iPhone XS Max Screen Replacement

Written By: Jeff Suovanen

Comments: 65

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

1 - 2 hours

Introduction

If your iPhone XS Max screen is cracked, not responding to touch, or not showing a picture when your phone is powered on, use this guide to restore your iPhone to working order with a new screen, a.k.a. display assembly.

The combined earpiece speaker + sensor assembly affixed to the back of the display is paired to your individual iPhone from the factory, so you must transfer it from your old display to your new one during any display replacement. It contains the flood illuminator, which is part of the biometric Face ID security feature. If it is damaged or replaced, Face ID will cease to function, so take extra care not to damage any of these components during this procedure. If damaged, only Apple can restore Face ID function.

Note: True Tone functionality is disabled after a screen replacement, even when using an original Apple screen.

Tools

Parts

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 6.9 mm-long pentalobe screws at the bottom edge of the iPhone.
Opening the iPhone's display will compromise its waterproof seals. Have replacement seals ready before you proceed past this step, or take care to avoid liquid exposure if you reassemble your iPhone without replacing the seals.

Step 2

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

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

sabrihakulii - 08/07/20

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

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

mcr4u2 - 23/08/20

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

Tawan Khamapirad - 15/12/20

Very cool! Thanks

Antonio -

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

Rich Wachtel - 03/05/21

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

charlotte -

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

William Olstad -

where can I buy 3M VSB plis!!

gerardo artigas cuellar -

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

nicO Gurney -

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

J Olin -

Step 3

Heating the lower edge of the iPhone helps soften the adhesive securing the display, making it easier to open.
Use a hairdryer or heat gun or prepare an iOpener and apply it to the lower edge of the iPhone for about a minute in order to soften up the adhesive underneath.

besteht da die Gefahr das sich das Displayglas vom lcd löst?

roter spieler -

Besteht da die Gefahr das sich der Kleber vom Displayglas löst?

roter spieler -

Step 4

The next two steps demonstrate the Anti-Clamp, a tool we designed to make the opening procedure easier. If you aren't using the Anti-Clamp, skip down two steps for an alternate method.
For complete instructions on how to use the Anti-Clamp, check out this guide.
Pull the blue handle towards the hinge to disengage opening mode.
Position the suction cups near the bottom edge of the iPhone—one on the front, and one on the back.
Push down on the cups to apply suction to the desired area.
If you find that the surface of your device is too slippery for the Anti-Clamp to hold onto, you can use packing tape to create a grippier surface.

Step 5

Push the blue handle away from the hinge to engage opening mode.
Turn the handle clockwise until you see the cups start to stretch.
Make sure the suction cups remain aligned to each other. If they begin to slip out of alignment, loosen the suction cups slightly and realign the arms.
Wait one minute to give the adhesive a chance to release and present an opening gap.
Insert an opening pick under the screen when the Anti-Clamp creates a large enough gap.
If the Anti-Clamp doesn't create a sufficient gap, apply more heat to the area and rotate the handle clockwise half a turn.
Don't crank more than a half a turn at a time, and wait one minute between turns. Let the Anti-Clamp and time do the work for you.
Skip the next two steps.

Step 6

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

Step 7

Pull up on the suction cup with firm, constant pressure to create a slight gap between the front panel and rear case.
Insert an opening pick into the gap.
The watertight adhesive holding the display in place is very strong; creating this initial gap takes a significant amount of force. If you're having a hard time opening a gap, apply more heat, and gently rock the screen up and down to weaken the adhesive until you create enough of a gap to insert your tool.

I need help. I inserted the pick under the screen, but above the touch screen. When I lifted it, all I see is the silver touch screen instead of the interior of the iPhone. How do I to opening the screen the right way from here?

Joe Blaze -

Step 8

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 9

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.

Step 10

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.

Step 11

Pull on the small nub on the suction cup to remove it from the front panel.
If you used an iSclack and it's still affixed to the iPhone, remove it now.

Step 12

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.
During reassembly, lay the display in position, align the clips along the top edge, and carefully press the top edge into place before snapping the rest of the display down. If it doesn't click easily into place, check the condition of the clips around the perimeter of the display and make sure they aren't bent.

Step 13

Remove four Y000 screws securing the logic board cover bracket, of the following lengths:
Two 1.1 mm screws
One 1.5 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.

Step 14

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.

Step 15

Use a spudger or a clean fingernail to pry the battery connector up from its socket on the logic board.
Try not to damage the black silicone seal surrounding this and other board connections. These seals provide extra protection against water and dust intrusion.
Bend the connector slightly away from the logic board to prevent it from accidentally making contact with the socket and providing power to the phone during your repair.

Step 16

Remove the three Y000 screws securing the display connector bracket:
Two 1.5 mm screws
One 1.1 mm screw

I am replacing the screen for the 2nd time - the first repair was done by someone else, and the first 2 screws are 1.5mm and the last screw is 1.1mm… If I put the screw back in am I risking Long Screw Damage?

Sarah Ybarra - 22/03/20

I think that the outside screw (red one, one the right) is actually 1.5 mm or something longer than 1.1. Looked that way to me.

Paul Key - 12/05/20

From the top, the screws are: 2 x 1,5mm + 1 x 1,1mm

serdev94 - 25/09/20

I can confirm the above comments on the screw length. Pls correct it in the description!

k_neuper -

Thanks for all your comments! I'll amend this step.

Arthur Shi -

Hi, I just changed the screen on my XS Max and for this bracket I used 2 x 1.1 mm and 1 x 1.5 mm.

Starting from left to right:

- left 1.1 mm (I tried with 1.5 mm like in the above picture but I felt that it didn't wanted to go deeper so I didn't forced and I tried it in the middle and it fit perfectly)

- middle 1.5 mm

- right 1.1 mm

For the two brackets I had 7 screws, I aligned them on the desk by length and I had 2 x 1.5 mm, 4 x 1.1 mm and 1 x 3.7 mm.

Good luck and I hope it will help someone!

Adrian Slabu -

Step 17

Remove the bracket.

Step 18

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

Step 19

Use 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.

Step 20

Use a spudger or fingernail to pry the digitizer cable connector up from its socket.
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.

Mine still won’t respond even after reseating any ideas? Ground issue?

Jasom -

Step 21

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

What if that cable brakes how do u fix that?

Kourtney Williams -

Step 22

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

No olviden que para que pase el Face Id tienen q cambiar el flex que va encima de la camara delantera con mucho cuidado ya q si le ponen otro flex no funcionara.

jeferson - 31/10/18

Step 23

Remove the three Y000 screws securing the speaker/sensor assembly:
One 1.4 mm screw
Two 1.5 mm screws

Step 24

The earpiece speaker is lightly adhered in place.
Using a spudger, gently pry under the top edge of the speaker assembly, and flip it over—down and away from the top edge of the display.
The speaker remains attached via a very thin ribbon cable. Be careful not to strain or damage the cable.

If you are using a refurbished display, check for dirt in the earpiece speaker cutout.

If you have poor quality or low sound after changing the display, use a cotton bud and isopropyl alcohol to clean the earpiece cutout.

John Gildert - 07/06/20

Step 25

Use a hairdryer or heat gun or prepare an iOpener and apply it to the top front of the display for 1-2 minutes, in order to soften the adhesive securing the sensors.

Step 26

Carefully slide the edge of your opening pick underneath the flex cable below the microphone.
Twist gently to separate the microphone, while being careful not to strain or damage the flex cable.
If needed, use the point of the spudger to finish separating the microphone from its notch in the front panel.

Step 27

Working left to right, slide an opening pick beneath the flex cable and underneath the proximity sensor + flood illuminator module.
Gently wiggle and lift to separate the module from its notch in the front panel.
It's helpful to lift and hold the speaker out of the way for access. Just be careful not to pull on the thin flex cable while you work.

Step 28

Use tweezers to wiggle the ambient light sensor and lift it from its notch in the display.
If the sensor does not wiggle free after a few seconds, apply more heat and try again.
The sensor remains attached to the rest of the sensor assembly via a very thin ribbon cable. Be careful not to strain or damage the cable.

This was the most difficult part for me so i erred on the side of caution. I reheated the display in the oven at 85 degrees celsius. Like in the third picture in the next step, i got a razor into the slot below, to get the diffuser a little loose before wiggling the sensor out. I didn't understand the wiggling until i simply rocked it like a boat would side to side like to the top of the display to the bottom on the display, and voila, all came out easy and in one piece with the diffuser still attached.

Nachman Laufman -

Step 29

If you successfully removed the entire ambient light sensor, as shown in the first photo, continue to the next step below.
If the white diffuser strip detached and remains embedded in the display, as shown in the second photo, you will need to carefully lever it out along the top edge using a thin blade or pry tool. Re-applying heat first may make this task a bit easier.
During reassembly, install the diffuser into the display first, making sure it faces the right direction (the front-facing side is shown in the first image, and the rear-facing side is shown in the third).
Then, set the ambient light sensor on top of the diffuser. You will need to hold the sensor in position while installing the screws securing the earpiece/sensor assembly. Once the screws are tightened, the sensor will stay in place and work normally.

I have accidentally damaged flood illuminator will it affect the face id also or if I just replace the Earpiece Speaker and Sensor Assembly it will get fixed.

Devashish Nayak - 29/05/20

Step 30

Remove the earpiece speaker and front sensor assembly.
During reassembly, check the position of the black plastic module containing these components:
Proximity sensor
Flood illuminator
The module must be positioned so that these components are not obstructed by any adhesive.

Do you have to remove the earpiece speaker and front sensor assembly. If you are taking a screen from another Xs max with it already attached?

atkinson_98 - 30/07/20

The front sensor assembly is part of Face ID, so you must transfer the original assembly to the replacement screen in order to maintain Face ID functionality.

Arthur Shi - 01/08/20

In order to keep the original assembly, do you have to solder?

qwerty77x - 21/11/20

No, you just take the whole unit. Warm it up and remove the glued sensors like described. Handle it carefully, the speaker cable is quite thin. If damaged, you might loose your face-ID functionality.

rob_repair -

Does the screen need a reprogamation onto the new screen?

Diogo Helms -

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.

Author

Jeff Suovanen

Member since: 06/08/13

406754 Reputation

35 comments

Nice guide. I could be wrong but for the first time in a while, changing a display on an Apple phone looks like it’s not anymore difficult than previous models.

John K

the-screen-savers.com

John Knirr - 01/11/18

If you remove the screen but then apply the same screen back on the phone, will True Tone still be disabled?

Onel Jimenez - 15/01/19

@onslivion Nope! It'll continue to work fine, so long as you didn’t damage anything.

Jeff Suovanen - 15/01/19

Hi i broke the Flex cable of the Part.

what i can do now.

is their some Parts for sale?

murtasa972 - 30/01/19

I just switched the screens from 2 phones and both are unresponsive, if put them back to its original logic board the work again, any idea why they dont work? both are original.

martinlpz0422 - 24/05/19

Why is True Tone disabled afterwards? Even with an Original Screen how is that possible?

indra.schleiffer - 23/07/19

That's normal. There's a chip in the screen that has info that is specific to the original logic board so unless you have a special machine to read/write to that chip, truetone will not work.

schaubjimmy - 29/02/20

Hello, I just came across a xs max that works otherwise but 1-2 cm from the top wont work. Is this a known issue with a fix? LCD works fine, but digitizer is cracked.

teemupa - 10/11/19

Awesome guide!

iTony - 11/02/20

This was perfect. It definitely helped me replace the screen on a friend IPhone XS Max!

Jordyn Everson - 10/04/20

Every authoritative source (such as Apple Support, Wikipedia) that I read about the iPhone XS Max display states that it has an OLED display - not an AMOLED display, and not an LCD display (such as on the XR model). Yet the parts associated with this guide are LCD (website quirk?) and the written text for XS Max mention AMOLED. Isn’t this important to get right when replacing? The model I have is A1921.

Mark Johnson - 16/04/20

Hi Mark,

The iPhone XS Max uses an AMOLED display. Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED) is a subcategory of the general OLED tech—AMOLED displays contain circuitry which allows them to switch each OLED pixel on or off. Compared to Passive Matrix OLED, AMOLED displays have a higher refresh rate and are more energy efficient . However AMOLED displays are complex, difficult to source, and very expensive to replace (think $200-400 for the part!) Hardware manufacturers sought to resolve this problem by producing LCD replacement screens. These screens are made to be completely compatible with the iPhone XS Max, but are significantly cheaper to replace. They do look slightly different compared to the original screen. Check this link out for a more in-depth review of the differences.

Arthur Shi - 16/04/20

Where is the INSTALL GUIDE this is just removal? And don’t tell me it’s the reverse. I have a small gasket that’s not mentioned in this and it doesn’t explain how to remove the main old gasket or install the new gasket

James Baker - 20/04/20

Where is the installation guide? This is just a removal guide. Don’t tell me that it’s the opposite of removal to install because I have a small gasket that is not mentioned in the YouTube video or on this site in my package

James Baker - 20/04/20

I would like to echo this comment. It is extremely disappointing to see a guide this comprehensive and detailed stop short of reassembly. Especially because some parts need to be transferred from the original display to the replacement one.

Bobby Adamson - 02/05/20

Completed the Repair with the more Expensive alternative - the OLED display.

The guide is very comprehensive and covered all the points including looking out for bits left behind!

- I noticed a tiny piece of conductive foam on the old display which i moved to the new one.

The OLED display is top quality, but a little darker due to losing the “True Tone” no doubt.

The Adhesive kit is very good, but separating the two films was a little difficult and messed up the alignment slightly, however I managed to recover!

John Gildert - 29/04/20

One more addition I had to make after undertaking this repair.

I had noted that after swapping the display the earpiece was very quiet. I thought that I had missed a gasket, misaligned the earpiece speaker or not plugged in the leads correctly.

Nope. Much simpler than that. CLEAN THE EAR PIECE CUTOUT! *Eeeewwww* After putting up with this for about 4 weeks, I happened to get out the Cotton Buds. A quick wipe revealed someone elses EAR GUNK was clogging up the ear piece cutout !

Disgusted, I got out the Isopropyl and cleaned it (carefully) about 10 times, the audio is now crystal clear.

@ifixit - Please ensure your “Refurbished displays” have a clean earhole. It was pretty gross that it was clogged to the point that I could not HEAR!

John Gildert - 07/06/20

Great guide, completely worked for me!

Jonathan Holland - 09/05/20

This guide worked perfectly for my iPhone Max XS screen replacement. This is only my second “project” from iFixit (the first was a replacement display screen for my Canon 6D) and both times, miraculously, everything worked. I’m really not sure if it is my skills or the details in the guides (it’s definitely the latter and a tiny bit of the former). The replacement parts are reasonably priced and the toolkits are VERY GOOD in quality.

For this iPhone screen fix, I used a previously purchased toolkit and “borrowed” suction handles (yes, definitely makes a difference and better than the tape alternative—I tried both) from a bathroom rack.

It took me about 3 hours to get this done. I rushed on step one and stripped the first pentalobe screw. Luckily, one stripped pentalobe screw is still OK. I managed to pull it apart by wiggling the screen around (without too much force). I used a hair dryer to heat the frame/adhesive.

Follow the instructions closely and don’t lose the tiny screws. A magnetic screwdriver helped.

uropygi - 21/05/20

I have accidentally damaged flood illuminator will it affect the face id also or if I just replace the Earpiece Speaker and Sensor Assembly it will get fixed.

Devashish Nayak - 29/05/20

Step 1: Remove pentalobe screws…is very careful to NOT STRIP THE SCREW…tools provided/metal is not hard enough and is unable to take out the screw in Step 1 and am now currently going out to buy better pentalobe screw driver. THANKS. Why don’t you just provide better tools and increase the cost……………………………………………

Michael Wu - 07/06/20

work just fine ,thank you…

moostafak - 09/09/20

for me at least once you get use to repairing this it can take around 30 min too an hour but i also repair all devices even phones for living so i do have experience with repairing these

Zach Mentz - 13/10/20

Changing just the glass screen on my iphone xs max and the black part behind the screen is cracked what do I do ?

Amber Hankins - 21/10/20

Executed this repair almost flawlessly. The FaceID flex cable is very fragile and glued down very well. I advise you be careful when removing is as not much pressure at all can cause it to break (Speaking from experience). Other than that the guide was very easy to follow.

Gerald Johnson - 11/12/20

This was an incredible guide! With the video, it was the perfect guide and I managed to complete the fix in less than 2 hours.

Akshar Jain -

Can water damaged iphone be restored by replacing screen?

Andrea castaneto -

Hey Team iFixit, vielen dank für diese ausführliche Anleitung. Einfach richtig lesen dann macht man auch keine Fehler haha

Valentin Ochs -

Last month I ordered and received a new screen/digitizer for my iPhone XS max. Installation was easy and the phone was back on-line in half ah hour. Not for long unfortunately. A week after the replacement, the digitizer became irresponsive. I had to let the battery die and subsequently reboot my phone.

It fixed the problem for one day. Then the digitizer froze up again. I decided I was going to open the phone to check the ribbon cables for faulty connection. Alas, when opening the iPhone,one of the cables between the screen and the main board tore.

I resorted to re-installing my old cracked screen that now has been working flawlessly for one week.

Is there a fix for the broken ribbon cable, or can I return the screen for credit or repair?

Maurice -

Hey, I'm thinking on fixing up my Iphone Xsmax screen will the Face Id still function after replacement

oguntayo tosin -

Hello oguntayo tosin, as mentioned in the introduction, for Face ID to work you have to transfer the earpiece speaker + sensor assembly as they are paired to your individual iPhone.

Manuel Haeussermann -

I cant put the display on the iPhone and I dont know why.It just doesn't fit right and rises about 2mm higher than it should.What can I do?

Robin -

Hello Robin, did you already go through the recommended troubleshooting steps? It sounds like it could be a bracket or elements of the earpiece speaker and front sensor assembly that are not seated correctly or that there is some issue with the clips holding the display. You could also try checking whether your replacement part deviates from the original screen as discussed here. Hope this helps!

Manuel Haeussermann -

If purchasing the OLED option from here, would I be able to use a programmer to enable back True Tone?

Jeremy Rampersad -

There's a couple extra chips near the bottom of the original screen that aren't on the replacement. Are they surplus to requirement?

Thomas Pharazyn -