iPad 2 CDMA Home Button Control Board Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 35 Steps
Follow this guide to swap out the home button control board. Some photos feature the Wi-Fi model, so the inside might look a bit different compared to the cellular version. Don’t worry—the steps are the same for both, unless we point out otherwise.
Step 1
For carousel microwaves: Make sure the plate spins with ease. If your iOpener gets stuck, it might overheat and cause some serious damage. Keep it spinning to avoid a meltdown!
It's a good idea to give your microwave a quick clean before you start, since any leftover mess at the bottom might stick to the iOpener and make things messy.
- Pop the iOpener right in the middle of your microwave and let it warm up.
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Step 2
Keep an eye on your iOpener’s temperature—overheating it might cause it to pop! Don’t heat it beyond 100˚C (212˚F).
If your iOpener looks puffed up or swollen, hands off—it’s time to pause.
If the iOpener feels too hot in the center to handle, keep using it gently while it cools down a bit before heating it up again. A well-heated iOpener should stay toasty for up to 10 minutes.
Depending on your microwave's power, you might need to tweak the heating time a bit. The iOpener is ready to roll when it’s just shy of too hot to handle.
- Pop that iOpener in the microwave for 30 seconds to get it nice and toasty.
- As you work through the steps, keep an eye on the iOpener. If it starts to cool off, give it another 30-second microwave refresh to keep things rolling smoothly.
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Step 3
Watch out! The iOpener is going to be super toasty, so handle it with care. An oven mitt might just be your best buddy here.
- Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave, but grab it by one of the flat ends to keep your hands away from the hot middle part. Safety first!
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Step 4
The iOpener gets really hot, so make sure to grab it by the tabs at the ends. Keep your fingers safe, and take it slow.
Don't have a microwave? No worries! Just pop your iOpener into a pot of boiling water and heat it up the old-school way.
- Grab a pot or pan and fill it up with enough water to completely cover your iOpener. We want it to take a nice, warm bath!
- Heat that water until it's bubbling away, then turn off the heat. Safety first, folks!
- Now, gently place your iOpener in the hot water for 2-3 minutes. Make sure it's cozy and fully submerged—no part left out!
- Using tongs (safety gloves encouraged!), carefully lift the heated iOpener out of the steamy water.
- Give it a good dry with a towel—no one likes a soggy iOpener.
- Voila! Your iOpener is all set for action! If it needs a little more warmth, just repeat the boiling water steps. Remember, we’re here to help, so if you ever feel stuck, don’t hesitate to schedule a repair!
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Step 5
Pop on some safety glasses to keep your eyes safe, and handle that LCD screen with care—it’s delicate!
This step helps keep any pesky glass shards in check and ensures your display stays solid while you’re carefully prying and lifting it.
- If your display glass is looking a bit worse for wear, let's keep it together and avoid any accidental ouches while you work! Grab some clear packing tape and lay overlapping strips over the iPad's display until it's all wrapped up snug and secure.
- Now, as you follow along with the rest of this guide, keep in mind that once the glass starts to crack, it might just want to keep on going! You might need to bring out a metal prying tool to help scoop out those pesky pieces of glass.
- And remember, if you find yourself in a pickle or need a hand, you can always schedule a repair!
Step 6
Heads up! You'll be handling some broken glass here, so rock a pair of safety glasses to keep those sneaky shards from turning your eyes into a target. Safety first, style points later!
- Place the iOpener flat along the right edge of your iPad, making sure it's resting smoothly so the iOpener is in good contact with the surface.
- Let the iOpener sit there for about 90 seconds. This will warm up the screen and make opening the front panel a lot easier!
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Step 7
Getting that wedged tip of the opening tool between the glass and plastic might take a bit of muscle. Just take your time and be gentle, wiggling the plastic opening tool back and forth as needed. You've got this!
- Spot the tiny gap in the iPad's adhesive ring up in the upper right corner, about 2.0 inches (~5 cm) from the top edge. This little opening is your secret entry point.
- Line up your tool with the mute button, then gently slip the tip of a plastic opening tool into the gap between the front glass and the plastic bezel. Just nudge the tip in enough to start widening that crack—no need to force it!
Step 8
- Place the tool carefully in the gap between the plastic bezel and the front panel glass. Precision is key here, just give it a gentle nudge to get it in the right spot.
Step 9
- With the plastic opening tool snugly positioned between the front glass and plastic bezel, gently insert a plastic opening pick into the gap right next to your trusty tool. You're doing great—just a little wiggle and you'll be on your way!
Step 10
- Take that trusty plastic opening tool out of your iPad's grip and gently slide the opening pick deeper beneath the front glass, aiming for about half an inch. You've got this!
Step 11
- As you tackle the task of loosening the adhesive on the right side of the iPad, give that iOpener a little heat love and then place it on the bottom edge of the iPad to keep things warm and cozy.
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Step 12
The adhesive is super strong, so you might need to put some muscle into it! Just take your time and be careful.
If the tip of your opening pick is just barely peeking under the front glass, gently pull it out a little bit. Don't worry, using the pick at this depth won't cause any harm, but it could leave some sticky residue on the LCD. Just something to keep in mind!
- As the iOpener warms up the bottom edge, let's start peeling back the adhesive from the right edge of your iPad.
- Gently slide the opening pick down along the iPad's edge, freeing the adhesive as you go. You're doing great!
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Step 13
You might need to slide the heated iOpener back onto the right edge of the iPad as you work on loosening the adhesive. How long the iPad has had to cool off while you’re at it will decide if this move is needed.
- If the opening pick feels like it's stuck in the adhesive, give it a gentle roll along the side of the iPad. Keep going until the adhesive lets go and you're back on track.
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Step 14
- Before you pull out that first opening pick from the bottom corner of the iPad, slide a second pick under the right side of the front glass to keep that adhesive from sticking back together.
- Heat up the iOpener again, then shift it over to the top edge of the iPad to keep things warm and ready.
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Step 15
The Wi-Fi antenna is fastened to the bottom right edge of the iPad’s rear case with screws and a cable. Since the antenna’s positioned just so, take your time and handle it gently—one wrong move could cause permanent damage to the antenna.
- Alright, folks! Time to tread carefully as we dive into the next few steps.
- You'll need to gently free the adhesive that's holding the antenna to the front panel, all while being super careful not to harm the sensitive parts that connect the antenna to the bottom of the iPad. So, let's take it slow and follow these steps with care!
Step 16
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder: don’t slide that pick too far past the bottom right corner. You might accidentally give your Wi-Fi antenna a little ouch!
- Gently glide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPad to free up that pesky adhesive. You've got this!
Step 17
Careful now! Glide that opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel. The Wi-Fi antenna hangs out close to the corner and can get snipped if the adhesive lets go the wrong way.
Just a friendly tip: don't yank that pick all the way out from under the front glass. Give it a gentle tug, leaving about 1/8" (3 mm) of the tip still nestled under there.
- Gently slide the opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad to loosen the adhesive securing the Wi-Fi antenna.
Step 18
- After you've gracefully glided past the Wi-Fi antenna (that's about 3 inches, or 75 mm, from the right edge, right next to the home button), gently slide the opening pick in to its full depth.
- Now, slide that pick to the right to free up the adhesive holding the Wi-Fi antenna to the front glass. You're doing great!
- Remember, the antenna is secured to the bottom of the iPad with screws and a cable. This step is all about safely detaching the antenna from the front panel, so when you lift the panel off, your antenna stays in one piece. Keep up the good work!
Step 19
Keep the iOpener heating sessions to under a minute, and let it chill for at least two minutes before the next round.
If the adhesive along the bottom edge has cooled down too much, just give your iOpener another quick warm-up to soften the glue where you're working.
- Keep sliding the opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad, carefully pulling it out just enough to loop it around the home button, then pop it back in about half an inch (10 mm) past the button. Smooth and steady wins the race!
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Step 20
For iPad 4 models, be sure to gently slip the pick in no deeper than 1/2 inch (10 mm) in this spot to keep that home button ribbon cable safe and sound!
- Keep peeling away that sticky stuff all along the bottom edge of the iPad. You're doing great!
- Once you've got that going, slide the opening pick in and leave it nestled under the front glass near the home button. You're on a roll!
Step 21
- Pop the iOpener back in the microwave to warm it up, then place it on the left edge of the iPad to gently heat the adhesive in that area.
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Step 22
If your adhesive isn't sticking because it's cooled down too much, just swap out the iOpener along the top edge and keep going! And if that iOpener isn't feeling warm enough, give it a little reheat action.
- Gently slide the opening pick along the top edge of your iPad, easing it out just enough to get around the front-facing camera bracket.
- Heads up: the adhesive here is stubborn and thick, so you might need to apply some firm, steady pressure. Take it slow and steady to avoid any slips or surprises.
- If the pick starts to feel stuck in the adhesive, try "rolling" it as shown in step 9 to keep things moving smoothly.
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Step 23
If the adhesive is nice and warm, go ahead and take the iOpener off the iPad to make your life a little easier. But if the adhesive is still holding on tight, give the iOpener another quick heat-up and place it on the left edge while you work your magic.
- Keep peeling off that adhesive along the top edge of your iPad, and then gently slide the opening pick around the top left corner. You're doing great, just a little more patience!
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Step 24
Heads up! The digitizer cable sits about 2" (50 mm) up from the bottom of the iPad. When you're sliding the pick in, ease off once you reach around 2.25" (60 mm) from the bottom to keep things safe and sound.
- Gently slide the opening pick along the left edge of the iPad to loosen the adhesive bit by bit. Heads up: the adhesive is pretty thin here because of the digitizer running along that side. Keep the pick shallow, no more than about half an inch (10 mm), so you don’t accidentally mess with the digitizer.
Step 25
Careful now! The bottom of that digitizer cable is just about an inch (25 mm) from the bottom of your iPad. Take your time and be gentle—let's not give that cable a haircut!
- Slide the opening pick that's still tucked under the bottom edge of the iPad to carefully loosen the adhesive at the bottom left corner.
Step 26
It looks like some of that adhesive around the edge of your iPad might have decided to stick around a bit longer than expected. No worries! Just grab a pick and gently slide it under the edge where the front glass is still holding on tight, and give that adhesive a little 'snip' to free it up.
- Grab one of those trusty opening picks and gently wedge it under the bottom right corner of the iPad, then use your fingers to lift it up.
Step 27
Watch out for any sticky glue still hanging on, and gently slide an opening pick to slice through any adhesive holding the front panel in place.
- Grab your iPad by the top and bottom right corners, and gently twist the front glass away from the device like you’re unveiling a surprise!
- As you put everything back together, don’t forget to give your LCD a little TLC! Use a microfiber cloth and some compressed air to wipe away any pesky dust or fingerprints before sealing the glass back on.
Step 28
- Unscrew those four 2.0 mm Phillips #0 screws holding the LCD snug against the rear case. Let's set it free!
Step 29
Handle the LCD with care, and remember, it's not a wrestling match! Don't try to yank it off the iPad just yet—its display data cable is still connected while you gently rotate it over.
- The front panel ribbon cables hide just under the LCD. To get to them, you’ll need to carefully flip the LCD over and move it aside for now.
- Grab the LCD from the long edge near the volume buttons and gently flip it back like you’re turning a page in a book.
- Place the LCD face down on the front panel so you can work with the cables underneath.
Step 30
Make sure you're lifting the hinged retaining flaps, not the delicate sockets themselves. Handle with care!
Check out the red highlights in the second picture—they’re pointing out those sneaky little retaining flaps you’ll want to keep an eye on.
- Grab your plastic opening tool and gently lift the retaining flaps on those two digitizer ribbon cable ZIF sockets. Take it slow and steady – you're doing great!
Step 31
- Gently slide the edge of a plastic opening tool under the digitizer cable to lift it away from the shields on the logic board.
- Slowly peel the digitizer cable off the adhesive that’s holding it to the side of the rear case.
Step 32
- Gently wiggle the digitizer ribbon cable and pull it straight out of its two sockets on the logic board. You've got this!
Step 33
Handle the LCD with care—don't try to pull it out just yet! It'll stay connected by its cable while you gently rotate it over.
To get that front panel assembly out, gently slide the ribbon cable free from between the case and the LCD. You’ll want to nudge the LCD a bit to create some space.
- Gently lift the LCD from its far edge, away from the digitizer cable, and slowly fold it back like you’re closing a book. Smooth moves!
- While holding the LCD in place, carefully slide the front panel off the iPad. Just make sure that digitizer cable doesn’t get caught on anything while you're at it.
- Once you're done, carefully place the LCD back into the body for safe-keeping—nothing like putting it to bed for now!
Step 34
- Unscrew the two 2.1 mm Phillips #00 screws holding the home button control board onto the home button assembly. Keep these little guys safe!
Step 35
- To bring your device back to life, just retrace your steps in reverse and check out our iPad 2 CDMA Front Panel Adhesive strip guide to stick that front panel back on. If you hit a snag, don't hesitate to schedule a repair for some extra support!
