Introduction
The iPhone 8 Plus home “button” is actually a solid-state sensor, which also includes Touch ID (fingerprint recognition) capability.
Most replacement home buttons won’t work, so check carefully before starting your repair. Your iPhone’s original home button is uniquely paired to the logic board at the factory—and without Apple’s proprietary calibration process, even a genuine replacement home button from another iPhone won’t work. To fix a broken home button, you should install a specially-made, universal-style home button. Note that these replacements only work as a button; Touch ID will not function.
If you are only replacing a broken screen, you can use this guide to carefully remove and transfer your working original home button to a new screen, preserving all functions, including Touch ID.
During this procedure, to avoid accidentally straining or tearing the display cables, it's best to completely detach the display assembly before beginning repairs on the home/Touch ID sensor. But if you are comfortable doing so, you may skip the display assembly section of this guide and go straight to the home/Touch ID sensor section.
Tools
Parts
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Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.
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Remove the two 3.5 mm pentalobe screws from the bottom edge of the iPhone.
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Use a hairdryer or prepare an iOpener and apply it to the lower edge of the iPhone for about 90 seconds in order to soften up the adhesive underneath.
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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.
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Pull the blue handle towards the hinge to disengage opening mode.
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Position the suction cups near the bottom edge of the iPhone just above the home button—one on the front, and one on the back.
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Push down on the cups to apply suction to the desired area.
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Push the blue handle away from the hinge to engage opening mode.
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Turn the handle clockwise until you see the cups start to stretch.
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Wait one minute to give the adhesive a chance to release and for the bottom of the screen to open.
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Insert an opening pick under the screen when the Anti-Clamp creates a large enough gap.
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Skip the next two steps.
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Pull up on the suction cup with firm, constant pressure to create a slight gap between the front panel and rear case.
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Insert an opening pick or other thin pry tool a few millimeters into the gap.
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Slide your pick around the corner and up the left edge of the phone, moving towards the volume control buttons and silent switch, breaking up the adhesive holding the display in place.
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Stop near the top left corner of the display.
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Re-insert your tool at the lower right corner of the iPhone, and slide it around the corner and up the right side of the phone to separate the adhesive.
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Slide an opening pick underneath the display along the top edge of the phone to loosen the last of the adhesive.
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Slide the display assembly slightly down (away from the top edge of the phone) to disengage the clips holding it to the rear case.
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Open the iPhone by swinging the display up from the left side, like the back cover of a book.
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Lean the display against something to keep it propped up while you're working on the phone.
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Remove four Phillips (JIS) screws securing the lower display cable bracket to the logic board, of the following lengths:
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Two 1.3 mm screws
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One 1.4 mm screw
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One 2.7 mm screw
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Use the point of a spudger to pry the battery connector up from its socket on the logic board.
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Bend the connector cable up slightly to prevent it from accidentally making contact with the socket and providing power to the phone during your repair.
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Use the tip of a spudger or a fingernail to disconnect the large lower display connector by prying it straight up from its socket.
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Disconnect the second lower display cable connector, directly behind the one you disconnected in the previous step.
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Remove the two tri-point Y000 screws securing the bracket over the front panel sensor assembly connector:
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One 1.0 mm screw
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One 1.2 mm screw
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Use the tip of a spudger or a fingernail to disconnect the front panel sensor assembly connector from its socket.
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Remove the four Y000 screws securing the bracket over the home/Touch ID sensor:
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One 1.2 mm screw
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Three 1.3 mm screws
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Pry under the left edge of the home button cable connector to disconnect it from its socket.
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Flip the display assembly over. Use a hairdryer or prepare an iOpener and apply it to the lower edge of the display for about 90 seconds in order to soften up the adhesive underneath.
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Use an opening pick to gently separate the adhesive holding the home/Touch ID sensor cable to the back side of the display panel.
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Remove the home/Touch ID sensor assembly by lifting it through the front side of the display.
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If your replacement screen did not come with a front camera and sensor cable, follow these steps to transfer them over.
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.
Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or search our Answers forum for help.
6 comments
aiuto mi son cadute e quindi perso
sensore home/Touch ID Una vite da 1,2 mm Tre viti da 1,3 mm
dove le trovo?
Every time I have tried to transfer the home button from the broken screen to the replacement LCD - the home button has not worked. No tears in the cable. The connector is attached. Screw isn’t too tight. What could I be missing?
ATTENTION: Don’t screw in that one screw over the home button too much, or the button breaks! I just found one proper explanation for it in this YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDVnp90a...). Basically, that one screw that goes over the Home button should not be tightened too much, so that the metal plate doesn't bend (which it did for me).
Manuele -
what do I do about super stripped screws?
Ean Palacios -
I’m sorry, your comment slipped past my radar earlier. For future fixers that might see this and ask the same question, you can check out our stripped screw guide for some detailed advice.
Adam O'Camb -
Do you need a toolkit like the essential toolkit
Adam Palmer -
Hi Adam. Having a tool kit with all of the listed parts above is best. The screw heads are very small and each set of screws needs a very specific type of driver to remove them without stripping any of them.
Kyle Luksa -