iPhone 5 Screen Repair

Introduction

For more advanced fixers, this guide will help you replace only the iPhone’s LCD + digitizer assembly (a.k.a. the bare “front panel”). This requires you to transfer several components from your original screen to the new one before installing it—including the front-facing camera, earpiece speaker, LCD shield plate, and home button assembly.

Step 1

  • If your display glass is cracked, keep further breakage contained and prevent bodily harm during your repair by taping the glass.
  • Lay overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPhone’s display until the whole face is covered.
    • ⚠️ Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from any glass shaken free during the repair.

Step 2

  • ⚠️ Before you proceed, discharge your iPhone battery below 25%. A charged lithium-ion battery can catch fire and/or explode if accidentally punctured.
    • Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.
    • Remove the two 3.6 mm Pentalobe screws next to the Lightning connector.

Step 3

  • In the following steps, you will be pulling the display up out of the phone body. The display is composed of a glass screen and a plastic bezel with metal clips.
  • Regardless of the tool you use, you need to be sure you pull up the entire display.
  • If the glass begins to separate from the plastic, as shown in the first image, slide a plastic opening tool between the plastic frame and the metal phone body to pry the metal clips out of the case.

Step 4

  • ⚠️ Do not try to completely remove the front panel assembly from the rear case, as there are several ribbon cables still attached at the top of the iPhone.
  • Once the clips have been released on the bottom and sides of the front panel assembly, pull the bottom of the assembly away from the rear case.
  • Open the display to about a 90º angle, and lean it against something to keep it propped up while you’re working on the phone.
  • Add a rubber band to keep the display securely in place while you work. This prevents undue strain on the display cables.

Step 5

  • Remove the following two screws securing the metal battery connector bracket to the logic board:
    • One 1.8 mm Phillips screw
    • One 1.6 mm Phillips screw

Step 6

Remove the metal battery connector bracket from the iPhone.

Step 7

  • Use a plastic opening tool to gently pry the battery connector up from its socket on the logic board.
    • ⚠️ Be careful not to dislodge the small surface-mounted components surrounding the socket.
    • ⚠️ Be very careful to only pry up on the battery connector itself and not the socket on the logic board. If you pry up on the logic board socket or the board itself, you may destroy the socket or damage nearby components on the board.

Step 8

  • Remove the following two screws securing the metal battery connector bracket to the logic board:
    • Two 1.8 mm Phillips screw
    • One 1.6 mm Phillips screw
  • After you remove the two screws, Lift the display cable bracket toward the battery to unhook it, and remove it from the iPhone.

Step 9

  • Use a plastic opening tool or a fingernail to disconnect the three front panel assembly cables:
  • Front-facing camera and sensor cable
  • LCD cable
  • Digitizer cable
    • ⚠️ Make sure the battery is disconnected before you disconnect or reconnect the cables in this step.

Step 10

Remove the front panel assembly from the rear case.

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