iPad 4 Wi-Fi Front Facing Camera Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 45 Steps
Get ready to give your device a little makeover by swapping out the front-facing camera! It's a straightforward process that can bring your selfies back to life. If you hit a snag along the way, just remember, you can always schedule a repair for some extra help.
Step 1
For carousel microwaves: Ensure the plate is spinning like it’s on a dance floor! If your iOpener gets a bit too cozy and gets stuck, it might just overheat and cause a little burn party.
We suggest giving your microwave a little TLC before diving in, as any gunky bits lingering at the bottom might decide to hitch a ride on your iOpener.
- Pop that iOpener right in the middle of the microwave!
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Step 2
Hey there! Just a quick heads up: be careful not to heat that iOpener too much during your repair adventure. If it gets too hot, it might just decide to burst on you! So, let’s keep the heat under 100˚C (212˚F), okay?
And if you notice that the iOpener looks a bit puffy, give it some space—don't touch it!
If the middle of the iOpener is still feeling a bit too hot to handle, keep using it while it cools down a bit before you reheat. A well-heated iOpener should stay cozy for up to 10 minutes, so you've got time!
Depending on how powerful your microwave is, you might need to adjust the heating time a bit. The iOpener is ready to go when it's just a tad too hot to handle, so keep an eye on it and get ready to dive into your repair adventure!
- Give that iOpener a warm hug in the microwave for thirty seconds.
- As you dive into your repair adventure, keep that iOpener cozy by reheating it in the microwave for another thirty seconds whenever it starts to cool down.
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Step 3
The iOpener gets super hot, so handle it with care. If you need to, grab an oven mitt to keep your fingers safe and sound.
- Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave, grabbing it by one of the two flat ends so you don’t accidentally touch the hot middle part.
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Step 4
Heads up! The iOpener gets super hot, so make sure to grab it only by the end tabs to keep your fingers safe and sound.
No microwave? No problem! Just pop your iOpener into a pot of boiling water to warm it up. You've got this!
- 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.
- Drop your iOpener into the hot water and let it soak for 2-3 minutes, making sure it’s fully submerged.
- Use tongs to carefully lift the warmed iOpener out of the water.
- Pat the iOpener dry with a towel—no one likes a soggy tool!
- Your iOpener is now all set and good to go! If it cools down before you’re done, just heat the water again, turn off the heat, and dunk the iOpener for another 2-3 minutes.
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Step 5
Protect those peepers with safety glasses, and remember: the LCD screen is delicate—treat it like a VIP!
This helps keep those sneaky glass shards from flying everywhere and gives the screen some solid support while you pry and lift it up.
- If your display glass is cracked, let's keep it from shattering into a million pieces and protect your hands during the repair! Grab some tape and cover that glass up.
- Lay down some overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPad's display until it's fully shielded. Think of it as giving your device a nice, protective hug!
- Now, just follow along with the rest of the guide as best as you can. Just a heads up: once the glass starts to break, it may keep cracking a bit as you work. If that happens, don't worry! You might need to use a metal prying tool to scoop out the pieces.
Step 6
Just a heads up! You'll be dealing with some broken glass in this process, so it's a smart move to pop on some safety glasses to keep those pesky shards at bay. Safety first, folks!
- Place the iOpener flat along the right edge of the iPad, pressing it down so it hugs the surface nicely for maximum heat transfer.
- Chill out and let the iOpener do its magic for about 90 seconds before you try to pop open the front panel.
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Step 7
Getting the opening tool’s tip wedged between the glass and plastic might take a bit of elbow grease. Take your time, stay patient, and gently wiggle the tool back and forth until it slips in smoothly.
- Spot a tiny gap in the iPad’s adhesive ring up in the upper right corner, about 2.0 inches (~5 cm) down from the top edge. This little opening is your golden ticket.
- Line up your tool with the mute button. Gently slip the tip of a plastic opening tool into the crack between the front glass and plastic bezel. Just nudge in the tip enough to start prying the gap open.
Step 8
- Position the tool carefully—slip it right between the plastic bezel around the display and the glass of the front panel. You’ve got this!
Step 9
- Keep the tip of your plastic opening tool tucked between the front glass and plastic bezel, then slide a plastic opening pick right into the gap next to it to gently work things loose.
Step 10
- Take out the plastic opening tool from your iPad, and carefully slide the opening pick underneath the front glass, pushing it in about 0.5 inches. Make sure you're not forcing it—just gently work it in.
Step 11
- As you work on gently peeling away the adhesive on the right side of the iPad, give that iOpener a little reheat, and position it back on the bottom edge of the iPad. You're doing great!
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Step 12
The adhesive is pretty tough, so you might need to apply some serious muscle here. Take your time and go easy—don't rush it!
If you spot the tip of your opening pick sneaking out from under the front glass, gently pull it back just a bit. Going this deep with the pick won't cause any damage, but it might leave some sticky adhesive on the LCD.
- While the bottom edge is warming up thanks to the iOpener, start loosening the adhesive along the right side of your iPad.
- Gently slide the opening pick down the iPad's edge, peeling back that stubborn adhesive as you go.
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Step 13
You might need to slide the heated iOpener back onto the right edge of the iPad as you peel away the adhesive. It all depends on how long the iPad has had to cool off while you’ve been working your magic.
- If your opening pick gets stuck in the adhesive, just gently 'roll' it along the edge of the iPad to keep that adhesive release party going.
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Step 14
- Before pulling out the first opening pick from the bottom corner of your iPad, slide a second pick under the right edge of the front glass to keep that pesky adhesive from sticking back together.
- Warm up the iOpener again and shift it over to the top edge of the iPad to keep things nice and pliable.
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Step 15
The Wi-Fi antenna is secured to the bottom right corner of the rear case with screws and a cable. Since the antenna is positioned a bit tricky, be extra careful when handling it. A little misstep here could cause some serious, irreversible damage to the antenna. Just take it slow and steady!
- These next steps require a steady hand, so take a deep breath and focus.
- You’ll need to gently detach the antenna from the front panel, but be careful not to disturb the fragile parts that connect it to the bottom of the iPad. Move slowly and follow the steps carefully, and you’ll be just fine!
Step 16
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder: don't slide that pick beyond the bottom right corner. You don’t want to accidentally give the Wi-Fi antenna a bad day!
- Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPad to loosen the adhesive holding it down.
Step 17
Take it easy while gliding that opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel. The Wi-Fi antenna is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the corner, and if you're not careful with the adhesive, it might just decide to part ways!
Keep that pick snugly tucked under the front glass—just a little peek is all you need! Pull it out slightly so about 1/8" (3 mm) of the tip is still hidden away under there.
- Gently glide the edge of your opening pick along the bottom of the iPad, and watch as the adhesive around the Wi-Fi antenna gives way like magic!
Step 18
- Once you've glided past the Wi-Fi antenna—about 3 inches (75 mm) from the right edge or right next to the home button—slide that opening pick back in to its full depth like a pro!
- Now, give that pick a little nudge to the right to break free the adhesive holding the Wi-Fi antenna snugly against the front glass.
- Just a heads up! The antenna is hooked up to the bottom of the iPad with screws and a cable. This step is super important as it separates the antenna from the front panel, ensuring it stays safe and sound when you lift off the panel.
Step 19
Keep the iOpener's heat sessions to a minute or less, and make sure to let it chill for at least two minutes before heating it up again. Your patience will pay off!
If the adhesive along the bottom edge has cooled off too much, just give your iOpener another quick warm-up to get things nice and toasty where you’re working.
- Keep sliding that opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad, carefully pulling it out just enough to curve around the home button. Once you’ve passed the home button, pop the pick back in about half an inch (10 mm) deep and keep going!
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Step 20
When working with iPad 4 models, gently insert the pick up to about 1/2 inch (10 mm) in this area. Be careful not to damage the home button ribbon cable—it's a delicate part!
- Keep peeling away that adhesive all along the bottom edge of your iPad like a pro!
- Slide the opening pick snugly under the front glass near the home button and let it hang out there.
Step 21
- Pop the iOpener into the microwave for a quick heat session, then place it on the left edge of the iPad. This will help warm up the adhesive in that area, making it easier to work with.
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Step 22
If the adhesive has cooled off too much, pop the iOpener back along the top edge and keep at it. If the iOpener itself feels chilly, just give it another quick heat-up and you’re good to go.
- 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 super stubborn, so you might need to apply some serious elbow grease. Take it slow and steady to avoid any slips or scratches on you or your iPad.
- If your opening pick starts to get stuck in the glue, 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 toasty, feel free to take the iOpener off the iPad for a bit of ease. But if it's still holding on tight, just pop the iOpener back in the heat and rest it on the left edge while you tackle the task at hand.
- Keep peeling back the adhesive along 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 hangs out about 2" (50 mm) up from the bottom edge of the iPad. When sliding your pick in, ease up and stop 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 side of the iPad to peel away the adhesive. The adhesive here is thinner because of the digitizer running along the left edge, so keep your pick just a little under half an inch (about 10 mm) deep to avoid any accidental damage to the digitizer.
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 cutting this little guy.
- Slide the opening pick gently under the bottom edge of your iPad and carefully loosen the adhesive at the bottom left corner to get things moving.
Step 26
It looks like some of that adhesive around the iPad's edges has decided to stick around longer than expected. No worries! Just gently slide a pick under the area where the front glass is still holding on tight and give that adhesive a little 'snip' to free it up.
- Grab one of those handy opening picks and gently lift up the bottom right corner of your iPad. Once it's popped up a bit, use your fingers to hold onto it like a pro!
Step 27
Watch out for any sticky adhesive that might still be lurking around, and grab an opening pick to slice through any stubborn glue that's still keeping the front panel in place.
- Grab your iPad by the top and bottom right corners, and gently give the front glass a little twist to separate it from the device. Easy does it!
- Before putting everything back together, take a microfiber cloth and some compressed air to give the LCD a quick clean. Make sure to zap away any dust or fingerprints so the screen looks fresh and spotless when you reinstall the glass.
Step 28
The bottom left screw is hidden behind the home button ribbon cable connector. Gently shift the home button ribbon cable aside to access and remove that sneaky bottom left screw.
- Unscrew the four 2 mm Phillips #00 screws that are holding the LCD to the aluminum frame. These little guys are pretty easy to spot, so take them out carefully.
Step 29
Handle the LCD with care—its ribbon cable is delicate and could snap if you bend it too much. Keep it chill and steady!
- 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 let it rest on top of the front glass panel.
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Step 30
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift the tape that's keeping the LCD ribbon cable connector snug as a bug.
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Step 31
- Gently lift the retaining flap on the LCD ribbon cable ZIF connector. You've got this!
- With a light touch, either with your fingers or some tweezers, carefully pull the LCD ribbon cable out of its cozy home on the logic board.
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Step 32
- Carefully lift the LCD away from the front panel without making contact with the screen. You've got this!
Step 33
If you see it there, go ahead and peel off that piece of electrical tape that's hiding the Wi-Fi antenna, speaker cable, and home button ribbon cable. Time to reveal the magic underneath!
Step 34
- Gently lift the little flap holding down the home button ribbon cable ZIF connector to unlock it.
Step 35
- Grab your trusty tweezers and gently pull the home button ribbon cable straight out of its cozy little socket on the logic board. You've got this!
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Step 36
- Gently slide the home button ribbon cable out from its snug spot in the rear case.
Step 37
- Grab your trusty tweezers and gently lift the tape holding the digitizer ribbon cable onto the logic board. Easy does it!
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Step 38
- Lift up the retaining flap on both of the digitizer ribbon cable ZIF connectors with a gentle nudge.
Step 39
- Gently slide the flat end of your spudger under the digitizer ribbon cable to break up that sticky adhesive holding it down.
- Carefully pull the digitizer ribbon cable straight out from its connectors on the logic board—steady does it!
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Step 40
- Carefully lift the digitizer ribbon cable and gently use the flat end of a spudger to release the adhesive that’s holding it onto the rear aluminum case.
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Step 41
- Gently tug the digitizer ribbon cable out of its snug spot in the aluminum frame. A little pull, and you're on your way!
- Carefully lift the front panel away from the iPad. Be gentle, like you're opening a treasure chest.
Step 42
- Grab a trusty pair of tweezers and gently peel away the adhesive tape that's keeping the front-facing camera connector cozy. You got this!
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Step 43
- Grab your trusty spudger and use the flat end to gently pry the front-facing camera off its home on the headphone jack assembly. Easy does it!
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Step 44
- Gently slide the flat end of your trusty spudger under the front-facing camera and pop it out from its snug spot in the rear case.
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Step 45
- Now it's time to put your device back together! Just follow these steps in reverse and check out our guide on using the iPad 4 Wi-Fi Front Panel Adhesive strips to get that front panel back where it belongs. If you hit a snag, remember, we're here to help—feel free to schedule a repair anytime!
