iPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 32 Steps
Face ID won’t be available after this.
Ready to swap out your iPhone 12's front camera (aka selfie cam)? Follow these steps to get your camera back in action. Heads up: swapping this part means Face ID won’t work unless you recalibrate. On iOS 17.6 and earlier, only Apple or their certified crew can restore Face ID. But with iOS 18 or newer, you can recalibrate the front camera yourself using Apple's Repair Assistant. If things get tricky, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 1
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder before you dive in: make sure your iPhone battery is below 25%. A charged lithium-ion battery can be a bit dramatic and might catch fire or even explode if it gets punctured. Safety first, my friend!
Opening up your iPhone’s display? Keep in mind, that’s going to break its waterproof seals. So, be sure to have some fresh seals on hand before moving ahead, or if you're feeling lucky and plan to reassemble without replacing them, just remember—no splashes, no spills! Protect your phone from liquid exposure like a pro.
- Make sure to power off your iPhone before you start taking it apart.
- Next up, grab your pentalobe P2 screwdriver and remove the two 6.75 mm screws located at the bottom edge of the iPhone.
Step 2
Push that pick in too far and your device might not appreciate it. Mark your pick with a line so you know when to stop and keep things safe.
Feeling fancy? Mark the other corners with different measurements for extra precision.
Or, for a DIY twist, tape a coin 3 mm from the tip—instant depth control!
- Grab your opening pick and measure about 3 mm from the tip. Then, use a permanent marker to mark that spot.
Step 3
Pop on some safety glasses to keep your eyes safe from any rogue glass bits that might decide to fly out during the repair.
Cracked screen? Grab some tape and cover up the glass to keep all those tiny shards in check and protect your hands while you work.
If nothing else is sticking, go wild and glue that suction cup to the screen—sometimes you just have to improvise!
- Cover your iPhone's screen with a few strips of clear packing tape, making sure the entire front is shielded. Think of it like giving your screen a protective layer of armor.
- If the suction cup isn't doing its job and sticking like it should, grab a piece of sturdy tape (duct tape works wonders), fold it into a handle, and use that to lift the screen. It's like a DIY tool hack!
Step 4
The next three steps walk you through the Anti-Clamp, a handy tool we created to make opening your device smoother. If you’re not using the Anti-Clamp, feel free to skip ahead three steps to an alternate approach.
For a full walkthrough on how to handle the Anti-Clamp, check out this guide.
If your iPhone feels too slick for the Anti-Clamp to grip, try adding some tape to give it a better hold.
- Give that blue handle a gentle tug back to unlock the Anti-Clamp's arms—it's like giving it a little hug!
- Slide those arms over the left or right edge of your iPhone like you're tucking it in for a cozy nap.
- Place the suction cups close to the bottom edge of your iPhone—one on the front and one on the back, like they're holding hands.
- Squeeze those cups together with a little love to create a solid suction on the area you want to work on.
Step 5
- Slide the blue handle forward to lock those arms in place.
- Give the handle a full 360-degree clockwise twist, or keep going until the suction cups start to stretch a bit.
- Keep an eye on the suction cups—they should stay lined up. If they start to drift out of sync, just loosen them a little and realign the arms.
Step 6
Take it slow: just a quarter turn at a time, then give it a one-minute breather. Let the Anti-Clamp do its thing—patience pays off!
For all the juicy details on how to rock a hair dryer, be sure to check out this guide.
If the Anti-Clamp isn't making enough space, just give it a little more heat and twist that handle a quarter turn.
- Prop your iPhone up on something solid like a hardcover book so it can chill hands-free and lie flat—makes the next steps way easier.
- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone until it feels a bit too toasty to touch.
- Give it a minute to let the adhesive loosen and create a small gap for you to work with.
- Slide an opening pick under the screen’s plastic bezel once the Anti-Clamp has made enough space.
- Skip the next three steps.
Tools Used
Step 7
Keep your hair dryer moving—don’t let it chill in one spot too long!
- Grab a hair dryer or a heat gun and gently warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until it feels a bit too toasty to touch.
Tools Used
Step 8
- Grab your trusty suction handle and stick it on the bottom edge of your phone, just be careful to steer clear of that glass edge!
Tools Used
Step 9
Slide your opening pick right under the chunky plastic bezel—not the screen! Look for a clear gap, and make sure the pick moves smoothly. If you don’t see the gap, just lift the screen up a bit more.
The adhesive keeping the screen snug and secure is no joke; getting that first little gap going requires some serious muscle! If you're struggling to pry it open, don’t sweat it—just add a bit more heat and gently wiggle the screen up and down. This will help loosen the adhesive until you can slip your tool in there. You've got this!
- Give that suction cup a solid tug! Keep the pressure steady to create a little wiggle room between the screen and the frame.
- Slide an opening pick into the cozy gap you've just made under the screen and the plastic bezel, but steer clear of poking the screen itself!
Step 10
- Grab a hair dryer and gently warm up the right edge of your iPhone (where the power button hangs out) for about 90 seconds, or until the screen feels just a bit too hot to handle.
Tools Used
Step 11
Keep your pick shallow—anything deeper than 3 mm might poke something important inside.
- Gently slide that trusty opening pick around the bottom right corner of your iPhone to break free from the adhesive's grip.
- Keep the momentum going and glide the pick up the right edge until you hit the top right corner.
- Pause for a moment and leave the pick nestled in the top right corner before moving on.
Step 12
- Grab your trusty hair dryer and warm up that top edge of the iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until it feels just a little too toasty to touch. You're doing great!
Tools Used
Step 13
Keep your pick shallow—no more than 3 mm—to avoid messing with the top sensors.
- Gently slide the opening pick around the top right corner of your iPhone to loosen the stubborn adhesive holding it down.
- Keep that pick chilling in the top left corner before moving on to the next step.
Step 14
- Give the left edge of your iPhone a warm blast with a hair dryer for about 90 seconds, or until the screen feels just a bit too toasty for comfort.
Tools Used
Step 15
Heads up! Your iPhone’s left edge hides some fragile cables. Avoid sliding your pick in there to keep everything safe and sound.
Step 16
Gently twist with steady pressure to get things moving.
If the adhesive is being stubborn, try warming up the left edge again to loosen it up.
- Slide a second opening pick into the bottom left corner of the iPhone.
- Gently twist both picks 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 off just yet—there are still some delicate ribbon cables hooking it up to the iPhone’s logic board.
- Flip your iPhone around so the right edge is looking right at you.
- Gently lift the display from the right side, just like opening the front cover of a book.
- Prop the display up against something sturdy, so it stays put while you tackle the inner workings of your phone.
- When it's time to put everything back together, lay the display back in its spot, align those clips along the top, and gently press down the top edge until it clicks into place. If it’s being stubborn and doesn’t snap in easily, take a moment to check if the clips around the display are in good shape and not bent.
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 keep your iPhone safe and sound!
- Take out the two tiny 1.1 mm Y000 screws holding down the battery and display connector cover. (Seriously, they’re small—don’t lose them to the carpet goblins!)
- When you’re putting things back together, go ahead and fire up your iPhone to make sure everything is working before sealing up the display. Don’t forget to fully power it down again before you keep going!
Step 19
- Pop off the cover to get started.
Step 20
Be careful not to mess with the black silicone seal around this and other board connectors. These little guys are the unsung heroes, keeping water and dust where they belong—out!
- Gently use a spudger or even a clean fingernail to lift the battery connector off its spot on the logic board.
- Give the connector a little bend away from the board so it doesn’t accidentally touch the socket and power the phone while you’re working on it.
Tools Used
Step 21
- Pop off the display cable connector using a spudger or your trusty fingernail—no need for superhero strength.
- When reconnecting, get the edges lined up and gently press one side until you hear a click, then do the same for the other. Skip pressing the middle unless you’re into bent pins and permanent damage (hint: you’re not).
Tools Used
Step 22
- Gently pry up the digitizer cable connector using a spudger or your fingernail to unplug it.
- If your screen isn’t responding to touch after the repair, try disconnecting the battery, then firmly reconnect this cable until it clicks into place. Make sure the socket is clean and free of any dust or debris.
Tools Used
Step 23
- Grab your trusty Y000 driver and unscrew the four screws holding down the front sensor connector cover.
- There are three screws measuring 1.1 mm long.
- One screw is a bit longer at 1.4 mm.
Step 24
- Lift the cover from the left side until the little clip on the right pops free.
- Take off the cover.
- When putting it back, start by snapping the clip on the right edge into its spot, then swing the rest of the cover down to close it up.
Step 25
- Gently pry open the front sensor assembly cable connector using a spudger or your trusty fingernail. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 26
- First things first, gently take off the display assembly like a pro.
- When you're ready to put everything back together, take a moment here if you want to swap out that waterproof adhesive around the edges of the display. It's a small touch that makes a big difference!
Step 27
- Grab your trusty Y000 driver and take out that tiny 1 mm screw holding the front-facing camera assembly in place. You've got this!
Step 28
- Gently pop up the front-facing camera bracket and set it aside, like a tiny hat for your desk.
Step 29
- Carefully wiggle a spudger or your fingernail to unplug the Face ID dot projector cable from its spot on the logic board.
Tools Used
Step 30
- Gently pry up the Face ID sensor cable from its connector on the logic board using a spudger or just your fingernail. Take it slow and steady!
Tools Used
Step 31
- Carefully nudge those Face ID cable connectors away from the logic board so you can uncover the selfie cam connector hiding underneath. No need to rush, take your time!
- Now, let's give that selfie camera some love by gently prying its connector straight up. You've got this!
Step 32
- Take a moment to compare your replacement part with the original. You might need to move some components over or peel off any adhesive backings before you pop it in place.
- Now, just work your way backwards through the steps above to reassemble your device. Easy peasy!
- If your repair involved a part that supports it, why not try out Apple’s Repair Assistant (available on iOS 18 and up)? Just go to Settings→General→About→Parts & Service History, tap Restart & Finish Repair, and follow the on-screen instructions to calibrate.
- When you're all done, be sure to responsibly recycle your e-waste! Find a certified recycler through R2 or e-Stewards.
- Something didn’t quite go according to plan? No worries! Try some basic troubleshooting, or reach out to the Salvation Repair community for some expert advice. And if you still need a hand, you can always schedule a repair.
