iPhone XR Taptic Engine Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 33 Steps
The Taptic Engine is what gives your iPhone that satisfying vibration and haptic feedback. Ready to dive in? This guide will walk you through the process of removing and/or replacing the Taptic Engine on your iPhone XR. We recommend taking the full display assembly off to keep those delicate display cables safe while you work your magic. If you're feeling confident and think you can manage without disconnecting the display cables, feel free to skip those steps. Happy repairing!
Step 1
- Make sure your iPhone is powered off before you start taking it apart.
- Unscrew the two 6.7 mm-long pentalobe screws located at the bottom edge of the iPhone.
- Each pentalobe screw has a little black rubber gasket just under its head. To keep dust and liquid out, take a moment to check these gaskets and consider swapping out the screws when putting everything back together.
Before you get started, make sure to drain your iPhone's battery below 25%. A fully charged lithium-ion battery can be a bit of a troublemaker if it gets punctured – think fire or explosion. Better safe than sorry!
Cracking open your iPhone? Keep in mind, the waterproof seals are going to take a hit. If you're not replacing them, make sure you’re extra careful with liquids when putting it back together. Best bet? Have some replacement seals on hand before you get started.
Step 2
If you poke your opening pick in too deep, your device might not appreciate it. Mark your pick to keep things chill and avoid drama.
Want to be extra precise? Mark the other corners of your pick with different depths—you’ll be the master of measurements.
Feeling crafty? Tape a coin 3 mm from the tip of your pick for a DIY depth-stop.
- Grab your opening pick and mark a line 3 mm from the tip with a permanent marker—precision with a dash of style!
Step 3
Pop on some safety glasses to keep your eyes safe from any sneaky glass bits that might escape during the repair process.
Got a cracked screen on your iPhone? No worries! Keep things from getting worse and avoid any potential cuts by sticking some tape over that glass. It's an easy way to keep things under control while you tackle the repair.
If all else fails, don’t sweat it—just superglue that suction cup to the screen. It’ll do the trick for holding everything in place while you get the job done.
- Place strips of clear packing tape over the iPhone's screen, making sure they overlap a bit, until the entire face is covered. Keep it neat – you want a nice, smooth surface.
- If the suction cup isn't sticking in the next few steps, no worries! Just grab a strong piece of tape (like duct tape), fold it into a handle, and use that to lift the screen instead. It's a quick fix to keep things moving.
Step 4
In the next three steps, we're introducing the Anti-Clamp, our nifty little gadget designed to make opening your device a breeze! If you're not using the Anti-Clamp, feel free to skip ahead three steps for a different approach.
Need the scoop on how to use the Anti-Clamp? Check out this handy guide!
If your iPhone's surface feels like a slip-n-slide and the Anti-Clamp isn't gripping well, just grab some tape to make it stickier. You've got this!
- Pull that blue handle back to release the Anti-Clamp’s arms.
- Now, slide the arms over either the left or right edge of your iPhone. Easy peasy.
- Place the suction cups just near the bottom edge of your iPhone—one on the front, one on the back. Make sure they're comfy.
- Squeeze the cups to apply some gentle suction to hold everything in place.
Step 5
- Pull that blue handle forward to lock the arms in place.
- Give the handle a good twist clockwise, turning it a full 360 degrees (or until the cups start to stretch).
- Make sure the suction cups stay perfectly aligned. If they start slipping out of sync, just loosen them a little, adjust the arms, and you're good to go!
Step 6
Take it slow and steady—turn just a little, about a quarter turn at a time, then pause for a minute. Let the Anti-Clamp and a bit of patience do their thing.
Feel free to grab a hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate—just remember, too much heat can be a show-stopper for your display and internal battery, so take it easy!
If the Anti-Clamp isn't giving you the gap you need, warm it up a bit more and give that handle a cheeky quarter turn!
- Warm up your iOpener and slide it through the Anti-Clamp arms like it’s getting ready for a spa day.
- Fold that iOpener over so it cozies up to the bottom edge of your iPhone.
- Hang tight for a minute—let the adhesive loosen up and give you a nice little gap to work with.
- Slip an opening pick under the screen and the plastic bezel (not the actual screen—keep it classy).
- Go ahead and skip the next three steps. You’re moving right along!
Tools Used
Step 7
Warming up the lower edge of your iPhone is a smart move! It helps to loosen up the adhesive that’s holding the display in place, making it a breeze to pop it open.
- Grab a hairdryer or heat gun, or get your iOpener ready, and warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone for about a minute. This softens the adhesive underneath and makes the next step way smoother.
Tools Used
Step 8
- Grab your trusty suction handle and stick it onto the bottom edge of the phone, but make sure to steer clear of that curved glass area. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 9
The adhesive sealing the display is super tough—cracking open that first gap takes some real elbow grease. If it’s not budging, hit it with more heat and gently wiggle the screen up and down until you’ve got just enough room to sneak your tool in.
- Give that suction cup a good tug! Keep the pressure steady to work up a little gap between the front panel and the rear case.
- Slide an opening pick right under the screen and the plastic bezel, but steer clear of the screen itself.
Step 10
Keep your pick shallow—no need to go deeper than 3 mm, or you might poke something you wish you hadn’t!
- Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom left corner and then up the left edge of your iPhone, cutting through the adhesive that’s holding the display in place. Take it slow, no need to rush here.
Step 11
Watch out for the fragile cables on the right edge of your iPhone! Steering clear of the highlighted areas with your pick will help you avoid any accidental cable mishaps. You've got this!
Step 12
Keep your pick shallow—no deeper than 3 mm—or you might give those display cables a surprise they won’t like.
- Grab your pick, slide it back in at the bottom edge of your iPhone, and cruise up the right side to loosen the stubborn adhesive. Keep it smooth and steady!
Step 13
Go easy on those clips—too much muscle and they’ll snap! Take your time and work with care.
Keep your pick shallow, no deeper than 3 mm, or you might poke the front panel sensor array where it doesn’t belong.
The top edge of the screen is held in place with both adhesive and some stubborn clips—it's a bit of a double whammy, so take your time here!
- Gently slide the opening pick around the top corner of the display while carefully pulling or wiggling the display downward toward the Lightning port.
- Next, move the pick to the opposite corner and slice through any leftover adhesive holding the display in place.
Step 14
- Give that little nub on the suction cup a gentle tug to pop it off the front panel. You're doing great!
Step 15
Hold off on pulling the display all the way off just yet—there are still some delicate ribbon cables hanging on tight to the iPhone’s logic board.
- Gently lift the iPhone's display from the left side, just like flipping open a book. It's a smooth move!
- Prop that display up against something sturdy so you have a clear view while you work your magic on the phone.
- When it's time to put everything back together, carefully position the display, line up the clips along the top edge, and gently press the top edge into place. Once you've got that locked in, snap the rest of the display down. If it doesn't click easily, take a moment to check the clips around the edge to ensure they're not bent. You've got this!
Step 16
As you go through this repair, make sure to keep track of every screw. Keeping them organized and putting them back where they belong will help avoid any mix-ups and prevent damage to your iPhone.
- First up, let's tackle those three 1.2 mm Y000 screws that are holding the battery connector cover bracket in place. Unscrew them carefully!
- Next, gently lift off the bracket and set it aside.
- Now, here's a pro tip: before you seal everything back up, why not power on your iPhone to test out all its functions? Just remember to switch it back off completely before continuing your repair journey!
Step 17
Be careful not to mess up the black silicone seal that hugs this and other board connections. These handy little seals are like superheroes, keeping water and dust at bay!
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently pop the battery connector straight up from its socket.
- Tilt the connector a bit away from the logic board so it doesn’t sneak back and power up the phone while you’re working your magic.
Tools Used
Step 18
- Unscrew the two tiny 1.2 mm Y000 screws holding the display connector bracket in place. Easy, right?
- Now, carefully lift off the bracket and set it aside. You're making great progress!
Step 19
- Gently use the tip of a spudger to lift and unplug the digitizer cable.
- When reconnecting press-fit connectors like this one, line it up carefully and press down on one side until you hear a click, then do the same on the other side. Avoid pressing the middle to keep those pins happy and intact.
- If any part of your screen stops responding to touch after the repair, try disconnecting the battery and then reseating this connector, making sure it clicks in fully and that the socket is free from dust or debris.
Tools Used
Step 20
- Gently pop the display cable connector loose using the tip of your spudger—easy does it, no need to wrestle with it!
Tools Used
Step 21
Heads up: that tiny bracket clipped onto the edge is held in place by a small clip and can easily pop off the bigger bracket if you’re not paying attention. Keep an eye on it!
- Let's get started by taking out the five screws that are holding the logic board connector bracket snugly against the rear case:
- Now, gently lift off the bracket.
- You'll need one 1.3 mm Phillips #000 screw.
- Don't forget to grab one 1.5 mm Phillips #000 screw.
- And last but not least, there are three 1.2 mm Y000 screws to remove.
Step 22
Heads up: this shield comes in two pieces, and that little one is super delicate. If it snaps, say goodbye to your phone’s NFC powers. Check out the comments below for clever tricks to keep everything in one piece.
Step 23
- Gently use the tip of a spudger to nudge the front sensor assembly connector out of its cozy little socket.
Tools Used
Step 24
- Take off the display assembly carefully.
- If you want to freshen up the waterproof adhesive around the display edges, this is the perfect moment to pause and replace it before putting everything back together.
Step 25
- Let's get those screws out! Start by removing the seven screws holding the bracket right below the Taptic engine and speaker. Here's the breakdown for you:
- Three trusty Phillips 1.4 mm screws
- Two reliable Phillips 1.7 mm screws
- One bold Phillips 1.9 mm screw
- And finally, one sneaky Phillips 1.6 mm screw
Step 26
- Gently lift the bracket from the side closest to the battery. No need to yank it off completely—it's still connected by a tiny flex cable, so just ease it up carefully.
Step 27
- While keeping the bracket out of the way, carefully use the tip of your spudger to lift and disconnect the flex cable beneath it.
Tools Used
Step 28
- Take off that bracket like a pro.
Step 29
- Peel off that piece of black tape and lift away the small rubber rectangle that’s guarding the Taptic Engine connector cover. Time to reveal the magic inside!
Step 30
- Let's kick things off by unscrewing that pesky 1.8 mm Phillips screw holding the Taptic Engine connector cover in place. Grab your trusty screwdriver and give it a twist!
- Now, gently lift off the Taptic Engine connector cover. You’re doing great!
Step 31
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry the Taptic Engine flex cable straight up from its socket to disconnect it.
Tools Used
Step 32
- Take out the two 1.8 mm Phillips screws holding down the Taptic Engine—let’s get that little shaker loose!
Step 33
- Line up your new part with the old one—make sure you've moved any bits and peeled off any sticky protectors before popping it in.
- To put your device back together, just work your way through the steps backwards.
- When you’re done, recycle your old stuff with a certified e-waste recycler.
- If things got weird along the way, our Answers community is ready with advice, and if you’re still stuck, you can always schedule a repair.
