iPhone X Logic Board (Motherboard) Replacement

Written By: Jerry W

Comments: 103

iPhone X Logic Board (Motherboard) Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

No estimate

Introduction

The logic board, also known as the motherboard, contains the CPU and most of the integrated circuit chips that control the operation of the phone. iPhone X logic boards are notoriously difficult to repair, as they consist of two boards stacked on top of one another and soldered together to form a single unit. Repairing any component sandwiched between the two boards requires them to be disassembled, an additional and difficult step in board repair that is already hard enough and requires microsoldering expertise.

This guide will show you how to replace the logic board.

However, in order to keep the Face ID function working, the Earphone / Proximity Sensor assembly and the front camera assembly, both of which must be paired to the logic board, must also be replaced.

If the loss of Face ID is acceptable, then you can use this guide to to replace the logic board by itself.

Tools

Step 1

Insert a SIM card eject tool or a paperclip into the small hole in the SIM card tray, located near the side button on the edge of the iPhone.
Press firmly to eject the tray.

Step 2

Remove the SIM card tray from the iPhone.
The SIM card will fall out of the tray easily.
When reinserting the SIM card, ensure that it is in the proper orientation relative to the tray.
A thin rubber gasket around the SIM tray provides water and dust protection. If this gasket is damaged or missing, replace the gasket or the entire SIM tray to protect your iPhone's internal components.

Do not read any simcard in iphone

PRAVEEN KUMAR -

Step 3

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 6.9 mm-long pentalobe screws at the bottom edge of the iPhone.
If the screws are stripped or damaged, replace the screws.
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.

There are 6.81mm long screws!

Daniel - 25/06/20

One of the pentalobe screws is stripped :( - suggestions for how to get it out?

cgtyoder - 09/07/20

same situation here

kaunomarcius - 11/07/20

Same issue for me too, how do I get the stripped screw out?

patronics - 11/08/20

Update: I was able to get the “stripped” screw out using another Pentalobe-2 screwdriver bit from another company. It seems it wasn’t the screw, but the screw driver that was actually stripped. Hence why the other screwdriver kit I got came with 3 of this bit, I suppose.

patronics - 12/08/20

I ended up going to a jewelry store, and they drilled down into the screw, with of course an incredibly tiny bit. That allowed me to insert the P2 driver, and I was able to unscrew it at that point. Good luck!

cgtyoder - 24/08/20

Same issue with the stripping. The tip of the iFixit P2 head in my $70 kit just ground off on the first screw and that was that. Not much you can do.

Kyle Harris - 29/12/20

yes correct the same happened to me, the screws were perfect shaped never been open and as soon as i used the P2 it stripped the screws, seems like the P2 is slightly smaller but Dremel kit with a very small drill bits and precise knife tool is the way to go.

Dulce Vidal - 14/04/21

This step in automatically followed through, without any thought. Why remove these screws? Can anybody explain? The Screen is detachable all the same, with them well screwed in…

Uri -

These screws attach to a plate that’s part of the screen half of the phone. If you succeed in detaching the screen without removing those, it would seem reasonable that you will have damaged that plate or its ability to keep the two halves together.

Dan Long -

@Dan Long is right

Uri -

Clean out the pentalobe screw heads first so the tool goes all the way in. A small sewing needle works well to loosen any build up and then press some putty/chewing gum into the screw head and pull away quickly for a final clean out.

William Olstad -

The this kit should include screws because you’re going to strip them. Can’t even get past step one. Did anybody figure this out

justin -

Never opened my phone ever, when I went to look at the first step.. I noticed one of my screws was stripped. I thought it was impossible, but I removed the non stripped one, then once I got to the stripped one.. I learned my assumptions were correct. I bought this one straight from the apple site years ago ahaha Any tips to remove the stripped screw?

Clarence Williams -

William Olstad's tip about cleaning the screws with a needle and a bit of poster putty worked well for me. There was a lot of crud in there! The opening is shallow, so it's easy to see how the screwdriver wouldn't catch with even a bit of grit in the way, No problem getting the pentalobe screws out with the ifixit screwdriver.

punkinann -

Step 4

Heating the lower edge of the iPhone will help 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.

General tip regarding heating necessary to remove adhesive:

consider using a heated tip of a small screwdriver or metal spudger (not the one made of plastic, provided in kit), rather than to heat the device itself.

Uri - 17/12/19

You then need to be careful about the temp of the tool which if hot enough can melt plastic components or harm them. Keeping the heat source (heat gun) far enough away from the object that you’ll eventually melt the glue but would be much harder to melt components. I try to keep 4” or 5” gap between the source & object

Sandman619 - 07/01/20

Thanks for the info. Could a air convector do the job

dominique.br -

When opening a device that has previously been worked on, and on which the adhesive might not have been replaced, be extremely carful when opening the phone. It will open much more easily than expected. If you’re not careful you might rip a cable.

jonpol -

Is this tool required or can I just use the Anti-Clamp by itself.

Mikail -

Step 5

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 6

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.

DO NOT separate the glass from the plastic bumper or rim around it. These instructions don't clarify that the pick has to be inserted between the plastic rim and the metal body. It is likely that the glass will lift slightly off the plastic surround before the plastic will lift out of the metal body. I had success sliding a card or pick back and forth along the bottom edge of the plastic rim while pulling on the suction cup. Eventually there was a space large enough for the pick to go under the plastic rim.

Anessa -

Step 7

If using a single suction handle, apply it to the bottom edge of the phone, while avoiding the curved portion 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.

If you were using some form of screen protector, it may come off first as soon as you pull on the suction cup. Do not be alarmed. That is normal behavior.

Alain-Daniel Wa-Baguma - 21/06/20

3m VSB double stick tape will stick to the screen when the suction cups fail (see my comment on step 1)

Tawan Khamapirad - 15/12/20

Step 8

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.

In addition to safety goggles, I would recommend you also wear good gloves to avoid getting cut with the glass as you try to pry it open.

Alain-Daniel Wa-Baguma - 21/06/20

The top about applying more heat and gently rocking the screen up and down to weaken the adhesive did the trick for me. Thank you!

Monil Shah -

There needs to be more clarity on where to shove the opening pick into. There is actually two openings that the pry tool can be forced into: one below the black plastic bezel, and one above the black plastic bezel. When I heated my screen with a warming pad and pulled up the suction cup, it actually pried apart above the black plastic bezel which removed the touch screen from the display panel. With this being the first newer iPhone I'd opened since the 3GS, I didn't realize that I was opening the wrong opening as the directions only mentioned one opening and did not warn of this. I was pretty disappointed in the lack of mentioning this, as I was taking my time and following it to the tee. As a result, it destroyed my original iPhone screen.

Caleb Davison -

DO NOT separate the glass from the plastic bumper or rim around it. As someone else noted, these instructions don't clarify that the pick has to be inserted between the plastic rim and the metal body of the phone. When pulling upwards with the suction cup, it is likely that the glass will lift slightly off the plastic surround before the plastic will lift out of the metal body. I had success sliding a card or pick back and forth along the bottom edge of the plastic rim while pulling on the suction cup. Eventually there was a space large enough for the pick to go under the plastic rim.

Anessa -

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 opening pick too far into the iPhone, or you may cause damage to internal components.

Step 10

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 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.

If you have flat feeler gauges (for adjusting engine valve tappet clearance, ignition points … old school) the .003” thick gauge goes right in. Work your way up in thickness until you can get the pic or supplied pry tool in. Don’t insert metal feeler gauge in too far, just enough to hold crack open. I didn’t need to use the suction cup. I used a hot/cold gel pack heated in microwave to heat edges to soften glue a bit. Made sure it wasn’t so hot I couldn’t stand it on my skin.

William Olstad - 16/01/22

Step 11

The top edge of the display is secured with both glue and clips.
Slide the opening pick around the top corner of the display, while gently pulling or wiggling the display down in the direction of the Lightning port.
The clips will break if you use too much force. Work carefully and be patient.
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.
Slide the pick to the opposite corner and cut any remaining adhesive securing the display.

These are the best instructions I’ve ever read for anything.! Thank you!

Peter Andrew - 23/05/18

Step 12

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

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.
As pictured, make sure the frame comes off with display and doesn't get stuck in the device.
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.

My phone came apart in a different way and looks not right the little box at the top of the display as actually bolted to the top of the frame body I think something went really wrong when I opened it.

Mike Kostersitz - 08/06/20

It opens like a book but be careful not to open it all the way — only as far as shown in the photo. Otherwise it will strain the thin cable that connects the sensor module and then no more FaceID for you (or, as it turns out me). This could have been made more explicit in the instructions.

Richard Tucker - 28/11/20

It opens like a book but be careful not to open it all the way … the small stainless steel tabs that hold the screen around the metal frame, that are on the bend place (right side of the phone)… are tend to bend, you can straighten them back to 90 deg. but the plastic base that they are on? very fragile- watch out not to break the plastic bezel … it may come apart of the glass.

dabur872 - 27/04/21

Advice for re-assembly: Before closing up the phone with the seal, check if phone is powering up again and speaker, mic and sensors are still working. If done this check even before installing the board connector bracket in Step 13.

Alexander Nowak -

Step 14

Remove five Y000 screws securing the logic board connector bracket, of the following lengths:
Three 1.1 mm screws
One 3.1 mm screw
One 3.7 mm screw
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your iPhone.

One thing I found helpful for replacing the screws was to use only the 000screwdriver tip, without the handle. This way, the tip isn’t magnetized and the screw doesn’t tend to ‘roll’ off the screwdriver tip (the screw has almost no mass, so the head (largest surface) is pulled around to the side of the screwdriver tip when magnetized).

Rich May 23, 2020

ungodly - 23/05/20

My 3.1mm screw had a stripped head, could not remove it. (Factory defect, this iPhone was never opened)

So I had to give up removing the display assembly, and jumped directly to battery replacement, Step 20.

That was tricky as I had to keep the display at 90º with a risk of breaking display connectors, but hopefully the replacement went well.

I would not recommend to do this but to follow the guide, but, in case someone encounters a similar issue, that could help!

vingu - 15/01/21

My 1.1mm screw had a stripped head. Used a 3mm steel drill to cut the head off (just 1 mm deep haha) so i could remove the bracket.

Renout - 07/03/21

Be careful on reassembly. Keep the screen supported and not moving. I had difficulty getting the screws in and ended up ruining the screen connectivity at the back of the screen where the ribbon cables go in near the center. I was trying to hand hold the screen and it ended up moving around too much.

SETH GREEN -

To keep track of the screws, I copy the photos showing their places, then arrange these photos on document in Pages, print it. Next I apply two sided sticky tape (the roll-on type). So all screws have their corresponding places …

Max Glanzmann -

Step 15

Remove the bracket.
The bracket may be lightly adhered in place. Lift gently but firmly to separate it.
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.

I tested it, then proceeded to close up the device without the bracket. Do I need to reopen and install? All connections are good?

monastra7 - 12/08/20

The bracket helps those many connectors underneath maintain good contact. Probably in the short term nothing bad will happen, but I’d hang onto the bracket and reinstall it when convenient.

Jeff Suovanen - 15/08/20

Agree with Jeff

cgtyoder - 19/09/20

I tested all imaginable functionality on the new OLED screen. Taptics are fine. Then, I noticed that the battery wasn't charging. Any ideas as to what could have gone wrong?

Monica -

for me, the replacement battery was completely dead, small panic when the power-on button was pressed, but quickly realised that this was the situation, and now watching the phone take a power cycle.

James Stanbridge -

Before clicking the screen assembly back, I tried to test the iPhone by pushing the start button, but nothing happened. After taking off the bracket, reseating the plugs I tried again - nothing happened! Then I plugged in the charging cable connected with the iMac, and it started immediately. So if the phone does not start using the startup button, it might just be a glitch when reconnecting the battery.

Max Glanzmann -

Step 16

Use the point of 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.

cosa può succedere se non si disconnette la scheda logica'?

luca.valli - 12/10/20

note: be careful not to crush or puncture your battery at this step!! I gave mine a minor dent, which I hope wont be a problem.. but something to keep in mind for fxlks in the future!

Noal Balint - 19/10/20

Thanks, already did it)

Stephen Hedrick -

Step 17

Use the point of a spudger or a fingernail to disconnect the front panel sensor assembly connector.

Step 18

Use the point of a spudger or a fingernail to disconnect the OLED panel 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.

Snap ‘em in like little Legos.

Ray Johnson - 20/11/20

Maybe the manual should flip step 17 and 18 (as the digitizer cable from 18, is in the way of the OLED cable of step 17) ?

Renout - 07/03/21

Step 19

Use the point of a spudger to pry the digitizer cable connector up from its socket.
This connector's recessed location makes it tricky to reconnect. Take your time and align it carefully, then gently press it into place with your fingertip—first one side, then the other. You should feel it click into place.
If any part of your screen doesn't respond to touch after your repair, disconnect the battery and then re-seat this connector, making sure it clicks fully into place and that there's no dust or other obstruction in the socket.

This was probably the hardest part other than trying to get the screen off with the crappy suction cups. I re-installed the bracket only the find out that the touch screen would not respond to touch. Had to remove the five screws, remove the bracket and reseat the recessed screen connector. Reseating the bracket took another 10+ minutes. I carefully used the angled forceps to grab the cable and align the connector being careful not to damage the cable.

Once you have the connector seated, I would reconnect the battery, power on the phone, and check the touch screen response before re-installing the bracket (step 13).

Tawan Khamapirad - 15/12/20

Yeah, this was probably the trickiest part of the reassembly. The power connector cable kept getting in the way so I moved it carefully but fully out of the way. Then it was a matter of fiddling around with it a bit and being careful not to force it on.

Jeffrey Hoy - 23/03/21

I was positive that I had messed something up, I had powered up the phone to test three different times and everything seemed find except there was no touch at all. On my fourth attempt, I carefully examined everything for dust and debris (blowing gently), and I did notice that a corner of the connector (more like part of the ribbon) was bent slightly, and I straightened it. I don't know if it was the ribbon or some tiny debris, but after reseating a fourth time, it worked.

Pol Llovet -

Very important part of the tutorial. Be careful and patience! In my case the screen and camera didn't respond after assemble, so I tried again to reconnect the connector like tutorial said and it worked well. Now my iPhone feel like a new one 💪🏼

Efrain Maestre -

Step 20

The front panel sensor assembly flex cable is lightly adhered in place.
Carefully lift the cable until the adhesive separates.

Do this sensor affect face id?

bonglkv - 14/12/19

It is part of the face id part so yes. This is the ear piece too so if the ribbon tears there is a chance the ear piece will stop working as well.

Stephen Patterson - 13/01/20

Be super careful handling this ribbon particularly. I did a battery install and, when I was done, I had a phone with a new battery and no Face ID. That’s a $300 Apple repair, and no 3rd party shop will touch it. I believe the ribbon lays vertically (i.e., perpendicular to the “floor” of the phone, against the side edge of the battery. During the re-install, I must have forced the ribbon into position after seating the connector, causing fatal flexing of the ribbon. (Don’t know this for sure, but I see another comment saying that this cable is part of Face ID.) Anyway, bottom line: BE CAREFUL REMOVING AND REINSTALLING THIS RIBBON!

Jonathan Pines - 31/05/20

My flex cable was more than lightly adhered in place. I needed to use a guitar pic or similar to help encourage adhesive to separate. I wouldn’t pull too hard like shown in pictures unless you had just the right grip on the ribbon cable so as to avoid damaging flex cable. See note above (5/31/20)

William Olstad - 16/01/22

Bizarre — it turns out my whole front panel sensor assembly came entire off of the front screen and is stuck to the logic board.

Karl Jarvis -

I also found the glue quite recluctant to release so I applied a second or two of heat using the wife's hair dryer which softened it and the cable lifted much easier then. Be careful not to apply too much heat though which could then impact other internal components.

LosBenitos -

Cho ít cồn 90° vào để mềm keo dễ tháo

huuhaukimngan -

my iphone x doesn't have a front panel sensor? in fact, it looks completely different than the picture???

Kenneth McLeod - 14/04/23

Step 21

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

I tried this and broke the cable can it still repair

Alexis Rodriguez - 13/03/21

At this point I would have found it easier to remove the glue from the edges than later on when I was reassembling it. I bought the kit that had the replacement glue in it.

Grant -

Excellent guide! Would love to have a link to moving the sensor assembly from the old display to the new here.

Nicole -

Step 22

Be careful not to touch the three rows of grounding pads near the bottom of the iPhone.
Remove the seven screws securing the bracket below the Taptic Engine and speaker:
Two Y000 1.9 mm screws
One Y000 1.2 mm screw
One Y000 1.6 mm screw
One Phillips 2.4 mm screw
One Phillips 1.7 mm screw
One Phillips 1.5 mm screw

For battery replacement:

It is not necessary to remove Taptic Engine and speaker to replace a battery. Go straight to the step #33

Additional video: https://youtu.be/2GfBOlJEW10

Alexander - 28/05/20

I wish I seen this before I did all that! Thank you for that information. Next time I do something like this. I'm gonna pay more attention to the comments.

Eric Marino - 11/11/20

Removing the Taptic Engine and speaker greatly improves your chances of getting the battery adhesive strips out intact. If those break, you’ll have a much tougher time.

Jeff Suovanen - 27/01/21

Boy, I tried to skip removing these items but was unable to get the glue strips out with them in place, not much to grab and tabs were kind of stuck to a seam in the battery, and hard to tell the difference between the seam and the strip tabs. For me I had to remove these items to get this done.

marshallburchard -

I stopped removing things after getting the display side off. There were 3 screws stripped on the speaker cover which wouldn't come out so I punted. Just pried the battery out with a smudger tool and some patience, starting at the top and working towards the bottom. New battery is in and working fine.

Andy Price - 14/12/20

The 2.4mm screw identified as “green” needs a Y000 screwdriver

seb6po - 14/12/20

Thanks for not removing the following steps. this made me break the connector for the bottom speakers >:(

Andrew Romano - 26/01/21

The color codes are missing from my display — only on this step.

nat2 - 31/01/21

The screws color and quantities in list don’t match the schematic ! I wish i had a magnetic screw mat before starting, because not only i removed the Taptic Engine and speaker unnecessarily, but i also lost a screw ?

fb.mailing.lists -

For first timer, dont think its possible to skip these steps and remove battery. It’s hard to remove the glue

Wex -

Does anyone know the purpose of this bracket "with grounding pads"? What would be the possible side effects if it was damaged or not connected properly during reassembly?

Anne Aunyme -

I had to remove the tactic and speaker could not get the glue strips out so glad the steps to do so were in this guide.

P Bond -

Sure would like to know WHY the warning "Be careful not to touch the three rows of grounding pads..." What would or could happen if I did touch them??

Chad Gagnon -

Removing the battery strips is a major PITA, just skip this step and everything onwards, remove the one strip on the top part of the battery (according to step 33) and for the bottom part of the battery, pry it off with a plastic spudger.

Yes, this is not the elegant solution, but the quickest and easiest one. This method is better, as you don't want to keep the old battery anyway, so why bother. (You must not puncture the battery though! But as long as you're only working with a plastic tool and are careful, nothing can happen from my experience.)

speaker gasket -

Step 23

Lift the bracket from the edge nearest the battery. Don't try to remove it fully, as it's still connected via a small flex cable.

Step 24

While holding the bracket out of the way, use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the flex cable underneath.

Step 25

Remove the bracket.

Step 26

Remove the 2.1 mm Y000 screw securing the speaker connector cover.

L'unique vis non?

Easy Repair - 19/03/18

Effectivement ;-) Merci pour les bons yeux et la remarque !

Claire Miesch - 19/03/18

Step 27

Remove the speaker connector cover.

Step 28

Use the tip of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the speaker connector.

As mentioned in a comment by timblake2112 (see step 29), this step is not necessary and can be skipped skipped. I would advise you to do so, as removing your speaker is guaranteed to ruin your gasket and rubber seal. This will result in loss of water resistancy of your iPhone and could potentially harm the sound quality of your speaker.

Try removing the Taptic Engine without removing the speaker. It might still be possible removing the battery adhesive strips and your speaker will stay in its original condition.

speaker gasket -

Step 29

When prying up the speaker, take care not to damage the flex cable you just disconnected. If necessary, hold it to one side so the speaker has room to come out.
Insert a spudger under the top edge of the speaker near the edge of the iPhone's case.
Gently pry up and lift the top edge of the speaker.
When reinstalling the speaker, check the position of the flex cable and make sure it doesn't get trapped underneath the speaker.

Step 30

Hold the speaker by its side edges and rock it side-to-side, separating the adhesive securing it to the bottom edge of the iPhone.
Pull the speaker away from the bottom edge of the iPhone until the adhesive gasket separates.

Try removing the Taptic Engine without removing the speaker. It might still be possible removing the battery adhesive strips and your speaker will stay in its original condition.

speaker gasket -

Step 31

Remove the speaker.
The speaker's adhesive gasket is not reusable. Peel away any remaining adhesive residue with tweezers.
To help protect against water and dust intrusion, replace the adhesive gasket during reassembly. Prep the area by cleaning it with a bit of isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth or coffee filter so that the gasket adheres properly. Install a new gasket onto the speaker, and then install the speaker.

You don’t need to remove the speaker and ruin its gasket. You can wiggle and slide the taptic engine out without removing the speaker. I’ve done this twice on rear shell replacement jobs.

timblake2112 -

Maybe I'm a bit daft, but where's the instruction just how to line up the speaker gasket when replacing? I only have one so I'd like to avoid wrecking it. And I completely cleaned off the old one in order to do a good job of things. Why no simple instruction from part supply link?

MrRoundel -

Step 32

Remove the 2.3 mm Phillips screw securing the Taptic Engine.

Step 33

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

Step 34

Remove the Taptic Engine.

Step 35

The iPhone X's battery is secured to the rear case by four pieces of stretch-release adhesive—one on the top cell, and three on the bottom.
Each piece of adhesive has a black pull-tab at the end, which is lightly adhered to the side edge of the battery.

Step 36

Separate the first battery adhesive tab from the bottom edge of the battery.
Each tab has a small loop in the center; insert a tool through the loop if you're having trouble grabbing hold of the tab.
Don't jab the battery with any sharp tools. A punctured battery may leak dangerous chemicals or catch fire.

hole breaks instantly on pulling. adhesive tab does not release from side of battery

Dominick garton - 04/05/21

I had a lot of trouble with this. Only two came out properly and the others snapped off. I heated up the back of the phone with a hair dryer then used the flat end of the spudger to slowly pry it off right to left, bottom to top.

Grant -

just pry it off, why bother

speaker gasket -

Step 37

Repeat the above step to separate the remaining two adhesive tabs from the bottom edge of the battery.
Take care not to damage the speaker cable connector just below the center adhesive tab.

Step 38

In the following steps, you'll pull each tab to slowly stretch out the adhesive underneath the battery. This special stretch-release adhesive loses its tack when stretched and then comes out in your hand, allowing you to lift out the battery with ease.
If the strips break, don't panic! They don't always work as intended. Keep reading for some additional steps for removing broken strips.
To increase your odds of success:
Don't press down on the battery. Hold the iPhone firmly by its sides.
Keep the strips flat and unwrinkled as you pull.
Pull very slowly, giving the strip time to stretch and separate. It takes around 15-30 seconds of stretching to remove each strip.
Pull at a low angle so the strip doesn't snag along the bottom edge of the battery.
If a strip does break off underneath the battery and cannot be retrieved, move on to the other strips and then continue with the additional steps below.

Step 39

Grab one of the outer battery adhesive tabs and slowly pull it away from the battery, toward the bottom of the iPhone.
Pull steadily, maintaining constant tension on the strip until it slips out from between the battery and the rear case.
The strip will stretch to many times its original length. Continue pulling and re-grab the strip near the battery if necessary.
If the battery adhesive tabs break during the removal process, use your fingers or blunt tweezers to retrieve the remaining length of adhesive, and continue pulling.
If any of the adhesive strips break underneath the battery and cannot be retrieved, try to remove the remaining strips, and then proceed as instructed below.

I found it easier to grab the end of the adhesive strip sideways with narrow tweezers, "twirl " the tweezers to wrap the strip around them a few times, then gently pull the strip with the tweezers.

punkinann -

Step 40

Repeat the previous step to remove the strip on the opposite side, leaving the center strip for last.

Step 41

Remove the center strip, being careful not to snag it on the speaker flex cable.

Step 42

The final pull tab lies very close to the Face ID hardware. If damaged, Face ID can only be repaired by Apple, so work with care.
Peel and separate the pull tab on the final adhesive strip, on the top edge of the upper battery cell.

surtout ne pas passer avec la spatule par le bas, vous risqueriez d arracher la nappe du volume et du nfc,

Ludovic Klein - 21/04/21

Step 43

Pull and remove the final adhesive strip.
The strip may fling the battery when it separates from the iPhone, so hold your hand over the battery to secure it—but don't press down on the battery itself, or the added pressure may cause the adhesive strip to break off underneath the battery.
If you removed all four adhesive strips successfully, skip the next step.
If the adhesive breaks off underneath the battery and can't be retrieved, apply a few drops of high concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol under the edge of the battery in the area of the broken adhesive strip(s).
Wait about one minute for the alcohol solution to weaken the adhesive. Use 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.
Be careful not to damage the ribbon cables or the wireless charging coil directly underneath the battery.
For alternative methods to unstick the battery from the case, continue to the next step below.

Step 44

If any of the adhesive strips broke off and the battery remains stuck to the rear case, prepare an iOpener or use a hair dryer to heat the rear case directly behind the battery.
Heat the iPhone until the rear case is slightly too hot to comfortably touch. Don't overheat the iPhone, or you may accidentally ignite the battery.
Flip the iPhone back over and thread a strong piece of string (such as dental floss or a length of thin guitar string) underneath the battery.
Wrap the ends of the string around a cloth (or wear gloves) to protect your fingers.
Pull the string from side to side in a sawing motion all along the length of the battery to separate the adhesive. This can take some time since the adhesive is slow to deform, but with patience it will come free. Do not deform or damage the battery.
If you choose to use pry tools to lift the battery out of the iPhone, use extreme caution or you may damage the ribbon cables or the wireless charging coil directly underneath the battery.

if you use a guitar string, remember NOT to use a METALLIC guitar string.

Ross King - 24/08/20

flexible plastic rules with alcohol work too

Wex -

I can confirm that IPA (Iso Propyl Alcohol) and, in my case, the plastic plectra in any iFixit kit worked a treat.

P Bond - 16/08/22

Step 45

Grasp the battery from the bottom edge and remove it from the iPhone.
If there's any alcohol solution remaining in the phone, carefully wipe it off or allow it to air dry before installing your new battery.
Reinstall the Taptic Engine and speaker before installing a new battery. This helps keep the battery aligned correctly during installation.
Before you adhere the replacement battery, temporarily reconnect the battery connector to the logic board socket. This ensures that the battery is properly aligned in its recess.
Adhere the battery, disconnect it, and continue reassembling your device.
If your new battery does not 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.

When reinstalling the battery, the Taptic Engine does serve as a useful way to orient the battery, but it should also be noted that if you push right up against that as you install the battery (as I did) and don’t pay any attention to power connector (shown in step 14), there is a risk that the connector from the battery will not line exactly with the connector port on the board. Mine was only off a mm so I had to get a little creative to try to get it to stretch to reach and connect to the port on the board. Just keep that in mind as you place the battery (with adhesive) down.

Jesse Bolane - 15/03/20

Connect the battery first then put it in place. Other way it is hard to adjust power connector.

Alexander - 24/05/20

I would also HIGHLY suggest re-installing the speaker as well before installing the battery - it was a very tight squeeze as the bottom-right of the battery was snug against the speaker when I tried to get that back in.

cgtyoder - 19/09/20

Step 46

Using the flat end of a spudger, disconnect the three front camera assembly cables:
The dot projector.
The front camera.
The infrared camera.

Step 47

The camera cables are lightly adhered to the midframe.
Using the tip of a spudger, start at the connector and slide the spudger between the IR camera cable and the case to separate the cable from the case.
Repeat for the front camera cable.

Step 48

Apply heat to loosen the adhesive on the front camera assembly.

Step 49

Remove the front camera assembly.

Step 50

Disconnect the following cable connectors.
The WiFi Antenna connector.
The Wide-Angle Camera connector.
The Power Button / Flash / Microphone connector.
The Telephoto Camera connector.
The Dock Flex connector.
The Button / Wireless Charging connector.
The Cellular Antenna connector.

Step 51

Disconnect the WiFi Antenna cable connector.

Step 52

Disconnect the Wide-Angle Camera cable connector.

Step 53

Disconnect the Power Button / Flash / Microphone cable connector.

Step 54

Disconnect the Telephoto Camera cable connector.

Step 55

Disconnect the Dock Flex cable connector.
Bend the cable 90 degrees straight up to allow clearance to remove the logic board.

Step 56

Disconnect the Button / Wireless Charging cable connector.

Step 57

Disconnect the Cellular Antenna cable connector.
Bend the cable out of the way.

Step 58

The logic board cannot be removed with the SIM card tray in place. If you failed to remove it earlier, take it out now.
Remove the two Phillips mounting screws.
One 2.7 mm Phillips screw.
One 2.1 mm Phillips screw.
Remove the 2.0 mm Phillips grounding screw.
Remove the grounding tab.
Be sure to replace the metal grounding tab in the same orientation.

Step 59

When the SIM card is ejected, a pin slides out from the frame and pushes on the eject lever in the SIM card carrier. The pin needs to be pushed back into the frame so it will not block the removal of the logic board.

Step 60

Use a pair of fine tip tweezers to slide the SIM card eject lever toward the side of the case.
The eject lever should look like this when you're done. The pin will no longer block the removal of the logic board.

Step 61

The logic board assembly is mounted on two posts going through the lower board and are secured to the upper board. In order to remove it, you must lift it evenly straight up to clear the stand-offs.

Conclusion

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

Author

Jerry W

Member since: 21/03/22

29869 Reputation

7 comments

Existe compatibilidad entre la tarjeta lógica del iPhone X y el iPhone XS ??

Es decir, puedo sustituir la del X por la del XS ?

Omar Cisneros Desiano -

Hi Omar,

In general the answer to that is pretty much always no. Each phone is designed with a customized motherboard made specifically for that phone, along with all of the components inside it. Unfortunately for us, that means there is virtually no possibility of interchange between different models and that holds true for the iPhone X and XS. Each model tends to change the type of parts that are plugged into it, the position of those connections and even the type of connector. Those changes also result in different shapes and mounting points of the logic boards, meaning they won't even physically fit into a different housing.

Jerry W -

Hello Jerry,

Thanks for this tutorial, however are there apple brand motherboards for iphone x available on the market? There are numerous items on numerous websites, how can I be sure it's reliable and works properly etc.?

Ray -

Hi Ray,

Although it's entirely possible for companies (Chinese ones in particular) to reverse engineer iPhone motherboards and components and make a decent copy, the catch is that Apple controls the firmware that goes on them and there are parts of the software that cannot be duplicated. As a result no one but Apple can make a fully functioning iPhone X motherboard, especially not one that is paired to the Face ID components.

However, there is a large market for phones that have been scrapped and scavenged for parts, so there are a lot of places that sell those. Most of the sellers ensure that the motherboards they sell do not have iCloud or SIM locks in place, but you'll want to verify that the seller states that explicitly. And if you want Face ID to work, you have to buy the paired components that go with the motherboard; specifically the front camera assembly and the earpiece speaker assembly on the display.

(Continued...)

Jerry W -

(...Continued)

Since all the motherboards on the market are used, obviously you can't be 100% sure that every function is going to work correctly, but the reputable sellers will have tested the boards they sell to weed out the ones with issues. The ones sold on AliExpress, for example are generally tested and should have a guarantee of functionality. There are also reputable online stores that sell the parts as well; go through some of the answers forums to get an idea of which companies get recommendations.

eBay can be a good source to save money, but it's definitely a buyer beware situation, depending on the seller. You'll want to verify the IMEI number on an IMEI checking website to make sure the Find My iPhone function is turned off, that it's not iCloud locked and that it's not SIM locked. In general, the boards are pretty reliable so in most cases if it powers up at all, it will usually work.

So it's like buying anything used; you want to find a reputable seller who will guarantee their product.

Jerry W -

Hallo,

Danke für die tolle Anleitung. Wenn ich zwei gleiche Phone X habe, kann ich dann grundsätzlich die Boards tauschen mit der FaceID oder muss ich da noch etwas beachten. Z.B. gleiches Herstellungsjahr usw. oder ist das egal ? Ich habe ein Iphone X mit Baujahr 2017 und eines mit Baujahr 2019. Gruß Harald

Leo 207 -

Hi Leo,

Yes, you can swap any of the iPhone X parts no matter what year it's made; but only iPhone X, not XS or XR. The other main thing is the screen; if you want True Tone to function you have to either take the screen along with the logic board, or else copy the screen data from the old screen to the new using something like the Qian Li iCopy programmer.

Jerry W -