iPhone XS Earpiece Speaker and Front Sensor Assembly Replacement

Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.

Remove the two 6.9 mm-long pentalobe screws at the bottom edge of the iPhone.

Measure 3 mm from the tip and mark the opening pick with a permanent marker.

Lay overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPhone's screen until the whole face is covered.

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.

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.

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.

Heat an iOpener and thread it through the arms of the Anti-Clamp.

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 into the gap under the screen and the plastic bezel, not the screen itself.

Skip the next three steps.

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

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 under the screen and the plastic bezel, not the screen itself.

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.

Re-insert your pick at the bottom edge of the iPhone, and slide it up the right side to continue separating the adhesive.

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.

Slide the pick to the opposite corner and cut any remaining adhesive securing the display.

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

Open the iPhone by swinging the display up from the left side, like the back cover of a book.

Lean the display against something to keep it propped up while you're working on the phone.

Remove five screws securing the logic board connector bracket, of the following lengths:

Three 1.0 mm Y000 screws

One 1.3 mm Y000 screw

One 3.7 mm Phillips screw

Remove the bracket.

Use a spudger or a clean fingernail to pry the battery connector up from its socket on the logic board.

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.

Use a spudger or a fingernail to pry up and disconnect the front panel sensor assembly connector.

Use a spudger or a fingernail to disconnect the OLED panel cable connector.

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

Carefully lift the cable until the adhesive separates.

Remove the display assembly.

On the back of the display assembly, peel back and remove any tape covering the hidden screw at the lower right corner of the speaker housing.

Remove the three Y000 screws securing the speaker/sensor assembly:

One 1.3 mm screw

One 1.4 mm screw

One 1.9 mm screw

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.

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.

Carefully slide the edge of an 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. If the microphone remains difficult to separate, apply more heat.

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.

Use tweezers to wiggle the ambient light sensor and lift it from its notch in the display.

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.

Remove the earpiece speaker and front sensor assembly.

Proximity sensor

Flood illuminator

The module must be positioned so that these components are not obstructed by any adhesive.