iPhone 8 Plus Top Left Antenna Replacement

Written By: Jeff Suovanen

Comments: 42

iPhone 8 Plus Top Left Antenna Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

45 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the large antenna component located in the top left corner of your iPhone 8 Plus, opposite the rear-facing camera.

This guide instructs you to fully detach the display assembly; this is intended to prevent accidental damage to the display cables while you work. If you feel comfortable replacing the antenna without putting undue strain on the display cables, you can skip the steps for detaching the display.

Tools

Parts

iPhone 8 Plus Display Assembly Adhesive

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 3.5 mm pentalobe screws from 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.

what do I do about super stripped screws?

Ean Palacios - 13/09/20

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 - 29/03/21

Do you need a toolkit like the essential toolkit

Adam Palmer - 26/12/20

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 - 26/03/21

Step 2

Heating the lower edge of the iPhone will help soften the adhesive securing the display, making it easier to open.
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.

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 just above the home button—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 for the bottom of the screen to open.
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 5

Apply a suction cup to the lower half of the front panel, just above the home button.
Be sure the suction cup does not overlap with the home button, as this will prevent a seal from forming between the suction cup and front 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.

Warning ! If you pull too hard (reheat the underside of the display again), you create an gap of air between the glass and the lcd display !

When you replace the display assembly you end up with gray stains on the display.

Result: you have to buy a new display (assembly).

Arnoud - 27/09/20

Using just the single suction cup that is included in the battery replacement kit probably wouldn’t open the device. An iOpener and an iSlack should be the recommended method. However, you can get it open with just the single suction cup and iOpener, but does take a lot of time.

Get an iOpener and iSlack with the battery replacement kit.

Chris - 30/09/20

I used a flat x-acto (#18) blade knife tool to gently pry back the screen enough to allow me to insert the pick near the bottom corner. I then worked the pick under the screen as mentioned in steps 5 & 6 below then. This worked really well for me.

Kyle Luksa - 26/03/21

I used the suction cup without heating the phone - the adhesive came away quite easily without applying any heat. Maybe due to age of phone (nearly 4 years old). Worth trying.

Ben Vinnerd -

I can’t get the single suction cup to work. Hate being stuck on the simplest step!

Donny -

My screen was very shattered, and was quite hard to get suction, as my tape was very low quality. However, after pulling it up a little bit, I was able to insert a regular razor blade into the very small gap and used that as a lever.

Michael Scroop -

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 or other thin pry tool a few millimeters 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.

After multiple tries and using a very hot iOpener, it will not open.

Kenneth Ewald, Sr. -

In sheer frustration, I pulled out my trusty pocket knife and managed to lift the bottom of the screen slightly, but in the process, cracked the glass from the bottom to the home button. The case is open now.

Kenneth Ewald, Sr. -

this was by far the most difficult part. be diligent and follow the “firm and constant pressure” guide... the “gap” will be extremely “slight”. you will be able to slide a corner of the pry tool even if you cannot see the gap.

Colleen V -

Step 7

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.
Stop near the top left corner of the display.

Do not go over the top otherwise you can crack the screen. Sadly happened to me :(

The instruction should be:

“Stop near BUT BEFORE REACHING the top left corner of the display”

Leonardo Piga -

Step 8

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.
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.

I had really good luck using a hairdryer on some of the more stubborn portions of adhesive.

Jessica Kirsh - 05/09/20

Step 9

Gently pull up on the suction cup to lift up the bottom edge of the display.
Do not raise the display more than 15º or you'll risk straining or tearing the ribbon cables connecting the display.

Step 10

Pull on the small nub on the suction cup to remove it from the front panel.

Step 11

Slide an opening pick underneath the display along the top edge of the phone to loosen the last of the adhesive.

Be very careful at this step. The glass at the top will break very easy when the display is lifted too much.

Gerdschi D -

Step 12

Slide the display assembly slightly down (away from the top edge of the phone) to disengage the clips holding it to the rear case.

Step 13

Open the iPhone by swinging the display up from the left side, like the back 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.

Das “links” ist auf dem Foto rechts.

Matze Diamond - 13/10/19

Das ist falsch. Wenn man auf das iPhone sieht, ist der Home Button unten. Auf dem Photo ist deutlich sichtbar, dass die linke Seite angehoben wird.

Hans -

Step 14

Remove four Phillips (JIS) screws securing the lower display cable bracket to the logic board, of the following lengths:
Two 1.3 mm screws
One 1.4 mm screw
One 2.7 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.

The Phillips screwdriver bit is the PH000. The measurement refers to the screw length.

Jack Harry -

Step 15

Remove the lower display cable bracket.

Step 16

Use the point of a spudger to pry the battery connector up from its socket on the logic board.
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.

When I reassembled the iPhone 8 Plus, I had to plug it into a Lightning cable to wake it up (just pushing power button wasn’t sufficient).

browniestarmite - 13/01/19

Step 17

Use the tip of a spudger or a fingernail to disconnect the large lower display connector by prying it straight up from its socket.
To re-attach press connectors like this one, 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 even slightly misaligned, the connector can bend, causing permanent damage.

I got hold of a iPhone 8 Plus with cracked screen that I am planning to fix.

Here is my problem:

When I tried to take out the screen from my phone, (step 15-18) I was curious about the new screen, so I tried to connect it. It was completely dead! Then I tried the old cracked one, and suddenly that was dead to! This is a phone that some fool has been inside earlier and changed battery, but I suspect he has done some more really stupid things. The Taptic Engine is living its own life and vibrating every time I slightly touch the home button. (I have a new Taptic Engine) The phone is also full of dust and small particles that does not belong there. One tri-point Y000 screw (step 18) is even missing! Now the biggest problem is that both screens are black! I know the phone is on, because I hear voice command speak when I turn on the power. The screen worked before I tried to change it? And one last thing: My new LCD screen came with new flex cables. Is it possible to switch over, so I can use the old ones?

smikalsen - 18/10/20

Hi,

Is your problem solved?

Daniel Leprince - 11/01/21

Be careful of damaging MOSFETs by the LH side of the large lower display cable. After replacing the battery and turning the device on, the phone showed low charge and didn't have a charging symbol even after plugging into multiple cables and chargers. Turns out I had damaged the logic board attempting to disconnect the connector.

Chris Cerrudo -

Step 18

Disconnect the second lower display cable connector, directly behind the one you disconnected in the previous step.

I used the other end of the spudger on this connector and it seemed to work a little better for me. I came in from underneath the top-right edge instead of the bottom right.

Jessica Kirsh - 08/09/20

Step 19

Remove the two tri-point Y000 screws securing the bracket over the front panel sensor assembly connector:
One 1.0 mm screw
One 1.2 mm screw

una vite da 1mm e due viti da 1.2 mm???

Matteo Carachino - 25/09/19

Ciao Matteo! Grazie per l’osservazione. Ho appena modificato il testo :) La traduzione è aperta a tutti. Hai quindi la possibilità di fare le tue suggestione direttamente nel testo e sei il benvenuto se vuoi usare di questa possibilità nel futuro. Grazie ancora per la vigilanza! Saluti, Claire

Claire Miesch - 26/09/19

The tool kit does include a 1.0 or1.2mm screwdriver! How am I supposed to remove those screws?

peter frommer - 15/04/20

Bought the screwdriver that supposedly fits these screws and it still doesn’t work.

hypercarduser - 26/04/20

My bracket looks different. Can’t get these screws out.

Ray Rushing - 28/09/20

kit came with wrong bit. i received 2x P02 (penta tips) and no tri point y000.

Christopher Shane Gripp -

There is no such thing as a trigger point y000 screwdriver. Why couldn't they use Philips like the rest of the screws.Nobody knows what these trips point y000 even look like. this is a scam to force you to buy a new phone.

Al tb -

Step 20

Remove the bracket covering the front panel sensor assembly connector.

Step 21

Use the tip of a spudger or a fingernail to disconnect the front panel sensor assembly connector from its socket.

What happens is this strip is torn and how does one fix it

Mijinyawa Dauda -

Step 22

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

Should there be a step somewhere in here to point out when to remove the blue plastic from the new iFixit screen?

Paul Santora -

Step 23

Remove three Phillips screws securing the upper left antenna component:
Two 1.3 mm screws
One 3.1 mm screw

Step 24

Remove the 1.3 mm Phillips screw securing the antenna component to the top edge of the rear case.

This screw is stuck and will not come out. I'm using the same head I used for the previous one which is the same size. I've even tried them all. I can get any other screw fine but this one will not come out. Just wasted my time undoing everything up to then and this stupid screw is stopping me from finishing.

Jalen Pace -

Step 25

The screw boss at the top of the antenna component is tucked into a small recess in the top edge of the iPhone.
Tilt the antenna component up towards the top of the phone.
Slide the screw boss down and out of its recess.

I accidently ripped the screw boss of the antenna component. Is that very bad? Do I need to replace the antenna component, or could I try to solder it back on, or does it even matter? Thanks in advance.

Johannes Jüptner -

Step 26

Remove the top left antenna component.

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.

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

Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our Answers community for troubleshooting help.