iPhone 12 mini Taptic Engine Replacement

Written By: Dominik Schnabelrauch

Comments: 5

iPhone 12 mini Taptic Engine Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

1 - 2 hours

Introduction

The Taptic Engine produces your iPhone's vibration and haptic feedback functions. This guide shows how to remove and/or replace the Taptic Engine in an iPhone 12 mini.

You’ll need replacement adhesive to reattach components when reassembling the device.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Before you begin, discharge your iPhone battery below 25%. A charged lithium-ion battery can catch fire and/or explode if accidentally punctured.
Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.
Remove the two 6.7 mm-long pentalobe screws at the bottom edge of the iPhone.

is it oem apple battery, because at some photo shows(Ifixit) and another shows (apple) ... wait your answer?

karim -

Step 2

Opening the iPhone's display will compromise its waterproof seals. Have replacement seals ready before you proceed past this step, or take care to avoid liquid exposure if you reassemble your iPhone without replacing the seals.
Heating the bottom edge of the iPhone helps soften the adhesive securing the display, making it easier to open.
Use a hairdryer or heat gun or prepare an iOpener and apply it to the lower edge of the iPhone for about two minutes in order to soften up the adhesive underneath.
If you have trouble during the opening procedure the adhesive most likely cooled down. Apply more heat to further soften the adhesive. Follow the iOpener instructions to avoid overheating.

you need to clarify that you're heating the metal frame, not the glass. I gently heated the glass front with a heat gun and proceeded to pull the display apart, destroying it. :-(

Jim Harger -

Step 3

The next two steps demonstrate the Anti-Clamp, a tool we designed to make the opening procedure easier. If you aren't using the Anti-Clamp, skip down two steps for an alternate method.
For complete instructions on how to use the Anti-Clamp, check out this guide.
Pull the blue handle towards the hinge to disengage opening mode.
Position the suction cups near the bottom edge of the iPhone—one on the front, and one on the back.
Push down on the cups to apply suction to the desired area.
If you find that the surface of your device is too slippery for the Anti-Clamp to hold onto, you can use packing tape to create a grippier surface.

Step 4

Push the blue handle away from the hinge to engage opening mode.
Turn the handle clockwise until you see the cups start to stretch.
Make sure the suction cups remain aligned to each other. If they begin to slip out of alignment, loosen the suction cups slightly and realign the arms.
Wait one minute to give the adhesive a chance to release and present an opening gap.
Insert an opening pick under the screen when the Anti-Clamp creates a large enough gap.
If the Anti-Clamp doesn't create a sufficient gap, apply more heat to the area and rotate the handle clockwise half a turn.
Don't crank more than a half a turn at a time, and wait one minute between turns. Let the Anti-Clamp and time do the work for you.
Skip the next two step.

Step 5

If you're using a single suction handle, apply it to the bottom edge of the phone, as close to the edge as possible.
If your display is badly cracked, covering it with a layer of clear packing tape may allow the suction cup to adhere. Alternatively, very strong tape may be used instead of the suction cup. If all else fails, you can superglue the suction cup to the broken screen.

Step 6

Pull up on the suction cup with firm, constant pressure to create a slight gap between the front panel and rear case.
Insert an opening pick into the gap.
The watertight adhesive holding the display in place is very strong; creating this initial gap takes a significant amount of force. If you're having a hard time opening a gap, apply more heat, and gently rock the screen up and down to weaken the adhesive until you create enough of a gap to insert your tool.

Step 7

Slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner and along the right edge of the iPhone, slicing through the adhesive holding the display in place.
Don't insert the opening pick too far underneath the front panel, or you may cause damage to internal components.

Step 8

Re-insert your pick at the bottom left corner of the iPhone.
Slide the opening pick around the bottom left corner and along the left edge of the iPhone, slicing through the adhesive holding the display in place.
Don't insert the pick very far, or you may damage the display cables along this side of the iPhone. Insert it only a few millimeters, or about the width of the display bezel.

Step 9

The top edge of the display is secured with both glue and clips.
Again, don't insert the pick more than a few millimeters—about the width of the display bezel—or you may damage the front panel sensor array.
Insert your pick underneath the top-right corner of the display panel.
Slide the pick around the top right corner. Because of the clips you might encounter some resistance.
Gently pulling the front panel assembly towards the bottom edge of the phone simplifies this step a little.
Slide the pick along the top edge and cut any remaining adhesive securing the display.

Step 10

Pull on the small nub on the suction cup to remove it from the front panel.
If you used an iSclack and it's still affixed to the iPhone, remove it now.

Step 11

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

Step 12

Remove the 1.25 mm-long Y000 screw securing the battery & display connector cover bracket.
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your iPhone.
During reassembly, this is a good point to power on your iPhone and test all functions before you seal the display in place. Be sure to power your iPhone back down completely before you continue working.

Step 13

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the battery & display connector bracket.
There are two little hinges on the right edge of the connector bracket. Make sure to align them with their counterparts during reassembly.

Step 14

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

Step 15

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

Step 16

Remove the five 1 mm-long Y000 screws securing the front sensor assembly cover bracket.

There is an error here. There are different screws. 2 large and 3 small.

zeidin09 -

Step 17

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the front sensor assembly bracket.

Step 18

Use a spudger or a clean fingernail to disconnect the front sensor assembly cable connector.

Step 19

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

Step 20

Remove the 1.3 mm-long Phillips #000 screw.
Remove the 2.1 mm-long Phillips #000 screw.
Remove the 1.6 mm-long Y000 screw.

Step 21

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the Taptic engine connector cover bracket.

Step 22

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

Step 24

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the Taptic engine.

Conclusion

Compare your new replacement part to the original part—you may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before installing.

To reassemble your device, follow the above steps in reverse order. Apply new adhesive where necessary after cleaning the relevant areas with isopropyl alcohol (>90%).

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

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our iPhone 12 mini Answers community for help.

2 comments

Well, I'm actually looking to replace the Lightning Connector Assy. It looks like the phone needs to be completely gutted to do this?

mastertape -

Hi mastertape,

sadly that's the case. In order to replace the lightning connector assembly you need to remove the screen assembly, speaker, rear facing camera, Taptic engine and the whole logic board. If you're lucky your lightning connector is just dirty. That's quite often the case. Before disassembling your whole phone try to clean the connector carefully with a wooden toothpick or similar. I hope that solves the problem for you.

Dominik Schnabelrauch -