iPhone XR Screen Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 33 Steps
Heads up: This guide is for swapping out your whole screen—no half-measures here.
That earpiece speaker + sensor combo glued to the back of your display is custom-matched to your phone from the factory, so keep it safe and sound while you work.
Got a cracked iPhone XR screen that’s not responding to touch or just won’t show anything when you power it on? This guide will help you get your iPhone back in action with a fresh new display assembly. It’s designed for full replacement screens only, which should come pre-mounted on a frame with a thin metal LCD shield already attached on the back. If your replacement screen doesn’t have that shield, check out a more detailed guide to swap the screen while keeping your original LCD shield intact. Heads up: the earpiece speaker and sensor combo stuck to the back of the display is paired specifically to your iPhone from the factory, so you’ll need to move it from your old screen to the new one during the swap. This assembly includes the flood illuminator, a key part of Face ID’s biometric magic. If you damage or replace this part, Face ID will stop working — so handle it with care! If it does get damaged, only Apple can fix Face ID. Also, keep in mind that True Tone will be turned off after replacing the screen, even if you use an official Apple display.
Step 1
- First things first, make sure your iPhone is powered down before diving into the disassembly adventure.
- Next up, grab your trusty screwdriver and remove those two pentalobe screws at the bottom edge of your iPhone—each one is about 6.7 mm long.
- Oh, and don't forget about those black rubber gaskets right under the heads of the pentalobe screws! They're your little guardians against dust and liquids. Give them a quick check-up, and if they're looking a bit worn out, consider swapping out the screws during reassembly for optimal protection.
Before you dive in, make sure your iPhone's battery is below 25%. A fully charged lithium-ion battery can be a bit temperamental—puncture it and things could get fiery or even explode. Better safe than sorry!
Opening up your iPhone will break its waterproof seals. Make sure you have some fresh seals on hand before you go any further, or be extra careful about avoiding any water contact when reassembling without replacing them.
Step 2
If you shove your opening pick in too deep, it might mess up your device. Mark your pick to keep things safe and sound.
Feel free to mark other corners of the pick with different measurements for extra precision.
Or, stick a coin to your pick about 3 mm from the tip—handy and simple!
- Grab your trusty permanent marker and measure out 3 mm from the tip. Give that opening pick a little dot to mark the spot. You're doing great!
Step 3
Put on those safety glasses to keep your peepers safe from any sneaky bits of glass that might pop out during the repair. You’ve got this!
Got a cracked iPhone screen? No worries! Simply tape over the glass to avoid any further damage and keep yourself safe during the fix.
If things get tricky, a little superglue on the suction cup will do the trick to hold it in place.
- Cover the iPhone screen with overlapping strips of clear packing tape, making sure you’ve got every inch protected.
- If the suction cup refuses to cooperate in the next steps, grab some duct tape, fold it into a sturdy handle, and use that to lift the screen instead.
Step 4
These next three steps show off the Anti-Clamp, a handy tool that makes popping open your device a whole lot smoother. Not using the Anti-Clamp? No worries—just jump ahead three steps for another method.
Want the full rundown on working the Anti-Clamp? Check out the guide we’ve got for it.
If your iPhone’s surface feels a little too slick for the Anti-Clamp to grab, just lay down some tape to give it a bit more grip.
- Give that blue handle a nice pull backwards to set the Anti-Clamp's arms free.
- Slide those arms over the left or right edge of your iPhone like it’s a smooth dance move.
- Place the suction cups right near the bottom edge of your iPhone—one on the front and one on the back, like they’re getting cozy.
- Squeeze those cups together to create some suction magic in the spot you want to work on.
Step 5
- Slide the blue handle forward to lock those arms in place.
- Twist that handle a full 360 degrees (or until the cups start to stretch a little).
- Keep those suction cups lined up! If they start to drift out of sync, just loosen them a bit and realign the arms to keep everything steady.
Step 6
Take it slow and steady—no more than a quarter turn at a time, and give it a minute between each twist. Let the Anti-Clamp and a little patience do their magic.
Feel free to use a hair dryer, heat gun, or even a hot plate to help loosen things up. Just be cautious—too much heat can mess with your display or battery, so go easy and keep a close eye on things.
If the Anti-Clamp isn’t making enough of a gap, no worries! Just add a bit more heat to that spot and give the handle a little twist (a quarter turn should do the trick).
- Give that iOpener some warmth and slide it through the arms of the Anti-Clamp. It's like a cozy hug for your device!
- Now, gently fold that iOpener so it rests on the bottom edge of your iPhone. It's taking a little break down there.
- Hang tight for a minute! This allows the adhesive to loosen up and create a tiny opening gap just for you.
- Time to sneak an opening pick under the screen and the plastic bezel – but remember, not under the screen itself!
- Feel free to skip the next three steps. You got this!
Tools Used
Step 7
Warming up the bottom edge of your iPhone loosens the sticky glue holding the screen in place, making it a breeze to pop it open.
- Grab a hairdryer or heat gun, or get an iOpener ready and place it on the bottom edge of your iPhone for about a minute to gently loosen up that stubborn adhesive underneath.
Tools Used
Step 8
- When using a single suction handle, stick it to the bottom edge of your phone, but steer clear of that curvy glass part. Let's keep it smooth sailing!
Tools Used
Step 9
The adhesive that keeps your display snug as a bug is super strong! Creating that first little gap can take some serious elbow grease. 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 to loosen that adhesive. Before you know it, you'll have just enough space to slide your trusty tool in there.
- Give that suction cup a gentle but firm tug to create a little wiggle room between the front panel and the rear case.
- Slide an opening pick under the screen and the plastic bezel—just avoid poking the screen itself!
Step 10
Keep your pick to a maximum depth of 3 mm – going deeper could lead to a surprise encounter with some delicate internal parts!
- Gently slide the opening pick around the lower left corner and then glide it up the left side of your iPhone, carefully cutting through the adhesive that’s keeping the display stuck in place.
Step 11
Watch out for those fragile cables running along your iPhone's right edge. Keep your pick away from the marked spots—those cables are shy and don't want to get poked!
Step 12
Keep your pick insertion shallow—no more than 3 mm—to avoid giving those display cables an unwanted workout.
- Slide your pick back in at the bottom edge of the iPhone, then glide it smoothly up along the right side to keep loosening that stubborn adhesive.
Step 13
Those little clips aren’t gymnasts—go easy on them, or they’ll snap! Take your time.
Keep your pick shallow—don’t go deeper than 3 mm, unless you want to give the sensor array a headache.
The top edge of the display is held on tight with a combo of glue and clips, so take your time peeling it back carefully!
- Gently slide that opening pick around the top corner of the display while giving it a little tug or wiggle down toward the Lightning port. You're doing great!
- Now, slide that pick over to the opposite corner and snip away any pesky adhesive that's still holding the display in place. Almost there!
Step 14
- Give that little nub on the suction cup a gentle tug to free it from the front panel. You've got this!
Step 15
Hold your horses on separating the display completely! There are still some delicate ribbon cables connecting it to the iPhone's logic board, and we want to keep everything intact.
- Pop open your iPhone by swinging the display up from the left side—think of flipping open a hardcover book for some light reading.
- Find something sturdy to prop up the screen while you work, so it doesn't flop back down mid-repair.
- When you're putting it all back together, lay the display in place, line up those clips along the top edge, and gently snap the top edge in first before pressing down the rest. If it doesn’t click in smoothly, double-check the clips around the edge—they might be playing hard to get, or bent out of shape.
Step 16
As you tackle this repair, remember to keep an eye on each screw and return it to its original spot. This way, you'll keep your iPhone safe and sound, and avoid any mishaps along the way!
- Take out the three 1.2 mm Y000 screws holding down the battery connector cover bracket.
- Lift off the bracket and set it aside.
- Before sealing the display back on, this is a perfect moment to power up your iPhone and check that everything’s working smoothly. Don’t forget to shut it down completely before moving on with the repair.
Step 17
Be gentle with the black silicone seal around this and other board connections. These little guys are your best buddies when it comes to keeping water and dust out!
- Gently use the tip of a spudger to lift the battery connector straight up and out of its socket.
- Once free, nudge the connector slightly away from the logic board so it doesn’t accidentally reconnect and power up the device while you’re working.
Tools Used
Step 18
- Unscrew those two 1.2 mm Y000 screws holding the display connector bracket in place—no need to flex, just steady hands!
- Lift off the bracket and set it aside. You're cruising through these steps like a pro!
Step 19
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry up to disconnect that digitizer cable. You've got this!
- To reconnect, simply align those connectors perfectly and press down on one side until you hear that satisfying click. Repeat on the other side, but remember—no pressing in the middle! Misalignment can bend the pins, and we definitely don’t want that.
- If your screen is feeling a bit unresponsive after your repair, take a deep breath, disconnect the battery, and reconnect the connector. Make sure it clicks in snugly and that there's no dust or debris hanging around in that socket.
Tools Used
Step 20
- Gently pop off that display cable connector using the tip of your spudger—like you're opening a tiny treasure chest.
Tools Used
Step 21
Watch out for that tiny bracket hanging out on the edge! It’s held on with a little clip and can easily pop off the larger bracket if you’re not careful. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t go wandering off!
- Take out the five screws holding the logic board connector bracket to the rear case:
- Next, lift off the bracket.
- One 1.3 mm Phillips #000 screw
- One 1.5 mm Phillips #000 screw
- Three 1.2 mm Y000 screws
Step 22
Heads up! The shield is actually two pieces, and the smaller section is a bit fragile. If it breaks, you'll lose NFC magic on your phone. Check out the comments below for some tricks to keep everything in one piece.
Step 23
- Gently pop up the front sensor assembly connector using the tip of your spudger—think of it like giving it a little nudge to wake it up from a nap.
Tools Used
Step 24
- Carefully lift out the display assembly.
- When putting it back together, take a moment here if you want to swap out the waterproof adhesive around the display edges.
Step 25
- Unscrew the four screws holding the speaker/sensor assembly on the back of the display:
- Two 1.6 mm Phillips screws
- One 2.3 mm Phillips screw
- One 1.2 mm Y000 screw
Step 26
Heads up: the speaker is hanging on by a super skinny flex cable. Treat it gently—no tug-of-war moves here!
- Grab your tweezers and gently flip the speaker assembly over—move it down and away from the top edge of the display like you're opening the page of a very delicate book.
Tools Used
Step 27
- Grab your hairdryer, heat gun, or a heated iOpener and gently apply it to the top front of the display for about a minute. This will help soften the adhesive holding the sensors in place, making the next steps a lot easier.
Tools Used
Step 28
- Gently slide the flat end of a spudger under the flex cable right below the microphone.
- Give it a slight twist to pop the microphone loose, just be careful not to tug too hard or damage that delicate flex cable.
- If it’s being stubborn, use the tip of the spudger to carefully pry the microphone out of its notch on the front panel. If it still won’t budge, a little extra heat might do the trick.
Tools Used
Step 29
Gently lift and hold the speaker aside to get better access. Just watch out for that delicate flex cable—it’s thin and easy to tug accidentally while you’re working.
- Starting from the left, carefully slide an opening pick under the flex cable and beneath the proximity sensor plus flood illuminator module.
- Gently wiggle and lift the module to pop it free from its notch in the front panel.
Step 30
- Grab your trusty tweezers and gently nudge that little bracket straight up and off the ambient light sensor. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 31
The sensor is still buddies with the rest of the assembly through a super delicate flex cable. So, let’s treat it with the care it deserves—no yanking or tugging, okay?
If the sensor isn’t budging after a few seconds, give it a bit more heat and try again—patience and warmth usually do the trick!
- Grab your trusty tweezers and gently wiggle the ambient light sensor free from its cozy little spot in the display. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 32
- If you managed to take out the whole ambient light sensor like in the first photo, great job! Go ahead and move on to the next step below.
- If the white diffuser strip popped loose but is still stuck inside the display, as you can see in the second photo, gently pry it out along the top edge using a thin blade or pry tool. Applying a bit of heat beforehand can make this part a little easier.
- When putting things back together, start by installing the diffuser into the display, making sure it’s facing the right way (the front side is shown in the first image, and the back side is in the third).
- Next, place the ambient light sensor on top of the diffuser. Hold it steady while you screw in the earpiece/sensor assembly. Once the screws are snug, the sensor will stay put and work just like it should.
Step 33
- Line up your new part with the old one—sometimes there are bits to move over or sticky stuff to peel off. Make sure everything’s switched over before you install.
- Ready to wrap up? Just go backwards through these steps and put your device back together.
- Don’t let old parts clutter up your space—drop them off with an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
- If things got weird or you hit a snag, swing by our Answers community for tips. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
