iPhone 12 Pro Max Loudspeaker Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 27 Steps
Ready to give your iPhone 12 Pro Max a new lease on life? This guide will walk you through swapping out the loudspeaker—the little powerhouse at the bottom of your phone that makes your music, calls, and notifications sound crystal clear. Let’s get that sound pumping again!
Step 1
Heads up! For safety, drop your iPhone battery below 25% before starting. Charged lithium-ion batteries can go wild if punctured, and nobody wants fireworks during a repair.
Cracking open your iPhone’s screen means those waterproof seals take a hit. If you want to keep your phone splash-proof, grab some new seals before you keep going. If you’re skipping the replacement, just steer clear of any water adventures after you put it back together.
- Give your iPhone a break—shut it down before you start taking it apart.
- Flip it over and unscrew the two 6.7 mm pentalobe screws hanging out by the charging port.
Step 2
Watch out! If your pick goes in too deep, it might give your device a little love tap that it doesn't need. To keep things safe, give your pick a little mark to avoid any mishaps.
Feeling fancy? You can spice things up by marking the other corners of the pick with different measurements for some extra flair.
Or, get creative! Stick a coin to your pick, about 3 mm from the tip, and let it guide you like a trusty sidekick.
- Grab your opening pick and measure 3 mm from the tip. Give it a bold mark with your permanent marker—like you mean it.
Step 3
Safety first! Slip on those safety glasses to keep your eyes protected from any rogue bits of glass that might come loose during the repair.
Cracked iPhone screen? Slap some tape over that glass to keep the shards in check and save your fingers from a surprise poke.
Desperate times call for creative measures—if nothing else works, stick that suction cup to the screen with a dab of superglue and keep on truckin’.
- Cover the iPhone screen with overlapping strips of clear packing tape—think of it as giving your phone a protective glass shield.
- If the suction cup keeps playing hard to get in the next steps, fold some tough tape (like duct tape) into a makeshift handle and use that to lift the screen instead.
Step 4
Get ready for the next three steps that showcase the Anti-Clamp! We created this handy tool to make opening your device a breeze. If you're not rolling with the Anti-Clamp, feel free to jump ahead three steps for another way to tackle this.
Want to master the Anti-Clamp? Check out our guide for all the tips and tricks!
If your iPhone's surface is feeling a bit too slick for the Anti-Clamp to grip, a little tape can work wonders to give it some extra traction.
- Gently pull the blue handle back to release the Anti-Clamp arms. They're ready to work!
- Slide the arms carefully over either side of your iPhone, left or right—your choice!
- Place the suction cups near the bottom edge of the iPhone, one on the front and one on the back. Get them in position.
- Squeeze the cups together to create a firm grip. Now you're ready to tackle the job!
Step 5
- Slide the blue handle forward to lock those arms in place.
- Twist the handle 360 degrees clockwise, or until you start to see those cups stretch out just right.
- Keep an eye on those suction cups – they should stay lined up. If they start to wander out of place, give them a slight loosen, then gently realign the arms.
Step 6
Don't twist more than a quarter turn at once, and take a breather for a minute between each turn. Let the Anti-Clamp and a little patience do the heavy lifting for you.
Need a rundown on using a hair dryer for repairs? Dive into this guide for the details.
If that Anti-Clamp isn’t giving you enough wiggle room, hit the spot with some extra heat and give the handle a quarter turn. You got this!
- Place your iPhone on a solid surface like a hardcover book so it stays steady and flat, making the next steps easier to handle.
- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone until it feels a bit too hot to touch—just enough to soften the adhesive.
- Give it a minute to let the heat do its magic and loosen the glue, creating a small gap to work with.
- Carefully slide an opening pick under the screen’s plastic bezel once the Anti-Clamp has made the gap wide enough.
- Skip the next three steps.
Tools Used
Step 7
Keep that hair dryer moving—parking it in one spot too long is a no-go!
- Grab your hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds—just until the screen gets a little too hot for comfort.
Tools Used
Step 8
- Grab your single suction handle and stick it near the bottom edge of the phone, but be sure to steer clear of the very edge of the glass to keep things smooth.
Tools Used
Step 9
Slide the opening pick under the thick plastic bezel carefully to keep your screen safe. Look for a little gap where the pick can slip in smoothly without catching. If you don’t spot the gap, gently lift the screen a bit more and try again.
The adhesive keeping your screen in place is no joke—breaking that initial seal takes some muscle. If it’s being stubborn, hit it with a bit more heat and gently wiggle the screen up and down to loosen things up. Once you’ve got a gap, slide your tool in and keep going.
- Give that suction cup a solid tug with steady pressure to open up a little space between the screen and the frame.
- Slide an opening pick in at a sharp angle through the gap you've just created.
Step 10
- Grab your trusty hair dryer and gently warm up the right edge of your iPhone (that's the one with the power button!) for about 90 seconds, or until it feels a tad too warm to the touch. Remember, we're just trying to give that screen a little cozy hug!
Tools Used
Step 11
Be careful not to push your pick in more than 3 mm – you don't want to accidentally mess with the internal parts!
- Gently slide your opening pick around the bottom right corner of your iPhone to loosen that stubborn adhesive.
- Keep going along the right edge of the iPhone, sliding up until you hit the top right corner.
- Once you're at the top right corner, leave the pick in place and get ready for the next move.
Step 12
- Grab your trusty hair dryer and gently warm up the top edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until it feels a tad too hot to handle. You're doing great!
Tools Used
Step 13
Keep your pick shallow—going deeper than 3 mm could poke the top sensors, and they like their privacy!
- Gently slide that trusty opening pick around the top right corner of your iPhone to break free the top adhesive. You got this!
- Once you've made some progress, let the pick chill in the top left corner while you continue on.
Step 14
- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the left edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until it feels just a bit too toasty to keep your finger on.
Tools Used
Step 15
Careful now! There are some sensitive cables hanging out along the left edge of your iPhone. Avoid inserting your pick here unless you want to give those cables a bad day.
Step 16
Gently twist to apply the force—no need to rush it!
If the adhesive is being stubborn, give the left edge a little reheat to help it along.
- Slide a second opening pick into the bottom left corner of your iPhone. It's like giving it a little nudge!
- Now, twist both picks together at the same time until you hear that satisfying click as the left edge clips pop free.
Step 17
Hold off on pulling the display all the way—there are some delicate ribbon cables still keeping it tethered to the iPhone’s logic board.
- Turn your iPhone so the right side is facing you.
- Open it up by swinging the display upward from the right edge, just like flipping open the cover of a book.
- Prop the display against something sturdy to keep it standing while you work on the phone.
- When putting it back together, set the display in place, line up the clips along the top edge, and gently press the top edge down before snapping the rest into position. If it doesn’t click easily, double-check the clips around the display’s edge to make sure none are bent or out of place.
Step 18
As you tackle this repair, remember to keep an eye on each screw and make sure it finds its way back home. This will help keep your iPhone safe and sound!
- Unscrew the four Y000 screws (1.1 mm long) holding the battery and display connector cover in place. No rush, just take it slow and steady.
- Before putting everything back together, it's a great idea to power up your iPhone and double-check that everything’s working as it should. Once you’re happy, make sure to power it down completely before moving on to the next step.
Step 19
- First things first, let's gently lift off the battery and display connector cover. You're on the right track!
Step 20
Be gentle with the black silicone seal around this and other board connections! These little guys are your best friends when it comes to keeping water and dust at bay.
- Grab a spudger or even just a clean fingernail and gently pop the battery connector up from its spot on the logic board.
- Give the connector a little bend away from the logic board so it doesn’t accidentally touch the socket and send power back to the phone while you’re working.
Tools Used
Step 21
- Gently pry up the display cable connector using a spudger or even your fingernail—no super strength needed here!
- When it’s time to reconnect, line up one side of the connector and press down until you hear a satisfying click, then do the same on the other side. Avoid pressing in the middle to keep those pins happy and avoid any permanent damage.
Tools Used
Step 22
- Grab your Y000 driver and carefully unscrew the four tiny 1.1 mm screws holding down the front sensor connector cover. Keep them safe!
Step 23
- Lift the cover from the left side until the little clip on the right lets go.
- Take the cover off.
- When putting it back, pop the clip on the right edge into its slot first, then swing the rest of the cover down into place.
Step 24
- Gently pry up the front sensor assembly cable connector using a spudger or your fingernail to disconnect it.
Tools Used
Step 25
- Carefully detach the display assembly. It's like giving your device a little spa day! 🌟
- When putting everything back together, take a moment here if you're thinking about swapping out the waterproof adhesive around the edges of the display. It's a small detail that can make a big difference!
Step 26
- Grab your Phillips driver and unscrew the four 1.4 mm screws holding the loudspeaker in place. Let’s keep that soundtrack coming!
Step 27
- Take a moment to compare your shiny new replacement part with the original one—don’t forget to transfer any leftover bits or peel off those pesky adhesive backings before you dive into the installation!
- When it’s time to put everything back together, just retrace your steps in reverse. It’s like a fun little dance!
- Got some old tech lying around? Don’t toss it—take it to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler and give it a new lease on life!
- Things not going as smoothly as planned? No worries! Try some basic troubleshooting, or if you're still stuck, feel free to reach out to our iPhone 12 Pro Max Answers community for some friendly assistance.
