iPhone 13 Battery Replacement

Written By: Kyle Smith

Comments: 10

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

1 - 2 hours

Introduction

iPhone batteries are rated to hold 80% of their capacity for up to 500 charge cycles, which lasts roughly 18-24 months for most users. After that, your iPhone may need to be charged far more frequently, and iOS may warn you that performance is affected (in other words, your phone will run slower). Use this guide to replace your battery and restore your iPhone to like-new performance.

If your battery is swollen, take appropriate precautions.

Note: In this guide, the loudspeaker is removed to lower the chance of a battery adhesive strip breaking. It’s possible to remove the battery without removing the loudspeaker.

Note: After the repair, your iPhone may display a warning about the “genuineness” of the battery, even when using original Apple parts. If your iPhone functions normally, you can safely ignore the warning. Replacing the battery will remove the battery health and performance functions.

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

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Caution: 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 6.8 mm-long pentalobe P2 screws at the bottom edge of the iPhone.
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.

Step 2

If your iPhone has a cracked screen, keep further breakage contained and prevent bodily harm during your repair by taping over the glass.
Lay overlapping strips of packing tape over the iPhone's display until the whole face is covered.
This will keep glass shards contained and provide structural integrity when prying and lifting the display.
Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from any glass shaken free during the repair.
If the broken glass makes it difficult to get a suction cup to stick in the next few steps, try folding a strong piece of tape (such as duct tape) into a handle and lifting the display with that instead.

How to detect my Iphone what screen it is, OLED or LCD?

sabrihakulii - 08/07/20

It’s OLED. You can find the specs here, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201296

When you find your phone, at the bottom of the description click on, See the tech specs…

mcr4u2 - 23/08/20

The included suction cups were stiff and worthless. They would not lift the screen. Also, I tried every type of tape on the screen to help the suction cups stick without success. Heavy duty suction cups were for my bathroom also failed. However, I had an old GoPro mount with some preapplied double sided 3M VSB tape and stuck that on the screen near the bottom. Magic! This method had the added bonus of being able to use a GoPro attachment as a handle to lift the screen, and propped up the screen like a kickstand in step 12.

Tawan Khamapirad - 15/12/20

Very cool! Thanks

Antonio -

My screen was pretty stuck… would not budge. Heated, super glued the suction cup, tried gorilla tape. Ended up doing the GoPro mount with 3M VSB tape method mentioned. Worked great. That 3M tape is the bomb.

Rich Wachtel - 03/05/21

The included suction cup took a few tries but ended up working for me.

charlotte -

If you have flat feeler gauges (for adjusting engine valve tappet clearance, ignition points … old school) the .003 thick goes right in. Work your way up until you can get the pick or supplied pry tool in.

William Olstad -

where can I buy 3M VSB plis!!

gerardo artigas cuellar -

3M VHB tape is at auto stores and other big box stores, or online.

nicO Gurney -

I used the tweezers that came with the replacement screen and jammed one of them into the glass and that eventually worked. Heating with a blow dryer is also important. The suction cup was helpful in loosening the adhesive for sure, but just not enough to get the display to come out.

J Olin -

Step 3

Heating the lower 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 a minute in order to soften up the adhesive underneath.

Step 4

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 5

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 steps.

Step 6

If you're using a single suction handle, apply it to the bottom edge of the phone, while avoiding the very edge of the glass.
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 7

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 opening pick.

Step 8

Heating the edges of the iPhone will make it easier to cut through the adhesive securing the display.
Apply heat to the left edge of the iPhone for about one minute to soften the adhesive underneath.

Step 9

Slide the opening pick around the lower left corner and up the left edge of the iPhone, slicing through the adhesive holding the display in place.
Don't insert the pick more than 2 mm or you may damage the display cables along this side of the iPhone.

Step 10

Apply heat to the right edge of the iPhone for about one minute to soften the adhesive underneath.

Step 11

Re-insert your pick at the bottom edge of the iPhone, and slide it up the right side to continue separating the adhesive.
Don't insert the pick more than 2 mm or you may damage internal components.

Step 12

Apply heat to the top edge of the iPhone for about one minute to soften the adhesive underneath.

Step 13

The top edge of the display is secured with both glue and clips.
Insert your pick into the right edge of the phone. Slide it around the top-right corner and across the top edge.
Don't insert the pick more than 1 mm or you may damage the front panel sensor array.

Step 14

If you haven't removed your suction handle or iSclack, remove it now.
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 15

Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the three 1.3 mm screws securing the battery and display connector cover.
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 16

Remove the cover.

Step 17

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 18

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

Step 19

Remove three screws securing the front sensor connector cover:
One 1.7 mm Phillips screw
One 1.3 mm Phillips screw
One 1.8 mm Y000 screw

Step 20

Swing the cover up from the center of the phone until the small clip by the edge of the phone unhooks.

Step 21

Remove the cover.
During reassembly, insert the clip on the left edge into its slot first, then hinge the rest of the cover into place.

Step 22

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

Step 23

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

Step 24

Use a Phillips driver to remove the four 1.7 mm screws securing the loudspeaker.

Step 25

Remove the loudspeaker from the iPhone.

Step 26

The battery is secured to the rear case with four pieces of stretch-release adhesive—two on the bottom edge of the battery, and two on the top edge.
Each piece of adhesive has a black pull-tab at the end, which is lightly adhered to the edge of the battery.
In the following steps, you'll pull each tab to slowly stretch out the adhesive underneath the battery. These "command-strip" style adhesives lose their stick when stretched, so you can remove the battery with ease.
If the strips break, don't panic! They don't always work as intended. Keep reading for tips on removing broken strips.

Step 27

Caution: Don't jab the battery with any sharp tools. A punctured battery may leak dangerous chemicals or catch fire.
Use the flat end of a spudger to gently lift up the edge of the top right battery adhesive pull-tab so that you can grab it with a pair of blunt tweezers.
Peel down the battery adhesive pull-tab to un-stick it from the top edge of the battery.
Repeat for the top left battery adhesive pull-tab.

Step 28

Peel up the two remaining battery adhesive pull-tabs to un-stick them from the bottom edge of the battery.

Step 29

Optionally, tilt the bottom of the phone up and apply a few drops of high-concentration (90% or higher) isopropyl alcohol to the bottom edge of the battery, and wait a minute. It'll help soften the adhesives, especially if the phone is old.

Step 30

Grab the bottom right pull-tab with your fingers and slowly pull it away from the battery, toward the bottom of the iPhone.
Pull hard enough to maintain tension on the strip, but don't force it. Give it plenty of time to stretch and un-stick from under the battery.
Don't press down on the battery. Hold the iPhone firmly by its sides.
Keep the strip flat and unwrinkled. Try to pull evenly on the whole strip, rather than pulling mainly in the middle or on one side.
Pull at a low angle so the strip doesn't snag on the edge of the battery.
If the adhesive strip breaks off, try to retrieve it using your fingers or blunt tweezers, and continue pulling—but do not pry under the battery.
If any of the adhesive strips break off underneath the battery and can't be retrieved, try to remove the other strips, and then proceed as instructed below.

Step 31

Grab the bottom left pull-tab with your fingers and pull it away from the battery, toward the bottom of the iPhone.
Follow the same procedure as with the previous strip: don't press down on the battery, keep the strip flat and unwrinkled, and pull at a low angle.
If the adhesive strip breaks off, try to retrieve it using your fingers or blunt tweezers, and continue pulling—but do not pry under the battery.
If the adhesive breaks off underneath the battery and can't be retrieved, continue with the next step.

Step 32

You can optionally wrap the pull-tabs around the tips of blunt tweezers to make it easier to pull out the adhesive strip:
Use a pair of blunt tweezers to grab the entire width of the pull-tab.
Wrap the pull-tab and adhesive strip around the tips of the blunt tweezers.
Using the same procedure as before, pull the top right pull-tab to stretch and remove the adhesive strip. Try not to snag the adhesive on anything.

Step 33

Lightly place two fingers on the center of the battery to prevent it from flinging out while removing the final adhesive strip.
Don't press down on the battery with excessive force.
Use a pair of blunt tweezers to pull and stretch the remaining tab to remove the final adhesive strip holding the battery in place.
If you removed all the adhesive strips successfully, skip the next step.
Otherwise, continue with the next step below.

Step 34

If you're still having trouble removing the battery, apply a few drops of high concentration (90% or higher) isopropyl alcohol under the edge of the battery in the area of the broken adhesive strip(s).
Tilt the phone up so the isopropyl alcohol can flow toward the adhesive strip.
Wait about one minute for the alcohol solution to weaken the adhesive.
Use an opening pick or the flat end of a spudger to gently lift the battery.
Don't try to forcefully lever the battery out. If needed, apply a few more drops of alcohol to further weaken the adhesive. Never deform or puncture the battery with your pry tool.

Step 35

Remove the battery from the iPhone.
If there's any alcohol solution remaining in the phone, carefully wipe it off with a coffee filter or allow it to air dry before installing your new battery.
If your new battery didn't come with adhesive preinstalled, refer to this guide for help replacing the adhesive strips.
Perform a force restart after reassembly. This can prevent several issues and simplify troubleshooting.

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 these instructions in reverse order.

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 13 Answers community for help.

Author

Kyle Smith

Member since: 01/02/21

35783 Reputation

iPhone 13 Battery Replacement

Introduction

Tools

Parts

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