iPhone 12 Loudspeaker Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 28 Steps
Time to swap out that loudspeaker on your iPhone 12! The loudspeaker is the one located at the bottom of your device, blasting out all your jams (or podcasts). Follow these steps and you’ll have it sounding good as new in no time. If anything gets tricky, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 1
Heads up! Make sure your iPhone battery is under 25% before you start. Poking a fully charged lithium-ion battery is a risky move—it can spark, smoke, or go boom. Low battery, less drama!
Opening up your iPhone's display means you'll be breaking those waterproof seals. Make sure you've got some fresh seals ready before moving on, or keep your iPhone away from any liquids if you decide to put it back together without replacing them. Stay dry and keep your device happy!
- Make sure to power down your iPhone before you start taking it apart.
- Unscrew the two pentalobe P2 screws, each 6.75 mm long, located at the bottom edge of your iPhone.
Step 2
Be careful not to push the opening pick in too deep or it might mess up your device. Mark your pick to keep things safe and sound.
Try marking other corners of the pick with different measurements to find your perfect depth.
Another trick: tape a coin to your pick about 3 mm from the tip to act as a handy depth guide.
- Take a 3 mm measurement from the tip and mark the opening pick with a permanent marker. You're just setting yourself up for a smooth repair ahead, so don't stress, just get it right and move on.
Step 3
Pop on some safety glasses to keep your eyes safe from any sneaky shards of glass that might decide to take flight during the repair.
Got a cracked screen on your iPhone? No worries! Keep things under control and avoid any accidents by slapping some tape over that glass before diving into the repair.
And if you're in a real pickle, a little superglue on the suction cup can do the trick to keep it steady while you work!
- Cover the iPhone screen with overlapping strips of clear packing tape—think of it as a protective glass blanket.
- If the suction cup refuses to cooperate in the next steps, fold a sturdy piece of tape (like duct tape) into a makeshift handle and use that to lift the screen instead.
Step 4
The next three steps will walk you through using the Anti-Clamp, a nifty little tool we created to make the opening process smoother. If you're not using the Anti-Clamp, no worries! Just skip ahead three steps to see the alternative method.
For full instructions on how to get the most out of your Anti-Clamp, check out this guide.
If you find your iPhone's surface a bit too slippery for the Anti-Clamp to grip, a little tape can help! Just stick some on to add some extra traction.
- Give the blue handle a little tug backwards to free the Anti-Clamp's arms.
- Slide those arms over the left or right edge of your iPhone like a pro.
- Place the suction cups close to the bottom edge of your iPhone—one on the front and one on the back, just like a perfect pair.
- Squeeze those cups together to create some good suction magic on the spot you need.
Step 5
- Pull that blue handle forward to lock those arms in place—like giving your device a little hug.
- Spin the handle clockwise in a full circle (yep, 360 degrees) or until you see the cups start to stretch out like they're waking up from a nap.
- Double-check the suction cups are staying lined up together. If they wander off, just loosen them a bit and bring the arms back to center—teamwork makes the dream work!
Step 6
Take it easy! Only twist the screw a quarter turn at a time, and chill for a minute between each turn. Let the Anti-Clamp and a little patience do their magic for you.
Looking for the lowdown on hair dryer techniques? We've got a guide for that.
If the Anti-Clamp is playing hard to get and won’t give you enough space, hit the spot with a bit more heat and give that handle a twist—just a quarter turn should do the trick.
- Set your iPhone on something solid, like a hardcover book, to keep it steady and level. Hands-free is the way to be for the next steps!
- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone until the screen feels a little too hot to touch. Don’t roast it—just a gentle sizzle.
- Hang tight for a minute and let the adhesive loosen up. You’re waiting for a nice gap to show up.
- Once the Anti-Clamp works its magic and gives you a decent opening, slide an opening pick under the screen’s plastic bezel.
- Skip the next three steps—consider this your fast pass.
Tools Used
Step 7
Keep that hair dryer moving—parking it in one spot is a recipe for crispy components!
- Grab a hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until the screen feels just a bit too hot to keep your fingers on it comfortably.
Tools Used
Step 8
- If you're using a single suction handle, stick it onto the bottom edge of the phone—just don’t get too close to the glass edge, it’s a little touchy there.
Tools Used
Step 9
Gently slide the opening pick under the thick plastic bezel—this is your screen's protective zone, so be cautious! You'll know you're doing it right if you see a slight gap, and the pick should move freely without getting stuck. If that gap is playing hard to get, just lift the screen a little more and try again.
The adhesive keeping your screen snug and secure is super strong; so getting that first gap open requires a good bit of elbow grease! If you're struggling to pry it open, don’t sweat it—just add a little more heat and gently wiggle the screen up and down to help loosen the adhesive. Keep at it until you've made a gap wide enough for your tool to slide in.
- Give that suction cup a steady, confident pull—just enough to nudge the screen away from the frame and create a little gap.
- Slide an opening pick into the gap, aiming for the spot between the screen and the plastic bezel (not under the actual screen!).
Step 10
- Grab your trusty hair dryer and give the right edge of your iPhone (you know, the one with the power button) a warm hug for about 90 seconds. You're aiming for it to feel a tad too toasty to touch, but don’t worry, no burns in this repair party!
Tools Used
Step 11
Keep your pick under 3 mm deep, or you might accidentally poke something you shouldn't!
- Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of your iPhone to break free the sticky adhesive.
- Keep the momentum going as you glide up the right edge of the iPhone until you hit the top right corner.
- Once you're there, leave that pick in place at the top right corner while you prep for the next step.
Step 12
- Grab a hair dryer and give the top edge of your iPhone a nice warm-up for about 90 seconds, or until it's just a little too hot to handle. This will soften things up, making it easier for the next steps.
Tools Used
Step 13
Keep your pick insertion shallow—no deeper than 3 mm—to avoid messing up those top sensors.
- Glide your opening pick along the top right corner of your iPhone to break up that stubborn adhesive. Give it a little wiggle if you need to!
- Let the pick chill in the top left corner while you move on. It's holding the fort for you.
Step 14
- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the left edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until it feels a bit too toasty to keep your fingers on.
Tools Used
Step 15
Watch out for those fragile cables along the left side of your iPhone! Steer clear of inserting your pick here, or you might accidentally give those cables a bad day.
Step 16
Apply a gentle twisting force—no need to rush it!
Having trouble peeling back the adhesive? A little heat on the left edge might do the trick.
- Slide in a second opening pick at the bottom left corner of your iPhone.
- Gently twist both picks at the same time until you hear those left edge clips give way.
Step 17
Hold your horses! Don’t try to completely detach the display just yet; there are some delicate ribbon cables still tethering it to the iPhone's logic board.
- Turn your iPhone so the right side is facing you.
- Lift the display up from the right edge, like you’re opening a hardcover book.
- Prop the display against something sturdy so it stays upright while you work your magic.
- When putting everything back together, set the display in place, line up the clips on the top edge, and gently press the top in before snapping down the rest. If it doesn’t snap smoothly, double-check the clips around the edge to make sure none are bent out of shape.
Step 18
Hang on to those screws like they're tiny treasures—each one has a home, and putting them back in the right spot keeps your iPhone happy.
- Unscrew those two 1.1 mm Y000 screws holding down the battery and display connector cover. Easy peasy!
- Before you go sealing up that display, take a moment to power up your device and check if everything’s working. Just be sure to turn your iPhone completely off before continuing. Trust us, it’ll make your life easier later!
Step 19
- Pop off that cover like you mean it!
Step 20
Be careful not to mess up the black silicone seal that’s hugging the board connections! These little heroes are here to keep water and dust at bay, giving your device some extra love and protection.
- Grab a spudger or even just a clean fingernail to gently lift the battery connector out of its socket on the logic board.
- Give the connector a little bend away from the logic board so it doesn't accidentally touch the socket and power up the phone while you’re working on it.
Tools Used
Step 21
- Grab a spudger or even your trusty fingernail to disconnect the display cable connector. Easy does it!
- When it's time to re-attach those connectors, take your time—line them up carefully and press down gently on one side until you hear a satisfying click. Then, do the same on the other side. Avoid pressing in the middle to keep everything aligned. If things get misaligned, the pins might bend, and that’s not the kind of damage we want.
Tools Used
Step 22
- Gently pry up the digitizer cable connector using a spudger or even your fingernail—easy does it!
- If your screen isn't responding to touch after the repair, try disconnecting the battery and then firmly reconnect this cable. Make sure it snaps in completely and that the connector area is clean and free of any dust or debris.
Tools Used
Step 23
- Grab a Y000 driver and unscrew the four screws holding the front sensor connector cover in place.
- Unscrew the three 1.1 mm screws, they're a little on the shorter side.
- Now, take out the single 1.4 mm screw.
Step 24
- Lift the cover from the left side until the small clip on the right pops out.
- Take off the cover.
- When putting things back together, start by securing the right edge's clip into its slot, then gently snap the rest of the cover back in place.
Step 25
- Gently pry up the front sensor assembly cable connector using a spudger or your fingernail to disconnect it.
Tools Used
Step 26
- Gently remove the display assembly. Take your time with this step, and remember: patience is key!
- If you're replacing the waterproof adhesive around the display edges, now's the time to pause and do so. If you're unsure, you can always schedule a repair to make sure everything seals up nicely.
Step 27
- Grab your Phillips driver and unscrew the four 1.6 mm screws holding the loudspeaker in place.
Step 28
- Before you wrap things up, take a moment to compare your replacement part with the original—sometimes you need to move over a few bits or peel off some sticky backs to get everything lined up right.
- To get everything back together, just reverse the steps you took earlier. It's like putting a puzzle back together, but with fewer missing pieces.
- Got some e-waste? Take it to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler. You’ll be helping out the planet, one broken gadget at a time.
- Things didn't go quite as planned? Don't worry! Try a little basic troubleshooting, or if you're still stuck, feel free to schedule a repair with us for some extra help.
