iPhone 16 Screen Removal

Step 1

Allow your phone's battery to drain below 25%, as a charged lithium-ion battery is a potential safety hazard.
Unplug any cables from your phone.
Hold the power and either volume buttons and slide to power off your phone.

Step 2

If your screen or back glass is badly cracked, lay overlapping strips of packing tape over the glass to protect yourself and make disassembly easier.
Make sure there's a smooth area near the bottom edge that's big enough for a suction cup to stick to.

Step 3

Use a P2 pentalobe driver to remove the two 7.7 mm-long screws on either side of the charging port.

Step 4

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 -

@leifdewolf I wouldn't skip it for a first repair.

Gabriel-Science -

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 -

Will the phone still work if the sensor assembly on the back of the screen is damaged?

Mutshidzi Rambau -

I don't have a pick, but how much better are these picks than an old credit card for opening an iPhone 13 mini?

mike eng -

The pick in my iFixIt kit was packed with the battery, not with the rest of the toolkit.

Tony Houlihan -

Step 5

Use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat the bottom edge of the screen until it's hot to the touch.
You can also use an iOpener to heat the back glass. Follow these instructions to heat and apply the iOpener properly.

Step 6

Apply a suction handle to the bottom edge of the screen.
While supporting the frame with one hand, pull up on the handle with a strong, steady force to create a gap between the screen and the frame.
Insert the tip of an opening pick into the gap.

Step 7

As you slice the adhesive securing the screen in the following steps, don't insert your pick deeper than 3 mm to avoid damaging the following areas:
Two delicate cables connecting the screen to the phone—one just above the Action button and the other about halfway between the volume down button and the bottom of the phone.
Multiple spring contacts around the perimeter of the phone.

Step 8

Use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat the right edge of the screen until it's hot to the touch.

Step 9

Don't insert your pick deeper than 3 mm to avoid damaging the spring contacts.
Slide your opening pick around the bottom right corner and up the right edge of the screen to separate the adhesive and release the metal clip.
You'll hear and feel the metal clip release as you pass it.

Step 10

Use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat the top edge of the screen until it's hot to the touch.

Step 11

Don't insert your pick deeper than 3 mm to avoid damaging the spring contacts.
Continue sliding your pick around the top right corner and across the top edge to separate the adhesive and release the two metal clips.

Step 12

Use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat the left edge of the screen until it's hot to the touch.

Step 13

Don't insert your pick deeper than 3 mm to avoid damaging the screen cables and the spring contacts.
Slide the opening pick down the left edge of the screen to separate the remaining adhesive and release the last two metal clips.

Step 14

At this point, the screen should be free from the frame. If the screen feels stuck, go back around the perimeter with your pick to check for missed sections of adhesive or stuck clips.
Swing open the screen over the left edge of the phone and support it with a clean, sturdy object.

Step 15

Use a tri-point Y000 driver to remove the two 0.9 mm‑long screws securing the front sensor and screen connector covers.

Step 16

Use tweezers, or your fingers, to lift the front sensor cover to a 90-degree angle and unhook it from its slot in the logic board.
Lift the cover out of its slot and remove it.

Step 17

Use tweezers, or your fingers, to lift the screen connector cover at a slight angle to unhook it from its slot in the logic board.
Lift the cover out of its slot and remove it.

Step 18

Use the tip of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the screen press connector.
Repeat for the front sensor press connector.

Step 19

Lift the screen off the frame and remove it.

Step 20

Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the 1.3 mm‑long screw securing the ambient light sensor bracket.
Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to lift and remove the ambient light sensor bracket.

Step 21

Use a hair dryer, heat gun, or heated iOpener to soften the adhesive under the ambient light sensor and ambient light sensor cable.
Use an opening pick to pry up the ambient light sensor.

Step 22

Use your finger to push the ambient light sensor away from its recess.

Step 23

Gently slide an opening pick under the ambient light sensor cable, starting near the sensor and moving towards to the opposite corner.
If the adhesive doesn't peel up easily, apply more heat.

Step 24

Continue slowly sliding the opening pick under the ambient light sensor cable until the cable is free from the screen.
Use a pair of tweezers to lift the ambient light sensor off of the screen.