iPhone 12 Pro Max Battery Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 41 Steps
Did you know that iPhone batteries are designed to hold about 80% of their power for roughly 500 charge cycles? That typically translates to around 18-24 months of trusty service for most folks. After that, your iPhone might start asking for a little more love when it comes to charging, and you might notice iOS giving you a heads-up that performance could take a hit (basically, your phone might feel a bit sluggish). But don't worry! We've got a guide right here to help you swap out that battery and get your iPhone back to its speedy self. If your battery looks like it's been taking some serious workouts (you know, swollen), make sure to take the proper precautions. Oh, and a quick note: if you're on iOS 17.6 or earlier, you might see a message about the battery's “genuineness” after your repair, even if you used top-notch Apple parts. If everything's working fine, just brush that warning off! For those with iOS 18 and newer, be sure to authenticate your new battery using Apple's Repair Assistant. And for the cherry on top, once you finish up this guide, give your newly installed battery a little pampering: charge it up to 100% and keep it plugged in for at least a couple more hours. Then, use your iPhone until it decides to take a nap due to low battery. Finally, charge it up uninterrupted until it hits that shiny 100% again!
Step 1
Heads up! Before diving in, make sure to run that iPhone battery down to under 25%. A fully charged lithium-ion battery can get a little too fiery if it gets punctured. Better safe than sorry!
Opening up your iPhone's display means saying goodbye to its waterproof seals. So, make sure you've got some replacement seals on standby before diving into this step. If you decide to put your iPhone back together without replacing the seals, just be extra careful to keep it away from any liquids.
- Make sure to power off your iPhone before you start taking it apart.
- Next, grab your screwdriver and remove the two 6.7 mm-long pentalobe P2 screws located at the bottom edge of your iPhone.
Step 2
If you slide the pick in too deep, you might end up poking something you shouldn't. Mark your pick so you know exactly how far to go—your device will thank you.
For extra precision, add marks at different depths on the pick’s other corners. It’s like pick customization, but for tech!
Or, get creative: tape a coin 3 mm from the tip of the pick. Boom—built-in depth control.
- Mark your opening pick 3 mm from the tip with a permanent marker to keep your edge on point.
Step 3
Put on your safety glasses to keep those peepers safe from any sneaky glass shards that might pop loose during the repair.
Got a cracked iPhone screen? Keep those sharp shards from causing more trouble or hurting you by taping over the glass before you dive into the repair.
If the suction cup just won’t stick, no worries—try giving it a little extra grip by supergluing it to the screen.
- Start by laying down overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPhone's screen until the entire front is covered. Make sure it sticks down well!
- If you're having trouble getting the suction cup to stick in the next steps, take a sturdy piece of tape (like duct tape) and fold it into a handle to lift the screen instead.
Step 4
In the next three steps, we're going to show you how to use the Anti-Clamp – a nifty tool we created to make opening your device a whole lot easier. If you're not using the Anti-Clamp, feel free to skip ahead three steps for an alternative method.
For a full guide on using the Anti-Clamp, check out this detailed guide.
If your iPhone's surface is too slippery for the Anti-Clamp to stay in place, just grab some tape to create a stickier surface and you're good to go!
- Pull the blue handle back to release the Anti-Clamp's arms.
- Slide the arms onto either the left or right side of your iPhone.
- Place the suction cups near the bottom edge of the iPhone—one on the front and one on the back.
- Press the cups together to create a good seal and hold the area firmly.
Step 5
- Give that blue handle a gentle pull forward to lock those arms in place.
- Now, twist the handle a full 360 degrees or until you see those cups start to stretch a bit.
- Keep your eyes on those suction cups and make sure they're staying in sync with each other. If they start to wander off track, just loosen them a tad and realign those arms.
Step 6
Turn no more than a quarter twist at a time, then take a breather for a minute. Let the Anti-Clamp and a little patience do the heavy lifting!
Want to master the hair dryer technique? Check out our guide for the full rundown.
If your Anti-Clamp is slacking off and not making enough space, hit the area with a bit more heat and twist the handle another quarter turn.
- Give your iPhone a cozy spot on something solid like a hefty book, so it can chill hands-free and stay level with the ground. This makes everything easier for the next steps!
- Grab a hairdryer and gently warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone. It should get just hot enough to feel a little too toasty for your fingers.
- Take a breather for about a minute to let that adhesive loosen up and create a little gap for you.
- Once the Anti-Clamp has made a nice opening, slide an opening pick under the screen's plastic bezel.
- Feel free to skip the next three steps!
Tools Used
Step 7
Keep your hair dryer moving and grooving! Don't let it chill in one spot for too long.
- Grab your trusty hair dryer or heat gun and aim it at the bottom edge of your iPhone. Give it a good 90 seconds or until it’s just warm enough to make you think, 'Yep, that’s the sweet spot!'
Tools Used
Step 8
- Grab your trusty suction handle and stick it right on the bottom edge of your phone, but steer clear of the glass's very edge. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 9
Slide that opening pick under the chunky plastic bezel—don't go poking the screen! You’re looking for a nice, obvious gap, and the pick should glide in without snagging. If that gap’s playing hide-and-seek, just lift the screen a bit more until it shows itself.
That watertight adhesive holding the screen is seriously tough—getting that first little gap open takes some muscle. If it’s being stubborn, try heating it up a bit more, then gently rock the screen back and forth to soften the glue until you can slip your tool in.
- Give that suction cup a good upward pull—steady and confident—to nudge a tiny gap between your screen and the frame.
- Slide an opening pick into the gap at a sharp angle, like you’re sneaking a backstage pass.
Step 10
- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the right edge of your iPhone (the side with the power button) for about 90 seconds. Aim for that sweet spot where the screen feels just a bit too toasty to touch.
Tools Used
Step 11
Keep your pick insertion under 3 mm to avoid poking any sensitive parts inside!
- Gently glide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of your iPhone to break that pesky adhesive seal.
- Keep on sliding up the right edge of your iPhone until you hit the top right corner.
- Once you reach the top right corner, leave that pick right there before moving on!
Step 12
- Grab your trusty hair dryer and aim it at the top edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until the screen feels just a little too warm to touch. You don’t want to roast it, just enough to soften things up. Ready? Let's keep it moving!
Tools Used
Step 13
Be careful not to push your pick more than 3 mm in, or you might accidentally mess with the top sensors. Just a gentle touch will do!
- Gently slide the opening pick around the top right corner to loosen up that stubborn adhesive at the top of your iPhone.
- Keep the pick tucked in the top left corner for now before moving on to the next step.
Step 14
- Grab your trusty hair dryer and give the left edge of your iPhone a warm-up session for about 90 seconds, or until it feels a bit too hot to touch. That’s when you know it’s ready to go!
Tools Used
Step 15
Be careful! There are some sensitive cables hanging out along the left edge of your iPhone. Avoid sticking your pick in this area, as it could lead to some unexpected cable drama.
Step 16
Twist gently and steadily to avoid any drama.
If the adhesive is being stubborn, give the left edge a little warm-up and try again.
- Pop a second opening pick into the bottom left corner of your iPhone.
- Give both picks a gentle twist at the same time until you hear the left edge snap free.
Step 17
Hold your horses on fully separating that display! There are some delicate ribbon cables still linking it to the iPhone's logic board that need to be handled with care.
- Turn your iPhone so the right edge is facing you—like you're setting up for a magic trick.
- Gently swing the display up from the right side, as if you’re opening a book to a brand new chapter.
- Prop the display against something sturdy so it stays put while you work your phone-fixing magic.
- When reassembling, set the display back in place, line up the clips along the top edge, and press the top edge down first. If it doesn’t snap in smoothly, check out the clips around the edge to make sure none are bent. Almost done!
Step 18
As you tackle this repair, remember to keep an eye on each screw and return it to its original spot. This will help you avoid any mishaps with your iPhone. You've got this!
- Carefully take out the four Y000 screws, each measuring 1.1 mm, that are holding down the battery and display connector cover. Let's get that cover off with style!
- Before you seal everything back up, why not power on your iPhone and make sure all functions are working like a charm? Just remember to turn it off completely before diving back into the repair!
Step 19
- Take off the battery and the display connector cover to get started.
Step 20
Be careful not to mess up the black silicone seal that hugs this and other board connections. These seals are like tiny superheroes, guarding against pesky water and dust trying to sneak in.
- Grab a spudger or just use your trusty fingernail to lift the battery connector straight up from its cozy spot on the logic board.
- Gently bend the connector away from the board like you’re giving it some personal space—this keeps it from sneaking back and powering on your phone mid-repair.
Tools Used
Step 21
- Grab a spudger or your trusty fingernail to gently detach the display cable connector. Easy does it!
- When it's time to re-attach the connector, take your time to align it carefully. Start by pressing one side down until it clicks into place, then do the same for the other side. Don't press down in the middle—this could mess up the pins and cause some serious damage. If it feels a bit off, double-check that it's aligned correctly. No worries—this step's a breeze with a little attention!
Tools Used
Step 22
- Grab your Y000 driver and take out the four 1.1 mm screws holding down the front sensor connector cover.
Step 23
- Lift the cover up from the left side until that little clip on the right pops free.
- Take the cover off and set it aside.
- When putting it back together, start by snapping the clip on the right edge into its slot, then swing the rest of the cover down into place.
Step 24
- Gently pry open the front sensor assembly cable connector using a spudger or your trusty fingernail. A little finesse goes a long way here!
Tools Used
Step 25
- Gently detach the display assembly from its frame.
- If you're thinking about replacing the waterproof adhesive around the display edges, this is a good spot to take a breather and get that done.
Step 26
- Grab your Phillips driver and spin out those four 1.4 mm screws holding the loudspeaker in place.
Step 27
- Gently coax the loudspeaker out of its cozy nook, carefully peeling it away from the adhesive strip like a pro. Don't forget to stick that strip onto the new loudspeaker for a perfect fit!
- Say goodbye to the old loudspeaker.
Step 28
- Grab your trusty Phillips driver and get ready to tackle that 1.4 mm screw holding down the Taptic Engine's plastic cover. Let's get this party started!
Step 29
- Gently peel off the plastic cover, as if you’re unwrapping a present. Take your time and make sure not to damage any of the delicate components underneath!
Step 30
- Gently use the tip of your spudger to lift the Taptic Engine connector right up and out of its home. You're doing great!
Tools Used
Step 31
If you're in a jam, a small flathead screwdriver can save the day—but be super careful not to let it slip and cause any harm to nearby parts.
To make things smoother, grab a standoff screwdriver or bit to remove those pesky standoff screws. They'll come right out with the right tool.
- Time to take out the screws holding the Taptic Engine in place:
- Two 2.8 mm standoff screws
- One 1.6 mm Phillips screw
Step 32
- Let's kick things off by taking out the Taptic Engine! It's time to give your device a little TLC.
- If you're swapping in a shiny new Taptic Engine, don't forget to peel off that adhesive strip and stick it onto the new one before you start putting everything back together. You're almost there!
Step 33
The battery is hanging out on the rear case, held tight by four strips of stretch-release adhesive—two at the bottom, two at the top.
Up next, you’ll tug on each tab to stretch and loosen the sticky stuff hiding under the battery. These are command-strip style adhesives, and once they’re stretched out, the battery will bow out gracefully.
If a strip snaps, don’t stress! Sometimes these things just want to keep you on your toes. Keep going for hacks if you hit a snag.
- Each adhesive strip is rocking a snazzy black pull-tab at the end, lightly stuck to the edge of the battery.
Step 34
Heads up! Avoid poking the battery with anything sharp—if it gets punctured, it could leak nasty stuff or even catch fire. Keep it chill and let the battery stay unstabbed.
Space can be a little tight around some parts of the battery. To help loosen things up, try sliding an opening pick between the battery and the adhesive. This should make separating them a bit easier.
- Gently pull down that first battery adhesive tab to loosen it from the bottom edge of your battery.
Step 35
- Gently pull down on the second battery adhesive tab to loosen it from the bottom edge of the battery.
Step 36
- Grab that first pull-tab with your fingers and gently tug it away from the battery, heading toward the bottom of the iPhone.
- If the adhesive strip decides to break off, don't fret! Use your fingers or some blunt tweezers to fish it out, and keep pulling—just don’t try prying under the battery.
- If you find any adhesive strips hiding beneath the battery that you can't retrieve, go ahead and remove the other strips, then follow the next steps.
- Pull with enough strength to keep the strip taut, but remember, no need to force it! Give it some time to stretch and unstick from under the battery.
- Avoid pressing down on the battery. Hold onto the iPhone securely by its sides.
- Keep that strip nice and flat; no wrinkles allowed! Aim to pull evenly across the entire strip rather than focusing on the middle or just one side.
- When pulling, keep it at a low angle to prevent the strip from getting snagged on the edge of the battery.
Tools Used
Step 37
If the adhesive decides to play hide and seek under the battery and you just can't track it down, no worries! Just move on to the next step.
- Use your fingers to grab the second pull-tab and gently tug it away from the battery, aiming toward the bottom of the iPhone.
- If the adhesive strip snaps off, don’t panic—try to grab it with your fingers or some blunt tweezers and keep pulling. Just avoid prying underneath the battery.
- Repeat the same smooth moves as before: avoid pressing down on the battery, keep the strip flat and wrinkle-free, and pull at a low angle.
Tools Used
Step 38
These adhesive strips don’t give you much to work with—slide an opening pick underneath to lift them away from the battery, then grab them with tweezers to finish the job.
- Gently lift the last two battery adhesive pull-tabs to release them from the top edge of the battery.
Tools Used
Step 39
Watch out not to catapult the battery out of the iPhone when the last adhesive strip lets go.
- Using the same method as before, gently pull each of the last two tabs one by one to stretch and peel off the remaining adhesive strips holding the battery. Watch out—try not to catch the adhesive on anything!
- If all the adhesive strips came off smoothly, you can skip the next step.
- If not, keep going with the following step below.
Step 40
Don't force the battery out! If it's giving you a tough time, just add a few more drops of alcohol to loosen up the adhesive. And remember, keep the pry tool away from poking or bending the battery—it doesn't like that.
- Having a tough time getting that battery out? Try dripping a few drops of high-strength (90% or more) isopropyl alcohol under the battery edge where the sticky adhesive gave up.
- Give it about a minute to let the alcohol work its magic and loosen the adhesive grip.
- Then, carefully use an opening pick or the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery up gently.
Tools Used
Step 41
- Before you dive into the installation, take a moment to compare your new replacement part with the original. You might need to shift some components around or peel off those pesky adhesive backings from the new part before getting it in place.
- Now, lets put everything back together! Just retrace your steps from above in reverse order like a pro.
- After your repair, depending on the replacement part, you might have the chance to calibrate it using Apple's Repair Assistant, which is available starting from iOS 18. Just update your device, head over to Settings→General→About→Parts & Service History, tap Restart & Finish Repair, and follow the on-screen prompts. Easy peasy!
- Got some old tech lying around? Don’t forget to take it to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler and give it a new lease on life.
- If things didn’t go quite as planned, don’t sweat it! Try some basic troubleshooting, or if you need a helping hand, feel free to schedule a repair with us!
