iPhone 16 Pro 5G mmWave Antenna Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 27 Steps
This guide walks you through swapping out the 5G mmWave antenna in your iPhone 16 Pro. Keep in mind, this antenna is only in U.S. and Puerto Rico models (A3083). If your phone has trouble connecting to cellular networks but still works fine over Wi-Fi, a new 5G mmWave antenna might do the trick. You’ll need a replacement back glass and some 5G mmWave antenna adhesive to get everything secured. For the antenna, you can use some thin, double-sided tape instead of the official adhesive—it's a handy shortcut that works well. If you need a hand with this, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 1
Let the phone’s battery drop below 25% before starting, since a charged lithium-ion battery can be a bit of a wild card safety-wise.
- Disconnect any cables plugged into your phone.
- Press and hold the power button along with either volume button, then slide to turn your phone off.
Step 2
Find a nice smooth spot near the bottom edge that's just right for your suction cup to grab onto.
- If the glass is badly cracked on the screen or back, apply overlapping strips of packing tape over the glass to keep shards in place and protect yourself during disassembly. This helps prevent cuts and makes the process smoother. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
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Step 3
Pushing your opening pick in too deep can cause damage—let’s avoid that! Mark your pick so you know exactly how far to go.
Feel free to mark the other corners of your pick with different measurements for extra precision.
Another cool trick: stick a coin on your pick about 3 mm from the tip to act as a handy depth guide.
- Grab your marker and mark about 3 mm from the tip to set your opening point. Easy does it—just a quick line to guide your next move. If you need a hand, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 4
- Grab your trusty P2 pentalobe screwdriver and let's make some magic happen! Carefully twist out the two 7.4 mm-long screws that are hanging out on either side of the USB-C port. You've got this!
Step 5
- Warm up an iOpener and gently apply it to the bottom edge of the back glass for about two minutes. This helps soften things up for the next steps, making them a bit easier.
Keep the heat in check! Overheating your phone can lead to battery trouble, so don't crank it up too high. Stay cool, and if you run into any issues, just schedule a repair.
If you're feeling the heat, grab a hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the bottom edge of the back glass until it’s comfortably warm to the touch. This gentle heat helps loosen things up, making the glass easier to lift off. Just keep the dryer moving and avoid overheating—no one wants a toasted device. Need a hand? You can always schedule a repair.
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Step 6
- Stick the suction handle to the bottom edge of the back glass, just above the USB-C port.
- Gently pull up on the handle with steady force to create a small gap between the back glass and the frame.
- Slip the tip of your opening pick into that gap and get ready to move forward.
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Step 7
- There's a fragile cable running from the back glass to the phone, right next to the volume up button. Be careful not to insert your pick here, or you might slice the cable. Take your time and stay gentle.
- Around the edges of the phone, you'll find several spring contacts. Make sure not to insert your pick deeper than recommended in each step to avoid bending those contacts. Patience and a light touch are your friends here.
When you're slicing through the adhesive holding the back glass, make sure to keep an eye on these areas to avoid any surprises later.
If those spring contacts take a little damage, no worries—gently bend them back into shape using a spudger or opening pick so they're nicely aligned with their gold contact pads on the back glass. Take your time and be gentle to keep everything working smoothly. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 8
Be gentle when inserting your pick at the bottom edge—no more than 5 mm deep—to steer clear of damaging the spring contact. Take it slow and steady!
- Gently wiggle your pick back and forth along the bottom edge to loosen up that sticky adhesive.
- Keep your pick wedged in the bottom right corner so the adhesive doesn’t sneak back together.
Step 9
- Warm up the right edge of the back glass until it feels cozy and toasty to the touch.
Step 10
Be careful around the volume buttons—slicing too close could mess up the wireless charging or flash cable. Take your time and stay safe!
- Gently slide your pick around the bottom right corner and halfway up the right edge—just enough to feel a firm stop at the clip holding the back glass in place.
- Keep that pick inserted to prevent the adhesive from sealing back up—no need to rush this step!
Step 11
- Warm up the left side of the back glass until it’s comfortably hot to the touch. You want it just right, not too hot to handle but enough to get the job done.
Step 12
You’ll notice and hear the metal clips give way as you gently pass through them—like a satisfying click confirming they’re released.
- Pop in a second opening pick right at the bottom edge.
- Gently slide that pick around the bottom left corner and up along the left side of the screen to loosen the adhesive and free those sneaky metal clips.
- Keep this pick wedged at the top left corner so the adhesive doesn’t sneak back together on you.
Step 13
- Warm up the top edge of the back glass, including around the volume buttons, until it feels hot to the touch. This helps loosen things up for the next steps.
Step 14
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder: keep your pick under 3 mm deep along the top edge. We want to avoid any unexpected surprises with those spring contacts!
You'll hear and feel some satisfying clicks as the top two clips pop free. Keep at it—you're making progress!
- Gently slide your opening pick along the top edge and around the top right corner to loosen the adhesive near the volume up button. Take your time and keep the pick moving steadily to avoid any damage. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 15
- Gently swing open the back glass towards the volume buttons, taking care not to crack it.
- Support the back glass with something sturdy like a small box to keep it steady and avoid putting stress on the cable.
- Carefully remove the opening picks to lift the glass away.
Hold up! Don't yank off that back glass just yet—it's still hanging on by a fragile ribbon cable. Take it slow and follow the next steps to get it off safely.
If the back glass isn't popping open smoothly, don't pry at it—go around the edges with your pick again to spot any missed spots of glue or stubborn clips. To keep the delicate camera lenses safe during your work, consider sticking some polyimide tape over them—no need to push directly against the lenses and risk damage. Sometimes, giving the back glass a gentle lift before swinging it open helps loosen those stubborn clips—patience pays off, and if you need a hand, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 16
- Grab your tri-point Y000 screwdriver and gently unscrew the three screws holding down the lower connector cover: two are 1.2 mm long, and one is 1.0 mm. Keep them safe—you'll need them later. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
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Step 17
- Grab some tweezers or just your fingers to gently lift and take off the lower connector cover.
Tools Used
Step 18
- Grab a spudger and gently pry up to disconnect the battery press connector—think of it as lifting a tiny latch. When it’s time to put it all back together, carefully line up the connector over its socket. Use your fingertip or the flat end of a spudger to press it down—start on one side, then the other—until you hear that satisfying click. No need to force it; if it doesn’t seat right away, just reposition and try again. Remember, patience is key. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 19
- Grab your tri-point Y000 screwdriver and get ready to unscrew the four screws holding that upper connector cover in place:
- Two screws, each 1.0 mm long
- One screw, 1.2 mm long
- One screw, 1.6 mm long
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Step 20
- Grab some tweezers or just use your fingers to gently lift off the top connector cover. Easy does it—you're almost there!
Tools Used
Step 21
- Grab a spudger and gently pry up to disconnect the back glass press connector. Keep it careful and steady—you're almost there! If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
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Step 22
- Gently lift off the back glass from the frame and set it aside.
- Now, let's talk reassembly:
- Here's a clever idea: why not test your handiwork before sealing everything up? Just temporarily reconnect the battery and back glass (before slapping on the adhesive), power that baby on, and see if it’s running smoothly. Once you’re satisfied, power it down, disconnect the battery again, and let’s keep the reassembly rolling.
- Check out this guide to reapply that adhesive and snugly fit the back glass back in place.
Step 23
The 5G mmWave antenna is exclusive to the United States and Puerto Rico iPhone 16 Pros (model A3083). If you have any other model, feel free to skip ahead past these next four steps.
- Grab your spudger and gently pry up to disconnect the earpiece speaker and 5G mmWave antenna press connectors, which are tucked in at the top right corner of the logic board. Take your time—patience is key! If you need a hand, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 24
- Grab your Phillips screwdriver and remove the six screws holding down the earpiece speaker: three 1.2 mm‑long screws, two 1.8 mm‑long screws, and one 1.7 mm‑long screw. If you need help along the way, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 25
You might notice a bit of stubbornness near the top edge—that's the speaker gasket holding tight against the frame. Give the speaker a gentle tug to break the seal without forcing it.
Sometimes, the front camera assembly needs a little lift to make room for the earpiece speaker to slide into place. Slot the antenna and earpiece speaker cables just to the right of the front camera cables, then softly press the front camera back into its spot and tuck its cables neatly alongside the rear cameras.
- Gently slide the tip of a spudger under the bottom-right corner of the earpiece speaker and lift it up to pop it out.
- When putting it back, angle the top edge of the earpiece speaker down into its slot, then press it down flat against the frame to secure it.
Tools Used
Step 26
For a little extra grip, twist the adhesive around the tweezers' tip as you pull. It’ll help keep things steady while you work!
- Grab the stretch release adhesive pull tab on the edge of the 5G mmWave antenna using your tweezers.
- Slowly and steadily pull the adhesive strip out at a low angle with your tweezers. Take your time and let it stretch and release from under the antenna.
- If the adhesive strip snaps, no worries—use your tweezers to fish it out and keep pulling.
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Step 27
- Put your iPhone back together by retracing these steps in reverse.
- Remember to drop off your electronic waste at an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
- If things didn’t go quite as planned, try some basic troubleshooting or swing by our iPhone 16 Pro Answers Community for advice.
- And if you hit a wall, you can always schedule a repair with us!
