iPhone 8 Plus Rear-Facing Cameras Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 33 Steps
Ready to swap out your iPhone 8 Plus’s dual rear cameras? You’ll be handling two modules—the wide-angle and the telephoto. This guide shows you how to get at them by fully unplugging the display assembly for easier access. But hey, if you’re feeling confident, you can leave the display cables connected and save a few minutes—just make sure the screen is well-supported and those cables stay safe. Let’s get those cameras out and upgraded!
Step 1
Heads up! Before diving in, make sure your iPhone battery is charged below 25%. A full lithium-ion battery is like a firecracker—prick it the wrong way and it might just surprise you with a little fireworks show.
Opening up your iPhone's display is a bit like unwrapping a surprise gift – exciting but it could spoil the fun! Just a heads up, doing so might mess with those trusty waterproof seals. Make sure you've got some replacement seals on hand before diving into this step, or be extra cautious about keeping it away from liquid when putting your iPhone back together without changing the seals.
- Shut down your iPhone before you start taking it apart. Trust us, your phone will thank you.
- Unscrew the two 3.5 mm pentalobe screws hanging out at the bottom edge of your iPhone.
Step 2
Don’t let your pick wander too deep—mark it so you know exactly how far to go, and keep your device safe.
Get creative and mark the other corners with different measurements for extra precision.
Or, slap a coin on the pick about 3 mm from the tip for a quick and easy depth gauge.
- Take a moment to measure 3 mm from the tip and give that opening pick a little mark with a permanent marker. You're doing great!
Step 3
Pop on some safety glasses to keep your eyes safe from any rogue glass bits that might decide to take a little flight during the repair.
Got a cracked screen on your iPhone? Let’s keep the glass from going rogue and save your fingers! Just grab some tape and secure the glass before diving into the repair.
If things get tricky, a little superglue on the suction cup can do wonders for lifting that stubborn screen. But remember, it's just a backup plan!
- Cover the iPhone screen with overlapping strips of clear packing tape, making sure to go edge-to-edge for full coverage.
- If the suction cup isn't sticking, grab some duct tape, fold it into a makeshift handle, and use that to lift the screen.
Step 4
Up next: three steps with the Anti-Clamp, our hero tool for easier opening. If it’s not in your toolkit, just skip ahead three steps for the classic method.
Need the full rundown on the Anti-Clamp? Check out the dedicated instructions for all the tips and tricks.
If your iPhone feels slicker than a dance floor, slap on some tape to help the Anti-Clamp get a better grip.
- Give that blue handle a gentle pull back to unlock the Anti-Clamp's arms.
- Slide the arms over either side of your iPhone—left or right, dealer's choice.
- Line up the suction cups just above the home button, one chilling on the front and one hanging out on the back.
- Squeeze those cups together like you mean it to get some good suction going.
Step 5
- Grab the blue handle and pull it forward to lock those arms in place.
- Give the handle a full 360-degree turn clockwise—or keep going until the suction cups start to stretch a bit.
- Keep an eye on the suction cups to make sure they stay perfectly lined up. If they start to wander, just loosen them a touch and realign the arms.
Step 6
Turn no more than a quarter turn at a time, then chill for a minute. Let the Anti-Clamp and patience do the heavy lifting!
You can try using a hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate to warm things up—but be careful, because too much heat might harm the screen or battery.
If the Anti-Clamp isn’t opening enough of a gap, warm the spot a bit more and twist the handle a quarter turn to help it along.
- Heat up the iOpener and slide it through the arms of the Anti-Clamp.
- Fold the iOpener so it rests along the bottom edge of the iPhone.
- Give it a minute to warm things up and loosen that adhesive, creating a nice opening gap.
- Once the Anti-Clamp has made enough room, gently slide an opening pick under the screen.
- You can skip the next three steps.
Tools Used
Step 7
Here come the next three steps where we’ll gently pry the screen apart using a trusty suction cup.
Warming up the bottom edge of your iPhone will loosen the sticky glue holding the display in place, making it a breeze to open.
- Grab a hairdryer or heat up an iOpener, then gently apply it to the bottom edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds. This will help loosen the adhesive beneath, making the next steps a bit smoother.
Tools Used
Step 8
Make sure the suction cup isn’t hanging out with the home button—if it overlaps, you won’t get a good seal on the glass.
- Place a suction cup on the lower part of the front panel, right above the home button. Let's get that screen ready for action!
Step 9
The adhesive holding the display is seriously tough—breaking that first seal takes some muscle. If it’s giving you trouble, hit it with more heat and gently wiggle the screen up and down until you’ve got enough space for your tool to sneak in.
- Grab the suction cup and pull up steadily with some solid pressure to pop a small gap between the front panel and rear case.
- Slip an opening pick or a slim pry tool just a few millimeters into that gap to get things started.
Step 10
- Gently slide your pick around the corner and glide it up the left edge of the phone, heading towards the volume buttons and silent switch, carefully loosening the adhesive holding the display in place.
- Pause once you reach the top left corner of the display.
Step 11
Heads up! There's a sneaky, delicate cable running along the right edge of your iPhone. Avoid poking your pick in there to keep everything safe and sound.
Step 12
Keep your pick to a max depth of 3 mm—going deeper could give those display cables a hard time!
- Pop your tool back into the lower right corner of your iPhone, then glide it smoothly around the corner and up the right edge to loosen up that sticky adhesive.
Step 13
Keep that display at a cool 15º or less; going beyond that could put a strain on those delicate ribbon cables that connect your screen. We want to keep everything in tip-top shape!
- Carefully tug on the suction cup to elevate the bottom edge of the display.
Step 14
- Grab the tiny nub on the suction cup and give it a gentle pull to peel it off the front panel.
Step 15
- Gently slide an opening pick under the display at the top edge of the phone to carefully loosen the last bit of adhesive holding it in place.
Step 16
- Gently slide the display assembly downwards, away from the phone's top edge, to free it from the clips that secure it to the rear case. You've got this!
Step 17
Hold up 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 that need a gentle touch.
- Carefully open your iPhone by lifting the display from the left side, just like flipping the cover of a book.
- Once you’ve got it open, lean the display against something sturdy to keep it upright while you work your magic on the phone.
Step 18
- Unscrew the four Phillips (JIS) screws that are holding the lower display cable bracket to the logic board. Here's the breakdown of the screw lengths you'll be dealing with:
- Make sure to keep track of those screws throughout the process. Mixing them up can lead to some unwanted damage. Put each one back where it belongs during reassembly!
- Two screws, 1.3 mm in length
- One screw, 1.4 mm in length
- One screw, 2.7 mm in length
Step 19
- Take off the lower display cable bracket with care.
Step 20
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift the battery connector out of its socket on the logic board. Don’t be shy, but don’t force it either.
- Tilt the connector cable up a bit—think of it as giving the battery a little time-out—so it doesn’t sneak back into the socket and power up the phone while you’re working your magic.
Tools Used
Step 21
- Gently use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to lift the big lower display connector straight up from its socket. Be careful and go slow!
- When reattaching connectors like this one, press firmly on one side until you hear a satisfying click, then do the same on the other side. Avoid pressing the middle—it can cause the connector to misalign or even bend, which could lead to some serious damage. If you’re unsure, no worries, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 22
- Time to unplug the second lower display cable connector—it’s hanging out right behind the one you just disconnected. Give it a gentle wiggle and pop it out.
Step 23
- Take out the two tri-point Y000 screws holding down the bracket that covers the front panel sensor assembly connector:
- One 1.0 mm screw
- One 1.2 mm screw
Step 24
- Carefully take off the bracket that’s hiding the front panel sensor assembly connector.
Step 25
- Gently use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to unplug the front panel sensor assembly connector from its socket. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 26
- Take off the display assembly carefully.
- If you want to freshen up the adhesive around the edges of the display, this is the perfect spot to pause and do it before putting everything back together.
Step 27
- Take out the two Y000 screws holding down the rear camera connector cover bracket:
- One screw is 1.4 mm
- One nonferrous screw is also 1.4 mm—it's got a mind of its own and won’t stick to a magnetized screwdriver.
- Give that nonferrous screw the VIP treatment and put it back exactly where it came from—a magnetized screw here could mess with your compass.
Step 28
- Pop off the bracket! It's easy, just give it a little nudge and you're all set.
Step 29
If you’re in a bind, a small flathead screwdriver can step in—but handle it like a pro to avoid any accidental slips that might mess with nearby parts.
Standoff screws come off easiest with a standoff screwdriver or bit—makes the job a breeze!
- Unscrew the two screws holding down the rear camera module cover plate:
- One 1.8 mm Phillips screw
- One 2.7 mm (nonferrous) standoff screw
Step 30
- Pop off the cover plate from the back of the camera module like a pro!
Step 31
- Gently pop up those two camera cable connectors using an opening tool or your trusty fingernail. Just lift them straight out of their sockets—no sweat!
Tools Used
Step 32
If you’re having some trouble, try using the pointed end of your spudger to gently pry the camera out starting at its top right corner.
- Gently slide the flat end of your spudger under the rear-facing camera assembly and give it a little lift from the top edge of your iPhone. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 33
- Double-check that your new part matches the original—don't forget to move any leftover bits or peel off the sticky stuff from the new piece before you get it all set up.
- Put your device back together by retracing your steps from earlier.
- Got some e-waste? Make sure to drop it off at an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler—let's keep our planet happy!
- Things didn’t go as smoothly as you hoped? No worries! Swing by our Answers community for some troubleshooting tips and tricks.
