iPhone 12 mini Earpiece Speaker and Front Sensor Assembly Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 32 Steps
Heads up! This part is custom-matched to your unique iPhone right from the factory.
Ready to tackle the earpiece speaker and front sensor assembly on your iPhone 12 mini? You’re in the right place! This little assembly is glued to the back of the display and also houses a microphone, ambient light sensor, flood illuminator, and proximity sensor. It’s a custom fit just for your iPhone straight from the factory, which means when you’re swapping out the display, you’ll need to move this assembly over to the new screen. The flood illuminator is a key player in the Face ID security feature, so if this part gets damaged or isn’t installed just right, Face ID will throw a tantrum and stop working. Even a shiny new replacement won’t do the trick, so be extra gentle with these delicate components during your repair dance! If things go south and you end up with a damaged part, remember, only Apple or an “Apple authorized” technician can save the day and restore that Face ID magic. And don’t forget, when you’re putting everything back together, you’ll need some replacement adhesive to ensure a snug fit. Happy repairing!
Step 1
Heads up: Make sure your iPhone battery is under 25% before you get started. Poking a fully charged lithium-ion battery can lead to fireworks—and not the fun kind.
- Shut down your iPhone before you start taking it apart—safety first!
- Unscrew the two pentalobe screws, each 6.7 mm long, located at the bottom edge of your iPhone.
Step 2
Pushing your opening pick in too deep can cause harm to your device—let’s avoid that! Mark your pick to keep things safe and sound.
Feel free to mark the other corners of your pick with different depths for extra precision.
Another neat trick: tape a coin onto your pick about 3 mm from the tip to act as a handy depth guide.
- Grab your opening pick and measure 3mm from the tip. Mark that spot with a permanent marker to make sure you're spot on when making the cut.
Step 3
Pop on those safety glasses to keep your eyes safe from any sneaky bits of glass that might try to escape during the repair.
Got a cracked screen on your iPhone? No worries! Just tape over the glass to prevent any further cracks and keep everything safe while you work your magic.
If things are getting tricky, a little superglue on the suction cup might just do the trick to keep it in place. Stay cool and keep going!
- Cover the iPhone's screen with overlapping strips of clear packing tape until the entire front is nicely wrapped.
- If the suction cup refuses to stick in the upcoming steps, no worries! Just fold a sturdy piece of tape (like duct tape) into a little handle and use that to lift the screen instead.
Step 4
Ready to meet the Anti-Clamp? The next three steps show off this handy tool that makes popping open your device a breeze. If you're not rolling with the Anti-Clamp, just jump ahead three steps for another way to get things open.
Want more on mastering the Anti-Clamp? Check out the detailed guide linked here.
If your iPhone feels slicker than a greased watermelon and the Anti-Clamp keeps slipping, slap on some tape to give it extra grip.
- Pull that blue handle back to loosen up the Anti-Clamp arms.
- Slide those arms over either the left or right side of your iPhone—whatever works for you.
- Line up the suction cups close to the bottom edge of your iPhone, with one on the screen and one on the back.
- Give the cups a gentle squeeze so they stick to the area you want to work on.
Step 5
- Slide that blue handle forward to lock those arms in place.
- Spin the handle all the way around (yep, a full 360!), or keep going until the cups start to stretch out.
- Keep an eye on those suction cups—they should stay lined up. If they start wandering, loosen them up a bit and bring the arms back together.
Step 6
Ensure that your trusty opening pick is snugly wedged between the plastic bezel and the frame to keep that screen safe and sound!
Remember, take it easy! Only twist a quarter turn at a time and chill for a minute between turns. Let the Anti-Clamp and a bit of patience do the heavy lifting for you.
If the Anti-Clamp isn’t giving you that perfect gap, just add a bit more heat and twist the handle another quarter turn.
- Prop your iPhone up on something solid (a hardcover book works great) so it sits hands-free and nice and level. Trust me, your hands will thank you in the next steps.
- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone until the screen feels just a bit too hot to comfortably touch. We're loosening up the glue here.
- Hang tight for a minute—this lets the adhesive do its thing and loosen up, giving you a gap to work with.
- Once your Anti-Clamp has made a decent gap, slide an opening pick under the plastic bezel of the screen. You're officially in!
- Go ahead and skip the next three steps. You've got this.
Step 7
Keep your hair dryer moving—don’t hold it in one spot too long!
Opening your iPhone's display means you'll be saying goodbye to its waterproof seals. Make sure you have some new seals at the ready before diving into this step, or be extra careful about keeping it away from liquids if you decide to reassemble without fresh seals.
Warming up the bottom edge of your iPhone is a clever trick to loosen up the adhesive that holds the display in place, making it a breeze to pop open.
If you find yourself struggling during the opening process, it's likely that the adhesive has cooled down a bit. Just give it another blast of heat to soften things up and you'll be back on track!
- Grab a hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until it feels just a bit too hot to keep your finger on.
Tools Used
Step 8
- Got a single suction handle? Stick it right on the bottom edge of your phone, as close to that edge as you can get!
- If your display is looking like a spider web, try putting a layer of clear packing tape over it to help the suction cup stick. You can also go for some super strong tape instead of the suction cup if that’s more your style. And if things get really tricky, a little super glue on the suction cup can do the trick to attach it to the cracked screen.
Tools Used
Step 9
Gently slide the opening pick under the thick plastic bezel – aim for a smooth entry to avoid any mishaps with the screen. You should see a tiny gap appear, and the pick should glide without resistance. If that gap doesn't show up, just lift the screen a little more and try again.
The screen is glued down with some seriously tough watertight adhesive, so popping open that first gap takes a bit of muscle. If it’s being stubborn, warm things up a bit more and gently rock the screen back and forth to soften the glue until you can sneak your tool in.
There’s a plastic bezel stuck to the bottom side of the display that comes up with it. Be careful not to wedge your pick between the bezel and display—that’s a quick way to mess up the panel.
- Give that suction cup a good pull with steady, confident pressure to open up a little gap between the screen and the metal frame. You've got this!
- Now, slide an opening pick into that cozy gap between the screen and the plastic bezel—just make sure to steer clear of the screen itself. You're on the right track!
Step 10
- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the right edge of your iPhone (that’s the side with the power button) for about 90 seconds, or until the screen feels just a bit too toasty to touch.
Step 11
Keep your pick shallow—no deeper than 3 mm—so you don't accidentally poke something important inside.
- Gently glide that opening pick around the bottom right corner and along the right edge of the iPhone, cutting through the adhesive that’s keeping the display snug and secure. You've got this!
Step 12
- Grab your hair dryer and warm up the top edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until the screen feels just a bit too toasty to touch—think spa day, not sauna!
Step 13
Keep your pick insertion to under 3 mm to avoid messing up the front panel sensor array – gentle does it!
The top edge of the display is held in place with both glue and clips, so it might take a bit of a tug to get it free.
Gently pull the front panel assembly down towards the bottom edge of the phone to make this part easier. No need to rush, just take it slow and steady.
- Slip your pick under the top-right corner of the display—like you’re sneaking into a secret club.
- Glide the pick around that corner. You might feel a little pushback from the clips, but you’ve got this.
- Keep sliding along the top edge and slice through any stubborn adhesive that’s holding the display hostage.
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 touch. Think of it as giving your phone a mini spa treatment.
Step 15
Watch out for two delicate cables along the left edge of your iPhone. One's near the top, and the other is just below the middle. It's best not to insert your pick here—you don’t want to accidentally damage these guys.
Step 16
Ease into the twist—no need to rush it.
If that sticky adhesive is putting up a fight, try warming up the left edge again.
- Pop a second opening pick into the bottom left corner of your iPhone.
- Now, get both picks twisting at the same time until those left-side clips let go.
Step 17
Hold up on pulling the display all the way off—there are still some delicate ribbon cables hooking it up to the iPhone’s logic board.
- Hold your iPhone with the right edge facing you.
- Open the iPhone by gently swinging the display upwards from the right side, just like you would open a book.
- Prop the display up against something stable to keep it steady while you work on the phone.
- When putting things back together, first align the clips at the top edge, gently press the top edge into place, and then snap the rest of the display back down. If it doesn’t click right away, take a moment to check the clips around the perimeter to make sure they’re not bent out of shape.
Step 18
Keep a close eye on every single screw during this repair—putting each one back in its original spot is the secret to avoiding any mishaps with your iPhone.
- Unscrew that 1.25 mm Y000 screw holding the battery & display connector cover bracket in place. It's a tiny one, so don't lose it!
- When you're putting everything back together, it's a good time to power on your device and give it a quick test to make sure everything is working before sealing up the display. Just remember to power it off completely before moving forward with the next steps.
Step 19
- Grab your trusty tweezers and carefully lift off the battery and display connector bracket.
- Notice the two tiny hinges along the right edge of the bracket? Keep an eye on those—they need to line up perfectly with their matching spots when you put everything back together.
Tools Used
Step 20
Be careful not to mess up 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!
- Gently use a spudger or your clean fingernail to lift that battery connector right up from its cozy home on the logic board.
- Give the connector a little bend away from the logic board to keep it from sneaking back into the socket and powering up your phone while you're on this repair adventure.
Tools Used
Step 21
- Gently use a spudger or even a clean fingernail to lift the OLED panel cable connector from its spot on the logic board. Easy does it!
- To put the connectors back, align one side carefully and press it down until you hear a satisfying click. Then, do the same on the other side. Avoid pressing in the middle — misalignment could cause pins to bend and lead to some serious damage. No pressure, just precision!
Tools Used
Step 22
- Grab your trusty screwdriver and remove the five 1 mm-long Y000 screws holding that front sensor assembly cover bracket in place. Time to free it up!
Step 23
- Grab a trusty pair of tweezers and gently lift out the front sensor assembly bracket. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 24
- Grab a spudger or just use your trusty clean fingernail to carefully unplug the front sensor assembly cable connector.
Tools Used
Step 25
- Take out the display assembly carefully.
- If you’re putting it back together and want to swap out the waterproof adhesive lining the edges, now’s the perfect time to hit pause.
Step 26
Hold off on peeling off the front sensor and speaker assembly just yet—it’s still sticking tight to the back of the display panel.
- Take out the 1.1 mm-long tri-point Y000 screw—tiny but mighty!
- Next up, remove the 1.8 mm-long tri-point Y000 screw. You’re making quick progress!
- Now, unscrew the two 1.6 mm-long Phillips #00 screws. Double the screws, double the fun!
Step 27
- Gently slide the flat end of your trusty spudger under the top right corner of the earpiece speaker and give it a little fold to the back. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 29
- Gently use the pointed end of a spudger to nudge the proximity sensor out of its snug little home.
Tools Used
Step 30
Keep those sensor flex cables chill—no stretching or pulling while you’re working on them!
- Carefully slide a spudger under the wide sensor assembly flex cable to gently pop it away from the screen.
Tools Used
Step 32
- Double-check your new part against the old one—sometimes a leftover sticker or component needs to hitch a ride to the new spot before you button it all up.
- Ready to put things back together? Just reverse the steps above. Fresh adhesive is your friend, but give those surfaces a quick wipe with isopropyl alcohol (>90%) so everything sticks like it should.
- Got old parts to dump? Take your e-waste to a certified recycler like R2 or e-Stewards and keep things green.
- If things got a little wild and your device isn’t working yet, don’t sweat it! Try some basic troubleshooting, or if you’re feeling stuck, you can always schedule a repair.
