iPad 4 GSM Home Button Assembly Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 45 Steps
Follow this guide to swap out the home button assembly from your front panel with ease.
Step 1
For carousel microwaves: Ensure that the plate is spinning like it’s on a dance floor! If your iOpener gets a bit too cozy and gets stuck, it could overheat and start a mini bonfire. Let's avoid that, shall we?
It’s a great idea to give your microwave a little scrub before diving in. Any leftover gunk on the bottom might just hitch a ride on your iOpener, and that’s not the kind of surprise we want!
- Pop the iOpener right in the center of your microwave.
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Step 2
Keep an eye on that iOpener during the repair – no need to overdo it with the heat. Getting it too hot might cause a mess, so avoid cranking it over 100˚C (212˚F).
If the iOpener looks like it’s been pumped up, don’t touch it. Just leave it alone and let it cool off.
If it’s still too toasty to handle in the middle, just give it a little more time to cool down before you heat it up again. A well-heated iOpener should stay warm for a good 10 minutes.
Depending on how powerful your microwave is, you might need to adjust the timing a bit. The iOpener is ready to go when it feels just a tad too hot to handle.
- Warm up the iOpener in the microwave for about thirty seconds to get it nice and toasty.
- As you work, if the iOpener starts to cool down, just pop it back in the microwave for another thirty seconds to keep things warm and cozy.
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Step 3
Heads up! The iOpener gets seriously hot, so handle with care. Oven mitts are your friends here!
- Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave by grabbing one of its two flat ends—steer clear of the hot middle!
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Step 4
Heads up! The iOpener gets seriously hot, so make sure to grab it only by the end tabs to keep your fingers safe.
If a microwave isn't in your toolkit, no worries! Just follow this step to warm up your iOpener in some good old boiling water.
- Grab a pot or pan and fill it up with enough water to give your iOpener a nice, warm bath.
- Bring that water to a rolling boil and then turn off the heat. Safety first, folks!
- Carefully lower the iOpener into the hot water and let it soak for about 2-3 minutes. Make sure it's fully submerged to get the best results.
- Using some tongs, fish out the heated iOpener from the water. It's hot, so be careful!
- Give the iOpener a good towel dry. We want it to be nice and cozy for its next use.
- And voilà! Your iOpener is all set for action. If it needs a little more warmth, just repeat the process: boil the water, turn off the heat, and let it soak for another 2-3 minutes.
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Step 5
Rock those safety glasses to keep your peepers safe, and watch out for the LCD screen – it's more fragile than it looks!
This will help keep those pesky glass shards in check and give your display some solid support while you're prying and lifting it up.
- If your display glass is looking a bit worse for wear, let’s keep it from getting any worse and protect your fingers during this repair. Grab some tape and put it to good use on that glass!
- Now, lay down some overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPad's display until every inch of that face is covered. You got this!
- Try to follow the rest of the guide as best as you can. Just a heads up: once the glass starts to crack, it might keep on cracking while you’re working. You may need to grab a metal prying tool to help scoop out those pesky glass pieces.
Step 6
Hey, just a heads up—if you're dealing with shattered glass, it's a good idea to rock some safety glasses. It’ll save you from any sneaky flying shards. Stay safe while you work!
- Place the iOpener flat along the right edge of the iPad, pressing it down so it makes solid contact with the surface.
- Let it hang out there for about 90 seconds to warm things up before you try to pop open the front panel.
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Step 7
It might take a little muscle to slide the tip of your opening tool between the glass and plastic. Take your time, stay steady, and gently wiggle the tool back and forth until it pops into place. Patience is key!
- Look closely and you'll notice a tiny gap in the iPad's adhesive ring located in the upper right corner, about 2.0 inches (~5 cm) from the top. Time to take advantage of this little opening!
- Position your tool right by the mute button. Gently slide the tip of a plastic opening tool into the gap between the front glass and the plastic bezel. Just a gentle nudge to widen that crack is all you need!
Step 8
- Carefully slide your tool right where the plastic bezel meets the front glass—precision is key here!
Step 9
- Gently wedge the tip of your plastic opening tool between the front glass and plastic bezel, then slide a plastic opening pick into the gap right next to it to carefully pry things apart.
Step 10
- Gently take out the plastic opening tool from your iPad, and slide the opening pick a little deeper under the front glass—about half an inch should do the trick!
Step 11
- As you carefully loosen the adhesive on the right side of the iPad, go ahead and warm up the iOpener again, then place it back on the bottom edge to keep things nice and toasty.
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Step 12
The adhesive is super strong, so you might need to channel your inner Hulk to get through it. Just take your time and be gentle with it.
If you spot the tip of the opening pick sneaking out from under the front glass, just nudge it out a bit. Using the pick this deep won’t harm anything, but it might leave some sticky adhesive on the LCD.
- As you're giving some love to the bottom edge with the iOpener's warmth, start gently peeling away the adhesive from the right side of the iPad.
- Glide that opening pick down along the iPad's edge, freeing the adhesive bit by bit. 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 through releasing the adhesive. How long the iPad has had to cool off while you’re working will decide if this little move is necessary.
- If the opening pick gets stuck in the adhesive, try rolling it gently along the side of the iPad to help break free the sticky stuff. Keep at it, you're doing great!
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Step 14
- Before pulling out the first opening pick from the bottom corner of the iPad, slide a second pick under the right edge of the front glass to stop that pesky adhesive from sticking back together.
- Warm up the iOpener again and shift it to the top edge of the iPad.
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Step 15
The Wi-Fi antenna is snugly fastened to the bottom right edge of the iPad's rear case with screws and a cable. Since the antenna is positioned in a way that requires a delicate touch, it's super important to handle it carefully. One wrong move could lead to some serious damage to the antenna, so let's keep things safe and sound!
- Heads up: the next few steps call for some serious care.
- You’ll need to carefully loosen the adhesive holding the antenna to the front panel, making sure not to mess with the tiny parts connecting the antenna to the bottom of the iPad. Take it slow and follow along closely.
Step 16
Keep the pick from sneaking past the bottom right corner—going further might mess up the Wi-Fi antenna, and nobody wants that!
- Gently glide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of your iPad, and watch that pesky adhesive let go!
Step 17
As you glide that opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel, keep an eye out! The Wi-Fi antenna is sneaky and hangs out close to the corner, so if you accidentally release the adhesive in the wrong way, it could get cut. Stay sharp and be gentle!
Keep about 1/8" (3 mm) of the pick tucked under the front glass—don’t pull it all the way out. Just a little wiggle to keep things in place!
- Gently slide the opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad to carefully loosen the adhesive holding the Wi-Fi antenna in place.
Step 18
- Now that you've gracefully danced past the Wi-Fi antenna (that's about 3 inches or 75 mm from the right edge, right by the home button), it's time to reinsert that trusty opening pick all the way in.
- With a smooth slide to the right, you’ll be freeing the adhesive that’s been keeping the Wi-Fi antenna cozy with the front glass.
- Just a heads up: the antenna is secured to the bottom of your iPad with screws and a cable. This step is all about gently detaching the antenna from the front panel, so when you lift that panel off, the antenna stays safe and sound.
Step 19
Keep your iOpener heating sessions under a minute, and give it a solid two-minute cool-down before firing it up again.
If the adhesive along the bottom edge has gotten too chilly, just give the iOpener another quick warm-up to soften things back up where you’re working.
- Keep on gently releasing that sticky adhesive along the bottom of your iPad. As you do this, pull the opening pick out just enough to wrap around the home button. Once you're past that little button, reinsert the pick about half an inch (10 mm) deep. You've got this!
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Step 20
For iPad 4 models, be sure to gently slide the pick in just half an inch (10 mm) at most in this spot to keep that home button ribbon cable safe and sound. You've got this!
- Keep peeling the adhesive along the entire bottom edge of the iPad like a pro.
- Leave that opening pick chilling under the front glass right by the home button to keep things lifted.
Step 21
- Pop that iOpener into the microwave for a quick reheat, then place it on the left edge of your iPad. This will help melt the adhesive in that area, making your repair journey smoother.
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Step 22
If the adhesive has cooled down too much, just pop the iOpener back on the top edge and keep at it. And if the iOpener itself has lost its heat, give it a quick warm-up and you’re good to go!
- Gently glide the opening pick along the top edge of your iPad, giving it a little tug to navigate around the front-facing camera bracket.
- This area has some super sticky adhesive, so you might need to put in a bit of elbow grease. Take your time and be careful—let's keep both you and your iPad safe and sound!
- If your opening pick feels like it's stuck in the gooey adhesive, try 'rolling' it like shown in step 9.
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Step 23
If the adhesive is feeling cozy and warm, go ahead and take the iOpener off the iPad for easier handling. But if it’s still a bit too sticky for comfort, just give the iOpener another warm-up and place it on the left edge while you work your magic!
- Keep peeling the adhesive off the top edge of the iPad, and carefully slide your opening pick around the top left corner like a pro.
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Step 24
The digitizer cable sits about 2" (50 mm) up from the bottom of your iPad. When you’re sliding the pick, stop once you hit around 2.25" (60 mm) from the bottom—no need to go any further!
- Gently slide the opening pick along the left edge of the iPad to break the adhesive bond as you go. The adhesive is a bit thinner here because of the digitizer that stretches all the way down the left side. Keep the pick shallow—no deeper than 1/2 inch (about 10 mm)—to avoid any damage to the digitizer. Easy does it!
Step 25
Be super careful here! The bottom of the digitizer cable is just about an inch (25 mm) from the edge of the iPad. Take your time and handle it gently to avoid any accidental snips!
- With the opening pick still chilling under the iPad’s bottom edge, gently slide it to break free the adhesive in the bottom left corner.
Step 26
Sometimes the adhesive around the iPad’s edge decides to play sticky again. If that happens, gently slide a pick under the spot where the front glass is still clinging on and carefully slice through the adhesive to free it.
- Take one of your trusty opening picks and gently lift the bottom right corner of the iPad. Once it's popped up a bit, grab it with your fingers and get ready for the next move.
Step 27
Watch out for any sticky adhesive still hanging on, and gently slide an opening pick under the front panel to slice through any stubborn glue keeping it in place.
- Grab the iPad by the top and bottom right corners and gently swivel the front glass away from the device.
- When putting it back together, give the LCD a good once-over with a microfiber cloth and some compressed air to zap away any dust or fingerprints before snapping the glass back on.
Step 28
That bottom left screw is playing hide-and-seek behind the home button ribbon cable connector. Gently slide the ribbon cable out of the way to grab that sneaky screw and remove it.
- Unscrew those four tiny 2 mm Phillips #00 screws that are keeping the LCD snug against the aluminum frame. You've got this!
Step 29
Handle the LCD with care—its ribbon cable is delicate and can snap if you bend it too much.
- Grab a plastic opening tool or spudger and gently pry up the right edge of the iPad's LCD.
- Swing the LCD around its left edge and carefully rest it on top of the front glass panel.
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Step 30
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift the tape that's hiding the LCD ribbon cable connector. You've got this!
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Step 31
- Gently flip up the little retaining flap on the LCD ribbon cable ZIF connector.
- Carefully wiggle the LCD ribbon cable out of its socket on the logic board using your fingers or a pair of tweezers.
- If the LCD screen doesn’t light up after you reconnect the ZIF connector, try a force restart by holding down the power button and home button together for at least ten seconds until the Apple logo appears.
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Step 32
- Careful now — without touching the front of the LCD, gently lift it away from the front panel.
Step 33
If you've got a piece of electrical tape hanging out, go ahead and peel it off! It's covering the Wi-Fi antenna, speaker cable, and home button ribbon cable. Let's get those connections free so we can keep the good vibes going!
Step 34
- Lift the retaining flap on the home button ribbon cable ZIF connector with a gentle touch.
Step 35
- Grab your trusty tweezers and gently pull the home button ribbon cable straight out from its snug spot on the logic board.
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Step 36
- Gently lift and free the home button ribbon cable from its snug spot in the back case.
Step 37
- Grab the tip of your trusty spudger and gently peel back that sneaky piece of tape holding the digitizer ribbon cable to the logic board. You've got this!
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Step 38
- Gently lift up the retaining flap on both of the ZIF connectors for the digitizer ribbon cable. Take your time here, and make sure everything is secure before moving on!
Step 39
- Grab that spudger and gently slide the flat end underneath the digitizer ribbon cable to loosen up that pesky adhesive. No need to rush, take your time!
- With a steady hand, pull the digitizer ribbon cable straight out of its sockets on the logic board. You've got this!
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Step 40
- Gently peel back the digitizer ribbon cable and use the flat end of your spudger to carefully lift the adhesive holding it to the rear aluminum case. Take your time, and if you feel stuck, remember you can always schedule a repair.
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Step 41
- Gently lift the digitizer ribbon cable from its snug spot in the aluminum frame using your fingers.
- Carefully remove the front panel from the iPad.
Step 42
Don't let the iOpener get too hot under the collar! Give it a little break and wait at least two minutes before reheating it. A quick cool-down will keep things smooth for your repair process.
The home button assembly is stuck to the front panel with some adhesive. Gently warming it up with an iOpener to soften the glue is a smart move to make removal easier.
- Heat up the iOpener by popping it in the microwave for one minute at full power (or just 30 seconds if you’re rocking the newer gel-filled version).
- Set the warmed iOpener right over the home button on the front edge of the display.
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Step 43
- Gently lift the home button ribbon cable away from the front panel with care.
Step 44
- Gently slide the plastic opening tool under the right side of the home button assembly and give it a little lift—this will help free up the adhesive on that side.
- Now, using the same technique, tackle the left side of the home button and release its adhesive.
- Once both sides are free, carefully lift the home button mount away from the front panel.
Step 45
- To put your device back together, just reverse the steps you took and use our iPad 4 GSM Front Panel Adhesive strips guide to stick the front panel back on. If you hit a snag, remember you can always schedule a repair!
