iPad 3 Wi-Fi Microphone Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 43 Steps
Follow this guide to swap out your microphone with ease.
Step 1
For carousel microwaves: Ensure that the plate can spin without a hitch. If your iOpener gets jammed, it might overheat and cause a little trouble. Keep it moving smoothly!
Before diving into the repair, it's a great idea to give your microwave a little TLC. A clean microwave means less chance of that pesky gunk getting stuck to your iOpener. Trust us, your future self will thank you!
- Pop the iOpener right in the microwave’s center to heat it up just right.
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Step 2
Take care not to overheat the iOpener during your repair session. Going beyond 100˚C (212˚F) could cause it to pop — and nobody wants that surprise!
If your iOpener looks puffed up or swollen, keep your hands off it. It's signaling a timeout.
If the middle part of the iOpener is still too hot to handle, keep using it gently while it cools down a bit before reheating. When heated just right, it should stay nice and warm for about 10 minutes.
Microwave wattage can change how long you need to heat the iOpener. When it’s just a bit too hot to hold comfortably, you’re good to go!
- Warm up the iOpener in the microwave for about thirty seconds to get it ready to work its magic.
- If the iOpener starts to cool down during your repair, just pop it back in the microwave for another thirty seconds to keep things nice and toasty.
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Step 3
Heads up! The iOpener gets super hot, so handle it like a pro—oven mitts are your friends here.
- Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave, gripping one of the flat ends to steer clear of that hot center. Safety first, my friend!
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Step 4
Heads up! The iOpener gets super hot, so only grab it by the little tabs on the ends to keep your fingers safe.
If you don't have a microwave handy, no worries! Just pop that iOpener into a pot of boiling water to warm it up.
- Grab a pot or pan and fill it with enough water to completely cover your iOpener.
- Bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat.
- Carefully dunk the iOpener into the hot water for 2 to 3 minutes, making sure it’s fully submerged.
- Use tongs to fish the warm iOpener out of the water—no fingers in there!
- Give the iOpener a good dry-off with a towel.
- Now your iOpener is all set to go! If it cools down before you’re done, just repeat the boiling and soaking steps to heat it back up.
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Step 5
Pop on your safety glasses to keep those peepers safe, and handle the LCD screen gently to avoid any oops moments.
This trick keeps those sneaky glass shards in check and gives the display some solid backup when you’re prying and lifting.
- Got a cracked display glass? Keep those shards in check and avoid any ouch moments by taping the glass up before you dive in.
- Cover the iPad's screen with overlapping strips of clear packing tape until the entire front is wrapped up snugly.
- Follow the rest of the steps as usual, but heads up: once the glass is cracked, it might keep cracking as you work. You might need to carefully use a metal prying tool to lift out the glass pieces.
Step 6
Heads up! Since broken glass might be part of this adventure, we highly suggest rocking some safety glasses to keep those sneaky shards from causing trouble.
- Place the iOpener flat along the right edge of the iPad, pressing it down so it makes solid contact with the surface.
- Let it chill there for about 90 seconds before you try to pop open the front panel.
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Step 7
Getting the tip of your opening tool wedged between the glass and plastic might take a bit of elbow grease. Stay cool, be patient, and gently wiggle that tool back and forth until it slips in nicely.
- There's a tiny gap in the iPad's adhesive ring, up in the upper right corner—about 2 inches (5 cm) from the top. That's your sweet spot to get started.
- Line up your tool with the mute button. Gently slide the tip of a plastic opening tool into the gap between the front glass and the plastic bezel. Just nudge it in, enough to widen the crack and get things moving.
Step 8
- Carefully slide your tool right between the plastic display bezel and the front glass—just the right spot to get things moving smoothly.
Step 9
- With the plastic opening tool firmly positioned between the front glass and plastic bezel, gently slide a plastic opening pick into that little gap right beside your trusty tool.
Step 10
- Take that handy plastic opening tool out from the iPad's embrace, and gently slide the opening pick underneath the front glass to about half an inch deep. You've got this!
Step 11
- As you start working on loosening the adhesive on the right side of the iPad, warm up your iOpener again and place it on the bottom edge of the iPad. You'll be on your way in no time!
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Step 12
That adhesive is super strong, so you might need to apply a bit of muscle. Just take your time and be gentle with it!
If you spot the tip of the opening pick peeking out from under the front glass, gently pull it back just a bit. Going this deep with the pick won’t harm anything, but it might spread some sticky adhesive residue over the LCD.
- While the bottom edge gets cozy with the heat from your iOpener, start gently working on the right edge of the iPad to free the adhesive.
- Slide your opening pick down the iPad's edge, letting the adhesive give way as you go. Smooth and steady wins the race!
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Step 13
As you start peeling off the adhesive, you might find it handy to place the heated iOpener back on the right side of the iPad. This little trick can be super helpful depending on how long your iPad has been chilling while you've been working your magic.
- If your opening pick gets stuck in the adhesive, try gently 'rolling' it along the edge of the iPad to keep loosening that sticky stuff.
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Step 14
- Before you go for that first opening pick in the bottom corner of your iPad, slide a second pick under the right edge of the front glass. This will help prevent the adhesive from sticking back down and causing trouble later.
- Heat up your iOpener again and gently move it over to the top edge of the iPad. A little warmth here will make the next steps a lot easier!
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Step 15
Hey there! Just a heads up: the Wi-Fi antenna is snugly attached to the bottom right edge of the rear case of your iPad with screws and a cable. Due to its unique orientation, it's super important to tread carefully while working on it—otherwise, you might end up causing some irreversible damage to that pesky Wi-Fi antenna. Let's keep it safe and sound!
- Alright, folks, it's time to tread lightly! The next few steps are a bit like walking on a tightrope, so let's keep our cool.
- We're going to carefully peel back the adhesive that's holding the antenna to the front panel. Remember, we want to do this without causing any harm to those delicate parts that connect the antenna to the bottom of the iPad. So, let's follow these steps closely and ace this repair together!
Step 16
Be careful not to slide the pick past the bottom right corner. Going too far could mess with the Wi-Fi antenna, and we don't want that!
- Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPad to loosen the adhesive hanging out there.
Step 17
Carefully slide the opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel. Watch out for the Wi-Fi antenna nearby—it’s super close to the corner and can be easily cut if the adhesive isn’t released just right.
Just a friendly tip: don’t yank that pick all the way out from beneath the front glass! Instead, give it a gentle pull so that about 1/8" (3 mm) of the tip remains snugly tucked under there. You've got this!
- Gently slide the tip of your opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad to carefully loosen the adhesive holding down the Wi-Fi antenna.
Step 18
- Once you've passed the Wi-Fi antenna (about 3 inches or 75 mm from the right edge, right by the home button), slide the opening pick all the way back in until it's fully seated.
- Now, gently slide the pick to the right to break the adhesive holding the Wi-Fi antenna to the front glass.
- The antenna is secured at the bottom of the iPad with screws and a cable. This step ensures the antenna detaches from the front panel safely, so when you remove the panel, the antenna stays unharmed.
Step 19
Keep your iOpener chill—heat it for no more than a minute, then let it kick back for at least two minutes before firing it up again.
If the adhesive has cooled down too much along the bottom edge, just give your iOpener a quick reheat to warm up the adhesive in the area you're working on. It'll make things stick a little easier.
- Keep sliding the opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad, carefully pulling it out enough to sneak around the home button, then pop it back in about half an inch (10 mm) once you’ve cleared that button.
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Step 20
For iPad 4 models, gently slide the pick in this area, but only go about 1/2 inch (10 mm) deep. This way, you’ll keep that home button ribbon cable safe and sound. You've got this!
- Gently work your way along the bottom edge of the iPad, releasing the adhesive as you go. Take it slow, but steady!
- Leave the opening pick tucked just beneath the front glass, right near the home button. It'll stay put and make your next move a breeze.
Step 21
- Pop the iOpener in the microwave for a quick reheat, then place it on the left side of your iPad to start softening the adhesive there.
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Step 22
If the adhesive has gotten too chilly, just pop the iOpener back along the top edge and keep going. If your iOpener has cooled down too much, give it a quick heat-up and you’re good to roll.
- Gently slide the opening pick along the top edge of your iPad, pulling it out a tad to navigate around the front-facing camera bracket.
- The adhesive in this area is quite strong, so you might need to apply a bit of elbow grease. Take your time and be careful—no one wants to accidentally slip and hurt themselves or their iPad!
- If the opening pick seems to be getting stuck in the sticky stuff, give it a little 'roll' as shown in step 9.
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Step 23
If the adhesive is warm enough, go ahead and remove the iOpener from the iPad to make things easier. But if it's still super sticky, no worries—just heat the iOpener up again and place it on the left edge while you keep working.
- Keep peeling back the adhesive along the top edge of the iPad, then carefully slide your opening pick around the top left corner like a pro.
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Step 24
The digitizer cable is hanging out about 2 inches (50 mm) from the bottom of the iPad. When you're sliding that pick, stop when you're about 2.25 inches (60 mm) from the bottom. You're almost there!
- Gently glide the opening pick along the left edge of your iPad, freeing up that adhesive as you go! The adhesive is a bit shy here, thanks to the digitizer that runs along the whole left side. Just be careful not to dive in too deep – keep it to about 1/2 inch (10 mm) max to avoid any harm to that digitizer. You've got this!
Step 25
The digitizer cable is pretty close to the bottom of the iPad, only about 1 inch (25 mm) away. Take your time and be gentle, so you don't accidentally cut it.
- With the trusty opening pick still nestled under the bottom edge of your iPad, gently pry up that adhesive in the bottom left corner. You're doing great!
Step 26
It looks like some of the adhesive around the iPad’s edge may have made its way back into place. No worries! Just grab a pick and gently slide it underneath the edge where the front glass is still stuck. You’ll need to ‘cut’ through that adhesive to keep moving forward.
- Grab your trusty opening pick and give that bottom right corner of the iPad a gentle pry. Once it pops up, use your fingers to give it a little lift!
Step 27
Watch out for any sticky adhesive still hanging on, and gently slide an opening pick to slice through any glue keeping the front panel stuck down.
- Grab the iPad by the top and bottom right corners and gently swivel the front glass away from the device.
- When putting things back together, give the LCD a good once-over with a microfiber cloth and blast away any dust or fingerprints with some compressed air before snapping the glass back on.
Step 28
- Unscrew the four tiny 2 mm Phillips #00 screws holding the LCD to the aluminum frame. Keep these little guys safe!
Step 29
Heads up! When moving the LCD, be gentle—its ribbon cable is delicate and might snap if you bend it too much.
- Grab a plastic opening tool or a spudger and gently pry up the right edge of the iPad’s LCD.
- Carefully swing the LCD up along its left edge and rest it on top of the front panel.
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Step 30
- Carefully use the tip of a spudger to lift and peel back the tape that’s keeping the LCD ribbon cable connector under wraps.
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Step 31
- Gently lift the retaining flap on the LCD ribbon cable ZIF connector.
- With a little finesse, use your fingers or tweezers to carefully pull the LCD ribbon cable out of its cozy spot on the logic board.
Step 32
- Gently lift the LCD away from the front panel, but try to avoid touching the screen. You're so close, just a little more to go!
Step 33
If needed, gently peel back the tape that’s holding the digitizer ribbon cable onto the logic board.
- Lift the retaining flap on each of the digitizer ribbon cable ZIF connectors with care.
Step 34
- Gently wedge the flat end of your spudger under the digitizer ribbon cable to free up the adhesive holding it in place.
- Slowly and steadily pull the digitizer ribbon cable straight out from its connectors on the logic board—no sudden moves!
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Step 35
- Gently lift the digitizer ribbon cable, then use the flat end of your spudger to carefully loosen the adhesive holding the cable to the aluminum back. Take it slow and steady!
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Step 36
- With a gentle tug from your fingers, carefully pull the digitizer ribbon cable out of its snug spot in the aluminum frame.
- Now, it's time to lift that front panel right off your iPad!
Step 37
- Gently lift and peel away the adhesive tape that’s covering the headphone jack assembly—careful, you got this!
Step 38
- Take the flat end of your trusty spudger and gently pop the front-facing camera off its socket on the headphone jack assembly.
- Keep the spudger in place, then slide it to the right to peel back the adhesive securing the camera’s ribbon cable. Smooth moves!
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Step 39
- Gently use the flat end of a spudger to wiggle the camera ribbon cable free from its snug spot in the plastic antenna housing. You've got this!
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Step 40
- Carefully take out the camera from the iPad.
Step 41
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift the retaining flap on the microphone cable ZIF connector—easy does it!
- Now, slide the tip of the spudger underneath the microphone ribbon cable and carefully pop it out from its ZIF connector. You're doing great!
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Step 42
- Gently slide the flat end of your spudger under the microphone ribbon cable to loosen it from the sticky stuff holding it to the back case.
- Use the pointy tip of your spudger to carefully lift the microphone away from the rear case, like a pro.
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Step 43
- To put your device back together, just go through these steps in reverse.
- If you hit a snag or want some expert hands, you can always schedule a repair.
