iPad 3 4G Wi-Fi Antenna Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 46 Steps
Wi-Fi is a total game changer, and a third-generation iPad without it? Well, it's just not as cool. If your Wi-Fi antenna’s on the fritz, this guide will walk you through replacing it so you can get back to streaming, browsing, and all those other internet-y things you love.
Step 1
For carousel microwaves: Double-check that the plate spins easily. If your iOpener gets stuck, it might overheat and cause burns—so keep it moving!
Give your microwave a quick wipe down before you start—no one wants gooey gunk from the bottom sticking to the iOpener when you heat it up!
- Pop the iOpener right in the middle of the microwave to get things warmed up.
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Step 2
Heads up! Don’t let the iOpener get too hot or it might just pop on you. Keep it under 100˚C (212˚F) to stay safe.
If the iOpener looks puffed up or swollen, hands off—don’t touch it at all.
If it’s still too toasty in the middle to handle, keep using it gently while it cools down a bit before heating it up again. When warmed right, it should stay nicely warm for about 10 minutes.
Depending on how powerful your microwave is, you might need to tweak the time a bit. The iOpener is good to go when it’s just about too hot to touch comfortably.
- Pop that iOpener in the microwave for about thirty seconds.
- As you work through the repair, keep the iOpener warm by giving it a quick thirty-second heat-up in the microwave whenever it starts to cool down.
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Step 3
Watch out! The iOpener is going to be super hot, so handle it with care. If it's feeling a bit too toasty, grab an oven mitt to keep your cool.
- Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave, making sure to grab it by one of the flat ends to avoid touching the hot center. Safety first!
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Step 4
The iOpener gets super toasty, so make sure to grab it by the end tabs only for your safety!
No microwave? No problem! Just heat up your iOpener by giving it a nice dip in some boiling water.
- Grab a pot or pan and fill it with enough water to completely cover your iOpener.
- Bring the water to a rolling boil, then switch off the heat.
- Pop the iOpener into the hot water for 2-3 minutes, making sure it’s fully submerged.
- Carefully fish out the iOpener using tongs—no burnt fingers please!
- Give it a good dry off with a towel.
- And voilà, your iOpener is warmed up and ready to roll! If it cools down, just reheat by boiling water again, turning off the heat, and soaking the iOpener for another 2-3 minutes.
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Step 5
Throw on those safety glasses to keep your eyes safe, and remember, be gentle with that LCD screen – it’s delicate!
This will keep those pesky glass shards under control and help maintain the structure when you're prying and lifting the display. Let's get that screen off safely!
- Got a cracked display? No worries! To keep the shards in check and avoid any accidental pokes during your repair, just stick some tape over that glass.
- Start laying down some clear packing tape in overlapping strips across your device's display until it’s all nicely covered.
- Now, just follow the rest of the guide as best as you can. Keep in mind, once the glass starts cracking, it might keep on cracking as you work, so don’t hesitate to grab a metal prying tool to gently scoop out the pieces.
Step 6
Just a friendly reminder: while you're diving into this repair adventure, keep those peepers safe! We suggest rocking some safety glasses to shield your eyes from any sneaky glass shards that might want to crash the party.
- 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 open the front panel.
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Step 7
You might need to give a little extra love to slide that opening tool's wedged tip between the glass and plastic. Just take your time and be gentle, wiggling the plastic tool back and forth as needed. You've got this!
- Look closely and you'll notice a tiny gap in the iPad's adhesive ring, nestled in the upper right corner, about 2.0 inches (~5 cm) down from the top. It's like a little secret entrance waiting for us to take advantage of it!
- Now, let's get our tool ready! Position it with the mute button as your guide. Gently slide the tip of a plastic opening tool into that gap between the front glass and the plastic bezel. Just the tip will do—enough to nudge the crack open a bit.
Step 8
- Carefully slide your tool right where the plastic display bezel meets the front glass panel — that’s the sweet spot!
Step 9
- With the tip of the plastic opening tool snugly nestled between the front glass and plastic bezel, gently slide a plastic opening pick into that little gap, right next to the trusty plastic opening tool.
Step 10
- Carefully slide the plastic opening tool out of the iPad, then gently wiggle the opening pick a bit deeper under the front glass—about half an inch should do the trick.
Step 11
- As you gently work on loosening the adhesive on the right side of the iPad, don’t forget to give that iOpener a little reheat love and pop it back on the bottom edge of the iPad.
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Step 12
The adhesive is pretty tough, so you might need to put in a bit of muscle. Take it slow and steady!
If you notice the tip of the opening pick peeking out from under the front glass, gently pull it back just a bit. Keeping the pick this deep won’t cause any damage, but it might leave some sticky adhesive on the LCD.
- As the iOpener warms up the bottom edge, start peeling back the adhesive from the iPad’s right side.
- Gently slide your opening pick down along the edge, loosening the adhesive as you move.
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Step 13
You might need to slide that heated iOpener back onto the right edge of the iPad while you’re loosening the adhesive. It all depends on how much chill time the iPad got while you were working on it.
- If your opening pick decides to stick around in the adhesive, just give it a little 'roll' along the side of the iPad to keep freeing that sticky stuff. You've got this!
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Step 14
- Before you dive in and pop that first opening pick from the bottom corner of your iPad, make sure to slide a second pick under the right edge of the front glass. This little buddy will help keep the adhesive from getting sticky again.
- Give your iOpener a little extra warmth, then place it at the top edge of the iPad to keep things nice and toasty.
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Step 15
The Wi-Fi antenna is snugly mounted on the bottom right corner of the iPad's rear case with screws and a cable. Given the way the Wi-Fi antenna is positioned, it's super important to be careful during this process—otherwise, you might accidentally cause some serious damage to the antenna. Take your time and be gentle!
- Alright, we're diving into some delicate territory here, so let's keep our cool!
- It's time to carefully peel away the adhesive that's holding the antenna to the front panel. Just be super gentle with those fragile connections to the bottom of the iPad. Take your time and follow the upcoming steps closely!
Step 16
Don't slide that pick too far past the bottom right corner! It's an easy way to mess with the Wi-Fi antenna, and we definitely don't want that. Be gentle and keep it in check!
- Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPad to loosen the adhesive hiding out there.
Step 17
Careful as you move the opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel. The Wi-Fi antenna is really close to the corner, and if you're not careful with the adhesive, it can get sliced pretty easily.
Keep the pick snug under the front glass—don’t pull it all the way out! Just slide it back a bit so about 1/8" (3 mm) of the tip stays tucked under the glass.
- Gently glide the tip of the opening pick along the bottom edge of your iPad. This will loosen up the adhesive securing the Wi-Fi antenna, making it easier to proceed.
Step 18
- After you pass the Wi-Fi antenna—about 3 inches (75 mm) from the right edge, right next to the home button—slide your opening pick all the way in.
- Gently slide the pick to the right to free up the adhesive holding the Wi-Fi antenna to the front glass.
- The antenna is screwed and cabled to the bottom of the iPad. This step separates the antenna from the front panel so it stays safe when you lift the panel off.
Step 19
Keep the iOpener heating sessions under a minute, and give it a chill-out time of at least two minutes before firing it up again.
If the adhesive along the bottom edge has cooled off too much, just give the iOpener another quick warm-up to soften things back up before you continue.
- Keep sliding the opening pick under the bottom edge of the iPad, carefully maneuvering it around the home button. Once you’ve passed the home button, pop the pick back in to about a half-inch (10 mm) depth and keep the adhesive release party going!
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Step 20
When working on iPad 4 models, slide your pick in no deeper than 1/2 inch (10 mm) here to keep that home button ribbon cable safe and sound.
- Gently peel back the adhesive along the bottom edge of the iPad. Take it slow to avoid any hiccups.
- Keep that opening pick snugly in place under the front glass, just near the home button. It’ll help you maintain control while you continue.
Step 21
- Give that iOpener a quick spin in the microwave to heat it up, then place it on the left edge of your iPad. This will help to get the adhesive nice and toasty in that area.
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Step 22
If your adhesive has decided to cool off too much, just swap out the iOpener along the top edge and keep going. If the iOpener is feeling a bit chilly, give it another heat-up!
- Gently slide the opening pick along the top edge of your iPad, easing it out a bit to navigate around the front-facing camera bracket.
- Heads up: the adhesive here is seriously stubborn, so you might need to put in some muscle. Take it slow and steady to avoid any slips or mishaps with your device or fingers.
- If the pick gets stuck in the adhesive, try "rolling" it as demonstrated 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 that iOpener off the iPad for some easy maneuvering. But if the sticky stuff is still holding on tight, just give the iOpener another quick heat-up and place it on the left edge while you get to work.
- Keep peeling back the adhesive along the top edge of the iPad, then slide your opening pick around that top left corner like a pro.
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Step 24
The digitizer cable hangs out about 2 inches (50 mm) from the bottom of your iPad. When you're sliding that pick, give it a little pause when you hit around 2.25 inches (60 mm) from the bottom. You're doing great!
- Gently glide the opening pick along the left side of your iPad, peeling away that pesky adhesive as you go! The adhesive is pretty thin along this side thanks to the digitizer, so keep your pick's depth in check—no deeper than 1/2 inch (10 mm) to avoid any accidental damage to the digitizer. You’ve got this!
Step 25
Heads up! The bottom of the digitizer cable is just about an inch (25 mm) from the iPad's bottom edge. Take it slow and steady to avoid accidentally slicing through this little guy.
- Slide the opening pick gently under the bottom edge of the iPad to loosen the adhesive at the bottom left corner. Keep it cool and steady!
Step 26
It looks like some of that adhesive around the iPad's edge may have decided to stick around a little longer than expected. If you find this to be the case, gently slide a pick under the area where the front glass is still clinging on, and give that adhesive a little 'cut' to help it let go.
- Grab one of your trusty opening picks and gently wiggle it under the bottom right corner of the iPad. Once it’s lifted, use your fingers to hold onto it and keep things moving!
Step 27
Watch out for any sticky stuff that might still be clinging on, and grab an opening pick to slice through any adhesive that’s hanging on to the front panel. You've got this!
- Grab the iPad by its 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
- Unscrew those four 2 mm Phillips #00 screws holding the LCD snugly to the aluminum frame. You've got this!
Step 29
Handle the LCD with care! That ribbon cable is a delicate little thing and might snap if you bend it too much. Keep it safe and sound!
- Grab your trusty plastic opening tool or a spudger and gently lift the right edge of that LCD out of your iPad. You're doing great!
- Now, swing the LCD around its left edge and carefully lay it down on the front panel like a pro. Keep it up!
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Step 30
- Grab that spudger and carefully lift the tape that's hugging the LCD ribbon cable connector. You've got this!
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Step 31
- Gently lift the little flap holding down the LCD ribbon cable on the ZIF connector.
- Carefully grab the LCD ribbon cable with your fingers or tweezers and pull it out from the logic board socket.
- If the screen doesn’t light up after reconnecting the LCD cable, try a force restart by holding the power button and home button together for about ten seconds until the Apple logo pops up.
Step 32
- Now, carefully lift the LCD off the front panel, but make sure not to touch the screen itself. Keep it steady and take your time!
Step 33
- Carefully use the tip of your spudger to lift and peel back the tape holding the touchscreen ribbon cable onto the logic board. Steady hands win the day!
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Step 34
- Gently lift the flap on both of the touchscreen ribbon cable ZIF connectors. Give them a little wiggle, and they’ll pop right up.
Step 35
- Use the flat side of a spudger to gently lift the adhesive under the digitizer ribbon cable. Take it slow, you're doing great!
- Carefully pull the digitizer ribbon cable straight out from its sockets on the logic board. Keep it steady, and you're almost there!
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Step 36
- Gently peel back the touchscreen ribbon cable and use the flat end of a spudger to carefully pop loose the adhesive holding the cable to the rear aluminum case.
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Step 37
- Gently pull the touchscreen ribbon cable out of its cozy little spot in the aluminum frame with your fingers. It's like a secret handshake between you and your device!
- Now, carefully detach the front panel from the iPad, like peeling off a sticker you’ve had on for too long. Take your time—it’s all part of the process!
Step 38
If you spot any, carefully peel off the electrical tape covering the Wi-Fi antenna, speaker cable, and dock connector cable. It's a quick move to keep things tidy and get to the next step!
Step 39
- Gently slide the flat end of your spudger under the dock connector cable and lift it straight up from its cozy spot on the logic board.
- Carefully peel the dock connector cable away from the aluminum frame like you're unwrapping a tiny tech treat.
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Step 40
- Unscrew the two 1.8 mm Phillips #00 screws that are keeping the dock connector snugly held to the rear aluminum case. Let's get that connection free!
Step 41
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently use the flat end to pop up that dock connector.
- Once it's lifted, carefully take the dock connector out of the iPad. You've got this!
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Step 42
- Gently wedge the spudger's tip underneath the connectors of the speaker and Wi-Fi antenna, and carefully lift them straight up from their sockets on the logic board. Take it slow, they should come off without a fight!
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Step 43
- Let's get those screws out that hold the Wi-Fi antenna to the aluminum frame:
- Two tiny 1.75 mm Phillips #00 screws (small head) — precision is key!
- One 4.15 mm Phillips #00 screw — a slightly bigger buddy.
- One 1.8 mm Phillips #00 screw (wide head) — the wide guy in the group.
Step 44
- Grab the flat end of your trusty spudger and gently pry up the foam adhesive that’s keeping the Wi-Fi antenna snug on the speaker assembly. A little nudge here goes a long way!
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Step 45
- Grab the Wi-Fi antenna and speaker cable with a steady grip.
- Gently pull the cables away from the aluminum frame. Take it slow and steady!
Step 46
- To put your device back together, just follow these steps in reverse order and you’ll be all set!
