iPhone 6s Plus LCD and Digitizer Replacement

Written By: Evan Noronha

Comments: 143

iPhone 6s Plus LCD and Digitizer Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

30 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

For an easier repair, use our fix kit and follow this shorter guide to replace your iPhone’s entire screen.

For more advanced fixers, this guide will help you replace only the iPhone 6s Plus LCD and digitizer assembly (a.k.a. the bare “front panel”). This requires you to transfer several components from your original screen to the new one before installing it—including the front-facing camera, earpiece speaker, LCD shield plate, and home button assembly.

For all screen/display repairs, it's important to transfer the original home button onto the new display in order for Touch ID (fingerprint scanning) to function.

You can also reference this guide to replace the following parts:

Earpiece speaker mesh
LCD shield plate
LCD shield plate sticker

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Before disassembling your iPhone, discharge the battery below 25%. A charged lithium-ion battery can catch fire and/or explode if accidentally punctured.
Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.
Remove the two 3.4 mm Pentalobe screws on either side of the Lightning port.

Make sure you use the correct screw driver tip to remove these screws, which for the iPhone 6s Plus is the P2, otherwise you may strip the tip of the screw making it 10 times harder to remove. If once the screw is lose, it will not come off, use a magnet to remove it.

Miguel Perez - 30/12/17

If I do it by myself, will it damage the water resistant strip?

I know iphone 7 have it ,but I am not sure 6s plus have it.

Ganqian Zhu - 02/01/18

iPhone 6s has an adhesive gasket under the display, similar to the iPhone 7—however, it doesn’t add much in the way of waterproofing since the 6s has non-sealed openings in other parts of the phone. Water resistance on the 6s is primarily internal (seals around the logic board connectors, etc.). It may still be worthwhile to replace the adhesive on the 6s in order to help keep the display firmly seated so it doesn’t move/wobble at all under pressure, but the phone will continue to work fine whether you replace the adhesive or not.

Jeff Suovanen - 08/01/18

Salve nella procedura iniziale di smontaggio display con la ventosa non è menzionato il fatto di scaldare i lati del display per “ammorbidire” la striscia che incolla il display alla scocca.

Non è necessaria la cosa o è consigliabile ?

grazie

Hello, in the initial disassembling procedure with the suction cup, it is not mentioned how to heat the sides of the display to "soften" the strip that glues the display to the body.

Is not the thing necessary or is it advisable?

thank you

Daniele - 17/03/18

You’ve probably received your answer by now but for future enquirers, it does help the process of taking the screen off if heat is applied to the screen. If you have a hair Dryer use that on a low setting to heat the edges of the screen until it’s almost too hot to touch then slip very thin metal spudger around the edge to cut the adhesive. The carefully lift the screen with the help of the spudger and continue with your repair

Cheers Wayne

Wayne Lyell - 01/05/19

How do I know that the Battery has ZERO Charging Cycles on it when it arrives ? Is there a (downside) to Higher Capacity batteries ? It is INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT to maintain a “Zero Chinese Products Lifestyle”, so how do I know that I’m not getting a deficient Chinese battery, potentially a refurb. battery ?

integritybuilders - 18/03/18

When your repair is complete, you can use coconutBattery to check your new battery stats and cycle count. (A properly tested battery may already have a charge cycle or two on it.) Avoid higher capacity batteries on iPhones—they’re generally either gimmicks, unsafe, or both. As far as the quality of the part, that comes down to how much you trust your supplier and whether they guarantee the product.

Jeff Suovanen - 19/03/18

So I need to empty the battery to zero percent?

johnpatrickanat - 08/04/19

Below 25%, exactly as stated in the instructions. There’s no benefit to draining it further than that, and in fact you’ll slightly shorten the service life of the battery by draining it all the way to zero. Follow the instructions exactly as written—if you go off-script, you’re a lot more likely to break something.

Jeff Suovanen - 08/04/19

So my screen shattered completely and the screen first had colored lines on tge while right side then it went out completely. If i get an lcd and digitizer replacement I'd that oing to fix it

shellietheleo - 04/07/19

I would initially recommend a well-lit, comfortable area and placing the screws on a white piece of paper with the screw sizes written down (apparently there are magnetic mats, also). Also, I found placing the phone on a paper towel is good so that if a screw is dropped, it will lessen the likelihood of bouncing away.

Lou Fazio - 30/12/19

Step 2

If your display glass is cracked, keep further breakage contained and prevent bodily harm during your repair by taping over the glass.
Lay overlapping strips of clear 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.

Tape doesn’t hold. suction cup doesn’t work. Tape folded over doesn’t work as a handle. I’ve used 3m’ s Gorilla duct tape. The glass is so shattered I cant get a point started to remove the glass. Phone has been in an otter box for years. dropped it and shattered glass while replacing case. Now what?

Martin Speedy - 06/07/18

When all else fails, you can superglue your suction cup (or tape) to the display, wait for it to cure, and pull.

Jeff Suovanen - 06/07/18

I had issues getting the suction cup to stick on my cracked screen, so I tried using scotch tape (only tape I had around), but it didn’t work. This best thing I did was to forcefully pry the screen off (I wasn’t worried about damages because it’s already cracked) with the spudger. I think its best to find something stickier (like Duct Tape) and used that to lift up the screen.

Definitely surprised how sticky the adhesive was.

Jeffrey Robinos - 28/09/18

When using packing tape: the suction won’t hold well with the overlapping pieces, so add a square of tape where you want to put the suction cup, so it will provide an unbroken surface for the seal.

Christa - 23/10/18

It’s amazing how a heat gun or hair dryer makes life easier to soften up the adhesive. Then use a thin iSesame opening tool to get in under the screen (start @ 90 degrees/vertical either side of the home button & slowly go horizontal) the need to use suction cups. Run the opening tool along the front and down both sides to cut the adhesive before trying to lift the screen.

Cheers Wayne

Wayne Lyell - 14/11/18

I didn’t have a hair dryer so I (gingerly) used an iron over some wet coffee filters (I mean , it is waterproof) . Then, quickly dried i off with paper towels, used gorilla tape and my fixit metal splunger . worked like a charm .

MajorCouillon - 17/10/20

What about baby cracks? skip to step 3 or not…

Andruw Holland - 10/12/20

As others have mentioned, suction cup and tape doesn’t work. I used the blade of a box cutter (watch fingers) and inserted just below and right of home button. Then moved spudger along the crack to tear adhesive/seal. Easy peasy.

Stephen Smith - 18/05/21

Step 3

Optionally, apply mild heat to the lower edge of the iPhone using an iOpener or hair dryer for about a minute.
Heat softens the adhesive securing the display, making it easier to open.

This is important. I’ve serviced a lot of iphones/ipads for my family as a hobby in the past.

The adhesive was so tight, I cracked the screen trying to pull it/pry it off.

I highly suggest heating at least the bottom edge enough to soften the adhesive

garbage911garbage - 29/04/19

I didn’t have an iOpener, nor a heat gun; however I do have a small personal size hand pillow filled with feed corn. Two minutes in the nuke machine got it plenty warm, and smelled like fresh popcorn too.

bradiac - 22/06/19

I would suggest that you are not shy with the hairdryer. A high heat on the bottom of the phone for at least a minute, if not more, if required.

Mark Taberham - 20/02/21

Step 4

Opening the display on the 6s Plus separates a thin strip of adhesive around the perimeter of the display. If you prefer to replace the adhesive, have a set of new adhesive strips ready before you continue. It's possible to complete the repair without replacing the adhesive, and you probably won't notice any difference in functionality.
Apply a suction cup to the lower left corner of the display assembly.
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.

take out screws first!!

Yoav Karmon - 15/04/17

Make sure you use the right screw driver tip for i phone 6s Plus, which is the P-2. If the screw will not come off once is lose, try using a magnet.

Miguel Perez - 30/12/17

My cracked screen prevented the suction cup from sealing. SOLUTION: With a piece of clear packing tape across the screen, the suction cup will seal and pull.

Jim Cowles - 17/01/18

I broke my iphone screen in the first step!

Pierre Bertram - 06/10/19

This screen removal step got more wrestley than I anticipated. The adhesive is quite strong. I used a flat-ended razor tool that I have to begin the prying - I don’t know how I would have got it started without this.

Lou Fazio - 30/12/19

Ok - just got my battery replacement kit and even got the opening kit for added insurance just in case. Settled down to startwork after carefully cleaning my (immaculate) screen - no scratches or anything, with rubbing alcohol, removing screws and warming with a hair dryer, only to find the suction cup provided in the kit is worse than useless! It won’t stick to the screen well at all. When it does - it pops off at the lightest pull :-( Now what do I do to get this started?!

CoffeeCup -

Step 5

Pull up on the suction cup with firm, constant pressure to create a slight gap between the front panel and rear case.
Pulling too hard may damage the display assembly. Apply just enough pressure to create a small gap between the display assembly and the rear case.

I had a shattered front glass panel so I could not get the suction cup to seal properly. I tried a couple of different ways to get good suction but to no avail. I eventually used a Stanley knife to pry up the corner so I could get the spudger into the opening.

John Architzel - 23/06/17

A really high quality packing tape over the entire screen will usually be enough to use the suction cup on a shattered screen.

djwooten - 11/07/17

I used a suction cup on each side to provide counter traction. I braced the iphone between my knees and pulled apart while my helper inserted the spudger

jkanne - 09/09/17

This was by FAR the most difficult part of this whole thing. I confess the spudger was not cutting it so I used a butter knife to get into the small opening first, then used the spudger to go around the screen.

Julie Sanchez - 27/12/17

Hey everyone, if you never have done this part before be aware there is an extremely strong adhesive around the lip of the screen and once again is extremely strong. I had to get a friend to insert the pry/pick into the small gap while I used one hand to brace the phone down and the other to pull the suction cup without it digging into my hand. Go slow, it took me 5 tries because I didn’t realize how strong the adhesive was.

bartmistrot - 13/01/18

I also had a badly cracked lower screen - that glass was actually threatening to pull off the phone in chunks during this step, even with packing tape. Resorted to @j2arch’s tip and inserted a utility knife vertically into the seam between the display and phone body. Was able to lever the glass enough to get the spudger in there.

Jason Augustyn - 22/01/18

I have replaced sevrel screens for my sister in law and my niece. The packing tape has worked every time and that’s with it Shattered and pieces already falling out. You have to make sure the packing tape goes to the edge of the screen but doesn’t touch the frame. I have the plier like screen remover and use that it is much easier to remove the screen by your self with that tool. I also have the little finger suction cup that comes with the kit here. I bought the plier suction cup tool When I had to replace the screen that had the pieces of the screen missing and I don’t regret spending the extra money for that it has made a world of difference. I do this as a hobby it’s not a job for me. The electric divide repair kit from Lowe’s is also a very good kit to help. If you’re only going to do it once the kit that comes with the package is a great deal from ifixit. Well worth the money to spend the little extra to get the kit if you all ready don’t have the tools.

Brent - 14/03/18

If you try to use the spunger near the home button and try to pry it can crack your screen. This happened to me.

Jeffrey - 22/11/18

Same thing happened to me. This should be a big warning in these steps. If you have a small to moderate crack in you screen, but you weren’t planning on replacing the screen at the same time as another repair inside, there’s a risk of damaging the screen further and making it inoperable.

DW7ACCT -

I found it easiest to use two suction cups. One on the front as directed, and a second one on the back. Give the spudger to your assistant, and have them slip it in place while you pull the display from the case.

gordojenkins - 07/07/19

I gave up with the suction cup as it wasn't working for me with a cracked screen. Having heated the bottom of the phone with a hair dryer with a high heat for a good minute or so, I used a safety scraper (essentially a razor blade in a holder) along the bottom of the phone to separate the screen from the body of the phone. I used the scraper vertically between the bottom of the screen and the phone body and levered it sufficiently so that I could fit the spudger between the screen and the phone body. My experience when I first used the spudger around the frame was that the cracks in the screen caused the screen glass to separate from the frame, so I had to re-do it and ensure that the screen frame was separated from the phone body.

Safety scraper:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unger-CD170-Win...

Mark Taberham - 20/02/21

Step 6

The safest place to pry from is the notch in the front panel above the headphone jack.
While still maintaining pressure on the suction cup, insert the flat tip of a spudger into the gap, directly above the headphone jack.

This was by far the hardest part of the repair for me. Getting leverage while finding a way to prod with a spudger is a challenge in coordination. I used a second spudger with point holding the phone down by the headphone jack, with the other end of the spudger anchored to my desk.

drpotter - 12/07/17

When warmed, the suction cup was useless. Using the tip of a knife blade, was able to get it separated enough to insert spudger.

hutland - 09/02/20

For me this was the most time consuming task. I used a hair dryer for heating. I found a very tight adhesive. For a moment I thought of abandoning my efforts and take the assembly to a professional repairman. But as they say, patience is a virtue.

After fiddling for about 20 minutes, I achieved a barely noticable opening. So I decided to change the strategy. Instead of applying heat all over the base, I preceeded with small steps with heat concentrated near the opening. I applied intense heat only for about 15 to 20 seconds and immediately working with spudger. It took about an hour to completely open the case. It worked.

Thanks for reading.

- Mr Gamma

Gamma Pailvan -

I also struggled with this step. Lots of heat, 3 different suction cups, I finally could see a small gap... much too thin to fit even a piece of paper into. A video on another site said it was the easy way. I used a sharp craft knife barely into the seam between metal and glass and pried slightly. And it started up. Still a pain freeing the rest of the adhesive. Perhaps the adhesive really sets up over the course of 5 years? I have it hinged open now, so onto the next steps.

Mark Tollefson -

Step 7

Twist the spudger to widen the gap between the front panel and the rear case.

just changed the screen, but due to the tape along side the screen , it is best to heat a little so the glue losses and you can get the screen off better, like indicated

Bart Blanckaert - 13/03/18

Step 8

While firmly pulling up on the suction cup, slide the edge of the spudger under the bottom left corner of the display.

Step 9

Slide the tip of the spudger up the left side of the phone, between the front panel and the rear case.

Step 10

Insert the flat tip of the spudger under the right edge of the display.
Slide the spudger up the right side.

Step 11

Use a plastic opening tool to hold down the rear case while pulling up the suction cup to open the phone.
Do not remove the display completely, or you will damage the data cables connecting the display near the top edge of the iPhone.

Step 12

Pull up on the small nub on the suction cup to remove it from the display.

Remember to apply the screen gasket on the re-assemble. The gasket is provided in the kit but not mentioned here on the instructions.

Won Hong - 07/01/18

There’s a link to the entire gasket replacement procedure in Step 21.

Jeff Suovanen - 08/01/18

Step 13

Gently grasp the display assembly and lift it up to open the phone, using the clips at the top of the front panel as a hinge.
Open the display to about a 90º angle, and lean it against something to keep it propped up while you're working on the phone.
Don't open the display more than 90º—it is still connected to the top of the phone by the display, digitizer, and front camera cables which can tear easily.
Add a rubber band to keep the display securely in place while you work. This prevents undue strain on the display cables.
In a pinch, you can use an unopened canned beverage to support the display.

if the display cables are damaged how can you tell ?

Smiley McSmilebot - 22/01/20

In theory, I like the idea of propping up the screen with a rubber band and box/soda can like this, but after ripping the FaceTime camera cable twice, I realize that this method puts too much stress on the cable because it places the screen so far back. Even in this photo, you can see that the cable is taut. I’d recommend just holding the screen with your free hand to put the least amount of stress on that cable as possible.

Ben Estabrook -

Step 14

Remove two Phillips screws securing the battery connector bracket to the logic board, of the following lengths:
One 2.9 mm screw
One 2.3 mm screw
Throughout this guide, keep careful track of your screws so that each one goes back where it came from during reassembly. Installing a screw in the wrong place can cause permanent damage.

FYI - I used some blue painters tape wrapped around a piece of cardboard to hold the screws and brackets in place, in order, so they did not get lost. Some of those screws are MICROSCOPIC so be careful!

I also suggest having very good lighting, even a camping headlight for hands-free well lit work space. You will thank me later :-)

Julie Sanchez - 27/12/17

Use the bit labeled “PH000”.

Joe Teichert - 04/03/18

PH000 bit just wants to free-spin in the 2.3 mm screw. no bite in the head at all. had no difficulty removing the 2.9 mm screw with the same Phillips. had to abandon battery replacement effort.

Benjamin Stalcup - 07/03/18

For this part, neither PH000 or Y000 worked. Technically, it’ll set you back 31$ because you will need the PH00 screwdriver for this part, and the part where you need to open the screen. They have ph00 screwdrivers in every hardware store and even ifixit.com. just know that they put the wrong screwheads for you

Jack Daniel - 18/03/18

Do not lose track of which hole these screws go into. They MUST be put back into the correct hole that they came out of. If not, you will get the dreaded “long screw damage” on the mainboard, and that will be the end of the show.

Just remember where these screws go, and it will be fine.

Harry McDow - 25/04/19

Ended up employing a Philips #0 from a regular jeweler/precision kit on the 2.3mm screw. Bits seem a bit off for this step.

Vance Bell - 17/04/20

Step 15

Remove the battery connector bracket.

Does it matter if the brackets arent put back in the phone? I bought a used phone and brackets are missing. Thanks!

Coupon Crazy - 01/06/18

Auch die Abdeckung ist angeklebt. Also mit etwas Vorsicht und Geduld rangehen.

eckhardd@icloud.com - 17/12/20

If you have forgotten your High School German -

The cover is also glued. So take some care and patience.

Glen Paetz - 31/03/21

My bracket actually has a black wire connected on the underside that is attached to the metal bracket (with screw) below it in the picture. I decided to leave it on and just move it to the side.

Victor Ng-Thow-Hing -

Step 16

Use a spudger or a clean fingernail to disconnect the battery connector by prying it straight up off the logic board.

Step 17

Bend the connector back to ensure it doesn't make contact and power the iPhone on while you're working on it.

When putting the new battery in, make sure to line up the plug and not to the top of the battery… our battery was smaller so the plug would NOT have lined up if we used the top of the battery. ALSO, the plug was NOT 90 degrees so we had to finagle the plug. Also, make sure there is a clear CLICK when you plug in the connector or it may not work. Ours went in but guess didn’t go far enough so we had to take the screen off and push it harder until we heard the “click” then it worked fine.

Won Hong - 07/01/18

Step 18

Remove the following Phillips screws:
Three 1.3 mm screws
One 1.6 mm screw
One 3.0 mm screw
During reassembly, it's critical to place this 3.0 mm screw in the top-right corner of the bracket. Placing it anywhere else may damage the logic board.

I really don't see value in removing screen use box and rubber band keep at 90 degrees.

John Parker - 16/03/17

I leave screen on as well for this. - Tho I prefer a 45 degree lean.

Thor - 22/07/17

I just changed my battery and also left the screen attached. I was lucky enough to get all 3 adhesive battery strips out clean so I didn’t have a struggle with the battery coming out. If I was going to need to get rough with it I was going to take the screen off at that point.

Michael Gross - 03/10/17

To keep track of screws, draw a quick outline of the display cable bracket/cover, with five dots where screws should be. Drop the screws on the corresponding dot. Helps if you use magnet pad.

Christa - 23/06/18

Better yet, print out the pictures from the iFixit website, and use clear tape (“Scotch tape”) to TAPE the screws onto the place in the picture where they belong.

Tom - 28/08/18

Which screwdriver from the kit do I use for which screw?

Shiva Sharma - 14/07/18

I made a mistake and unscrewed the screw just north north west of the one circled in yellow. Of course I lost the screw. Can anyone give me any guidance about this? what does the wire connected to it do? What is the size of the screw, in case I have to replace it?

P.S. This is another reason to consider the possibility of NOT removing the screen just to replace the battery: removing the screen presents a additional possible headache, especially for people like me with bad eyesight who probably shouldn’t be doing this in the first place.

Tom - 28/08/18

I didn’t think this was necessary, bit I see it relieves stress on the front-facing camera and sensor cable connector; I did not disconnect the display connector nor remove the display screen.

Lou Fazio - 30/12/19

I second this finding. I too did not remove the screws nor the bracket. The cables look a bit stretched, but certainly not strained.

-Gamma

Gamma Pailvan -

This step of separating the two parts of the phone deserves careful consideration. In my case, I had propped up the display assembly with a box and rubber bands. However, only 2 of the battery adhesive strips came off easily. The effort to remove the battery with the display assembly attached was not a good move on my part. I jarred the ear speaker cable and after reassembly I had no camera or working ear speaker. Taking off these 5 screws and removing the three cables is not difficult. My suggestion: is you have ANY trouble removing the 3 battery adhesive strips, STOP, separate the two components, and then continue with the battery removal. Don’t struggle removing the battery with the display assembly attached. (I replaced the ear speaker cable, and all is working now)

Richard Perl - 15/02/20

Thanks for this tip! I am having a really hard time removing this plate because one of the screw heads are stripped. So I’ll try removing the battery adhesive strips first to see if I can get the battery out without removing the screen.

nathanfunk - 27/06/20

Use dixie cups and label them for each part you take out. You can stack the dixie cups to keep them in order.

Bradley Nolen - 26/06/20

I skipped this for the battery removal, but when I went to replace the seal, I had to remove it anyway.

dgol69 -

I lost the bottom left screw of the five in this step - anyone know if it’sgoing to cause a problem? ‘m going to go ahead and put thephone back together anyway - wil report back withresult

CoffeeCup -

OMG…. SO excited! It works! Seems that missing screw wasn’t an issue. The reason I’m so excited is, I’m a senior and have bever attempted anything like this before and was worried I’d mess it up, or it just wouuldn’t work for whatever reason. I know I never would have tried if it weren’t for finding this site, the great service, parts to do it and the videos/guides. Thank you so much ifixit. :-)

CoffeeCup -

I changed the battery, without removing the screen, when I closed the phone the front camera and speaker no longer work.

Mr T -

Step 19

Remove the display cable bracket.

Be careful on this step: with my iPhone, one of the connectors (the home button/fingerprint sensor) was stuck to the underside of the bracket and I almost strained its cable.

kevin - 15/02/21

Step 20

Be careful to only pry up on the connector itself and not the socket on the logic board.
Use a plastic opening tool to disconnect the front-facing camera and sensor cable connector.

FYI, in the video she uses the spudger for this but I think either one will work.

Julie Sanchez - 27/12/17

I found prying from the right to be better

Lou Fazio - 30/12/19

Is there any need for this step if only the Battery is replaced

mrrreid - 29/04/20

I don’t recommend using the spudger for this as you can do more damage that way. I scratched the black square thing underneath.

Laura Houghton - 05/08/20

I managed to remove the battery without disconnecting and removing the display first. This avoids possible difficulties in these steps (see below).

One has to be careful that, while fighting with the battery strips, the display remains in its 90º position

alfasw33 - 22/03/21

Step 21

Use a plastic opening tool to disconnect the digitizer cable by prying it straight up from its socket on the logic board.
When reconnecting the digitizer cable, do not press the center of the connector. Press one end of the connector, then press the opposite end. Pressing in the center of the connector can bend the component and cause digitizer damage.

Thanks you i fix it

God Hand - 28/10/17

“When reconnecting the digitizer cable, do not press the center of the connector. Press one end of the connector, then press the opposite end. Pressing in the center of the connector can bend the component and cause digitizer damage. “

The following note above was so helpful. I was speeding through the process of getting things back together, since it seemed easy to connect the digitizer cable, but I kept pushing it in the middle and I wouldn’t connect. Until I read through this step and realized it was easier if I would’ve connected one side and then the opposite side right after.

Jeffrey Robinos - 28/09/18

Don’t be too shy when pushing the ends of the digitizer connector back to place. If it does not connect properly, you might face the “half backlight” problem, even if you did not kill any LCD filter. Also check carefully, that you don’t clamp parts of the sticky sealing material placed around the connector inside the connection area.

Norbert Andreas Richartz - 16/11/18

This part was a very frustrating experience for me. I thought that my replacement screen was just poor quality, as it worked when it wanted to work. Pressing home/power repeatedly sometimes brought it back, charging to 100% also brought it back. The actual problem was that it is very easy to get some of the gasket material caught in the connector, which I couldn’t see until I used my jeweler's loupe. I used 91% alcohol to carefully clean all of this off until all pins were shiny, and it took about 6 tries to get it right. However, the screen’s been running well for 2 days now. I already bought another screen replacement which I have for a spare as it was 100% not the problem.

chumblyf - 06/05/20

I followed all the steps, so the sound is missed. What could be happened? thanks a lot. Fabio Balbino

Fabio Balbino - 17/06/20

Step 22

Make sure the battery is disconnected before you disconnect or reconnect the cable in this step.
Disconnect the home button/fingerprint sensor cable by prying it straight up from its socket on the logic board.

How much is this to replace?

Alistair knight - 18/02/17

And where could I buy from?

Alistair knight - 18/02/17

You can buy these at iFixit: iPhone 6s LCD and Digitizer - Original LCD

drgon - 23/02/17

After finishing the assembly I got the message “Touch ID cannot be enabled on this phone”. I found this connector was loose. Plugged it back in and that fixed it.

Bryan Province - 05/10/17

Thanks for the tip. Same thing happened to me, some leftover adhesive was in the way!

Lua Tech -

Always make sure to disconnect the battery before you do any work on the phone replacing any parts the digitizer or anything. And before you start make sure the phone is turned off you don’t want any power surges. If you also have a static electricity bracelet that also is a plus to use but isn’t a necessity just a nice piece of mind. Some cases you do need to use one so you don’t discharge static electricity to an electrical component and mess it up.

Brent - 14/03/18

Be very careful in this step. I noticed it’s very easy to tear the flex when trying to lift it out of its socket from the right side.

shoeib - 18/03/18

What is the cable and how is it connected/fixed to the motherboard between the bottom socket and the screw hole.

Mine came loose somehow?

Jason Engelsman - 16/07/18

I figured out my own question its the Wi-Fi diversity antenna cable. But how is it connected/secured to the motherboard?

Jason Engelsman - 16/07/18

i pressed on the center of the digitizer connection. and the bottom half of my screen didnt work. i then took that same front panel assembly and tried to install it on another old iphone 6s+ and i had the same issue.

can i still fix it?

what exactly is broken now?

alejandro rueda - 28/01/19

@mynameisoli Honestly this just sounds like a defective screen to me, but it’s hard to say for sure. Look closely at the connector at the end of the ribbon cable and check it for damage. If it’s slightly bent/curved, all the pins won’t make good contact in the socket. You can try bending it back so it lays flat, but you have to be very careful not to damage the connector or contaminate the pins with skin oils, so it’s tricky—and it may be harder to return as “defective” if you mess up the connector. So try this at your own risk. Apart from that, I would just return it and try a different display. Good luck!

Jeff Suovanen - 29/01/19

The 6s plus screen repair kit i bought has the wrong size cable here on the replacement part. SOL.

Alex Richardson - 07/03/20

Once I accidentally disconnected the display assembly cables before disconnecting the battery. Now the home button and fingerprint sensor doesn’t work. Any solution to this?? I have tried a different home button, even that doesn’t work.

a3roar - 06/06/20

I changed the battery on my iPhone and put all together again and charged it. When I pressed the home button the lock screen with my picture appeared and when I pressed it again the screen with the digits from 0 to 9 appeared. I was asked to enter my passcode, but when I did that nothing happened, the phone did not open.

What could be wrong? Is the home screen cable not fully connected or what could be the reason for this?

THORDUR JOHANNESSON -

Step 23

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

For instructions on home button swap out to the new screen you just installed, go here

iPhone 6s Plus Home Button Assembly Replacement

Superior Office Systems - 05/12/17

Do you know whether the adhesive contributes to waterproofing, or just for stability/adhesion?

Christa - 29/01/18

@kitabel The iPhone 6s case isn’t waterproof, so I don’t think adhesive around the display is contributing anything other than stability. The 6s series does have some water resistance, but it’s mostly internal and not something Apple advertises.

Jeff Suovanen - 30/01/18

If you have a replacement adhesive for the display, you may need to install it before reconnecting cables to the components. If the adhesive wraps all the way around the display, it will be impossible to install it once the display is reconnected.

Matthew Olwell - 16/04/19

These instructions worked great for me. Thank you!

Chris Enloe - 21/05/19

Step 24

Remove the two 1.9 mm Phillips screws securing the home button bracket.

Maybe this should be totally obvious, but it took me a minute or two to realize that this step is performed on the DISPLAY ASSEMBLY that was just removed, rather than the main body of the phone, which is the part on which all the previous steps were performed.

Tom - 23/05/17

The new display came with a 1.9mm screw installed (the top left one above). This must be removed before putting back the home button bracket. It took me way too long to realize why I couldn’t thread the old screw back into the hole.

Brandon Mathew - 10/06/18

If you bought a screen assembly with a home button but have not ever set up touch ID can you set up touch ID on the new screen’s home button?

Andrew Shircel - 24/04/19

The home button and logic board are usually married. So if it’s a new home button paired with the original logic board, the Touch ID won’t work.

Brittni Gange - 22/10/20

do not over tight the screw or the lcd will get damaged

764349 -

Step 25

Remove the home button bracket.

My home is wiggley I do not like it

can you put home button adhesive

Riley - 25/11/19

Step 26

Use the pointed tip of a spudger to disconnect the home button cable from its connector on the display assembly.

Gently: this piece is attached to the plastic cabling, not the surface of the phone

Christa - 29/01/18

Buongiorno,ho cambiato display però adesso non mi funziona touch sul tasto home…cosa potrebbe essere???grazie

eduartkurani - 26/08/19

ciao, hai risolto? ho sto valutando se cambiare lo schermo appunto per questo motivo, ho letto online che gli schermi non originali danno questo problema

serena184 - 27/01/20

Step 27

The rubber gasket surrounding the home button is very thin and tears easily.
Apply mild heat (with an iOpener, heat gun, or hair dryer) to soften the adhesive securing the home button gasket.
Using your fingertip, gently press up on the home button from the front side of the display assembly. Use firm, constant pressure to slowly separate the home button's rubber gasket from the front panel.

“The gasket is very thin and will tear easily. Apply steady pressure and give it time to separate. “

The note above was very helpful. It really is thin and for one second I thought I punctured a whole through it, so be careful.

Jeffrey Robinos - 28/09/18

I did this on 2 separate phones. The first time, I did it according to directions, and it worked well. However, the adhesive pulled off in the process. On the 2nd phone I used a handwarmer to slightly warm the home button area. (I think an iOpener would work best, but I didn’t have one on hand). With the constant pressure after being heated, the home button assembly came off easily, and the adhesive stayed in place. I’ll definitely use slight heat in the future for this step as it seems to lessen the possibility of damaging the assembly.

Jami - 13/11/18

I would have liked to see the heating instructions on this page. I only saw it once I re-watched the video as I was having trouble getting the button out. iFixit would have made another sale had it been obvious that the heating pad would come in handy. I ended up using a microwave heating pad instead. Worked fine.

Scott - 03/12/18

If anyone else is totally caught off guard by the need for heat at this point, the previous mention of a heating pad gave me the idea of heating a wet paper towel in the microwave and sticking it in a plastic bag. Obviously make sure no moisture escapes into the device. Worked fine, and is absolutely necessary: that gasket is VERY delicate.

Joshua Rodgers - 20/12/18

Step 28

Use the pointed end of a spudger to pry the lightly-adhered home button flex cable off the display assembly.

Step 29

Remove the home button assembly.

Make sure you remove any broken glass from around the button edges. Took me a few times to realize it had some glass on it.

johnarchitzel - 23/06/17

I could not believe how EASY this was to repair my phone! Granted, it took me awhile (2 hrs) to replace a camera and a screen, but I was probably overly meticulous about each step, especially making sure the old adhesive was fully removed and the frame was clean. I can imagine, with tolerances being as tight as they are — I could barely see some of the screws! — the slightest lump of glue might have made a smooth placement difficult. But, in the end, it was worth it! Screen looks and works awesome, and so does my camera!

Huge props to you for this detailed guide! Very easy to follow and flawless result! Thank you!

Patrick Lynch - 06/02/20

does the home button work after you put it on the new repaired phone?

Victoria Vojvodich - 06/07/20

what about the camera? i don’t see the step moving the old camera over to the new screen

Brian - 11/07/20

iPhone 6 Plus Front Facing Camera and Sensor Assembly Replacement

Topher Irick - 17/09/20

Gasket guys!! How do you properly replace the gasket?? Not shown!!

Jim Hickman -

Step 30

Remove the following three Phillips screws:
Two 2.7 mm screws
One 1.4 mm screw

Step 31

Remove the earpiece speaker bracket.

Step 32

Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the FaceTime camera out of its housing.

Step 33

Pull the FaceTime camera back and remove the earpiece speaker.

Step 34

Use the pointed tip of a spudger to lift the ambient light sensor from its housing in the front panel.

Getting this assembly back in place was the most frustrating part of the entire reassembly. The preformed cables kept moving the sensors out of their sockets and making reassembly impossible. A little patient work using the spudger to hold things in place with one hand while placing the speaker and camera lens with the other got things reinstalled.

junk4stumac - 15/03/19

Step 35

Insert the pointed tip of a spudger between the microphone flex cable and the front panel to break the adhesive holding it in place.

I’m pretty sure I made a mistake at this point by applying a heat gun to soften the tacky adhesive. I suspect that the molded plastic lens on the camera became hot and the antireflective coating on it cracked all over. Under a microscope it looks messed up. The result is that the camera is now blurry. So be careful with applying heat.

tcnewell - 02/09/18

Step 36

Use the flat tip of a spudger to lift up the microphone and earpiece gasket.

Step 37

Remove the FaceTime camera and sensor assembly.

Attention, au remontage trier les deux nappes horizontales pour que la nappe la plus large soit dessous.

Brancher d’abord la nappe verticale latérale puis la nappe horizontale haute et enfin la nappe horizontale basse.

Dominique Verdejo - 28/05/20

The replacement sensor comes with one of the sensor connectors covered with another plug. So if the connector doesn't want to fit, you can remove the outer connector adapter and then connect using the inner connector. Also, I installed this along with a new battery to fix the proximity sensor not working when making a call. Well, this didn't fix it either. So I suspect it's an OS issue, but I'm not about to upgrade a 7-year old phone. It is what it is!

Brian K -

Step 38

Remove the seven 1.5 mm Phillips screws holding the display EMI shield in place.
The screw on the far right in the first photo is recessed about 1.8 cm from the edge of the display.

On the iphone 6s (not plus)the recessed screw is different to the other 6. The screw head is smaller.

Stephen Harman - 10/05/19

Step 39

Remove the EMI shield from the front panel.

So, this guide is garbage right here. There is no mentioning the home button connector, wich holds the bottom of the EMI shield in place. You can not remove the shield if this is not loosened. You also need to heat it or the cable will break. I now have to buy a new heat shield since my cable broke thanks to this guide

Albert - 17/09/17

Step 40

The LCD and digitizer remains.
The Touch ID function will ONLY work with your phone's original home button assembly, so you'll need to transfer the home button assembly from your old display assembly to your new display assembly to retain Touch ID.
After reassembly, clean the touchscreen surface with an alcohol wipe prior to turning the iPhone back on. The alcohol helps dissipate any lingering static electricity, which can cause problems with the display.
After reassembly, connect the iPhone to an AC power source before turning it on for the first time. Once the iPhone has booted up successfully, you can disconnect the AC power.

Step 39 shows front panel display with connector for Touch-ID female receiver for Home-button attached to the metal plate. How do you remove and transfer that component to new donor screen?

Robert Rutty - 16/09/18

@rrutty06 You don’t—that flex cable is integrated into the display assembly. If you try to access it, you run a high risk of destroying the display completely. If your new display doesn’t have that part already, it’s likely not a 6s Plus display.

Jeff Suovanen - 25/09/18

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Author

Evan Noronha

Member since: 06/02/15

219085 Reputation

11 comments

with the new update, how do I avoid bricking my phone. i read an article that said if a non authorized apple person attempts to fix my phone the phone will be bricked. iphone 6 plus firmware 4.52.00 update 9.2.1.

Josuee Lara - 13/04/16

I believe you are referring to the Error 53 bug which has since been fixed. Initially, it was caused by people attempting to update their iPhones with a Home Button other than the original factory-installed unit—the update would pause halfway through and the iPhone would be bricked.

This guide involves transferring your original Home Button to the new display, so that's not an issue in this situation, but if you were to use a new Home Button, you would still be safe since Apple's issued a fix for Error 53.

Evan Noronha - 15/04/16

Whats the reasoning behind letting the AC charger turn the phone on and not the power button?

Rob Blank - 03/04/17

My iphone 6s plus was water damaged and I've been told that I only need to replace the screen as the parts are still in good condition. My question is in this case do I have to replace only the front panel or the full display assembly?

Mariam - 18/08/17

Did you ever get a answer ? Same problem I have

johnsonshatara - 01/04/19

They come fused at one unit, removing one removes the other.

Tugging - 31/01/20

You left out the part about loosening the home button connection wich are attached to the large heat shield. If it is not carefully heated and removed it will break and you will not have a home button to use. Should be step 37

Albert - 17/09/17

I've performed this without using the ‘iOpener’ by carefully peeling with a spudger (step 26) as directed. It worked fine.

In response to comment Sept 17 from Albert, I did not have an issue during steps 36-37. Not sure what that comment is about. Unless it was confused with steps 26-27 having to do with the removal of the touch ID/home button. Again, I did not use heat to loosen the adheshive. I did have a warm rice bag (poor man’s iOpener, just a cloth bag with dry rice in it, warmed in the microwave at half power…) on hand in case it felt like not releasing easily. From what I found disassembling an iPhone6S Plus that’s over a year old is all the cable adhesives (top and bottom of phone) were ready to release with very little effort.

Side/screen adhesive lifting from the case proved to be the most challenging. This is due to the original damage, left side bracket that connects to EMI shields was broken on the phone. Be careful when separating if damage is extensive!

Sean Finney - 30/09/17

Thank you for another thorough repair guide! With each repair, I am gaining confidence and competency that makes each repair that much faster. I just finished a bare display replacement in just over an hour on an i-Phone 6S Plus!

Peter Bovey - 08/02/18

Hi Evan and thanks for your guide!

I’ve broken only the glass but if I’ve understood correctly, the glass is not separable from the retina screen right? So I’ve to buy a new glass/screen and follow this guide to replace every pieces except the retina screen cause is already installed in the glass (like this).

Many thanks

Giuseppe

ballone.giuseppe - 29/05/18

One of the best explained step by step instructions I have read. My iphone 6 plus screen is cracked and before ordering the part I wanted to make sure I could do it myself. Definitely bookmarking this and using it when I do the replacement. I do have one question though. I also need to replace the back facing camera. At what point in the process should I do this? Thank you,

Rene Russell - 19/05/19