iPhone 15 Rear Cameras Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 30 Steps
Follow this guide to swap out the rear cameras on your iPhone 15. If your photos or videos look fuzzy, grainy, or your camera struggles to focus, it’s probably time for a replacement. Make sure you have replacement back glass adhesive handy to finish the job. Heads up: On iOS 17.6 and earlier, you might see warnings about replacement rear cameras due to Apple’s parts pairing rules, but they’ll still work just fine. For iOS 18 and up, be sure to calibrate genuine camera modules using Apple’s Repair Assistant.
Step 1
Let your phone's battery drop below 25% before starting—charged lithium-ion batteries can be a bit feisty, so this keeps things safe and sound.
- First things first, disconnect any cables from your phone. Let's get everything ready for a smooth process.
- Now, press and hold the power button and either the volume button. Slide to power off and give your phone a little break. It's going to be just fine!
Step 2
Ensure there's a nice, flat space near the bottom edge that's large enough for a suction cup to get a good grip.
- Got a cracked screen or back glass? No worries! Just grab some packing tape and lay down a few strips, overlapping them to keep things safe and make disassembly a breeze. Your hands will thank you!
Step 3
Pushing your opening pick in too deep can mess things up. Mark your pick to keep it safe and sound.
Feel free to mark the other corners of your pick with different lengths for extra control.
Or, stick a coin on your pick about 3 mm from the tip to keep track of how far you’re going.
- Grab your opening pick and mark a spot 3 mm from the tip with a permanent marker—think of it as giving your pick a stylish little tattoo so you know just how deep to go.
Step 4
- Grab your P2 pentalobe driver and carefully take out the two 7.7 mm screws flanking the charging port. Keep them safe—they're tiny little rascals!
Step 5
Keep it cool! Don't overheat the phone—those batteries are pretty sensitive to heat and don't like it too toasty. If you’re unsure, it’s always better to be safe. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
- Grab your hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the bottom edge of the back glass until it feels nice and toasty.
Tools Used
Step 6
- Stick a suction handle onto the bottom edge of the back glass.
- Give the handle a firm, steady pull to gently separate the back glass from the frame.
- Slide the tip of an opening pick into the gap you just made.
Tools Used
Step 7
As you carefully cut through the adhesive holding the back glass in place during the upcoming steps, keep an eye out for these areas:
- Be careful when you reach the area near the volume down button! There's a fragile cable connecting the back glass to the phone, and we definitely don't want to slice it. So, hold your pick at bay right here!
- Watch out for those little spring contacts hanging around the edge of your phone! Make sure not to push your pick in too deep as you work through the steps; we want to keep those contacts straight and happy!
Step 8
Be careful not to push your opening pick too deep – keep it under 5 mm along the bottom edge.
- Gently slide your pick along the bottom edge to break the adhesive seal. It’s like peeling off a sticker—easy does it!
- Keep that pick in place at the bottom right corner to stop the adhesive from reattaching. You got this!
Step 9
- Warm up the right edge of the back glass until it feels nice and toasty to the touch.
Step 10
Keep your pick within 7 mm of the right edge, it’s a cozy space! No need to go deeper.
Steer clear of slicing past the volume buttons; you wouldn't want to accidentally tickle the wireless charging cable!
- Swing your pick around the bottom right corner and glide it up to the volume down button—or until you hit a big clip holding that back glass in place. You’ll know when you get there!
- Keep this pick chillin’ right there. It’ll stop the glue from sneaking back together.
Step 11
- Warm up the left edge of the back glass until it feels nice and toasty.
Step 12
Keep it cool—along the left edge, don’t slide your pick in more than 5 mm. That’s the magic number!
- Slide a second opening pick in at the bottom edge.
- Gently rotate the pick around the bottom left corner.
- Move the pick up toward the top left corner to break the adhesive seal.
- Leave the pick in place to keep the adhesive from sticking back together.
Step 13
- Warm up the top edge of the back glass until it's nice and toasty to the touch.
Step 14
Be careful not to push your pick more than 3 mm deep along the top edge! It's easy to get carried away, but a gentle touch goes a long way.
Get ready for a couple of satisfying clicks as those top two clips pop free.
- Swing your second opening pick around the top left corner, then cruise along to the top right to break up the sticky adhesive.
- Let that pick chill where it is—it's your hero keeping the adhesive from making a comeback.
Step 15
- Heat up the top right corner of the back glass until it feels warm to the touch. No need to overdo it—just get it nice and toasty!
Step 16
Keep your pick chill and don't go deeper than 4 mm along the right edge!
- Twist that second opening pick around the top right corner and glide it on over to the volume up button to break free from the adhesive's grasp.
Step 17
If the back glass is feeling a bit stubborn, don’t stress—just go back around the edges and double-check for any spots where adhesive might still be holding on or clips are hanging on tight. A little extra care here can make all the difference!
- Carefully swing the back glass open to the right side of the phone—like opening a tiny, techy door.
- Prop the back glass up on something soft and elevated so the cable doesn't get stretched or stressed.
Step 18
Be sure to keep track of each screw as you go—every little guy has its own spot to return to, and mixing them up is like putting socks on your hands.
- Grab your trusty tri-point Y000 driver and gently unscrew those two 1.3 mm-long screws holding the lower connector cover in place. You've got this!
Step 19
- Grab your trusty tweezers and gently slide the cover upwards to release it from the logic board. Be cool, but careful!
- Now, carefully remove the cover and set it aside. You're almost there!
- When you're putting things back together, remember to first attach the top edge of the cover to its slot on the logic board. Once it's in place, secure it with the screw. Easy peasy!
Tools Used
Step 20
Ready to reconnect that pesky press connector? Just line it up with its socket and give one side a gentle push until you hear that satisfying click! Then, do the same for the other side. Make sure it’s sitting nice and flat, as the insulating rubber around those sockets can sometimes be a little diva and block a full connection.
Oh, and by the way, there’s a handy plus and minus sign right on the head of this connector to guide you!
- Gently hold the back glass with one hand, then give it a little twist to uncover the battery press connector, located just beneath the volume buttons.
- Take an opening pick and carefully use the tip to lift and disconnect the battery press connector from the logic board.
Step 21
- Grab your tri-point Y000 driver and carefully unscrew the tiny 0.9 mm screw holding down the middle connector cover.
Step 22
- Take the flat end of a spudger (or just use your finger) and nudge the cover toward the bottom of the phone until you unclip the top edge.
- Pop that cover off and set it aside.
- When you're putting things back together, line up the cover so its tab sits just behind the logic board clip. Hold it down with a finger and slide the cover forward to snap the clip back in place.
Tools Used
Step 23
- Grab your trusty opening pick and gently work it under the wireless charging coil and NFC connector. Give it a little nudge to disconnect them carefully, and you're one step closer to fixing things!
Step 24
- Carefully remove the back glass. Be gentle with it.
- During reassembly:
- Now's a great time to double-check everything. Before sealing up your phone, reconnect the battery and back glass temporarily. Power it up to make sure all is good to go. If everything’s working as expected, power it down and continue reassembling.
- Follow this guide to reapply adhesive and securely install your back glass.
Step 25
- Grab your trusty opening pick and gently wiggle it in to pop up those two rear camera press connectors and the antenna press connector hanging out at the top right of the battery. You’ve got this!
Step 26
- Grab your Phillips #00 screwdriver and remove the three 2.3 mm screws holding down the rear cameras. Easy does it!
Step 27
The rear camera cables sneak under the antenna cable, which can make popping out the rear camera a bit of a puzzle. But don't worry, just follow the next two steps to set those camera cables free!
That leaves only the middle of the three press connectors still hanging out.
- Give those upper camera and antenna press connectors a gentle tug with your fingers, and gracefully lift their cables out from their cozy channels along the battery's edge. You're doing great!
Step 28
The cable for the middle press connector is stuck to a nearby cable along the top edge of the battery. Time to gently peel that adhesive apart and set yourself up for success!
- Gently move those two cables you just set free so they're not in the way of the middle press connector cable. We're clearing the dance floor here.
- Slide the tip of your opening pick between the middle press connector cable and its neighbor to break up the adhesive holding them together. A little wiggle works wonders!
Step 29
- Gently wedge the flat end of your spudger under the top edge of the rear cameras and lift just enough to get a good grip with your fingers.
Tools Used
Step 30
- To put your phone back together, just work through these steps in reverse. Easy as pie!
- Once you’re done, if your replacement part plays nice with iOS 18, you can run Apple’s Repair Assistant. Update your phone, head to Settings→General→About→Parts & Service History, tap Restart & Finish Repair, and let the prompts guide you.
- Don’t toss those old parts in the trash—take your e-waste to a certified R2 or e-Stewards recycler and help keep planet Earth happy.
- Ran into trouble? Try some basic troubleshooting, or hit up our Answers community for advice. And if things get wild, you can always schedule a repair.
