iPhone 14 Pro Max Rear-Facing Camera Assembly Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 28 Steps
This guide will help you swap out the rear-facing camera assembly on your iPhone 14 Pro Max like a pro! We based this guide on the A2894 (international) model, so if yours looks a bit different, don't sweat it—the steps will still work for you. Just a heads-up: if you're rocking iOS 18 or later, you can use Apple’s Repair Assistant to calibrate those shiny new camera modules. Oh, and remember to grab some replacement adhesive to seal everything back up nicely when you're done. Your phone will be back in action, but it might lose its IP (Ingress Protection) rating. If you need help along the way, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 1
- First thing's first: power off your iPhone to keep things safe before diving in.
- Next, grab your screwdriver and carefully remove the two 6.8 mm pentalobe P2 screws at the bottom edge of your iPhone.
Step 2
Be careful not to insert the opening pick too far—doing so could cause some unintended damage to your device. It's a good idea to mark your pick to keep things under control and avoid mishaps.
Feel free to mark all the corners of the pick at different points for more precise measurements.
Alternatively, if you're feeling creative, stick a coin to the pick 3mm from the tip with tape for a quick and easy gauge.
- Grab your opening pick and measure about 3mm from the tip. Mark it with a permanent marker so you've got a clear guide for your next move.
Step 3
Don't forget to rock those safety glasses! They'll keep your peepers safe from any sneaky glass bits that might pop out during your repair adventure.
Got a cracked screen on your iPhone? Keep the glass from shattering further and avoid any accidental injuries by sticking a piece of tape over it before you get started.
If things are really getting tricky, a little superglue on the suction cup can help keep it in place while you work on that screen.
- Cover your iPhone's screen with overlapping strips of clear packing tape until it's completely shielded. It's like giving your phone a cozy little blanket!
- If the suction cup isn't cooperating in the next steps, no worries! Just grab a sturdy piece of tape (duct tape works great) and fold it into a handy handle to lift the screen instead.
Tools Used
Step 4
The next three steps walk you through using the Anti-Clamp, a handy little tool we put together to make prying open your device a breeze. If you’re not using the Anti-Clamp, feel free to jump ahead three steps for another way to get things open.
For the full lowdown on how to use the Anti-Clamp, check out this guide.
If your iPhone's surface is too slick for the Anti-Clamp to grip, no worries — just slap on some tape to add some traction and keep things steady.
- Give that blue handle a gentle pull back to set the Anti-Clamp’s arms free.
- Slide those arms over either side of your iPhone—left or right, your call.
- Line up the suction cups close to the bottom edge: one chilling on the front, one hanging out on the back.
- Squeeze the cups together to lock in some solid suction right where you want it.
Step 5
- Slide the blue handle forward to lock the arms into place.
- Rotate the handle clockwise a full 360 degrees, or until the suction cups begin to stretch.
- Keep an eye on the suction cups to make sure they stay lined up. If they start to drift, just loosen them a bit and realign the arms before moving on.
Step 6
Turn no more than a quarter turn at a time, then take a breather for a minute. Let the Anti-Clamp and a little patience do the heavy lifting!
For a full rundown on how to use a hair dryer for repairs, check out this guide.
If the Anti-Clamp isn’t creating a big enough gap, give it another shot by applying some extra heat to the area and rotate the handle a quarter turn. That should do the trick!
- Prop your iPhone up on something solid, like a hardcover book, so it's hands-free and level with the ground; this way, you'll have a much easier time tackling the next steps.
- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the bottom edge of the iPhone. It should feel a tad too hot to handle.
- Take a breather for a minute to let that adhesive loosen up and create a little opening gap.
- When the Anti-Clamp has done its magic and there's a nice gap, slide an opening pick under the screen's plastic bezel.
- Feel free to skip the next two steps.
Tools Used
Step 7
Keep your hair dryer moving—don’t let it hang out in one spot too long!
Got your suction handle ready? Awesome! Now, let’s dive into these next two steps to loosen that screen. You got this!
- Grab a hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the bottom edge of the iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until the screen feels just a bit too toasty to touch.
Tools Used
Step 8
That adhesive is seriously clingy—breaking that first gap takes some muscle. If it’s being stubborn, crank up the heat a bit and gently rock the screen back and forth to soften the glue until you can slip your opening pick in with ease.
- Stick a suction handle near the bottom of your screen—just don’t hug the very edge of the glass.
- Give the suction cup a steady upward pull. You’re aiming for a tiny gap between the screen and the frame—think sneaky, not smashy.
- Slip an opening pick right into the gap under the screen’s plastic bezel. Smooth moves!
Tools Used
Step 9
- Grab your hair dryer and give the right edge of your iPhone (the one with the power button) a good 90-second blast, or until the screen feels almost too warm to handle. Think of it as a spa day for your phone before you dive into the repair!
Tools Used
Step 10
Keep your pick shallow—no deeper than 3 mm—so you don’t accidentally poke something you’re not supposed to!
- Gently slide the opening pick along the bottom right corner of your iPhone to break free that stubborn adhesive.
- Keep sliding up the right edge of the iPhone, cruising smoothly until you hit the top right corner.
- Pause for a moment, leaving the pick snug in that top right corner before moving ahead.
Step 11
- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the top edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until it feels just a bit too toasty to keep your finger on comfortably.
Tools Used
Step 12
Keep your pick insertion shallow—no more than 3 mm—to avoid messing up those top sensors.
- Slip your pick under the top right edge of the phone, cruise around the corner, and keep gliding halfway across the top until you’re just shy of the earpiece speaker cut-out. Smooth moves!
Step 13
- Grab your trusty hair dryer and give the left edge of your iPhone a warm embrace for about 90 seconds, or until it feels just a tad too hot to touch. You're doing great!
Tools Used
Step 14
Heads up! There are some fragile cables running along the left edge of your iPhone. Avoid sliding your pick in there to keep those little guys safe and sound.
Step 15
Apply the twisting force little by little to avoid any sudden movements.
If you're struggling to separate the adhesive, try reheating the left edge to make it a bit easier.
- Pop in a second opening pick at the bottom left corner of your iPhone.
- Give both picks a little twist at the same time to free up those left edge clips.
Step 16
No handy prop for your screen? Just use your trusty suction handle as a makeshift stand.
- Turn your iPhone so that the right edge is facing you, like a little book ready to be opened.
- Gently lift the screen up from the right side, just like flipping the cover of a book. It’s all about that smooth motion!
- Prop the screen up against something sturdy so it stays put while you work your magic on the phone. No juggling acts here!
- When it’s time to put everything back together, place the screen back in its rightful spot, align those clips along the top edge, and press down gently on the top edge until it clicks into place. If it’s not snapping in as easily as you'd like, take a moment to check if the clips around the edge are in good shape and not bent. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 17
As you work through this repair, be sure to keep track of each screw and return it to its original spot. That way, your iPhone stays in top shape and you avoid any mishaps!
- Grab a Y000 screwdriver and remove the eight screws holding the battery connector cover in place.
- Now’s a great time to power up your device and make sure everything’s working properly before sealing the screen. Just don’t forget to turn your iPhone off again completely before you move on!
- Take out the six 1.3 mm screws.
- Unscrew the one 1.6 mm screw.
- And finally, remove the one 1.9 mm screw.
Step 18
- Grab those handy tweezers and gently slide the connector cover down to free up those flex cables. You've got this!
- Now, simply remove the connector cover and feel that satisfaction!
Tools Used
Step 19
Be gentle with the black silicone seal around the board connections. These little guys do a great job keeping water and dust out, so let's not mess with them!
- Grab your trusty spudger and use its pointed end to carefully lift the battery cable right out of its socket. Just a little gentle prying is all it takes!
- Once the connector is free, give it a little bend away from the logic board. This helps ensure it doesn't accidentally touch the socket and power up while you're working your magic.
Tools Used
Step 20
- Grab your trusty spudger and use the pointy end to gently lift the first display cable out of its socket—just a smooth, straight-up move, like you're peeling a sticker off a fresh notebook!
- When it's time to reattach, align the connectors carefully and press down gently on one side until you hear that satisfying click. Then, do the same on the other side. Avoid pressing the middle, or you might end up with bent pins—yikes! If it feels a bit tricky, don’t hesitate to schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 21
- Gently use the pointed end of a spudger to pop that second display cable right out of its socket. Just pry it straight up, and you'll be good to go!
Tools Used
Step 22
- Carefully detach the screen from the device. Take your time – no rush!
- Clean the areas that need adhesive with some isopropyl alcohol (>90%) – it's the magic cleaner. Once that's done, apply new adhesive where necessary.
- When putting things back together, feel free to pause here if you want to swap out the screen adhesives. No harm in making sure everything sticks just right!
Step 23
- Grab your trusty Y000 screwdriver and let’s get started by unscrewing those five screws holding the rear-facing camera assembly cover in place.
- Next up, use a Phillips screwdriver to tackle that single 1.7 mm-long screw.
- Now, let’s not forget about those four 1.5 mm-long Y000 screws—make sure they’re all out!
- Finally, we’ve got one last Y000 screw to remove, measuring 1.2 mm long. You’ve got this!
Step 24
In the top right corner of the camera cover, there's a little metal edge that's held snugly in place by the phone frame.
- Snag the rear-facing camera assembly cover with some trusty tweezers.
- Slide the cover toward the volume buttons—you're making room for that tiny metal edge to escape from the frame.
- Lift off the rear-facing camera assembly cover like you own the place.
- When you're putting things back together, line up the cover and nudge that metal edge back into its little home in the frame.
Tools Used
Step 25
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry the ultra wide and telephoto lens cable connector straight up from its socket. Easy peasy!
Tools Used
Step 26
- Gently pop the wide lens cable connector straight up from its socket using your trusty spudger.
Tools Used
Step 27
- Slide the pointed tip of your spudger under the lower edge of the rear-facing camera assembly.
- Gently tilt the back of the spudger downwards to lift the rear-facing camera assembly up.
Tools Used
Step 28
- Before sealing everything back up, if you can, power on your device to make sure the repair did its thing.
- Give your new part a side-by-side with the old one—you might need to move a few bits around or peel off some adhesive backing before popping it in.
- Put your device back together by simply following these steps in reverse order.
- After swapping parts, some may let you calibrate right on your device using Apple's Repair Assistant in iOS 18. Just update your device, head to Settings → General → About → Parts & Service History, tap Restart & Finish Repair, and follow the prompts.
- Don’t toss that old tech in the trash—take it to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler to keep it out of landfills.
- If things didn’t go quite as planned, don’t stress! Try some basic troubleshooting or reach out to our community for tips. And remember, if you hit a wall, you can always schedule a repair.
