iPad Mini 3 LTE Logic Board Replacement

Step 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 -

Step 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 -

Step 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 -

Step 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 -

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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 risk cracking the glass.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 14

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

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 18

Insert the previous pick deeper into the iPad and slide it away from the camera toward the corner.
Be very careful of the small antenna cable near the upper-right corner. Only slide the pick away from the camera—while sliding it in the opposite direction you may accidentally tear the antenna cable.

I broke the “small antenna cable”. Should have paid more attention to the fact that the LTE model is different from the WI-FI model. I have the LTE version. Oh well. I didn’t discover the break until reassembly so we’ll see what I’ve lost.

Leon - 23/10/20

I broke this cable too. Even though I’d read through this section before I got to it, when I was actually going through the process (with these photos and the text to hand) I didn’t appreciate the danger. If the photo linked to in the warning paragraph (showing the pick caught underneath the cable) was included in the main photos I’m very confident I’d have known exactly how to avoid the problem. It’d be worth tweaking the way this bit is presented. Thanks for the guide.

Graham -

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 22

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

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 27

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

Step 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.

Step 29

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

Step 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 you plan to reuse the front panel assembly, you will need to replace the display adhesive. Use our display adhesive application guide to reapply your display adhesive and reseal your device.

Step 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.

Step 32

Remove the following Phillips #00 screws securing the LCD:
Three 3.3 mm screws
One 4.5 mm screw
If there is tape covering any LCD screws, peel it up with tweezers.

I used the PH000 bit; PH00 was too large.

Yoron - 11/11/19

Step 33

Do not attempt to fully remove the LCD. It is still connected to the iPad by several cables at the home button end. Lift only from the front-facing camera end.
Insert the flat end of a spudger under the LCD between it and the LCD shield plate and lift gently.
Be very careful not to get the spudger under the shield plate. It must be between the LCD and the shield.
Even bending the LCD slightly can permanently damage it, so be extremely careful as you lift.

Peel up the thin foam tape attached to the very top of the LCD. Under it is a small strip of tape holding the top edge of the LCD down. You won’t be able to remove the LCD without first peeling back this tape. Trying to pry up the LCD without removing it will most likely bend the LCD.

mturner - 06/03/20

There is a problem that I ran into. This picture shows a wifi only model which does not have the LTE antenna up above. What I ran into is that on the LTE model the antenna has a slight lip that holds the LCD down. So on this model you actually have to lift the bottom portion up first just enough that you can then move the panel downward slightly then lift the top end of the LCD panel up past the lip on the antenna housing near the front facing camera at the top.

Dylan Fox - 24/10/20

Step 34

The LCD is secured by mild adhesive that should be loosened before you flip the LCD up from its shield plate.
Insert the spudger between the LCD and LCD shield plate and slide it to the far edge of the iPad.

Step 35

Two wide strips of tape connect the LCD to the speakers.
Hold the LCD with one hand, and the rear body of the iPad with the other.
Do not attempt to fully remove the LCD from the iPad.
Gently pull the LCD away from the speakers to separate the tape, being careful not to pull on the digitizer cable.

Step 36

Do not attempt to fully remove the LCD. It is still connected to the iPad by several cables at the home button end. Lift only from the front-facing camera end.
Flip the iPad LCD like a page in a book, lifting near the camera and turning it over the home button end of the rear case.
Be gentle and keep an eye on the LCD cables as you flip the display over.
Lay the LCD on the front panel glass to allow access to the display cables.

Step 37

Slide the tip of a spudger between the LCD and the adhesive tabs to free the display.
Push gently between each of the two adhesive tabs; be careful not to damage any of the nearby cables.

Step 38

Remove the seven 1.8 mm Phillips #00 screws from the LCD shield plate.

Step 39

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the LCD shield plate up and out of the iPad.
Remove the LCD shield plate.

Step 40

Remove the following Phillips #00 screws from the display cable bracket:
One 2.7 mm screw
Two 1.4 mm screws

Step 41

Remove the display cable bracket from the iPad.

Step 42

Use the flat tip of a spudger to gently lift the battery connector up off 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.

BE SURE TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY! If you don’t, when you put it back together the backlight will not light.

Owen Stevens - 02/11/17

And be sure to use something to block the connector from falling back and touching the battery connector again - a little tape or foam, or a piece of plastic will hold it safely.

info - 22/04/18

When I reassemble the iPad, must I first connect the display and then the battery? or do I have to reverse and connect the battery first and then the display?

Marco Santoro - 23/12/18

During reassembly this is where you want to reconnect the battery then power up the device to test. Make sure the LCD, digitizer, home button, etc., are functioning properly BEFORE you seal it up.

Jeana Morales - 21/08/19

Step 43

Use spudger to lift the LCD connector up off 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.

Step 44

Lift and remove the LCD from the iPad Mini.

Need to add step for disconnecting the plug for digitizer as well

ajnilges -

Step 45

Remove the following Phillips #00 screws from the left antenna:
One 2.6 mm screw
Two 1.5 mm screws

Step 46

Use the flat end of a spudger to loosen the foam adhesive securing the Wi-Fi antenna to the left speaker.

Step 47

Use the flat end of a spudger to fold the wide left-hand piece of tape away from the left speaker.

Step 48

Use the tip of a spudger to pry the antenna cable tape up from the rear case of the iPad.
Gently pull the antenna cable out of the way as you work along the piece of tape to free it and keep it from resealing.

Step 49

Pull the antenna cable from the clip behind the Lightning connector.

Step 50

Pull the wide tape toward the battery, applying constant force to peel it from the antenna cable lodged between it and the speaker.
Insert a plastic opening tool into the gap between the wide tape and the antenna cable, to break the adhesive connecting the two.
Slide the plastic opening tool along the length of the antenna cable to completely separate it from the piece of tape.

Step 51

Lift the antenna cable tape up from behind the right speaker.

Step 52

Pull the antenna cable out from under the corner of the right speaker.

Step 53

Remove the following Phillips #00 screws from the right antenna:
Three 1.5 mm screws
One 2.6 mm screw

Step 54

Use the flat end of a spudger to cut the foam adhesive securing the antenna to the right speaker.

Step 55

Pull the bend of the antenna cable out of the corner of the case.
Fold the antenna out of the way of the right speaker.

Step 56

Remove the following Phillips #00 screws securing the right speaker to the rear case:
One 1.9 mm screw
One 1.7 mm screw with a large head
There is a washer beneath this screw. Be careful not to pull up and lose the washer when you remove the screw.

Step 57

Remove the speaker contact washer from the iPad.

Step 58

Push the speaker with the flat end of a spudger to begin sliding it out of its recess in the rear case.

Step 59

Insert the tip of a spudger into the gap between the left speaker and the bottom left side of the rear case.

Step 60

Remove the speaker from the iPad.
During reassembly, make sure the two speaker contacts are placed above and below the screw hole on the Lightning connector.

Step 61

Use a set of tweezers to remove any tape covering the front-facing camera cable clips.

Step 62

Use a plastic opening tool to fold the front-facing camera cable clips outward, away from the cable, to free the cable connector.

Step 63

With the flat end of a spudger, lift the front-facing camera connector straight up off of its socket on the logic board.
Be sure to only pry on the connector, not the socket itself.
Gently fold the front-facing camera cable towards the camera, moving it out of the way of the cable under it.

Step 64

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

Step 65

Use a plastic opening tool to fold the headphone jack cable clips outward, away from the cable, freeing the cable connector.

Step 66

Pry the headphone jack cable's connector up from its socket on the logic board.
Be sure to only pry on the connector, not the socket itself.
Lift the headphone jack cable up out of the way of the logic board.

Step 67

Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the top left antenna cable connector up from its socket on the logic board.
Be sure to only pry on the connector, not the socket itself.

Step 68

Remove any tape from the rear-facing camera cable bracket.

Step 69

Use a plastic opening tool to push the rear-facing camera cable bracket to the left.

Step 70

Use the tip of a spudger to lift the front edge of the bracket.

Step 71

Remove the bracket with tweezers.
During reassembly, hook the top edge of the plate in place first, then lower the bottom into its slots before sliding it to the right.

Step 72

Remove the following three screws securing the upper right antenna to the rear case:
Two 1.3 mm #00 Phillips screws from the side of the antenna's socket.
One 1.8 mm #00 Phillips screw.

Step 73

Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the upper right antenna's coaxial connector from the logic board.
Gently bend the cable tab up out of the way of the logic board.

Step 74

Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the upper right antenna connector.
Fold the cable up out of the way of the logic board.

Step 75

Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the rear-facing camera cable from its socket on the logic board.
Be careful to only pry on the connector, not on the socket itself.
Fold the rear-facing camera cable out of the way of the logic board.

Step 76

Remove the 1.8 mm Phillips #00 screw securing the case button cable bracket.

Step 77

Remove the case button cable bracket from the iPad.
Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the case button cable connector straight up out of its socket on the logic board.
Fold the cable out of the way of the logic board.

Step 78

Use the point of a spudger to lift the two antenna cable connectors straight up off of their sockets on the logic board.

Step 79

Use the point of a spudger to pull the antenna cable clip toward the battery to allow access to the cables.

Step 80

Deroute and remove both antennas from the iPad.

Step 81

Remove the following Phillips #00 screws securing the left speaker to the rear case:
One 1.9 mm screw
One 1.7 mm screw

Step 82

The screw through the Lightning connector has a small washer resting on the speaker contacts. Be sure not to misplace it.
Remove the speaker contact washer from the iPad.

Step 83

Insert the tip of a spudger into the gap between the left speaker and the bottom left side of the rear case.
Push the spudger in to slide the speaker out from its recess in the rear case.

Step 84

Push from the Lightning connector end with the flat end of a spudger to free the speaker from the lip of the rear case.

Step 85

Remove the speaker from the iPad.
During reassembly, make sure the two speaker contacts are placed above and below the screw hole on the Lightning connector.

Step 86

The battery is held to the iPad case with some adhesive that will need to be heated in order to be separated.
Heat an iOpener and place it in the center of the back of the iPad case.
After a minute, reheat the iOpener and place it on the right side of the iPad, the side farthest from the camera.

Step 87

Throughout the following procedure, you'll be sliding thin plastic cards between the battery and rear case of the iPad to separate the adhesive securing the battery in place. Be careful to keep the cards as flat as possible to avoid bending the battery, which may damage it and cause it to release dangerous chemicals.
Insert a plastic card under the battery from the Lightning cable connector end of the iPad.
If you encounter significant resistance, re-heat the iOpener and repeat the previous step to give the adhesive more time to soften.

Step 88

Remove the plastic card and insert it under the cell nearest the edge of the case.

Step 89

Insert a second plastic card beneath the battery on the logic board side near the front-facing camera.

Step 90

Remove the second card and reinsert it under the battery near the headphone jack.

Step 91

Grasp both cards and slowly pull the case-side cell of the battery up about two inches from the rear case.
Peel slowly and try not to bend the battery cell.

Step 92

Move the right-hand card up under the other battery cell.

Step 93

Push the left-hand card up toward the logic board.

Step 94

Grip both cards and use them to lift the battery up off the rear case.
Remove the battery from the iPad.

Step 95

Peel up the tape covering the Lightning connector cable.

Step 96

Use a set of tweezers to remove the small plastic covers on the screws in the Lightning connector housing.

Step 97

Remove the two 2.8 mm Phillips #00 screws from the Lightning connector housing.

Step 98

Remove the single 1.3 mm Phillips #00 screw from the logic board.

Step 99

The logic board is held in place by two strips of adhesive.
One under the upper component tab, and one under the Lightning connector ribbon cable.
In the following steps pry only where directed so as to avoid damaging your logic board.

Step 100

Place a heated iOpener on the bottom of the rear case for one minute.

Step 101

The Lightning connector cable is stuck to the case with some adhesive. To detach the adhesive you will be sliding an opening pick between the cable and the case. Be very careful not to cut the Lightning connector cable itself.
Carefully insert an opening pick under the ribbon cable near the Lighting connector housing.
Slide the opening pick toward the logic board, but stop half an inch from the bend in the cable.
Continuing farther along the ribbon cable risks cutting it.

Step 102

Reinsert the opening pick under the Lightning connector ribbon cable from the case-side edge.
Slide the pick along the Lightning connector ribbon cable and under the logic board.
Move slowly and carefully. If the opening pick does not slide easily, apply more heat and try again. If you use excessive force, you will likely slip and sever the Lightning connector cable.
Leave the pick under the Lightning connector cable to keep the adhesive separated.

Step 103

Reheat the iOpener and place it at the top of the rear case of the iPad for one minute.

Step 104

Carefully slide a second opening pick under the logic board to the right of the front-facing camera.
Try to keep the opening pick as flat as possible to avoid bending or breaking the thin tab of the logic board.

Step 105

Carefully insert the flat end of a spudger between the rear-facing camera and the top of the logic board.
Pry the logic board up enough to grab it with your fingers.
Be extremely careful not to damage the rear-facing camera cable, or any logic board components.
If the logic board does not lift easily, there may still be adhesive holding it to the rear case. Try sliding the pick farther before prying again.

Step 106

Lift the logic board by the camera end and gently pull the Lightning connector housing out of the rear case.
Remove the logic board from the iPad.
If there is any resistance from the Lighting port cable stop pulling to avoid ripping the cable. Slide the opening pick under the length of the cable again to fully free it from the rear case.

iPad Mini 3 LTE Logic Board Replacement

Introduction

Tools

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