iPhone X Earpiece Speaker and Front Sensor Assembly Replacement

Written By: Adam O'Camb

Comments: 172

iPhone X Earpiece Speaker and Front Sensor Assembly Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

1 - 2 hours

Introduction

Follow the steps in this guide to remove or transfer the earpiece speaker and front sensor assembly in your iPhone X. This assembly includes the earpiece speaker, microphone, ambient light sensor, flood illuminator, and proximity sensor.

This assembly 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.

The flood illuminator forms part of the biometric Face ID security feature, and Face ID functions will fail if the original component is damaged or incorrectly installed. Replacing it with a new part will also cause Face ID to fail, so take extra care not to damage any of these components during this procedure. If damaged, only Apple can restore Face ID function.

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.
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 -

If all else fails, very carefully cut a slot across the head of the screw with a Dremel tool using a diamond bit that dentist will gladly give you - I ask my dentist for used bits; and chuck them in a drill bit chuck designed for Dremel. The slot allows you to use a tiny, straight blade screwdriver. You can reuse the screw or replace it with a new pentalobe screw.

Dan Smith -

Step 2

If inserted too far, an opening pick can damage your device. Follow this step to mark your pick and prevent damage.
Measure 3 mm from the tip and mark the opening pick with a permanent marker.
You can also mark the other corners of the pick with different measurements.
Alternatively, tape a coin to a pick 3 mm from the tip.

Got to step 2 and realized the fix kit doesn't include an opening pick! Looks like a guitar pick, and I have those lying around. Is that expected? Looks like the pick is used in many steps below. There's a little blue crowbar that isn't mentioned in the instructions. Perhaps that replaces the opening pick?

Sloan Looney -

Hi! I can't see which guide you were using when writing this comment. Can you reply here with which guide and fix kit you used?

Clay Eickemeyer -

I see you posted this in Meta. I hope it's resolved soon! In the meantime, a guitar pick may work well enough for your repair.

Clay Eickemeyer -

what fix kit?

Meow Purr -

My fix kit didn't include an opening pick either

WILLIAM HARRIS -

Make sure you check inside the black boxes after emptying them. My pick was stuck inside one of the boxes.

AndyF -

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

Gijs Leegwater -

the picture shows 3 cm but the description says 3 mm's. Which one is it?

John Pena -

That is a misunderstanding. It is a ruler with a scale for cm, it shows 0.3 cm, i.e. 3 mm.

VauWeh -

Oh, come ON!

Big Ed -

It will ALWAYS be millimeters on a phone, but this step is ridiculous, skip it!

Leif DeWolf -

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.

Jaleeljb97@icloud.com -

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?

Jackson Castiglione -

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.

Shourob Datta -

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

Henry Scheibehenne -

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!

Leif DeWolf -

Step 3

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 clear packing tape over the iPhone's screen until the whole face is covered.
Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from any glass shaken free during the repair.
If you can't get the suction cup to stick in the next few steps, fold a strong piece of tape (such as duct tape) into a handle and lift the screen with that instead.
If all else fails, you can superglue the suction cup to the screen.

Step 4

The next three 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 three steps for an alternate method.
For complete instructions on how to use the Anti-Clamp, check out this guide.
Pull the blue handle backwards to unlock the Anti-Clamp's arms.
Slide the arms over either the left or right edge of your iPhone.
Position the suction cups near the bottom edge of the iPhone—one on the front, and one on the back.
Squeeze the cups together to apply suction to the desired area.
If you find that the surface of your iPhone is too slippery for the Anti-Clamp to hold onto, you can use tape to create a grippier surface.

Step 5

Pull the blue handle forward to lock the arms.
Turn the handle clockwise 360 degrees or until the cups start to stretch.
Make sure the suction cups remain aligned with each other. If they begin to slip out of alignment, loosen the suction cups slightly and realign the arms.

Step 6

Heat an iOpener and thread it through the arms of the Anti-Clamp.
You can also use a hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate—but extreme heat can damage the display and/or internal battery, so proceed with care.
Fold the iOpener so it lays on the bottom edge of the iPhone.
Wait one minute to give the adhesive a chance to release and present an opening gap.
Insert an opening pick under the screen and the plastic bezel, not the screen itself.
If the Anti-Clamp doesn't create a sufficient gap, apply more heat to the area and rotate the handle a quarter turn.
Don't crank more than a quarter turn at a time, and wait one minute between turns. Let the Anti-Clamp and time do the work for you.
Skip the next three 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 -

Thanks for pointing this out! I'll revise this step to clarify this point.

Arthur Shi -

Step 7

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.
If you use a hairdryer or heat gun, do not heat to much because that can result in damaging the screen.

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 -

If you have a 3d printer, heat the bed to 80c and put the phone screen side down on it for 30 secs

philip.joseph123 - 28/04/23

thaks for this advise, I was looking for this as I dont have a heat gun haha, nice hack

Andres Chaparro -

Step 8

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

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 9

Pull up on the suction cup with firm, constant pressure to create a slight gap between the screen and the frame.
Insert an opening pick into the gap under the screen's plastic bezel, not the screen itself.
The watertight adhesive holding the screen 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 -

Thank you for pointing this out! I've updated the step to reflect this.

Arthur Shi -

The suction cup doesn't work at all... The minimum force I apply to lift it up, it comes off completely. This is very frustrating!!!

Mario Silva -

Step 10

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 your pick more than 3 mm, as you may damage internal components.

Step 11

There are delicate cables along the right edge of your iPhone. Don't insert your pick here, as you may damage the cables.

Wouldn’t it be better to put this part BEFORE the step where you have to pry open the phone?

Jan D. Höllwarth -

Step 12

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 your pick more than 3 mm, as you may damage the display cables.

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 13

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.
Don't insert your pick more than 3 mm, as 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 14

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

Step 15

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 16

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 17

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 18

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 19

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

Step 20

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 21

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 22

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

@kennethmcleod, most likely you've separated the screen frame from the screen itself. We see this most commonly when people neglect to remove the pentalobe screws next to the charging port. Usually the cure is to take out those screws, then repeat the screen removal process on the frame that's still attached to the phone.

Jerry Wheeler -

You don't need to disconnect the front sensor to change the screen. Just leave it connected and remove from the screen side.

Anthony Boshell -

I have damaged the front panel sensor assembly flex cable. Does it carry multiple channels of info or is it just one solid piece that can be soldered back together? If not, will the phone still work except Face ID?

Bodger Rabbit -

Step 23

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 -

CAUTION:

Removing the Taptic Engine or Speaker in next step is optional and the guide continues as this was per se needed.

Unnecessary work and also If you remove the speaker you lose the adhesive gasket and this is not included in the scope of delivery of the "Battery replacement" offering.

So do not remove and avoid losing waterproofing.

Julian Gonzalez -

Just to confirm the face id is not affected when replacing the earpiece assembly? Am I correct

mubeen.2011@hotmail.co.uk -

Sorry for the late response, but you are NOT correct. Replacing the earpiece speaker assembly will result in the loss of Face ID functionality. That's the whole assembly, including the speaker, dot projector and flood illuminator. If you unsolder the speaker from the assembly, that can be replaced by itself without losing Face ID, but any other part will cause it to quit working.

Jerry Wheeler -

Step 24

Remove the 1.2 mm Y000 screw on the back of the display assembly, near the infrared camera port.

Not sure as of what to do now, I have stripped this screw.

Kelvin - 16/05/19

It might be your driver tip that is no good. Try a new driver tip Y000

carol - 21/05/19

when I opened my iPhone the screw was already stripped, I had the phone once at an Apple store for repair about 2 years ago. Had not opened it in between so it seems they stripped the screw there or it came like that from the factory. Any ideas? I don’t want to try and force it out.

Mike Kostersitz - 26/05/20

Be careful: the metal clip beneath this screw it’s really small, make sure not losing it.

Luca Ciprian - 19/01/21

Steps 19 and on are all on the screen you just removed. Not the phone side. I didn’t look closely at the image and just went for the screw in roughly the same place on the phone body side. First warning sign it’s a phillips - but more importantly I was working on the entirely wrong piece. I guess you’ll probably figure it out faster than I did.

Big Nerd -

FYI: My iphone XS has a slightly different screw position for the one shown to have a “clip”. There is no clip for this screw on mine. Maybe a rev update because of the clip getting lost and being hard to reinstall?

William Olstad - 16/01/22

FYI - The sensor assembly of the replacement looks a bit different from my original one. The screw is located further to the right on the original. As a result, I am unable to attach the sensor assembly on the replacement part, because the fixture is at a different position.

Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do about it apart asking for a refund.

Alexander Nowak -

Screws at my Iphone X are normal,but even w heat,i cant take them off,and even the strongest member of my family cant do this

Matej Sedivec -

Step 25

Beneath the screw you just removed lies a small metal grounding clip. If it didn't already come out along with the screw, remove it now.
During reassembly, orient the clip as shown. Hold the clip in position while you install and tighten the screw.

sin ese clip la señal wifi se recibe a duras penas

Harizola Taberna Margari - 02/01/20

Is there a way to just buy the gold grounding clip because my phone cannot search for wifi anymore!

Anonymous - 28/02/20

Is there any way we buy the ground metal clip separately please if there’s a way to get it emailed me

Sisthanu Iman - 26/08/20

Reinstalling this clip + screw is super hard =P

Josh Estelle -

It is pretty difficult without using a zoom in. A 2nd iphone camera zoomed in at 8x while using magnetic screwdrivers makes the job a little easier

Bill McNamara - 26/06/22

Yes eBay has it

riosbenny09 -

Screw Gasket Ear Speaker for Apple iPhone X Replacement Repair Phone Part Speak

riosbenny09 -

This looks different on my iPhone X. There’s no clip. It turns out that the replacement screen is NOT compatible with my iPhone. See my comment on Step 23. Must be a different HW revision. The whole front sensor assembly casting is a bit different. After replacing 2 screens of older iPhone generations this is my first failure due to HW incompatibility. From here on forward I probably won’t attempt another major smart phone repair. Technology is getting to complex for DIY. Will buy an iPhone 13 Pro with insurance (even though it’s utterly overpriced and I always like the DIY challenge)…

Alexander Nowak -

it’s not technology that’s getting more advanced, it’s apple creating more barriers between a DIY repair vs funneling your hard earned dollar into apple care and the Genius Bar

aburningstariv -

I did the same thing here - its the x vs xs and my partner ordered the part

I ripped off the side clips and ones in wrong place (put the old screen next to it - and rip them off with needle nose plyers (in a rolling motion so you get each solder one at a time)). the smaller clips that had enough room i left.. then i could force the screen on.

And its working ...... lets see for how long - the sealant and small clips seem to be holding it together ok

Archie Ko - 02/02/24

Que pasa si no pones ese clip?

ferxi sabee -

Step 26

Remove two more Y000 screws securing the speaker/sensor assembly:
One 1.6 mm screw
One 1.3 mm screw

What do you do if the 1.6mm tripoint screw won’t come out…? I think it may be stripped :(

Salvatore Boenzi - 08/12/19

You could try using an old screwdriver & carefully adding a dab of superglue to the screw to attach it to the screwdriver, Then the screw may come out, Superglue’s strength is holding 2 pieces together when the stress point is pulling the 2 pieces away from each other. Superglue becomes surprisingly easy to break when twisting the 2 pieces. So be careful since the rotation of the screw will put the stress point at the weakest of the glue’s strength.

Sandman619 - 07/01/20

I would suggest:

1. Try a small precision flat head, a good quality one, I bought some that were supposed to be to remove stripped screws, about 20-30 bucks for 4 or 5 of them, and they have saved my butt many times.

2. I have been able to remove stripped screws with wire cutters. Or you can try some vamp pliers but they are probably too large for this situation.

3. If the last two fail, the course of action is to basically destroy the head of that screw (assuming you are removing the stuff you need for your new lcd, which is very likely) they have drill bits called easy outs or screw removing drill bit, which is a drill bit with the spiral going the opposite direction (for a screw that tiny you can take a small drill bit, cut and sharpen the end that normally has no spiral, I have made that work in the past) the point is that as you drill in, the drill bit is digging and moving counterclockwise, so at some point as it digs in it will get “stuck” and keep spinning go the screw, thus removing it.

Victor Miranda - 25/02/21

what to do if during assembly the 1.6mm doesn’t want to go in it’s hole in the new screen but it fits perfectly in the old one??

Khalil -

Step 27

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 flex cable. Be careful not to strain or damage the cable.

i damage the cable, where can i buy a replacemnt

Haoyu Li - 30/05/20

Step 28

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

que temperatura debe tener una estacion de calor para hacer el trabajo del iopener

mismac -

I could not have done this without the iOpener, it was worth the investment!

Bill Debevc -

Step 29

Carefully slide the flat edge of your spudger 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 30

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.

i can i purchase this part

M. Brown - 18/08/20

yes mr.brown, you can

MadMan2207 -

if you interrupt a small part of that black tape, is the piece of Face ID/micro phone unrecoverable?

green_g -

Step 31

Use tweezers to wiggle the ambient light sensor and lift it from its notch in the display.
The sensor remains attached to the rest of the sensor assembly via a very thin flex cable. Be careful not to strain or damage the cable.

Step 32

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.

quá rõ ràng, cảm ơn ifixit

Dang Tuan - 02/06/18

In my case the diffuser came out with the light sensor, but not completely. A layer of the diffuser was left behind in the recess. We will see how it goes. ;) I will report back.

Pol Llovet -

As did mine. I managed to get the thin strip out with tweezers, it is like a sliver of tape, but not sure whether to install in new screen Did yours work OK without?

P Bond -

what colour is the diffuser

James Thomas (Tom) -

also can you show the position of sensors going back into the new screen

James Thomas (Tom) -

Step 33

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.

there was no bracket on my new screen I purchased from here.. am I supposed to heat up and remove the old one, or was their supposed to be one on the new screen ??

0perationguttertech - 05/07/19

@br0k3nilluzion If your new display didn’t come with a front camera frame, you can (and should) remove the old one from your broken display and transfer it over. Use heat and careful wiggling/prying to remove it—and if it’s stubborn, add a few drops of isopropyl alcohol. Hope this helps!

Jeff Suovanen - 05/07/19

Does face-id stop working if the black plastic separates from the flex(The orange and red dot)?

tharshan91 - 27/08/19

If the black plastic piece with the flood illuminator and the proximity sensor is separated from the flex cable, then Face ID will definitely not work. Be very careful not to damage any of the parts in the front sensor assembly.

Adam O'Camb - 28/08/19

There is some sort of a tape in front of the flood illuminator which is not present on the replacement screen! Is that gonna cause a problem too?

BTW, it’s so difficult to position the front camera frame without glue. I guess it takes a few attempts of trial and error!

shoeib - 04/02/20

It might not cause any major problems, but there’s a chance that it could effect FaceID functionality. If possible, transfer the tape from the old screen to the new one.

Adam O'Camb - 06/03/20

I find it better, regardless of if your new screen comes with the transparent front camera frame, to remove the front sensor assembly from the old screen with the frame, and lifting up the whole assembly using the frame. That way you do not need to apply heat directly to the fragile assembly, but apply it to the other side, the front of the screen at the top, instead, to soften the frame adhesive. The frame is then usually easy to pry loose using a narrow spudger, and comes off cleanly. After that it is much easier to remove the sensors and microphone from the frame, no heat needed usually. And if your new screen doesn’t come with the frame, just plonk the whole frame/sensor assembly down in the right place, and boom, Bob’s your uncle.

Lars - 04/06/20

Hello I have an iPhone X i Bought it in 2019 with Face ID not working ( not available try later ) I think the screen was changed with another original , tru tone Off , Als off no auto brightness (and the PROXIMITY SENSOR too ! ) no black screen in calls, i would like to ask u if the earpiece speaker flex was changed with another one (all components ) not the original , did proximity sensor still work ?? Because I don’t know is the original flex of my iphone or not ? I found some scratches in the flex it appears to have small cut so I don’t know the PROXIMITY SENSOR not working because there are a small cut in the flex or because the flex is not the same ?? And if the flex is not the original it can disable (proximity sensor)too not only flood and als ?? Thank you

Ach - 06/06/20

Yes it should still work. If you change the assembly to one that isn’t original to that iPhone X everything except the FaceID should still work - I have done so several times for clients. So the reason for yours not working is probably the same small scratches and cuts you have seen. The cable is a bit fragile and some of the copper leads running through it are extremely thin.

Lars - 09/06/20

To keep True Tone function on the replacement screen you’ll need a chip data programmer EEPROM to copay data from the old screen onto the new one. There a device called JC-V1 which should do the trick.

Yousef Ghalib - 08/07/20

Screen glitching slightly after changing the screen. Any suggestion to what it can be?

Tim Morell - 15/07/20

Tim. I had a glitchy screen as well. It would force touch out of nowhere, and “ghost touch” every now and then. Eventually, the top half of the screen stopped responding. Reach out to customer service ASAP. You may have a defective screen.

Alex Hurtado - 21/07/20

My front ear speaker not working . The mic it’s working . Apple said you have to replace all the screen to fix the ear speaker because it’s connected with one cable all together. If I buy the speaker and change it myself it will work after or I’m getting into trouble?

josh - 11/10/20

I have the same problem. I have the same problem. how did you solve?

xX_Sn4k3x_Xx - Official - 01/04/21

Be sure to remove the blue protective film from the BACK of a replacement screen.

Jim Breef - 07/12/20

Thank you so much for this. It does not look at all like it needs to be removed.

Pol Llovet -

Thank you, Jim, came here just to look for that advice!

seth hollub -

can this piece assembly cause for the back camera and flashlight not work? All I did was change the screen and transfer this earpiece and it says warning sign that the flashlight needs to cool down and back camera not working

Dulce Vidal - 14/04/21

disregard my last post, problem solved on my end customer had a bad back camera due to bad fall and so i replaced it and now the back camera and flashlight works. :)

Dulce Vidal - 14/04/21

Hello I replaced today the second time iphone x display. The first time after a while the front camera stopped working. Today mounted the second time the display and the front camera works, while the rear one does not work. What can I do? Thanks

Mimmo Cordola - 26/05/21

if you interrupt a small part of that black tape, is the piece of Face ID/microphone unrecoverable at all?

green_g -

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

Adam O'Camb

Member since: 11/04/15

206065 Reputation

24 comments

Is it possible to fix the ““Face ID Is Not Available” problem? There seems to be a problem with the TrueDepth camera. Thanks!

Alejandro D - 15/03/19

@alejandrod I’m afraid Face ID won’t work if this part is replaced. As stated in the introduction, this component is paired to the logic board from the factory (similar to the home button on earlier iPhones). Currently, if you need to replace this part, you’ll have to sacrifice Face ID, or else pay Apple directly to perform the repair. (They have a software calibration tool that pairs the new part to your phone to re-enable Face ID, but they don’t share it with anyone outside of Apple.)

Jeff Suovanen - 15/03/19

The flex cable was too bent, and now is broken. I’m going to buy another flex cable, but… Are there any ways to recover the Face ID functionality? Desoldering some components from the old one and weld them in the new flex cable?

Andrea Giacon - 24/04/19

Flex cables can be repaired by a skilled microsolderer. It’s not a DIY however. If it’s a phone you care about, you’ll want to find yourself a good repair shop with the right equipment and skills. Apple can also repair it, but they will most likely just charge you $279 to replace the entire screen.

Jeff Suovanen - 24/04/19

My proximity sensor is defective and puts my phone in a boot loop when connected. To replace that, would I need to use a skilled microsolderer to replace that?

oosaghae - 11/07/19

My earpiece is broken would replacing mean that I’m sacrificing Face ID?

Mujtaba Suhrawardy - 21/09/19

Just did mine, and yes, my face ID doesn’t work anymore.

Dane Frederick - 27/09/19

Hey does anyone know what’s wrong with my Iphone X. I thought I had a blown ear speaker. So I just replaced the assembly, but after reassembling it doesn’t sound any different. Anyone speaking is extremely quiet. And yes my Bluetooth is off, no I don’t have any headphones in it. and the volume is all the way up. Any other ideas what is happening? It has been a major inconvenience to have to put everyone on speaker phone just to talk to them.

Dane Frederick - 27/09/19

Have you checked the speaker grille/mesh to make sure it’s clean? They can get clogged with pocket lint over time, blocking sound from the speaker.

Jeff Suovanen - 01/10/19

شكرا علي كلشيء

Corva Loco - 05/12/19

Hi All,

I replaced the screen on the iPhone X and now the camera and face ID don’t work. The camera app is black when I open it. I can’t test the proximity sensor because there is no cell service on the phone. I assumed I damaged the flex cable so I put a new one in and same result.

I put the original flex back on the original screen and same result. I am not sure if face ID or the camera was working before the repair. I normally check what is working and what isn’t, but I forgot to this time.

Thanks!

Mitch - 17/01/20

Hey i was repair my iphone x battery when this broke off. i bought a new earpiece thing and the sensor part but i heard that apple pairs specific parts to the logic board so if i replace it will the mic still work?

Mak - 03/02/20

I lost the screw and grounding clip. Your step 21, “Beneath the screw you just removed lies a small metal grounding clip. “ Any ideal where I can get the screw and grounding clip?

Melvin Hamill - 09/06/20

Your step 21, “Beneath the screw you just removed lies a small metal grounding clip. “ I have lost the screw and grounding clip. Any ideal where I can find the screw and grounding clip/

Thank you

MEL

Melvin Hamill - 09/06/20

I have replaced the battery, the dock connector and this component and I forgot to install the grounding clip while closing the phone. Now everything works expect the charging; the phone recognizes the charger as an accessory but it does not charge at all. It charges only if it is not powered on (without showing any charging symbol, by the way). Do you know if this might be due to this missing grounding clip? Thanks!

Andrea Giammanco - 19/08/20

Hola, con este proceso mi face id dejará de funcionar?

Saludos desde México!

Horlando Anzures Quiroz - 28/10/20

Correcto, no funcionará

Terranova - 18/11/20

Si el Face ID deja de funcionar.

Terranova - 18/11/20

What adhesive do you recommend for reattaching the earpiece speaker on to the replacement display?

mcvtech - 24/11/20

I have iPhone X and the ear speaker not working. But I have one more iPhone X with cracked screen. Can I remove the ear speaker from the second iPhone and replace it to my iPhone? Is the Face ID will work after if it’s original Apple part?

josh - 21/01/21

Can I replace the earpiece speaker without also replacing the front sensor assembly?

Rosie Tabachnick -

The earpiece flex is cut a little so my ear speaker stopped working is there any way to do this

black emmah -

Could you recommend someone near me that can repair a flex cable? Westfield,Massachusetts

Louis -

Is the iPhone ear piece speaker and sensor in the display piece? Can I just replace the display instead of just the speaker earpiece?

Gary Wack -