for replacing the screws was to use only the 000screwdriver tip, without the handle. This way, the tip isn’t magnetized and the screw doesn’t tend to ‘roll’ off the screwdriver tip (the screw has almost no mass, so the head (largest surface) is pulled around to the side of the screwdriver tip when magnetized).

Rich May 23, 2020

ungodly - 23/05/20

My 3.1mm screw had a stripped head, could not remove it. (Factory defect, this iPhone was never opened)

So I had to give up removing the display assembly, and jumped directly to battery replacement, Step 20.

That was tricky as I had to keep the display at 90º with a risk of breaking display connectors, but hopefully the replacement went well.

I would not recommend to do this but to follow the guide, but, in case someone encounters a similar issue, that could help!

vingu - 15/01/21

My 1.1mm screw had a stripped head. Used a 3mm steel drill to cut the head off (just 1 mm deep haha) so i could remove the bracket.

Renout - 07/03/21

Be careful on reassembly. Keep the screen supported and not moving. I had difficulty getting the screws in and ended up ruining the screen connectivity at the back of the screen where the ribbon cables go in near the center. I was trying to hand hold the screen and it ended up moving around too much.

SETH GREEN -

To keep track of the screws, I copy the photos showing their places, then arrange these photos on document in Pages, print it. Next I apply two sided sticky tape (the roll-on type). So all screws have their corresponding places …

Max Glanzmann -

Step 17

Remove the bracket.
The bracket may be lightly adhered in place. Lift gently but firmly to separate it.
During reassembly, this is a good point 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 working.

I tested it, then proceeded to close up the device without the bracket. Do I need to reopen and install? All connections are good?

monastra7 - 12/08/20

The bracket helps those many connectors underneath maintain good contact. Probably in the short term nothing bad will happen, but I’d hang onto the bracket and reinstall it when convenient.

Jeff Suovanen - 15/08/20

Agree with Jeff

cgtyoder - 19/09/20

I tested all imaginable functionality on the new OLED screen. Taptics are fine. Then, I noticed that the battery wasn't charging. Any ideas as to what could have gone wrong?

Monica -

for me, the replacement battery was completely dead, small panic when the power-on button was pressed, but quickly realised that this was the situation, and now watching the phone take a power cycle.

James Stanbridge -

Before clicking the screen assembly back, I tried to test the iPhone by pushing the start button, but nothing happened. After taking off the bracket, reseating the plugs I tried again - nothing happened! Then I plugged in the charging cable connected with the iMac, and it started immediately. So if the phone does not start using the startup button, it might just be a glitch when reconnecting the battery.

Max Glanzmann -

Step 18

Use the point of a spudger or a clean fingernail to pry the battery connector up from its socket on the logic board.
Try not to damage the black silicone seal surrounding this and other board connections. These seals provide extra protection against water and dust intrusion.
Bend the connector slightly away from the logic board to prevent it from accidentally making contact with the socket and providing power to the phone during your repair.

cosa può succedere se non si disconnette la scheda logica'?

luca.valli - 12/10/20

note: be careful not to crush or puncture your battery at this step!! I gave mine a minor dent, which I hope wont be a problem.. but something to keep in mind for fxlks in the future!

Noal Balint - 19/10/20

Thanks, already did it)

Stephen Hedrick -

Step 19

Use the point of a spudger or a fingernail to disconnect the front panel sensor assembly connector.

Step 20

Use the point of a spudger or a fingernail to disconnect the OLED panel cable connector.
To re-attach press connectors like this one, carefully align and press down on one side until it clicks into place, then repeat on the other side. Do not press down on the middle. If the connector is misaligned, the pins can bend, causing permanent damage.

Snap ‘em in like little Legos.

Ray Johnson - 20/11/20

Maybe the manual should flip step 17 and 18 (as the digitizer cable from 18, is in the way of the OLED cable of step 17) ?

Renout - 07/03/21

Step 21

Use the point of a spudger to pry the digitizer cable connector up from its socket.
This connector's recessed location makes it tricky to reconnect. Take your time and align it carefully, then gently press it into place with your fingertip—first one side, then the other. You should feel it click into place.
If any part of your screen doesn't respond to touch after your repair, disconnect the battery and then re-seat this connector, making sure it clicks fully into place and that there's no dust or other obstruction in the socket.

This was probably the hardest part other than trying to get the screen off with the crappy suction cups. I re-installed the bracket only the find out that the touch screen would not respond to touch. Had to remove the five screws, remove the bracket and reseat the recessed screen connector. Reseating the bracket took another 10+ minutes. I carefully used the angled forceps to grab the cable and align the connector being careful not to damage the cable.

Once you have the connector seated, I would reconnect the battery, power on the phone, and check the touch screen response before re-installing the bracket (step 13).

Tawan Khamapirad - 15/12/20

Yeah, this was probably the trickiest part of the reassembly. The power connector cable kept getting in the way so I moved it carefully but fully out of the way. Then it was a matter of fiddling around with it a bit and being careful not to force it on.

Jeffrey Hoy - 23/03/21

I was positive that I had messed something up, I had powered up the phone to test three different times and everything seemed find except there was no touch at all. On my fourth attempt, I carefully examined everything for dust and debris (blowing gently), and I did notice that a corner of the connector (more like part of the ribbon) was bent slightly, and I straightened it. I don't know if it was the ribbon or some tiny debris, but after reseating a fourth time, it worked.

Pol Llovet -

Very important part of the tutorial. Be careful and patience! In my case the screen and camera didn't respond after assemble, so I tried again to reconnect the connector like tutorial said and it worked well. Now my iPhone feel like a new one 💪🏼

Efrain Maestre -

Step 22

The front panel sensor assembly flex cable is lightly adhered in place.
Carefully lift the cable until the adhesive separates.

Do this sensor affect face id?

bonglkv - 14/12/19

It is part of the face id part so yes. This is the ear piece too so if the ribbon tears there is a chance the ear piece will stop working as well.

Stephen Patterson - 13/01/20

Be super careful handling this ribbon particularly. I did a battery install and, when I was done, I had a phone with a new battery and no Face ID. That’s a $300 Apple repair, and no 3rd party shop will touch it. I believe the ribbon lays vertically (i.e., perpendicular to the “floor” of the phone, against the side edge of the battery. During the re-install, I must have forced the ribbon into position after seating the connector, causing fatal flexing of the ribbon. (Don’t know this for sure, but I see another comment saying that this cable is part of Face ID.) Anyway, bottom line: BE CAREFUL REMOVING AND REINSTALLING THIS RIBBON!

Jonathan Pines - 31/05/20

My flex cable was more than lightly adhered in place. I needed to use a guitar pic or similar to help encourage adhesive to separate. I wouldn’t pull too hard like shown in pictures unless you had just the right grip on the ribbon cable so as to avoid damaging flex cable. See note above (5/31/20)

William Olstad - 16/01/22

Bizarre — it turns out my whole front panel sensor assembly came entire off of the front screen and is stuck to the logic board.

Karl Jarvis -

I also found the glue quite recluctant to release so I applied a second or two of heat using the wife's hair dryer which softened it and the cable lifted much easier then. Be careful not to apply too much heat though which could then impact other internal components.

LosBenitos -

Cho ít cồn 90° vào để mềm keo dễ tháo

huuhaukimngan -

my iphone x doesn't have a front panel sensor? in fact, it looks completely different than the picture???

Kenneth McLeod - 14/04/23

@kennethmcleod, most likely you've separated the screen frame from the screen itself. We see this most commonly when people neglect to remove the pentalobe screws next to the charging port. Usually the cure is to take out those screws, then repeat the screen removal process on the frame that's still attached to the phone.

Jerry Wheeler -

You don't need to disconnect the front sensor to change the screen. Just leave it connected and remove from the screen side.

Anthony Boshell -

Step 23

Remove the display assembly.
During reassembly, pause here if you wish to replace the waterproof adhesive around the edges of the display.

I tried this and broke the cable can it still repair

Alexis Rodriguez - 13/03/21

At this point I would have found it easier to remove the glue from the edges than later on when I was reassembling it. I bought the kit that had the replacement glue in it.

Grant -

Excellent guide! Would love to have a link to moving the sensor assembly from the old display to the new here.

Nicole -

CAUTION:

Removing the Taptic Engine or Speaker in next step is optional and the guide continues as this was per se needed.

Unnecessary work and also If you remove the speaker you lose the adhesive gasket and this is not included in the scope of delivery of the "Battery replacement" offering.

So do not remove and avoid losing waterproofing.

Julian Gonzalez -

Step 24

Be careful not to touch the three rows of grounding pads near the bottom of the iPhone.
Remove the seven screws securing the bracket below the Taptic Engine and speaker:
Two Y000 1.9 mm screws
One Y000 1.2 mm screw
One Y000 1.6 mm screw
One Phillips 2.4 mm screw
One Phillips 1.7 mm screw
One Phillips 1.5 mm screw

For battery replacement:

It is not necessary to remove Taptic Engine and speaker to replace a battery. Go straight to the step #33

Additional video: https://youtu.be/2GfBOlJEW10

Alexander - 28/05/20

I wish I seen this before I did all that! Thank you for that information. Next time I do something like this. I'm gonna pay more attention to the comments.

Eric Marino - 11/11/20

Removing the Taptic Engine and speaker greatly improves your chances of getting the battery adhesive strips out intact. If those break, you’ll have a much tougher time.

Jeff Suovanen - 27/01/21

Boy, I tried to skip removing these items but was unable to get the glue strips out with them in place, not much to grab and tabs were kind of stuck to a seam in the battery, and hard to tell the difference between the seam and the strip tabs. For me I had to remove these items to get this done.

marshallburchard -

I stopped removing things after getting the display side off. There were 3 screws stripped on the speaker cover which wouldn't come out so I punted. Just pried the battery out with a smudger tool and some patience, starting at the top and working towards the bottom. New battery is in and working fine.

Andy Price - 14/12/20

The 2.4mm screw identified as “green” needs a Y000 screwdriver

seb6po - 14/12/20

Thanks for not removing the following steps. this made me break the connector for the bottom speakers >:(

Andrew Romano - 26/01/21

The color codes are missing from my display — only on this step.

nat2 - 31/01/21

The screws color and quantities in list don’t match the schematic ! I wish i had a magnetic screw mat before starting, because not only i removed the Taptic Engine and speaker unnecessarily, but i also lost a screw ?

fb.mailing.lists -

For first timer, dont think its possible to skip these steps and remove battery. It’s hard to remove the glue

Wex -

Does anyone know the purpose of this bracket "with grounding pads"? What would be the possible side effects if it was damaged or not connected properly during reassembly?

Anne Aunyme -

I had to remove the tactic and speaker could not get the glue strips out so glad the steps to do so were in this guide.

P Bond -

Sure would like to know WHY the warning "Be careful not to touch the three rows of grounding pads..." What would or could happen if I did touch them??

Chad Gagnon -

Removing the battery strips is a major PITA, just skip this step and everything onwards, remove the one strip on the top part of the battery (according to step 33) and for the bottom part of the battery, pry it off with a plastic spudger.

Yes, this is not the elegant solution, but the quickest and easiest one. This method is better, as you don't want to keep the old battery anyway, so why bother. (You must not puncture the battery though! But as long as you're only working with a plastic tool and are careful, nothing can happen from my experience.)

speaker gasket -

Step 25

Lift the bracket from the edge nearest the battery. Don't try to remove it fully, as it's still connected via a small flex cable.

Step 26

While holding the bracket out of the way, use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the flex cable underneath.

Step 27

Remove the bracket.

My bracket was in two pieces.

Jim Steward -

Step 28

Remove the 2.1 mm Y000 screw securing the speaker connector cover.

L'unique vis non?

Easy Repair - 19/03/18

Effectivement ;-) Merci pour les bons yeux et la remarque !

Claire Miesch - 19/03/18

Step 29

Remove the speaker connector cover.

Step 30

Use the tip of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the speaker connector.

As mentioned in a comment by timblake2112 (see step 29), this step is not necessary and can be skipped skipped. I would advise you to do so, as removing your speaker is guaranteed to ruin your gasket and rubber seal. This will result in loss of water resistancy of your iPhone and could potentially harm the sound quality of your speaker.

Try removing the Taptic Engine without removing the speaker. It might still be possible removing the battery adhesive strips and your speaker will stay in its original condition.

speaker gasket -

Step 31

When prying up the speaker, take care not to damage the flex cable you just disconnected. If necessary, hold it to one side so the speaker has room to come out.
Insert a spudger under the top edge of the speaker near the edge of the iPhone's case.
Gently pry up and lift the top edge of the speaker.
When reinstalling the speaker, check the position of the flex cable and make sure it doesn't get trapped underneath the speaker.

Step 32

Hold the speaker by its side edges and rock it side-to-side, separating the adhesive securing it to the bottom edge of the iPhone.
Pull the speaker away from the bottom edge of the iPhone until the adhesive gasket separates.

Try removing the Taptic Engine without removing the speaker. It might still be possible removing the battery adhesive strips and your speaker will stay in its original condition.

speaker gasket -

Step 33

Remove the speaker.
The speaker's adhesive gasket is not reusable. Peel away any remaining adhesive residue with tweezers.
To help protect against water and dust intrusion, replace the adhesive gasket during reassembly. Prep the area by cleaning it with a bit of isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth or coffee filter so that the gasket adheres properly. Install a new gasket onto the speaker, and then install the speaker.

You don’t need to remove the speaker and ruin its gasket. You can wiggle and slide the taptic engine out without removing the speaker. I’ve done this twice on rear shell replacement jobs.

timblake2112 -

Maybe I'm a bit daft, but where's the instruction just how to line up the speaker gasket when replacing? I only have one so I'd like to avoid wrecking it. And I completely cleaned off the old one in order to do a good job of things. Why no simple instruction from part supply link?

MrRoundel -

Step 34

Remove the 2.3 mm Phillips screw securing the Taptic Engine.

Step 35

Use a spudger to disconnect the Taptic Engine flex cable by prying it straight up from its socket.

Step 36

Remove the Taptic Engine.

Step 37

The iPhone X's battery is secured to the rear case by four pieces of stretch-release adhesive—one on the top cell, and three on the bottom.
Each piece of adhesive has a black pull-tab at the end, which is lightly adhered to the side edge of the battery.

Step 38

Separate the first battery adhesive tab from the bottom edge of the battery.
Each tab has a small loop in the center; insert a tool through the loop if you're having trouble grabbing hold of the tab.
Don't jab the battery with any sharp tools. A punctured battery may leak dangerous chemicals or catch fire.

hole breaks instantly on pulling. adhesive tab does not release from side of battery

Dominick garton - 04/05/21

I had a lot of trouble with this. Only two came out properly and the others snapped off. I heated up the back of the phone with a hair dryer then used the flat end of the spudger to slowly pry it off right to left, bottom to top.

Grant -

just pry it off, why bother

speaker gasket -

Step 39

Repeat the above step to separate the remaining two adhesive tabs from the bottom edge of the battery.
Take care not to damage the speaker cable connector just below the center adhesive tab.

Step 40

In the following steps, you'll pull each tab to slowly stretch out the adhesive underneath the battery. This special stretch-release adhesive loses its tack when stretched and then comes out in your hand, allowing you to lift out the battery with ease.
If the strips break, don't panic! They don't always work as intended. Keep reading for some additional steps for removing broken strips.
To increase your odds of success:
Don't press down on the battery. Hold the iPhone firmly by its sides.
Keep the strips flat and unwrinkled as you pull.
Pull very slowly, giving the strip time to stretch and separate. It takes around 15-30 seconds of stretching to remove each strip.
Pull at a low angle so the strip doesn't snag along the bottom edge of the battery.
If a strip does break off underneath the battery and cannot be retrieved, move on to the other strips and then continue with the additional steps below.

Step 41

Grab one of the outer battery adhesive tabs and slowly pull it away from the battery, toward the bottom of the iPhone.
Pull steadily, maintaining constant tension on the strip until it slips out from between the battery and the rear case.
The strip will stretch to many times its original length. Continue pulling and re-grab the strip near the battery if necessary.
If the battery adhesive tabs break during the removal process, use your fingers or blunt tweezers to retrieve the remaining length of adhesive, and continue pulling.
If any of the adhesive strips break underneath the battery and cannot be retrieved, try to remove the remaining strips, and then proceed as instructed below.

I found it easier to grab the end of the adhesive strip sideways with narrow tweezers, "twirl " the tweezers to wrap the strip around them a few times, then gently pull the strip with the tweezers.

punkinann -

Step 42

Repeat the previous step to remove the strip on the opposite side, leaving the center strip for last.

Step 43

Remove the center strip, being careful not to snag it on the speaker flex cable.

Step 44

The final pull tab lies very close to the Face ID hardware. If damaged, Face ID can only be repaired by Apple, so work with care.
Peel and separate the pull tab on the final adhesive strip, on the top edge of the upper battery cell.

surtout ne pas passer avec la spatule par le bas, vous risqueriez d arracher la nappe du volume et du nfc,

Ludovic Klein - 21/04/21

Step 45

Pull and remove the final adhesive strip.
The strip may fling the battery when it separates from the iPhone, so hold your hand over the battery to secure it—but don't press down on the battery itself, or the added pressure may cause the adhesive strip to break off underneath the battery.
If you removed all four adhesive strips successfully, skip the next step.
If the adhesive breaks off underneath the battery and can't be retrieved, apply a few drops of high concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol under the edge of the battery in the area of the broken adhesive strip(s).
Wait about one minute for the alcohol solution to weaken the adhesive. Use the flat end of a spudger to gently lift the battery.
Don't try to forcefully lever the battery out. If needed, apply a few more drops of alcohol to further weaken the adhesive. Never deform or puncture the battery with your pry tool.
Be careful not to damage the ribbon cables or the wireless charging coil directly underneath the battery.
For alternative methods to unstick the battery from the case, continue to the next step below.

Step 46

If any of the adhesive strips broke off and the battery remains stuck to the rear case, prepare an iOpener or use a hair dryer to heat the rear case directly behind the battery.
Heat the iPhone until the rear case is slightly too hot to comfortably touch. Don't overheat the iPhone, or you may accidentally ignite the battery.
Flip the iPhone back over and thread a strong piece of string (such as dental floss or a length of thin guitar string) underneath the battery.
Wrap the ends of the string around a cloth (or wear gloves) to protect your fingers.
Pull the string from side to side in a sawing motion all along the length of the battery to separate the adhesive. This can take some time since the adhesive is slow to deform, but with patience it will come free. Do not deform or damage the battery.
If you choose to use pry tools to lift the battery out of the iPhone, use extreme caution or you may damage the ribbon cables or the wireless charging coil directly underneath the battery.

if you use a guitar string, remember NOT to use a METALLIC guitar string.

Ross King - 24/08/20

flexible plastic rules with alcohol work too

Wex -

I can confirm that IPA (Iso Propyl Alcohol) and, in my case, the plastic plectra in any iFixit kit worked a treat.

P Bond - 16/08/22

Step 47

Grasp the battery from the bottom edge and remove it from the iPhone.
If there's any alcohol solution remaining in the phone, carefully wipe it off or allow it to air dry before installing your new battery.
Reinstall the Taptic Engine and speaker before installing a new battery. This helps keep the battery aligned correctly during installation.
Before you adhere the replacement battery, temporarily reconnect the battery connector to the logic board socket. This ensures that the battery is properly aligned in its recess.
Adhere the battery, disconnect it, and continue reassembling your device.
If your new battery does not come with adhesive preinstalled, refer to this guide for help replacing the adhesive strips.
Perform a force restart after reassembly. This can prevent several issues and simplify troubleshooting.

When reinstalling the battery, the Taptic Engine does serve as a useful way to orient the battery, but it should also be noted that if you push right up against that as you install the battery (as I did) and don’t pay any attention to power connector (shown in step 14), there is a risk that the connector from the battery will not line exactly with the connector port on the board. Mine was only off a mm so I had to get a little creative to try to get it to stretch to reach and connect to the port on the board. Just keep that in mind as you place the battery (with adhesive) down.

Jesse Bolane - 15/03/20

Connect the battery first then put it in place. Other way it is hard to adjust power connector.

Alexander - 24/05/20

I would also HIGHLY suggest re-installing the speaker as well before installing the battery - it was a very tight squeeze as the bottom-right of the battery was snug against the speaker when I tried to get that back in.

cgtyoder - 19/09/20

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 the above steps in reverse order.

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

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

Author

Jeff Suovanen

Member since: 06/08/13

427153 Reputation

51 comments

In the store it says the iSlack is only for iPhone 5 and 6. In this review the iSlack is used (without tray). Does that mean it can be used on the iPhone X as well?

Ronald van der Meer - 18/04/18

@rvdm The little bracket in the middle of the iSclack is sized for iPhone 5, but that bracket is optional and very easy to detach. At that point you have a really great general-purpose suction tool that works for all kinds of devices (even bigger ones like tablets). I’ll see about updating the description on the store page to reflect that fact. ;)

Jeff Suovanen - 19/04/18

Have you all ever had a problem of the phone staying stuck on a percentage and takes so long to charge plz let me know because I just got my iPhone X and it take so long to charge and I got it brand new from AT&T

Cristan Montes - 01/06/18

bonne continuation

choukri “samourai dz” mouloud - 10/12/18

Esta solucionado el tema del Chip Texas instrument para baterias no reemplazadas en Apple, gracias.

FELIX MARQUEZ - 26/08/19

¿A qué te refieres con eso?

Tomas -

C’è un errore di traduzione al passo 33 BATTERIA , iphone X diventa iphone 8.

Marco

Marco Pautasso - 17/12/19

Ciao Marco! Hai occhi di lince! Grazie per il commento. Ho corretto la traduzione. Commenti di questo tipo sono sempre benvenuti. Hai anche la possibilità di adattare direttamente la traduzione, cliccando sull’icona “Traduci”. Saluti, Claire

Claire Miesch - 18/12/19

Note that my replacement battery was completely dead when I installed it, so when I tested it, I thought perhaps something wasn’t hooked up right. After removing the bracket for the connectors and reattaching the battery connector I tried again. Since that failed, I plugged the phone in. I got a “no charge” battery icon. After a few minutes I removed the phone from the charger. The phone stayed on with the “plug in the phone” icon, so I knew everything was put back together correctly.

Jon12 - 18/01/20

Critical Note! When installing the new battery make sure the connector lines up. The instructions mention having the speaker and taptic engine in place so I focused on squaring up with those. This was a mistake! Now my connector is 2mm too low and won’t line up. Not sure how I will fix this yet but hopefully I won't need to remove everything again.

Christopher Jones - 02/02/20

Where can I buy a genuine original iPhone X battery as amazon Walmart sells fake batteries

masrin - 21/05/20

You can not buy a genuine battery.

Alexander - 24/05/20

How to make out a genuine original battery from a fake one sold all over the globe?

masrin - 21/05/20

Super Set, auch toll das hier die Dichtung dabei ist. Akku lädt und zeit die %-Werte an. Beim nächsten Mal kauf Ichs gleich hier"! War jetzt schon die 2te Reparatur. Mittlerweile schaff ich das schon ca. 40 min ;)

Danke

Peter - 29/05/20

Aparecerá el porcentaje de la batería en el apartado de “salud”?

Gustavo González Martínez - 12/06/20

removing the components that are below the battery seems rather unnecessary to me, you could remove the battery without taking those out

Samuel Casas - 02/08/20

I had an issue with a swollen battery on a iphone X, the battery was pushing the display assembly and the phone couldn’t close properly. Replaced with new battery and all went fine. Great guide as always

Georgi Ivanov - 03/10/20

This battery already comes with battery health indicator or need to reprogram the battery ?

danial nabil - 01/02/21

Big thank you for introduction!

commaai - 20/02/21

It would be nice if this addressed the waterproof adhesive, mentioned in Step 6. Doesn’t pulling the phone apart make it no longer watertight?

Winston - 27/02/21

Instructions for replacing the adhesive seals are linked in the guide (Step 19). I wouldn’t count on your phone being waterproof after a repair, but a phone from 2017-2018 likely won’t be particularly water-resistant anymore, anyway. Those seals tend to degrade over time.

Jeff Suovanen - 02/03/21

Hi, I bought the battery from you and installed it exactly like your steps.

But after two days of use, a message appears to me that this battery is not original and its percentage cannot be read !!!

What to do now ???

Fahad Mohammad Fahad - 15/03/21

When changing the battery to a third party one, are there any notifications that appear such as “not a genuine battery” and does reprogramming the battery help prevent this.

Farjad Akram - 22/05/21

BE WARNED! THE IPHONE’S OUTSIDE IS VERY, VERY SHARP! I escaped with 4 cuts on my fingers.

AemVR - 29/05/21

I replaced two of these in one night. The first one worked great but the second’s OLED screen won’t come on. The phone is on because I can hear it charge when I plug it in, but for some reason the screen is dead.

Lucas -

If you’re buying the battery from iFixit I strongly suggest getting the full kit and not the battery-only option so that you get the glue and the gasket. Great guide, thank you!

Grant -

It is perfectly possible to do the replacement without removing anything other than the bracket and the battery connector.

This reduces the number of steps to about 10 and takes about 15 minutes.

Neil Roberts -

Awesome guide! I finished it, and now I have a fully working X

Just one thing: the video and the instructions differ on step 20, making the rest unnecessary according to the video guide. On the other hand, it may facilitate taking the glue off, especially for newbies.

Ed Oliver -

I don’t want to sound like “that guy,” but the cost of a battery replacement is only $69 at an Apple Store. This DIY solution, which can go t!ts up anywhere along the 43 steps, requires the purchase of parts that cost almost as much as just letting Apple do it. I love fixing/replacing/upgrading my hardware as much as the next guy, but this seems like a scenario where the majority of people would be better off visiting an Apple Store.

koelpien -

Except that authorized stores won’t replace a swollen battery, and neither will Apple. Otherwise yes, if the few hours extra and a few 10s of dollars is the additional price for a turnkey solution, most folks are better off having the work done for them.

Mike Hocker -

Was suffering from a hugely swollen battery so it made removing the adhesive pretty difficult (and I was being super careful since the battery had swollen so much). The “stretch and pull” with the adhesive was a no-go and I was hesitant to heat the phone. I ended up slowly pulling up on the battery at the top and gently working the adhesive away. It took some time, but worked out.

Great guide, as usual!

Patrick C -

Jeg har lige skiftet batteri på min iPhone X i starten kunne jeg kun oplade trådløst, men nu kan jeg slet ikke oplade Den reagerer slet ikke på noget mere den er helt død Hvad kan jeg gøre ???

enok -

The adhesive under the original battery broke. ALL TABS RIPPED APART! I have no floss nor metal guitar string. Help please. This is my only mobile phone. I need it 24/7.

vmm -

Commentary on swelled batteries: don’t tell Apple, they will mark your iPhone SerialNumber in their database as not repairable and you will never be able to get a battery replacement in the future (per Apple phone support, as we tried to get their swollen battery replaced by appointment). We are not happy campers, now I need to use up valuable time replacing the battery. At least replacing the battery is an option with the help of iFixit. (oh, and they won’t put in a new battery if I remove the old one either— although once the old one is removed the hardest part of the work is done)

Mike Hocker -

Wasn’t too bad, except some of the screws that need to be removed are tiny and I found out that my eyes are not the best anymore ?.

jabuka -

Many thanks for this great tutorial !! Just changed the battery of my 4 years old iPhone X, I’m very happy to have a fresh one inside !

Faabio -

Hello,

I have an iPhone X Model number MQAF2LZ/A bought in Perú and once I started removing the display I noticed it doesn’t open like in the pictures or video here. There is a connector behind the ear piece that connects to the main board and I can’t open it. I see if I force it I will break this connector. Have somebody worked with this model? and recommend where to buy a replacement display? The one I bought is for model number MQAF2LL/A (USA). (the ribbon cables look different)

John W - 25/01/22

Today I show you how to replace the battery of the Iphone X. We need one screwdriver, one suction cup, 1 iopener, 1 pair of tweezers, 1 plastic pry tool, and 1 spudger. Remember to turn off the power. The replacement can cause the loss of water resistance. To replace the battery for iphone X, do the following steps. Step 1, use the screwdrive to remove the screws at the bottom. Use Iopener to soften the adhesive. Clip the suction cup onto the screen and use a pry tool to pry out the screen. Lift up the screen 90 degrees on the right. Take off the small screws holding the battery cable and the motherboard. Next, use the tweezers to lift up the metal bracket. Use a spudger to pry away the battery connector and 3 display connectors. Use tweezers to remove the battery stripe. Remove the old battery. Reverse the above steps to install the new battery.

Hội Nguyễn -

This takes me like 2 mins no tools required and I reused the adhesives also so less waste . I dont pull anything or use tools bar a tri star….. Should be updated . Soak in alcohol slightly leave for 2 mins remove battery , dry and replace using old adhesive (which is perfect) no cleaning ….Digithaiz

Sam Barton -

Jeez I dont mind even making you a guide for this as its mostly sit and wait for all of the 5 mins max this takes!

Sam Barton -

Porcentaje de la Condición de la batería funcionará bien?

Inksane BēLCK -

Misma pregunta.

Tomas -

Hallo,

ich habe mein iphone x display und batterie ausgetauscht, allerdings bekomme ich die fehlermeldung

Apple erfasst die Hardwarekennungen Ihres iPhones, um unsere Dienste zu identifizieren und zu aktivieren.

İch habe mein iphone x damals in der türkei gekauft und leider komme ich nach weiter woran kann das liegen ?

mst Ozyn -

Excellent guide! Took about1,5 - 2 hours too including trying to remove all of that black sticky stuff! :) Should have bought some isopropanol... Aligning and fixing the new sealing was a bit tricky! Really had to think for a while which layer of plastic to remove first...

No problem removing the adhesive under the battery which never has worked on older iphones! pehww.... :)

Thomas Lundström -

Worked great. Only putting the display adhesive on was difficult. I am thinking about fixing the broken display now, because it maked so much fun!

Mike Stanke -

Personnellement je n’ai pas démonté les haut parleur et le bas de l’iPhone … j’ai directement chauffé à l’arrière et décollé la batterie …. Plus rapide et moins dangereux pour le reste

Dark Stig -

I don't know if it's common knowledge, but I just flashed on what the first sign of my battery expanding was. I used an Otterbox Defender case on my iPhone X. 3-6 months before the battery made its expansion obvious, the volume buttons started not working well. I thought it was the Otterbox. But now that I've replaced the battery the volume buttons are working fine. Somehow the battery was distorting the physical interface between the phone buttons and the case buttons. By the time I noticed the battery inflating, it had pushed up the display screen away from its frame. Apparently the battery was getting rather dangerous for possible setting itself ablaze.

MrRoundel -

0% Remaining cómo solucionar ??

Ernesto Salazar -

I replaced my battery just fine but now my screen is wonky. I’m getting yellow and black lines and it’s not working properly. I reattached everything twice but still no luck. Any body have the same issues or a fix? My screen was perfect before changing out my battery.

Jeremy -

This battery has to be reprogrammed to work with the health condition battery?

Tomas -

Thanks so much - this is exactly what I needed :)

Molly Floyd -