iPhone 7 Rear Case Replacement

From personal experience, I highly recommend before doing this procedure or any other, that you do a backup of your phone (preferably local) in case your procedure goes south.

Before starting, I would recommend backing up your Iphone’s data just in case.

If you managed to make it to this section, just send the phone into apple for 50 + 6 dollars shipping. The ribbon cables on the screen are designed to break. I can literally twist on the rest of the cable and it won’t fall apart but there is a diagonal section where it snaps. This is the fault of apple and the fault of ifixit for misrepresenting the fragility of the cables.

Had to reheat it a few times for a minute each with a hairdryer to get the seal to break after pulling and rocking the suction

I’m technically challenged. Is there a premier national service who can professionally install a replacement battery got my 7 +?

Is it the P2 you should use for the bottom??

I heated the bottom of the phone with a hairdryer and then used a syringe to put a couple of drops of acetone directly into the bottom two screw holes. I GENTLY pulled on the screen with the suction cup and used the pry tool to GENTLY separate the screen. The sealant is applied around the entire display so be very careful pulling it off so you don’t break the fragile display cables.

At first it was very difficult to open, per instructions. I used a heat/ice pack and nuked it for 1 minute. The pry tool wasn’t working so I carefully used my pocket knife to wedge the cover open. The rest of the procedure went well until I cracked the glass while trying to get the top right corner to pop off. Other than that mistake, all went well. Tip: before setting the new battery, attach the battery connector first and leave enough room for the taptic engine, or better yet, place the taptic engine before adhering the replacement battery. This way you’ll have a small gap between the two, whereas mine barely fit. Good job on hosting the video, Gwendyl.

I love the fact that the screw bit and shaft are magnetic! I almost lost a screw and found it attached to the magnet.

I used a heat/ice pack and nuked it for 1 minute. At first the display cover was very difficult to open with the pry tool, per instructions. The pry tool wasn’t working so I carefully used the blade of my pocket knife to wedge the cover open. The rest of the procedure went well until I cracked the glass while trying to get the top right corner to pop off. Other than that mistake, all went well. Tip: before setting the new battery, attach the battery connector first and leave enough room for the taptic engine, or better yet, see the taptic engine in place before adhering the replacement battery. This way you’ll have a small gap between the two, whereas mine barely fit because I placed it almost too low.

Good job on hosting the video, Gwendyl.

I replaced the lightning connector assembly and reassembled. The old one did not 'click' into the cable and had corrosion inside, it needed the cable to be placed in a specific way to charge. The new part - does not recognize that a charger is plugged in at all.

I backtracked the assembly - took it apart, put it back again - and find that every thing on the part works - the mic, speakers, taptic engine.

The original problem with the cable still persists. Any ideas?

My AliExpress refurbished screen came with a pick that has a coin-like circle that pops out, so no modification was necessary

It's not an Ifixit KIT if it doesn't include everything. You'll need to order the opening pic separately. Or head to Walmart like myself and look for guitar pics. Hopefully, this will work just as well.

No pick in mine as well. It’s really not clear that you have to order this separately when ordering an IPhone SE 202/2022 screen repair kit. Is this the case?

Frustrated, I ordered a compact package where everything was encapsulated. Useless suction tools could not separate the screen. If it is unable to decouple the screen, then why sucking suction tools you have provided.

For my kit the triangle pick was stuck inside the box with the screen not with the other tools maybe it's also there for you

Y’all are getting far, FAR too detailed with some of this stuff…. Measuring and marking the pick that you won’t actually use to open the device?!? lol that’s kinda funny. Just heat it up, grab a spudger, and the back just pops right off! The iFixit tech need to stick to the KISS method more often, you know KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!!! Like l, for reals, I’ve been doing this stuff for YEARS and using iFixit guides regularly and this is just ridiculous at this point!

I laid my phone face-down on my 3D printer’s heated bed, and set the temperature to 60 C. After a few minutes, it was ready to loosen.

If you don’t have an “iOpener” or heat gun, try using an electric heating pad. I have a small $11 pad I got at CVS for my knee. On medium heat it worked fine for removal and with the “pennies” for setting the new seal.

I used a heated tea kettle and a tea towel, it worked!

I put on the furnace vent for 10 minutes to get it warm to the touch but not hot.

I attached it to the after burner of my rocket ship and that worked.

I'm holding mine just above an erupting volcano but I'm still waiting to see if it has worked. How long does it need?

I used a water-filled ziploc bag, heated it in microwave. fast, cheap, worked.

The most effective way to heat up the glue is to leave the phone in full sun - if it's available. In fact I would always wait for a sunny day to repair any glued together Apple device. The heat will be very even and the phone was probably designed to survive anything the sun can throw at it - although it can get very warm. (I'm in the UK) If you leave the phone turned on it will give a warning if it goes near the temperature limit.

I'm sorry but I tried both the hair dryer (for 3 minutes!) and the eye opener (also 3 minutes) and no luck. Not even a hint of loosening the adhesive holding down the display!! Do I send this kit back for a refund or what??!!

No luck, guys. 3 minutes of hair drying and 3 minutes heating up the iopener. What next?

Okay, a half hour later i finally got the screen loose, but not after super heating it for at leat 10 minutes with a hair drying and burning my hand trying to pry it open. Also, watch out for the power button because it inadvertently keeps switching the phone back on while you wrestle with it. More later . . .

. . . and now I need to buy a new phone!!! the cable broke as I was trying to unscrew one of the top screws, so thanks! I FIXed IT but Good!!!!

Nate B's advice was key. I couldn't get the temperature of the display hot enough to break the seal with a hair dryer. A heat gun set to low speed and 550F (287C) got the display up to just over 130F, close to the 60C Nate mentioned.

This part was actually much easier than I thought. I used a hair dryer on max for 2 minutes on each side of the phone, less than half an inch away from the phone, just on the bottom half. It was hot! Screen came right out!

I used a tube sock full of about 1 cup of white rice. Tied a knot in the top of the sock. Put the sock of rice in the microwave on 60% power for 1 minute. Kept doing this until the temp felt right. Put the sock of rice down, put bottom edge on sock, then covered w/ other half of the sock/rice. Put a piece of paper towel between phone and sock/rice to absorb any moisture. When lifting up on front panel, I rested the phone on the sock/rice. Worked nicely once I got the temp of the rice high enough.
(threw the rice away later :-) )

“Threw the rice away later” has to be the best advice here. I wrapped my phone in a small heating pad and turned it up to 6 of 8. Worked great in 5 min or less! No need for water bottles, microwaves, heat guns, volcanoes, …. I kept the heating pad later ; )

Get a suction cup pliers. It’ll make this part fun

iSclack EVO opened the iPhone easily even without heating with no fear of accidentally over-opening it like with a simple suction cup.

If you don't have the anti-clamp device, to prevent the screen from tearing open when suctioning it, I suggest some layers of tape around it and the back of the phone (the tape has to be stretchy enough to just minimise the momentum when separating the screen), or some big rubberbands

Be really careful here. I placed a sucker to the front and rear to help lever off the screen. However, the whole thing came away much easier than I anticipated and I ripped the front part completely away from the rear, tearing all three connector cables. New iPhone required.

Note that the opening pick they show here does not appear to come with the kit, which is a bummer! The plunger, the mini blue crowbar thing, these are too thick. I ended up using a really thin guitar pick.

Following careful methods can mostly preserve the seal and reusable. Won’t be as water tight but probably still pretty good.

Bottom edge is pull up with suction + separating tool. Use small precision scissor to cut any tape that gets overly stretched upon initial opening.

- For the 2 long edges, use an exacto knife to separate the seal from the screen. This keeps the tape on the chassis. Go slow along the long sides. Becareful to avoid scratching the paint on underside of the screen’s edge.

- Top corners have a thick sealed tape. Best to just use separating tool to twist it open.

In summary, top and bottom edge use separating tool. Side long edges can use exacto knife to gradually gently separate the seal from underside of the screen’s edge.

4 picks and an exacto knife, plus 45 minutes later, I finally got it to open! Thanks tor the tip!

Intact screen, check. Tool kit, check. Hair dryer hot enough to make the phone too hot to touch, check. Following all instructions, check. Screen still in place and refusing to come off, check.

I heated, reheated, pulled and pulled. I simply could not get it off. Worked at it for an hour and a half, and I’m not a small guy. Yes it is hard to hold, but could get a grip. Just could not get it to budge. Off to the iPhone repair shop tomorrow. Anybody want to buy a repair kit and replacement battery?

After struggling for 30m, I looked up some alternate methods and found this helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25zAK5mG...

- I used a utility knife and pried up right under the home button

- the angle matters! I was trying to go too far down before going in. The top surface of the phone is rather thin, so you go in after barely getting under the chassis lip

- tilt utility knife left to right once you’ve got it under to work it in

- leave the utility knife in, and now add that pick

Pro-tip: don't be an idiot like me. Instead, remove the screen protector you have on the phone before applying the suction cups. Derp.

I struggled with a hair dryer at first and a singular suction cup. However, I tried putting packing tape on the spot where I put the suction job (even though my screen isn't cracked) and I was able to do it first try with ease. Definitely recommend packing tape.

Suction cup pliers. Dead easy

After successful screen replacement, returning to give my thanks here. Excellent tips from you all - if you’re using force, you’re doing it wrong. Heat, very very gentle exact-o knife barely down then fully under the screen below the home button … perfect. Slow and patient around the upper corners, and don’t forget to heat there as well! Thank you all!

The problems with this step are (1) not having three hands and (2) managing to hold the phone in a way that doesn't put reverse pressure somewhere else on the screen. Exacto knife was the best tip. It's a little dangerous. On a misstep you may scratch the screen or jab yourself, but it's what got me in.

sorry, could not lift off the display any nano-meter even after applying enough force I think and heating it up. need to visit a store.

I used a razor blade and plenty of heat, and it somehow worked like a charm at the cost of me cutting myself. Definitely be careful when doing this, I used the razor blade on the left side of the iphone then wedged in a small screwdriver and then used the pick to cut the rest of the material away.

DO NOT LAY THE TWO HALVES FLAT!!! There is a reason why the third photo shows the screen half leaning against a box! This really needs to be a warning in addition to the one about not separating the display.

If you're skipping the screen and taptic engine removal like I did, I suggest you tape the back of the phone to the table, and also tape the screen to the vertical object it lays on, so it stays still. That way you will avoid having to constantly readjust it because of the sliding of the housing of the phone when you're working on it. Be careful where you're putting the tape on the screen though, if you're doing it on the internal components.

What driver do I need to remove these screws i’m stuck

i cant use, the Y000 it isnt working.

What if I stripped a screw what do I do??

Yep, only the 2.4mm came out, other 3 won’t budge, and worried I’ve stripped the heads. Anyone got any ideas?

It’s the screwdriver bit that is the problem. I had the same issue with 2 Y000 bits not grabbing the screw properly. I fixed it by using a small 3 sided file to slightly grind the groves in the Y000 bit just a bit deeper. Then the bit worked like a charm on these screws.

Use Y000 on all 4. U have to be very sensitive on the 1.2mm screws. Put the bit in the screw, put the left pointing finger on top of the screwdriver and turn the driver carefully to the right until you feel a “bump”, thats the trick :-), then you are able to screw the screw out.

For me the key here was a LOT of downward pressure to ensure the Y000 bit caught in the screw. Not sure i can describe how much exactly, but is was significant. Otherwise the bit would not catch.

What do I do if I Stripped one of them?

Can’t get them removed what to do ?

The first, longer screw came out fine, but the other three wouldn’t budge, regardless of more/less pressure or a slight angle or anything. I finally filed down the tip of the Y000 bit ever so slightly, and then it worked. Hope this helps someone.

Filing down the bit worked for me. The tip about putting an index finger on the end of the screwdriver handles and then turning gently until it clicks into place was very helpful! Using these 2 tips I didn't need much downward pressure. Screws are out in a few turns.

If you can’t get the bit to grip the screw properly, you can use a little bit of the water-proof sealing between the bit and the screw. That worked for me. Hope this helps anyone.

Mine came out easily. I placed the screws in the area where the bit goes in my kit so I can keep track.

I used a bunch of medicine cups to track my screws. You need like 12 if you want them all in cups. I ran out. There are so many different sizes that literally vary by 1mm. The tolerances on these things are tight.

I use a 28 day pill box and keep every screw separate and reburn to exact slot because they all vary in length, width and can really damage u phone if too long and nt secure if to small.  use a magnetised screwdriver,  or make the cheap freebees magnetic for a short period by rubbing it up an a magnet. lol

Absolutely ridiculous had to go get a different one just stupid

I couldn’t get the lowest one out and just turned the metal bracket out of the way and replaced battery.

Was able to get the outer bracket screws out using fine needle nose pliers 90 degrees straight down for the outer ones by pressing down a little and using medium gripping force. Had to take these out first before i could use tweezers on the middle one, for which I had to use tweezers to hold the screw, then rotating the bracket (not the screw) counter clockwise a few mm many times over to slowly unscrew it 1/32th of a turn at a time, repeat. (this loosened middle screw). Think ‘rotating bracket 3minutes/degrees counterclockwise at a time while holding screw in place.) You are gonna need really small/fine pliers and tweezers for this because the heads are countersunk into the bracket.

The top screw in the step was much longer than 1.2mm. It has the same head as the 1.2mm, but different than the 2.4mm. It’s good to keep track of where they came from.

All are so small that I thought I’d lost one, when it was still sitting in the phone.

To help tell if the screw is turning, put a small dot from a marker on the head of the screws.  This helped me to know I wasn't just stripping the head.

try heating the iPhone with a hairdryer or a bag of rice or about 60 degrees in an oven for 3 minutes . It has worked for me. If the screws don’t come out while hot the will come out as the iPhone cools.

A small tapered triangle file using moderate pressure did the trick for me.

Thanks, Josh Martin! Mine was stuck too, so I lifted carefully.

Reconnecting the battery connector was a bit difficult in my case. The cable that comes out of the battery was a tiny bit too long, or that I placed the battery a bit too high (i.e., too close to the top of the phone). It took me several frustrating minutes of fiddling with the connector for it to sit right into the socket. I was not sure if that was connected correctly but, alas, the phone came back to life when it was turned back on.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Please READ the reply here by jason.

It is very easy to knock off or nudge the little pins near the battery socket, see https://guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com/igi/... and https://guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com/igi/....

Those pins are the data lines to extract battery info: temperature, charge, etc. If you accidentally nudge/knock off them the phone could appear to work normally, even for a few days. But then you will start getting wrong battery reads and then after that it may suffer a reboot loop. If you enter settings > privacy > analytics & improvements and you scroll down you will find panic errors from thermalmonitord that there are missing sensors (TG0B or TGXXX) and you will have to micro solder them. DO NOT NUDGE THEM and double check the socket connector when reconnecting the battery.

After successful screen replacement, returning to give my thanks here. Excellent tips from you all! Careful removing the lower bracket - mine was stuck to this battery connector, which came up with the bracket. Luckily no cable or connector damage. Be careful. Thank you all!

after installing new ifixit battery kit, note the foam on the new battery is thicker than old apple one, managed to remove the old foam and swap to new battery connector, sheild plate now level

An earlier comment said to re-apply the suction cup to the right side of the display so that it acts as a stand when the phone is partially opened. That’s a great idea, and helps a lot for this step and the next.

Hey – I broke one of these flex cables and I cant find them to purchase anywhere. Can somebody help me? It’s the LCD connector first and what is the second flex cable for? Thanks!

I replaced the screen and have ended up with a blank screen. Touch control seem to work (touch button works and I can shut down the phone by pressing power button for some seconds and then swipe left to right in the upper part of the screen). But the screen is blank. I’ve tried to disconnect and connect the two connectors in step 16 but with the same result (blank screen). What do I need to do?

Thanks for advice!

this point is the most important in the whole manual.

Please pay attention not to strain the flex cables or they will end up breaking

I should have been more careful - the second cable tore off.

My own fault after having done this replacement about four times previously without any issues, I clearly got cocky and didn’t pay enough attention.

Be VERY CAREFUL and remember to unplug those cables. Don’t skip steps.

I’ve now had to order a replacement screen.

Echo minimalist’s comment here. Prop the display up and skip to step 19 to save time and remove risk.

If you replace the screen and there is no display apply io propyl alcohol 99.9 & purse to both connectors on the screen and on the iPhone with a clean toothbrush and let them dry for 45 minutes and then fit the screen and reassemble the iPhone..

It works for me . when I get a new screen I do t5his before fitting it.

Can somebody help me with the name of the part that these cables belong to? The bottom one got ripped during my battery replacement, I need a new one but unsure what to look for.

I couldn’t get the two screws out either—used the correct screw tip and everything. Stripped the screw. Will now attempt to just keep the cable attached…..

the two screw i have are stripped and i have n way of getting either screws off whats my next bet

I think part of the issue with the iFixit PH000 is that it is slightly too pointy. The PH00 fits better because the splines engage the slots of the screw before the point bottoms out. The PH000 tip bottoms out in the screw’s center point and the splines don’t engage as well. I have other PH000 tips that are more blunt nose and they work better than the iFixit bit.

Use the J00 bit. Worked perfectly

PH000 screwdriver didn’t work for any of these screws, or the barometric vent, or the taptic engine. It was too big. I had to use a different screwdriver from another kit I had.

I’d do this step before removing the ribbon cables by the battery connector. That way you can disconnect all of them at the same time.

i used the little +-shape 30 mm screwdriver (not the Y…but the + shape).

the cable tore. is that it i need a new phone?

You don’t need a new phone, but your selfie camera and phone speaker will not work. You can get replacements for that about $10.

Reconnecting this cable and coverplate took a good 20 minutes. O_O

What can I do to remove the screw (I stripped it)

I also had issues to loosen up the screws, in two parts the right side up and the left side down, i think the PH000 is to pointy or something or its too hard for the srews of the iphone, i cannot take it off and know im regreting i bought i order all the way from Paraguay in south america and know so angry it doesnt work

I skipped this step. Just be really careful not to pull on the screen.

The guide says they changed these to the Y000 “at some point in the t middle of the product’s lifecycle”…

That can’t be true, I have a *day one*, preordered iPhone 7, and mine had, unmistakably, Y000 screws!

and also, I’m just faithfully following the guide here, but can anyone clarify *why* is is necessary to entirely remove the display AND the Taptic Engine at all? The battery seems accessible just fine… oh well

PS- I’m doing this on an older backup iPhone 7. My iPhone 12 Pro just went berserk and stopped working completely a little over a year after I got it day one of its release… since the iPhone X I’ve only had easily breakable, overly sensitive phones. I’ve had every numbered iPhone except for the 8 (I got the X released at the same date) and the 11, and man, are these newer iPhones post X fragile!

This worked for me! As mentioned use PH000 and apply pressure and then unscrew the screws. They are tiny, adhere to a piece of tape so you don't lose them.

Indeed - I also had some problems with the righ screw: ...a standoff screw that is screwed into the frame - like above explained...! Suddenly I had three screws in front of me and was a little surprised... Ok You have to mount first this screw again - with a small flat srewdriver - otherwise You could not fix the Metalstripe on both sides, because the second small screw has no grip!

After putting together, I had a continuous loop boot up (as noted above). I saw articles where this (front panel sensor connection) was the reason. I disconnected this connection and the boot up loop stopped. I tried reconnecting several times but had the same problem (boot up loop). However, it turns out that I needed to apply extra pressure when installing until a heard a (faint) second click when pressing down. Note - before I was using the spudger to press the connection together, which didn’t do the job. I ended up using my finger to press harder to get it to click in. Solved that issue.

The ribbon cable on this step is torn. Is this something that can be replaced? Is this only to the earpiece?

The ribbon cable on this step is torn. Is this something that can be replaced? Is this only to the earpiece?

If the instructions are followed step by step, then adding the adhesive comes before changing the battery.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd skip adding the adhesive, because you have to disconnect the battery, plus the two lower display connecters and the front panel sensor assembly connector. It was a nightmare trying to marry the components back together without disturbing the wire prongs, and I don't even want to talk about reinserting the tiny screws that kept twirling around on the tip of the screwdriver as well. It wasn't worth the time or aggravation!!

If you decide to skip this step, just avoid using your iPhone near water.

Ich habe das Display nicht abgenommen, sondern mit Hilfe von Tesafilm und Styroporstücken in einem Winkel von ca. 80° Winkel fixiert und nicht demontiert! Das ging auch sehr gut und ich musste nicht noch mehr von den empfindlichen Steckern zum Touch und Display trennen!

I had a new phone. These screws were missing when I disassembled it. Not sure what QC Apple has, but it ain’t great. If they’re missing it’s not the end of the world. You can just disable taptic touch.

I had my 7 battery replaced by an Apple Authorized dealer. Around 2 weeks after the taptic engine started to make a !&&* of a noise when it was activated (sounded as if it was loose)… then 1 month after that… it stopped working completely. fast forward 8-9 months later, the battery they had replaced just wasn’t holding its charge anymore (phone was spending more time plugged in charging and depleting very quickly = full charge lasted about 1-2 hours). Having bought the ifixit battery and have gotten as far as this step, I could see that all three of the 1.6mm screws were just floating around in the compartment and the taptic engine was just being held on via it’s ribbon lead. WTF?! Screws aren’t stripped and I managed to fix it in again. Why would these screws be floating around like this??

another person checking in here to assure you that, if you find a stripped screw (or more) at this step, you’re not crazy. I have one as well! I’m in dis-effing-belief. This phone has NEVER been serviced by anyone, and was allegedly brand new when purchased.

To the person suggesting a dremel tool to remedy this…. *blink**Blink*. Are you kidding me right now? *slap*. Vibrating the !&&* out of all those sensitive parts - not to mention what one slip could end in your phone being effectively sawed in half.

These doodads are a pain to route and reconnect. I probably spent 15 minutes just on this part of reassembly. One of them is connected to the new part. It won’t have the soft grommet on top.

One of these came away from its base. The one nearest the battery.

When I reassemble it I’m thinking just a bit of glue at the side once re attached to base, so lomg as it touches the base contacts?

Any comments?

I am having the worst time imaginable trying to reconnect the antenna cable coming from the lightening connector assembly to the logic board. It’s barely long enough and will not snap into place. There’s a minature gold pin sticking up from a circular gold ring on the logic board and I must have spent an hour on this one step. The antenna end has the female end. Everything else went well. The antenna connector from the old lightening assembly will connect relatively quickly. I’m beginning to think the new antenna connector female end might be defective. I’m ready to cut the black antenna wire and try to solder in a longer piece using the old connector assembly. Any ideas? HELP !!!

These can be tricky to reconnect. I found the best way is to hold the connector with tweezers and use the point of a spudger on top of the connector in the other hand. Slowly moving the connector with the tweezers while applying gentle pressure with the spudger, you will eventually feel the connector and its seat line up and you can snap into place. Don’t force it, when it is lined up it is easy so you have to patiently work on aligning it.

please say which antenna is which, impossible to know now

Tip that helped me: remove the standoff screw next to the clip before derouting (or, upon reassembly, rerouting) the cables. This gives you a lot more space to work with! (Note: I only did this on reassembly, so I don’t know if there are any gotchas on disassembly.)

Please pay close attention to witch one goes where or take a picture bad mistake made.

One cable seems to stay attached to the speaker. Don’t try to pry it off the speaker! This is shown in the video but not in these photos.

The screws are not threading in for some reason. I measured the screws to be exactly 1.2mm with a caliper.

I received two boxes - one box contained the repair part, the other was the tool kit. I only opened the tool kit before disassembling the phone. The standoff screwdriver bit was not in there. Neither was the guitar pick. I used a real guitar pick and a small standard screwdriver from my toolbox. When I was ready to reassemble, I opened the repair part box and guess what was in there - the standoff screwdriver bit and guitar pick. So, I guess if you just order the part it will come with (at least) those two tools. The tool kit contains tweezers, suction cup, three screwdriver bits (tri-point, pentalobe, and phillips) and screwdriver handle, a long black spudger with a flat end and a pointy end, and a smaller, thicker spudger with a wide, flat ends.

The flat end of the spudger works a treat too.

Thank you, bronyar. Since there is a box labeled “Repair Tools”, I never would have looked in the parts box for tools. I was able to use the standoff tool to takie the phone apart, not just to put it back together.

I used standoff bit for iPhone from my pro tool kit

I broke mine while doing this step. A bit confusing. You’re just supposed to bend it out the way, not pull on it entirely. Will the phone still work without this?

$@$*, i broke the grounding bracket

I just didnt bend this one.. Ill tell you how it went

Reassembly note:

Peel up a couple centimeters of the lightening port and plug it in to the logic board *before* seating the logic board. Doing this, you can perfectly line up the connector and hold it to the board as you jimmy everything in to place. This makes the hardest part of the job a no-brainer.

I'm not able to remove these screws with the screwdriver Phillips that was used throughout the rest of this repair. How do I remove them safely?

This step was surprisingly hard - the plastic guitar pick was a bit finer and made it easier. Perhaps some heating helped as well?

I agree with Andrew - just taken the foam bits out and either replace with the new ones that come with the kit or swap over. My tip would be don’t reinsert them until you’ve got the lightning connector in place when reversing steps, as they get caught otherwise.

The gasket is a pain. I’m not even convinced I did it right. The guide stops here and lets you figure out the installation on your own. You can screw yourself if the new connector isn’t placed just right as the connector won’t align. Use the old adhesive areas as guides. I had to take my new part out and install it a second time to get the cable connected. I imagine the usual error is it is too high. The connector ribbon should bend down toward the case just above the connector. Seriously, millimeters count here.

I reconnected the battery to when putting the new sealer in then disconnected it before I reconnected the screen. New batteries come with a charge. It’s best to connect that last.

It would be good to have some additional steps explaining how to install the Speaker and Microphone Mesh Set that comes with the kit. I did appreciate that it was included but it took some fiddling around (and almost ruining the seals) before I figured out where the parts needed to go and still I ended up with 2 tiny black gaskets, that looked similar to the microphone gakets, that I couldn’t place and ended up not using. If they were important, I’ll find out soon I guess :D.

all this is great and all, but how do I reinstall all the stuff I took out of the phone. Am I seposed to scroll backward step for step from 64 to 1?

Amazing guide thanks so much! It would be great to show how to reattach the new lightning connector including the mesh bits etc as this is very hard to work backwards through particularly as it looks a bit different to the original

E muito demorado, mas pelo guia da para fazer direitinho.

Waste of two days, the new lightning connector was not recognized by the phone - it did not charge, but the speakers and mic worked fine. I then took it apart again and made sure everything was installed correctly.

Only now, the touch screen no longer works.

So I am back where I was was with a brick.

Awesome guide - my iphone 7 is like new again. BUT reassembly is definitely not simply disassembly in reverse. I found it very necessary to first connect the new lightning connector assembly to the logic board (Step 49) and then place and attach the logic board (Step 50) with the new assembly underneath before sticking the lightning connector assembly into place. If you first adhere the lightning connector assembly, there is zero chance that the logic board connector will be in the right place for connection to the logic board, which is screwed into place and has no freedom of movement. Also reassembly is twice as hard and takes much longer than disassembly.

Followed this great tutorial today to replace the lightning connector (my microphone was greyed and disabled) and installed a new battery as well. Fantastic guide and everything installed and fit well. However, there are 2 issues:

1. Microphone is still disabled so can;t talk to anyone. Bluetooth works fine for calls though. So maybe that replacement was a waste of sorts.

2. Now I get the error that my Touch ID is not activated and greyed out. Can't use the Home button. Is this something Apple/iOS does if you install a 3rd party battery and lightning connector?

Installed the lightning connector, everything aligned perfectly but although it connected to the logic board, I didn't hear the 'click' I did with the other connectors. The phone got stuck in a boot loop. Thank goodness I was wise enough to test it before resealing the screen. I disconnected the lightning port from the logic board and now the phone boots just fine. I'll have to see whether to return the old lightning port or try and figure something out with the new one. Any suggestions?