iPad Mini Wi-Fi Headphone Jack Cable Replacement

Schritt 1

We recommend that you clean your microwave before proceeding, as any nasty gunk on the bottom may end up stuck to the iOpener.
Place the iOpener in the center of the microwave.
For carousel microwaves: Make sure the plate spins freely. If your iOpener gets stuck, it may overheat and burn.

I didn't find this to be as hard as I had built it up in my mind to be; HOWEVER, saying that I need to say years ago I was the local Nokia service center in my town. But many years ago right after they got rid of analog times. Yeah. A classic installer/repairer mistake when starting something they haven't fixed or installed before is picking up the instructions, flipping through them; maybe even reading a section that is new-then tossing the instructions over the shoulder. "I got this." This usually comes right before something major gets broke. And I can tell you when you try to do it yourself and then mess it up horribly then take it to the repair shop. Well we called that "I can do it myself" syndrome and charged extra to put back together what they brought in in the box. Now knowing all this - I can't stress this enough because I am stupid, stupid, stupid. COVER YOUR SCREEN IN CLEAR BOXING TAPE AND READ ALL THE INSTRUCTION BELOW THROUGH TO THE END BEFORE EVEN ATTEMPTING THIS FIX. Take my advise.

windizy - 06/12/16

I didn't have an iOpener, so I used a wheat type heat bag. If you do this though, make sure you put a layer of plastic between your Mac and the bag, or you'll get condensation in places you don't want it.

Martin Gray - 29/12/16

I started out using the iOpener but switched to my wife's hairdryer. A heat gun or hair dryer proved to be much more convenient and is a time saviour. You can heat more and the glue becomes more fluid make the next steps with the opening picks much easier

Jan Van Puymbroeck - 30/01/17

I know this is obvious, but backup your iPad with iTunes before you start. I'd also turn off your passcode if you have one.

Laurie Higgins - 19/07/17

Ther first time you heat up the iOpener for this repair when its room temperature I had to heat it up for more than 30 seconds. I remember I had to heat it up for around 45 seconds. However, after that when you need to reheat it again during the repair 30 seconds will be enough.

Yousef Ghalib - 16/09/17

I used the wheat bag in a sensor microwave heating up to 65-70 deg C (155 def F).

ian cheong - 22/06/19

Get yourself a cherry pit bean bag the size of your iPad. Heat it, put the iPad on it for 3 to 5 minutes or so, reheat the cherry pit bean bag, again put your iPad on it. Then heat the iOpener and start working. The cherry pit bean bag will have to be reheated several times, but it will soften the adhesive so you have less problems with the iOpener

Tim Feyaerts - 13/07/19

The heating can be done very effectively (and quickly) with 3d printer heated bed. Make sure the bed is clean. Set the temperature to 60c, (130f ) and put the ipad face down for +/- 10 minutes. Repeat as needed throughout the “gentle prying” stages.

polleyphony - 28/12/19

The iOpener did not work at all for me.

I had to use a heat gun and bring the edges of the case up to ~200 degrees (used an infrared thermometer to measure) before the glue would weaken. This obviously superheated the metal frame, so I also had to wear gloves to handle the phone while prying the back off with the included picks.

Mike Jeanette - 29/12/19

Repair instructions worked like a charm. Had to be patient with the iOpener and getting the screen off. I tried repeatedly without success until shifting the suction cup a bit to the left side where perhaps the glue had loosened up a bit more.

Kyle - 05/01/20

The iOpener, in my opinion, is of no help. Many warnings to say “don’t warm it too much”, but the glue doesn’t melt if not warm enough. As a result, a complete waste of time and energy. In addition, too much liquid in it, so it doesn’t lay on the device on a sufficient surface. I took a hairdryer and it worked much much better.

laurentvidu - 01/02/20

I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method.

breadandbits - 24/07/20

My experience. I was replacing the screen which had been cracked and a little shattered in some places. The iopener is pretty much useless, so was the suction cup. The suction cup would probably be more useful if I was doing something besides the screen. Also you probably want the clean the screen before using it so it can get good suction. I used a hair dryer on high for a couple of minutes at a time (someone on this tread suggested that). I used my exacto knife and a razor blade to get into the adhesive. First the exacto to get the initial cut, then the razor blade to go a little deeper. Could have probably just used the razor blade, but the exacto has a little more finesse. I got the razor blade in and a little under the glass then I used the picks to wedge in. I didn’t want to risk anything using the razor blade too much. Used tape to keep the shattered glass together.

trebor65 - 11/10/20

My experience pt2

Fortunately the shattering was mostly on the edges and most of it had adhesive on the back so it stuck together. Just take your time and work your way around following the guide to get the screen off. Have some goof off or goo be gone to clean the frame when putting the new glass on or putting the existing one back. (someone suggested that also, very good idea). Be careful of the LCD (you should know that). The cable on my LCD was pretty tight, so I propped it up while taking the cable cover off and when I put it back on I did the same thing. I just put a bottle on the battery and leaned the back of the LCD on that while attaching the cables and putting the screws back on the cover. Also be careful with the home button and the bracket on the back of it. I had enough old adhesive on left on the bracket that it stuck back to the new glass fine. So far only 12 hours in, so we will see how that holds up when the kids get at it.

trebor65 - 11/10/20

Another alternative if you do not have the iopener is to use a bed time hotwater bottle. Do not over fill it though. Just put enough hot water in to support the phone while you work around the adhesive.

I use both the hot water bottle and iopener together on Samsung's. It makes life easier

gazza667 - 16/11/20

I followed the directions and heated my iOpener for 30 seconds in a 1000 watt microwave, and it came out at 160 degrees F, as verified by a infrared thermometer. This allowed me to separate the last bit of the back of my Samsung S8, which was already coming off due to a swollen battery (hence the reason for the repair).

Dennis - 10/01/21

Hallo,habe den Akku erfolgreich getauscht.Doch seitdem gibt es bei Telefonaten eine Rückkopplung für den anrufenden.Bei mir ist alles normal.Woran liegt das?Mfg

Manu R - 05/02/21

If you follow these instructions, you will crack your screen like I did. Heating the iOpener for 30 seconds, using it to melt glue, then waiting 10 minutes to reheat is useless. The iOpener can be used to maybe warm the glue on whatever side you aren’t working on. You need a hairdryer and/or a heat gun to melt the glue and separate the glass from the iPad.

Anyone want to buy an old iPad with broken glass and a dead battery?

mpulliam - 07/02/21

Not everybody has a microwave. You should provide a target temperature for the iOpener and instructions for a conventional oven, or pot of warm water, or whatever. Although I will probably use a heat gun …

Esmond Pitt - 03/04/21

Three times heating opener and no luck. Tried pressing down gently on opener with a towel, and the opener broke. Wondering if I now replace table mats, fancy table cloth, etc. or will this stuff wash out.

Not impressed so far. Maybe the hair dryer next.

doug - 23/04/21

I support the comments about the iOpener. Everyone has a hair drier, FHS, so get a cheap IR thermometer (£18) and blow heat until the area is 60+ deg C. Still takes w while, and getting the screen off is v scary, but just add more heat if you feel resistance.

The rest of the kit is good, esp the magnetic screwdrivers.

Richard O'Brien - 22/05/21

No, everyone does not have a hairdryer. Some of us don’t even have hair. Thank goodness I already had an IR thermometer, though.

nin10doh -

#### WARNUNG WENN MINIMALSTER SPRUNG IM DISPLAY IST FUNKTIONERT DAS NICHT!!! ######

Hatte einen winzigen, minimalen Sprung im Display. Ich dachte es könnte gehen, weil der Sprung “abgeschlossen” war. Er hat in einer Ecke ein winzige Glasteil rausgeschnitten. NEIN! Geht nicht. Habe alles mit viel Geduld dem iOpener und einem Föhn erhitzt. Es ist trotzdem sofort über das komplette Display zersprungen…

T z - 06/06/21

I’ve started with iOpener but changed very quickly to a heatgun. That was more efficient.

Mizzoo, s.r.o. -

I could not get the iOpener hot enough to melt the glue on my ipad 6. I heated for 45 seconds once and it was boiling and it still never worked. Thank goodness contributors mentioned using a hair dryer. Using an 1700w hair dryer on high did the trick to get the screen off. Still took some time and the case got pretty hot but be patient. It took twice as long and a lot more patience to get the battery out.

Randal Haufler -

I have an Ipad with touch screen issue, if i replace this part it should be Ok?

janderson martin -

WARNING - DO NOT MICROWAVE ON A METAL MICROWAVE RACK

The metal microwave rack can heat up and melt through the iOpener cover letting the contents leak out.

Not a big issue for me as I have a heat gun and used that instead.

Run Up A Tree -

I opened my iPad with the iOpener. Be patient! It may take quite a bit longer to it the iOpener in the microwave than it says in the guide. My microwave can only do 800W and I had to put the iOpener in several times (maybe a total of 90-120 seconds). I recommend that you have the transparent side up an watch the bag carefully. As long a the bag doesn't bloat up and the liquid doesn't start bubbling you should be fine. But I recommend to take the iO out from time to time to check it. (More comments in Step 6.)

marcelflueeler -

I gave upon the I opener and used a hairdryer. (Fixed an iPad 6)

Tom Weber -

iPad mini gen5. I used the iOpener. My microwave is 1200w with carousel. 30 sec got the iOpener to 155ºF. For the 2nd heating, after 10 minutes sitting, the temp was still around 125º so I only cooked it for 15 sec. Not enough increase so +5 sec more which me to 165-170ºF. This should be considered ballpark info because who knows the real output of the various microwaves and the quality of the IR tool used to determine temp.

To successfully open my iPad mini I applied the iOpener twice to the left edge and twice to bottom. & once to R edge. Using the suction cup was difficult for me (I'm in my 70's so my hands don't work too well anymore). I had trouble holding the guitar pick and slipping them in (at an downward angle). In the end, sliding my thumbnail along the edge opened it very slightly and allowed the pick to get into the gap. I marked the ends of all my picks with a sharpie pen for the recommended 2mm insertion to avoid going in too deep. To get the screen open it took me approx 1 hour.

jharrison -

Schritt 2

Heat the iOpener for thirty seconds.
Throughout the repair procedure, as the iOpener cools, reheat it in the microwave for an additional thirty seconds at a time.
Be careful not to overheat the iOpener during the repair. Overheating may cause the iOpener to burst.
Never touch the iOpener if it appears swollen.
If the iOpener is still too hot in the middle to touch, continue using it while waiting for it to cool down some more before reheating. A properly heated iOpener should stay warm for up to 10 minutes.

I had to heat mine up for more than 30 seconds. After 30 seconds on high it was only warm. It had to keep trying different times and checking it until it got hot. I think the initial time that I put it in for was over a minute.

whale13 - 22/12/16

DO NOT USE IN NON ROTATING MICROWAVE! It will pop a hole. I had it in for 45 seconds the first time. It wasn't very hot inside and I saw it started to leak on the paper towel I put under it. Just a fair bit of advice. I think I will just stick with the heat gun. Loud but useful.

Alex Jackson - 13/01/17

I heated mine up for 30 seconds, tested, then again for 30 seconds. It felt adequately hot. Leaving it on the left side, per the instruction, for a minute did not loosen the adhesive. I ended up pulling the suction cup hard enough to shadder the old screen. Moral of the story, I don't think it gets hot enough safely to have an affect.

Travis Dixon - 14/07/17

There is a clear problem here with the heating part using the iopener things....no details are given. Whoever is testing them needs to make it clear - What temperature does it need to be? And for which phone models, because they differ in what's needed. It's only £10-15 for a laser guided temp sensor unit, and the designers/repairers should have one of those already for doing these kinds of repairs. Explaining half a repair, is worse than not explaining at all :-(

assortedrubbish - 29/08/17

All phones/devices differ it’s unrealistic and unsafe to put a exact time/temperature needed to soften the adhesive. It’s really quite simple you warm the device evenly and in a controlled manner just enough to enable pry tools and picks to begin separating. Best tool in my opinion but again this is because I have experience is a hot plate and heat gun both of which are used at nearly the lowest settings and I can handle flat palming the plate for almost 10 seconds I leave the device to conduct heat until approx it’s about 110 at most 120 ish this will be plenty to soften all the adhesive if any problem areas I use heat gun while prying. Again you need go slowly and learn with a throw away phone

Greg Latta - 12/09/19

I used a hot water bottle, works well as it covers the whole screen and stays hot for longer.

dave - 01/12/17

If I may suggest include your microwave wattage so people can get an idea on time for there own

Patrick Storey - 01/01/18

I agree with this.

Jarl Friis -

I ended up using a hair dryer. That iOpener thing took forever.

mark fitzgerald - 24/04/18

30 seconds sure isn’t cutting it… 45 didn’t get the screen of my iPad air 2 to budge either… even after resting on the ipad for 4 minutes.

60 seconds in the microwave, the iOpener burst.

I’ll get a new one and try once more with heating it 45 seconds and repeat that for 30 minutes like others have said here. If that doesn’t work it’ll have to be the heat gun.

K

Karl Marble - 06/07/18

I can’t recommend the microwave. If the the iOpener becomes too hot, it bursts. Better put the opener in cooking water. Dry it and use it. Instead of an iOpener you can use hot/cool packs as well.

Bernhard Keim - 30/01/19

Great idea with using the heat packs. I will try that next time. Thank you

Collins -

Trust the directions! I forgot and left it in the Microwave too long and after 1 minute I had Mt Vesuvius - the iOpener burst and spewed the goodies out. The problem is, the Digitizer can be damaged by a hot air gun, so I had to tough out and remove the glue the hard way. I made it … with lots of patience! Tough lesson.

Larry Bennett - 24/02/19

I also used a hairdryer. I used it on the low setting and I cut a piece of carboard to protect the rest of the screen. The iFixit tool and method is vert tedious and very time consuming in comparison. With the hairdryer method you can literally have the display apart in a few minutes. Using your other hand nearby the area you are heating it should be very hot but not enough to burn your hand. You only have to heat metal part of case near glass edge. If you have a cellular model then you need to be very careful because the black antenna area is plastic. So less heat and work your way up in adding heat just enough to separate around the area but not so much you melt the plastic!

Fixrights - 30/04/19

iOpener was the worst part of the kit. Followed directions for :30 in microwave and took 4 trips to the microwave to loosen adhesive on left side of home button. I thought I was figuring it out and it was working well… even set a timer to wait 10 minutes between heating it up. Was on the right side and was on my 12th heat up when it exploded in the microwave. My only tip is that if you set it clear side up, as soon as you see any bubbles or boiling in the liquid, STOP! If you put a pot holder over the iOpener and press slightly to make good surface contact, that seemed to help. I finished heating with a “Corn Sack” that held heat better than the provided iOpener.

digital_only - 13/10/19

Mon iopener n'a pas tenu une réparation. Je ne vous conseille pas ce produit

Berard Romain - 23/12/19

Bonjour,

Nous sommes désolés que votre réparation ne se soit pas déroulée comme prévu. Il se peut que le produit était défectueux. Veuillez contacter notre service client support@ifixit.com (boutique américaine) ou eustore@ifixit.com (boutique européenne) en décrivant ce qui s’est passé.

Claire Miesch - 23/12/19

Readers looking for temperature advice might check the comments of the previous instruction, as there are more there. I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method.

breadandbits - 24/07/20

Thank you for posting some actual temperatures. I have a heat gun with a very fine self-temperature regulation setting capability.

I will set it for 150-180 F, and use that to soften the adhesive.

G Trieste - 05/02/21

Get a heat gun.

alesha adamson - 09/09/20

I followed the directions and heated my iOpener for 30 seconds in a 1000 watt microwave, and it came out at 160 degrees F, as verified by a infrared thermometer. A second heating about 15 minutes later in the micro and it came out at 190 degrees F. Plenty hot enough to soften the adhesive for removing the back on my S8. Based on the comments above I think people just need to use more patience.

Dennis - 31/01/21

I used various time settings. It got very hot. It would soften the glue but not a whole lot. If my screen had been intact and I was replacing something that was not a digitizer, it may have worked. A broken screen makes the process significantly more difficult. I ended up breaking the home button cable. Good bye TouchID…

cvela90 - 23/06/21

After reading previous comments I didn't even use the i-opener. Used the heatgun ( hairdryer ) which works great for me. Maybe I was lucky as this is my first attempt at replacing a cellphone battery. Motoz 3

Collins -

It appeared 30 seconds were not enough, so I heated it more, by 5 seconds at a time until I got the right temperature about 70 degrees Celsius (measured with infrared pistol) to get the screen heated up to 60 C, the best for softening the glue. But the heat was quickly dissipating by the big aluminum back cover, so the best I got in 2 minutes of applying iOpener was around 45 C, which made the procedure difficult and having risk of breaking the screen. So I eventually abandoned iOpener and user a hot air gun with precise temperature setup. I set it to 90 C, which allowed me to open my iPad quickly and safely.

Sergey Kofanov -

I, too, ended up using a hot air gun. I’ve done earlier versions of iPad before but the adhesive used on this IPad 5 A1822 was particularly difficult to remove.

Also, while the suction cup worked great when the glass is in tact, any cracks in the glass make the suction cup useless.

manningrl -

You need to remember here are different sizes of microwaves. I had the same issue.

Heating on a smaller unit I used 45-60 seconds. That worked but was time comsuming

William Draheim -

Schritt 3

Remove the iOpener from the microwave, holding it by one of the two flat ends to avoid the hot center.
The iOpener will be very hot, so be careful when handling it. Use an oven mitt if necessary.

I did this repair. I used a hair dryer, I think it works better: gets very hot fast.

Cobus de Beer - 22/07/18

I did too, you get far more control and no expense on fancy equipment.

Billinski -

Readers looking for temperature advice might check the comments of the previous instruction, as there are more there. I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method. I don’t know how much microwaves vary in heating consistency with these pads, but knowing how inconsistent the temperature of a bowl of plain rice gets in my microwave, I wasn’t interested in even trying to use it for this.

breadandbits - 24/07/20

I used an electric griddle set to the lowest setting. It seemed to work very well.

John - 07/09/20

I vote for the hair dryer. The other methods work too but if you aren’t having any luck, switch to the hair dryer. While holding the iPad in my hand, I found that I am aiming the dryer at my finger at the same time and it gauges how hot it is. I stop when my finger can’t take it - maybe five seconds up close. Repeat as needed like I did.

Robin - 02/10/20

This thing melts when placed up side down in the microwave…

Mark -

If the maximum temperature for this iOpener is lower than the gadget glue minimum temperature, this device does not make sense.
I think the maximum temperature for this iOpener is below 100⁰C and most gadget glue minimum temperature is higher than 100⁰C. So the iOpener is useless for many opening steps in repair guides. But who knows because temperature range is not specified for this iOpener.

Jarl Friis -

Schritt 4

If you don't have a microwave, follow this step to heat your iOpener in boiling water.
Fill a pot or pan with enough water to fully submerge an iOpener.
Heat the water to a boil. Turn off the heat.
Place an iOpener into the hot water for 2-3 minutes. Make sure the iOpener is fully submerged in the water.
Use tongs to extract the heated iOpener from the hot water.
Thoroughly dry the iOpener with a towel.
The iOpener will be very hot, so be careful to hold it only by the end tabs.
Your iOpener is ready for use! If you need to reheat the iOpener, heat the water to a boil, turn off the heat, and place the iOpener in the water for 2-3 minutes.

What do I do if I don’t have a iopener?

alexdelarge103@gmail.com -

Use a hair dryer

Edited To the max -

2 or 3 cups Rice in a sock, heat for about 2 minutes. But, I recommend the iopener.

Robert Garcia -

When boiling in water you can put the iopener in a ziplock to keep it dry.

Robert Garcia -

Schritt 5

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 iPad's display until the whole face is covered.
This will keep glass shards contained and provide structural integrity when prying and lifting the display.
Do your best to follow the rest of the guide as described. However, once the glass is broken, it will likely continue to crack as you work, and you may need to use a metal prying tool to scoop the glass out.
Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes, and be careful not to damage the LCD screen.

In case of broken glass, here are some hints:

- I prefer 3M "3350" tape; a metalized polypropylene tape with an acrylic adhesive. It's a very thin, silvery HVAC tape, not your standard duct tape.

- Test your tape to make sure it sticks really well to the glass.

- Use isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel to remove fingerprints and other dirt to help the tape stick to the screen.

- Use the widest tape you can find, and apply it evenly, without trapping bubbles, without crinkles: This greatly improves your chance of success with the suction cup later.

- Cut tape pieces long enough and go over the (rounded) edge; afterwards carefully run a scalpel alongside the edge (between bezel and glass) to trim off any excess.

- Don't overlap edges of the tape: butt-join them instead.

- If needed: repeat in other direction.

- If needed: Cut square piece of tape (size of suction cup) and place it where you want to lift the glass, so that the suction cup doesn't cover any butt-joins.

Good luck, you brave person!

volty - 30/03/16

This is the second broken screen I’ve fixed. Overlapped package tape carefully stuck to the glass and trimmed to the edges will contain most of the shards. I found that a hair dryer works for softening the glue. After getting under an edge with the suction cup I carefully followed the opening sequence using a combination of plastic picks and a single edge razor blade to get under the small pieces. It was slow going with lots of reheating with the dryer (about 45 minutes), but the taped glass came off without glass everywhere.

Bill Roughen - 05/12/17

Schritt 6

Handling it by the tab, place the heated iOpener on the side of the iPad to the left of the home button assembly.
Let the iOpener sit for about five minutes to soften the adhesive beneath the glass.

I worked at it for over 2 hours before deciding to microwave the opener for 45 seconds at a time. That seemed to do the trick.

jaromhyde - 19/12/15

Schritt 7

Carefully place a suction cup halfway up the heated side.
Be sure the cup is completely flat on the screen to get a tight seal.
While holding the iPad down with one hand, pull up on the suction cup to slightly separate the front panel glass from from the rear case.
Be careful to only lift the glass enough to insert an opening pick—any more and you may risk cracking the glass.

This step is totally pointless if you have a shattered screen. The suction cup is rendered useless. Any tips on what to do if you can't get any suction due to a shattered screen?

robloomis - 16/07/15

just pick out the glass shards if it is cracked that bad you are better off scrapping the digitizer

Ethan Chow - 24/12/15

for shattered screens I cover the screen with tape. I find packing tape works best for me.

George - 02/01/16

Schritt 8

While holding the glass up with the suction cup, slide the point of an opening pick into the gap between the glass and body of the iPad.
Don't insert the opening pick any deeper than the black bezel on the side of the display. Inserting the pick too far may damage the LCD.
Pull the suction cup's plastic nub to release the vacuum seal and remove the suction cup from the display assembly.

you have to pull up on the suction cup harder than you might be comfortable with!

jfaulks1 - 17/01/19

thanks jfaulks1 (I did not copy and paste lol)

iliketrains kid -

Schritt 9

Reheat and reapply the iOpener.
Be careful not to overheat the iOpener during the repair procedure. Always wait at least ten minutes before reheating the iOpener.
Let it rest for a few minutes to reheat the left edge of the iPad.

Schritt 10

Place a second opening pick alongside the first and slide the pick down along the edge of the iPad, releasing the adhesive as you go.
Throughout the rest of the procedure, if you encounter significant resistance to sliding picks beneath the glass, stop and reheat the section you're working on. Forcing the picks risks cracking the glass.

Schritt 11

Continue moving the opening pick down the side of the display to release the adhesive.
If the opening pick gets stuck in the adhesive, "roll" the pick along the side of the iPad, continuing to release the adhesive.

Schritt 12

Take the first pick you inserted and slide it up toward the top corner of the iPad.
If you can see the tip of the opening pick through the front glass, don't panic—just pull the pick out a little bit. Most likely, everything will be fine, but try to avoid this as it may deposit adhesive on the front of the LCD that is difficult to clean off.

Schritt 13

Reheat the iOpener and place it on the top edge of the iPad, over the front-facing camera.
Be careful not to overheat the iOpener during the repair procedure. Wait at least ten minutes before reheating the iOpener.
If you have a flexible iOpener, you can bend it to heat both the upper left corner and the upper edge at the same time.

I left my iOpener on the bezel the entire time I slid picks in. worked great

jfaulks1 - 17/01/19

Schritt 14

Slide the opening pick around the top left corner of the iPad to separate the adhesive.

Gezz this is though! Cracked the glass while replacing it.

Padraic Hoselton - 26/02/18

:( sad (rip glass lol)

iliketrains kid -

Schritt 15

Slide the opening pick along the top edge of the iPad, stopping just before you reach the camera.
The third image shows where the front-facing camera and housing are in the iPad.
Avoid sliding the opening pick over the front-facing camera, as you may smear adhesive onto the lens or damage the camera. The following steps will detail how to best avoid disturbing the front-facing camera.

Schritt 16

Pull the pick out slightly, and slide the very tip gently along the top of the front-facing camera section of the top edge.

Schritt 17

Leave the opening pick in the iPad slightly past the front-facing camera.
Take a second pick and insert it to the left of the camera, where the first pick just was. Slide it back to the corner to completely cut any remaining adhesive.
Leave the second pick in place to prevent the corner adhesive from re-sealing as it cools.

Schritt 18

Insert the previous pick deeper into the iPad and slide it away from the camera toward the corner.

Shattered my screen pretty bad here, making it so that whenever I continued to move the pick the glass separated and I couldn’t continue moving it. Be VERY gentle moving the pick; almost no force is required.

Jasper Holden - 25/08/19

Schritt 19

Leave the three picks in the corners of the iPad to prevent re-adhering of the front panel adhesive.
Reheat the iOpener and place it on the remaining long side of the iPad—along the volume and lock buttons.

Schritt 20

Slide the top right opening pick around the corner to fully release the top edge of the glass.
Leave this pick in place to keep the adhesive from re-sealing itself, and grab a new pick for the next step.

Schritt 21

Insert a new opening pick and slide it to the middle of the right edge of the iPad, releasing the adhesive as you go.

Schritt 22

Continue to slide the pick down the right edge of the iPad, releasing the adhesive.

Schritt 23

Leave the opening picks in place and reheat the iOpener.
Remember not to overheat the iOpener—no more than once every ten minutes.
Set the reheated iOpener on the home button end of the iPad and let it rest for a few minutes to soften the adhesive beneath the glass.

Schritt 24

Slide the lower left pick to the lower left corner to cut the adhesive on that corner.
Leave the pick at the corner. Do not pry any farther, and do not remove the pick from the iPad.
There are quite a few things to avoid beneath the lower bezel, so study the third image closely:
Antennas
Home button cavity
Digitizer cable
The following steps will direct you where to pry to avoid damage to these components. Only apply heat and pry where directed.

Schritt 25

Leave the pick from the last step in place to prevent the adhesive from re-sealing.
With a new pick, slice gently over the left-hand antenna, stopping before the home button.
Only slide the pick from the outer edge toward the center of the iPad. Do not move the pick back toward the outer edge, as moving in this direction may damage the antenna.
If you need to slide the pick over the lower section more than once, remove it and re-insert at the outer edge, and slide inwards.
Leave the pick in place before moving on.

Schritt 26

Insert the tip of one last pick next to the previous step's pick, and slide it beneath the home button.
Stop about an inch from the right-hand side to avoid cutting the digitizer cable.
Insert the pick slightly deeper and work it back toward the home button.
Again, be sure to only slide the pick toward the center of the iPad when it is fully inserted; otherwise you may damage the antenna beneath the glass.

Schritt 27

Reheat and reapply the iOpener to the top bezel of the iPad.

Schritt 28

Be very careful with this step. Take your time and ensure the adhesive is hot and soft, and that you've been through all of the adhesive with an opening pick. Don't be afraid to stop and reheat.
At the top of the iPad opposite the home button, you should have a pick lodged into each corner. Twist the picks to lift the glass slightly, separating the last of the adhesive along all four edges.
If you encounter a significant amount of resistance, stop twisting. Leave the picks in place, reheat, and reapply the iOpener to the problem areas, and run a pick through the sticking point one more time.

Schritt 29

Lift slowly and gently to further detach the adhesive along the lower edge.

Really, add a few more pics and a few more picks, see how long and difficult you can make this guide. 26 steps to get the top screen off is ridiculous.

B. A. Computer Services - 17/01/23

Schritt 30

Once all of the adhesive has been separated, open the front glass like a page in a book and rest it on your workspace.
If reusing the front panel assembly during reassembly, you will need to replace the display adhesive. Use our display adhesive application guide to reapply your display adhesive and reseal your device.

I recommend wearing latex gloves or be sure not to put too many finger prints on the front or back of this front glass when lifting it or completing the remainder of the steps. I made this mistake and upon installing the new LCD and putting the iPad back together I realized that I left a few finger prints on the inside of the front glass. After re-securing the adhesive strips putting the iPad back together there are now unremovable fingerprints visible when the LCD is turned off. Just a recommendation on the gloves or be sure to wipe both sides of the front glass clean before putting all back together.

Christian Screen - 13/01/20

Schritt 31

The front-facing camera housing may stick to the front panel; peel up the housing and place it back over the camera to protect it.
Rock the camera housing up on one edge to free it from the adhesive and remove it from the front panel.
Return the front-facing camera housing to its recess in the rear case.

this didn’t happen to me BUT the glue was still sticking to the top of the glass because one pick had gone OVER the glue and the other under, so I had to pull the glue off and cut it with scissors

jfaulks1 - 17/01/19

OK this was glue, it was the tape from step 35!

jfaulks1 - 17/01/19

Schritt 32

Small pieces of foam tape cover the top and bottom right-hand screws securing the LCD to the rear case.
Use tweezers to peel up and remove the rectangular piece of foam tape covering the top right LCD screw.
Remove the triangular tape covering the lower right LCD screw.

Schritt 33

The top left LCD screw may be covered by adhesive tape from the front panel.
If the tape is present, use the flat end of a spudger to pry the tape up and away, exposing the LCD screw beneath.

Schritt 34

Remove the four 3.9 mm Phillips #000 screws securing the LCD to the rear case.

In my case the 4 screws are not the same. One is 4mm, and 3 of 3.5mm, or better 2 x 3.5mm and one 3.45mm. I put the longest one at the left edge at left of the LCD flat cable.

mitja

Mitja Jankovic - 21/06/14

Hi Mitja. I just checked the measurements with an electronic digital caliper. I got 3.9 mm for all four screws. Are you sure it was the same model? Thanks.

Walter Galan - 15/07/14

The top left screw is longer than the other 3 - iPad mini Retina Wi-Fi.

sandro - 24/11/14

On mine the top right screw is longer

oliver - 25/05/17

top right is longer on an ipad mini 2 retina wifi 32GB

sagert - 15/01/18

ipad mini wifi no screws are longer

iliketrains kid -

Schritt 35

Use a pair of tweezers to peel up the small piece of tape connecting the LCD frame to the right speaker.

I wonder what does this sticker stands for…

K8L - 02/02/18

what sticker?

iliketrains kid -

Schritt 36

A thin strip of foam tape on the LCD frame is covering a piece of tape connecting the LCD to the panel beneath it. To proceed, you'll have to break and peel up some of the foam tape to expose the tape hidden beneath.
Use a pair of thin tweezers to pull up the top of the foam tape surrounding the LCD.
Be careful not to touch the LCD with the tweezers, as you may damage the display.
Use the tweezers to peel the foam tape up to expose the top of the LCD.

Schritt 37

Insert the tip of a spudger between the LCD frame and the tape on the top of the LCD.
Slide the spudger along the space between the LCD frame and tape, separating the tape from the LCD frame.

I finished a successful replacement of my screen following these instructions. Thanks.

Step 36 (remove tape from LCD perimeter), however, seems unnecessary. I ended up spending a lot of time separating the tape from the LCD frame only to discover it was not necessary for steps 37-44 and actually made things really difficult for step 45-46 (removing the tape near the speakers). Finally, steps 45-46 can be skipped since it is much easier to remove this tape once you flip the LCD over (Step 55).

Kenneth Snyder - 17/04/17

Schritt 38

The LCD is glued to the metal LCD shield plate behind it along the top, left, and right edges. In order to safely loosen this adhesive, you'll be using a guitar pick to shift the LCD a couple of millimeters left and right several times.
Insert a guitar pick into the gap between the LCD and rear case, near the top of the left side of the LCD.
Bend the pick slightly away from the iPad, just enough to spread the gap between the LCD and rear case.

I found a very simple method for removing the LCD from the metal shield. Slightly lift one of the top corners and insert a 1' piece of fishing line. Insert the line under the other top corner placing the length between the LCD and shield. Once in place, gently pull each end toward the bottom of the LCD breaking the adhesive as you go. This will make things much easier than using the picks and possibly breaking the LCD.

bababooey - 17/07/17

The fishing line trick is amazing… although i had already broken the LCD when i saw that comment. Good Learn!

Brandon Lukasik - 24/10/17

This step is what destroys my LCDs :(

Dan Harris - 18/12/17

Just destroyed my LCD as well. A red warning remarking is missing here! The LCD assembly is very fragile an cannot be bent, even slightly!!

brauliox - 15/09/18

I have broken about 10 of the 50 or so iPad minis that I have repaired. I always try to have a LCD on hand. I’ll have to try the fishing line trick!

northstar - 21/11/18

I also recommend doing step 45 first (removing the two pieces of foam tape at the bottom).

northstar - 21/11/18

I was able to do this the first time w/out damaging the LCD simply by following the instructions to the letter, slowly and carefully. The only thing I did differently was to follow Northstar’s instructions to remove the two pieces of tape at the bottom of the LCD before beginning.

Jenny Lawson - 12/03/20

I found a good way to remove the LCD without breaking it. Once you finish to clean up around the LCD just lift a bit one of the white metal backing plate and insert in the gap a plastified playing card under le LCD and slowly make your way to the center of the LCD. Repeat on the other side and the LCD will lift up intact.

lemerise - 26/07/20

nothing Brocken after

(I did not read the comments before doing it lol)

iliketrains kid -

Schritt 39

Insert the guitar pick into three more locations down the left side of the LCD and bend it over in each location, to slide the LCD over to the right side of the rear case.

Schritt 40

Now switch to the right side of the LCD, and pry with the guitar pick in several places along the side to shift the LCD back to the left.
Repeat this and the previous step a few times, until the LCD is easily moved left and right.

Schritt 41

In the next few steps, you'll be sliding a spudger between the LCD and the metal backing plate to fully separate the LCD from the adhesive beneath.
Insert the flat end of a spudger between the LCD frame and the metal backing plate.
Be sure to get the spudger between the LCD frame and backing plate, and not beneath the plate. Prying up on the plate will damage it, because it is screwed down to the rear case beneath the LCD.

Schritt 42

Starting at the top right of the device, slide the spudger in between the LCD frame and metal backing plate, which will separate the adhesive as you push.
The goal is to separate the adhesive, not to pry the LCD up, so keep the pointed tip of the spudger as low as possible to prevent bending the LCD.
If inserting the spudger causes the corner of the LCD to bend up, repeat the steps with the guitar pick to further loosen the adhesive.

These steps were hard. I was too scared that I was going to brake the LCD. Luckily I got it off! Don’t know how delicate these things are and how much force they can take.

Padraic Hoselton - 26/02/18

me to it was hard

iliketrains kid -

Schritt 43

Repeat the previous procedure along the top of the LCD.
Insert the flat end of the spudger between the LCD frame and metal backing plate and gently push the spudger in across the top of the device, separating adhesive.

Schritt 44

Continue with the left side of the LCD: insert the flat end of the spudger between the LCD and shield plate and insert the spudger as far as it will go.
At this point the LCD should be loosened from the adhesive holding it. If it is not, re-insert the spudger on the right side or top to fully free the LCD.

Schritt 45

Lift the LCD up a couple inches from the rear case to ensure it's free from the adhesive.

When I did it I found that the adhesive sticking was mainly on the edges, so if you take a spudger and just break that adhesive carefully it will help. Be gentle lifting the lcd as it’s very breakable.

Jasper Holden - 07/09/19

Schritt 46

Two wide strips of tape connect the LCD to the speakers.
While holding the LCD with one hand, Insert the flat end of a spudger into the gap between this tape and the left speaker.
Gently pull the LCD away from the speakers while rotating the spudger outward to separate the tape from the speaker.

I recommend removing these two pieces of foam tape prior to loosening and lifting the LCD.

northstar - 21/11/18

Schritt 47

Insert the flat end of the spudger into the gap between the right speaker and the LCD tape.
While pulling the LCD away from the speakers, rotate the spudger outward, widening the gap and releasing the tape from the speaker.

Schritt 48

Flip the LCD over and rest it on top of the front panel glass.
Do not attempt to remove the LCD from the iPad, as it is still connected by its data cable.

Schritt 49

Remove the following screws securing the LCD shield plate to the rear case of the iPad:
Two 2.6 mm Phillips #00
Thirteen 1.7 mm Phillips #00
One additional 1.7 mm Phillips #00 on some devices.

At the iPad mini retina Wi-Fi there are only 7 screws.

sandro - 24/11/14

On my iPad Mini (Gen 1 WiFi; A1432), these are not #00 screws, but #000 screws. They're much tinier than the first four screws that held the LCD tabs in place. The #00 driver sorta works, but requires a lot of force to get traction. The #000 driver works like a charm, though.

volty - 30/03/16

On my 1432 there were mixed in 4 tiny #000 screws holding the shield plate aong the right side. Looks like these can be mixed in without consequence as they are shorter anyway

gfriedman99 - 29/10/16

I have a missing plate and screws

Keah Smith - 07/11/19

Schritt 50

Insert the flat end of a spudger underneath the center of the LCD shield plate from the bottom end of the iPad.
Pry up on the spudger to free the plate from the sides of the rear case.

Schritt 51

Remove the LCD shield plate from the iPad.

theres a lip on the rear case that prevents you from lifting this straight out, be careful to not bend the plate.

jfaulks1 - 17/01/19

Once the LCD is clear of the shield, wiggle a long plastic spudger up the center between the shield and the battery to gently bend the shield. That will help in getting it away from the sides and make it easier to come out.

Bill Shannon - 26/01/19

Schritt 52

Remove the three 1.3 mm Phillips #00 screws securing the connector shield to the logic board.
Be sure to not substitute these three screws with any other screws, specifically the screws securing the LCD shield plate to the rear case of the iPad. Any slightly longer screws may strip the screw holes and result in irreparable damage to the logic board.

Note: These three screws are smaller than the rest of the screws holding the larger LCD shield although they look similar. If you substitute the larger screws, you will pop a screw bracket which can damage the board on both the mini original and mini 2 retina. I just wrote a blog post about how this happens: http://mendonipadrehab.com/entries/gener...

jessabethany - 10/07/14

Hi jessabethany. Thank you for the warning. I read your blog post and found it to be very informative. Thanks for adding the warning to the step. It will most definitely help others avoid any damage to the logic board. Thanks!

Walter Galan - 15/07/14

Be careful: At iPad mini retina Wi-Fi there are thw short and one longer screw! Don't mix them!

sandro - 24/11/14

Schritt 53

Use a pair of tweezers to grasp and remove the connector shield from the iPad.

Schritt 54

Use a plastic opening tool to gently pry the battery connector up from its socket on the logic board.
Be very careful to only pry up on the battery connector and not on the socket itself. If you pry up on the logic board socket, you may break the connector entirely.

Make sure you disconnect the battery. If not and ipad is still on you can have problems with the LCD backlight. To fix that problem you have to solder

Mattis -

I may be experiencing the backlight problem you mentioned. What connection needs to be soldered?

Grillwrecka -

Have an issue - heard that if you don't disconnect the battery a fuse is blown. I need help to fix the blown fuse.

Andrew Kivell - 27/03/15

There is an extensive thread in Answers about iPad mini backlight problems.Th screen stays black after a digitizer replacement.

jessabethany - 27/03/15

After unplugging the battery place a guitar pick in-between the two connections.

While continuing to work on the iPad you may inadvertently cause the two connections to touch.

Michael Vovaris - 08/07/15

Yeah, you need to put the pick in between the connections so the battery doesn't touch the logic board connector and blow a fuse and make your backlight not turn on. You really don't want to have to solder the 2 connections together, especially if you don't know how, like me! I will use your comment's advice when working.

WolfyHD - 20/07/17

I put a piece of cellotape on the contact side of the connector and could happily forget about it while getting on with the rest of the repair.

Rory Filer - 28/12/17

Schritt 55

Use a plastic opening tool to pry the LCD connector from its socket on the logic board.
Do not pry against the large IC next to the connector, or you may break it. Gently pry from the side of the connector as shown.

Putting the iPad back together: While plugging the LCD Connector back in, take your time finding the socket on the logic board. Do no use pressure until you are certain it is seated properly. Trust me, if you take your time you will know its seated correctly.

Michael Vovaris - 17/03/15

Does it shares the same shape/size of the LCD connector between the ipad mini wifi only WHITE and the other one ipad mini 32gb BLACK?

muhammadbukhari10 - 31/12/19

Schritt 56

The LCD is still connected to the rest of the iPad by two wide strips of adhesive tape that run up from the inside of the rear case to the front bottom LCD frame.
While holding the LCD with one hand, insert the flat end of a spudger between the LCD and tape on the iPad's right side.
Slide the spudger outward, separating the tape, while gently lifting up on the LCD to pull it away from the tape.
It may help to twist the spudger, to spread the gap the rest of the way and separate the LCD from the tape.

Removing this tape and such to take the LCD off completely is unneccessary when replacing just the glass and digitizer, the digitizer cable is easily removed without further work to the LCD

Dave Davidson - 20/06/14

When this tape damage, how we can take a new?

Muhammed Kilic - 16/12/17

When this tape are damage, how we can order and take a new one?

Muhammed Kilic - 16/12/17

Following from Nick H’s comment about LCD removal being unnecessary - I tried that first and got my broken glass OUT of the assembly by threading it thru a limited space beneath the LCD. Later when trying to reseat the digitizer connector I gave up and removed the LCD anyhow. Not that much extra work but a LOT easier to install the digitizer and reseat the connector without having to navigate around the LCD and its cable. Removal of the tape holding the LCD was easy - there are two short lengths of rubber or foam along the bottom edge of the LCD that faces the outside world. Remove those(save them) and then _carefully_ peel up the tape; I saw some metallic looking residue underneath. Later when re-assembling everything, I put the tape back and then those two short lengths of foam.

Rory Filer - 28/12/17

on mine this tape was already loose.

jfaulks1 - 17/01/19

Schritt 57

While still holding the LCD up with one hand, move on to the iPad's left side and repeat the previous step's procedure to separate the second piece of tape.
Insert the flat end of a spudger between the LCD frame and tape, and slide outward while gently lifting up on the LCD.

Schritt 58

Lift and remove the LCD from the iPad Mini.

Schritt 59

Be very careful to pry evenly on the digitizer connector, and not on the socket at all. The socket and connector are very delicate and if you damage either, your digitizer won't work.
To minimize stress on the socket, try prying under the short edge of the connector, rather than the long edge which is shown in these images.
Gently pry the digitizer connector up from its socket on the logic board.

Schritt 60

Gently pry the digitizer cable board up from the rear case.

Be careful not to dislodge any of the surface mount components next to the connectors. This is sometimes a reason for the digitiser not working.

Simon -

There is adhesive holding it down, so it may take some time to get it off. It helped me to push with my spudger on the piece with the yellow text instead from the same side.

Jasper Holden - 07/09/19

I put the iOpener under the iPad to weaken the adhesive for this step.

Nathan Lloyd - 06/02/21

Schritt 61

Lift and remove the front panel from the iPad.

== After step 55 ==

Before installing your new digitizer (front panel), make sure to put the necessary bends on the new digitizer's ribbon cable. Look at the old panel that you've removed to see the bends that you'll need to make. Without doing this, once you are at the last step of laying down the digitizer, the cable may bunch-up in between the glass and the iPad's aluminum frame. Thus, it will not allow that corner to sit flush and glue down. If you didn't make the bends, you can use the tweezers at that point to situate the cable. It is just easier to do this beforehand. Do not make the bends as if you were folding paper. You run the risk of damaging the ribbon by doing so. You just want enough pressure to make the cable retain a bend. Again, look at and copy the cable from your old panel.

Good Luck!!!!

Mike -

If your panel is shattered, you may want to have some canned air to get rid of all those pesky little glass pieces that fly everywhere. I used a Giottos air blaster because that is all I had at my disposal.

Mike -

might be better to use a vacuum for safety reasons. you really dont want glass shards all over the place

gfriedman99 - 29/10/16

If your case corners are damaged from being dropped, seal across the corners with wide packing tape, then grind them out carefully with a small motor tool. Use a corner piece from the broken screen (adhesive side upwards) as the template. Keep removing aluminium until screen piece above fits snug and flat. Remove all traces of metal filings before reassembly.

Jennifer Fordyce - 16/01/18

Good tip! Most times the corners are damaged.

northstar - 21/11/18

Schritt 62

Use a pair of tweezers to peel up and remove the small piece of tape covering the front-facing camera cable connector.

Schritt 63

The front-facing camera cable connector is secured with pieces of tape that wrap up around the sides of the cable and are fastened to two small metal plates.
Use a plastic opening tool to gently pry the lower metal plate up from the front-facing camera cable connector.
Being careful not to break the plate or the tape attached to it, pry it up and fold it away from the front-facing camera cable connector.

Schritt 64

Gently pry the second metal plate up from the front-facing camera cable connector.
Again, carefully pry the plate up and away from the front-facing camera cable connector.

Schritt 65

Use a plastic opening tool to pry the front-facing camera cable's connector up from its socket on the logic board.

Schritt 66

Gently fold the front-facing camera cable upwards (roughly at a 90-degree angle), exposing the bottom side of it.

Schritt 67

Use a pair of tweezers to peel up and remove the small piece of tape covering the headphone jack cable connector.

Schritt 68

The headphone jack cable connector is secured with pieces of tape that wrap up around the sides of the cable and are fastened to two small metal plates.
Use a plastic opening tool to gently pry the lower metal plate up from theheadphone jack cable connector.
Being careful not to break the plate or the tape attached to it, pry it up and fold it away from the headphone jack cable connector.

Schritt 69

Gently pry the second metal plate up from the front-facing camera cable connector.
Again, carefully pry the plate up and away from the front-facing camera cable connector.