DIY iPhone 16 Taptic Engine Replacement Guide: Step-by-Step
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 28 Steps
Ready to bring your iPhone 16 back to life? If your phone’s vibrations are feeling a bit shaky or hit-or-miss, it might be time to swap out that Taptic Engine. Don’t forget, you’ll want to grab some replacement back glass adhesive to wrap up this repair like a pro. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 1
Let your phone’s battery dip below 25%—keeping it charged can turn it into a bit of a drama queen when it comes to safety!
– First things first, let’s unplug those cables from your phone. It’s time to set it free!
– Now, grab both the power button and either of the volume buttons. Hold them together and then slide to power off your phone. Easy peasy!
Step 2
Ensure there’s a nice, flat spot near the bottom edge that’s spacious enough for a suction cup to grab on tight.
– If your screen or back glass is in rough shape, don’t fret! Just grab some packing tape and lay down a few overlapping strips over the glass. This will keep you safe and make it a breeze to take everything apart.
Tools Used
Step 3
– Grab your trusty P2 pentalobe driver and unscrew those two 7.7 mm-long screws flanking the charging port. You’ve got this!
Step 4
Be careful not to push your opening pick in too deep – you don’t want to hurt your device! A little marking goes a long way in keeping things safe.
Feel free to mark the other corners of your pick with various measurements for extra precision.
Another handy tip is to tape a coin 3 mm from the tip of your pick. It’s a simple trick that helps you keep things just right!
– Take your trusty opening pick and measure out 3 mm from the tip. Give it a little mark with a permanent marker to keep your aim sharp!
Step 5
In the next four steps, we’ll show you how to use the Anti-Clamp, a nifty tool we’ve created to simplify the opening process. If you’re not using the Anti-Clamp, feel free to skip ahead four steps for a different approach.
The Anti-Clamp works by applying suction to both the screen and the back glass. If you want to open just the back glass, don’t forget to tape down the screen. For more details on using that tape like a pro, check out our full instructions.
For a comprehensive guide on how to master the Anti-Clamp, take a peek at this guide.
Just a quick reminder: make sure the tape is only holding the screen and not the back glass. We’re all about keeping things neat!
– Grab two strips of tape, lay them along the long edges of your phone, and then fold them over the screen to keep everything nice and snug.
Step 6
If your iPhone’s surface feels a bit too slick for the Anti-Clamp to grab on to, just grab some tape and give it a little texture boost!
– Give that blue handle on the Anti-Clamp a good pull backward to get those arms ready for action!
– With the back glass facing up, carefully slide those arms over to the right edge of your phone, placing one suction cup on the back glass and the other on the screen. Aim to center those cups near the bottom edge for optimal grip.
– Make sure your phone is resting nice and level between the arms of the Anti-Clamp—using a small box underneath works like a charm.
– Now, squeeze those cups together to create some suction magic!
Step 7
If tape isn’t in your toolkit, try warming up those suction cups a bit – they’ll stick like they mean it!
– Give that blue handle a gentle tug forward to secure the arms in place.
– Now, twist the handle a full 360 degrees or until you see those cups starting to stretch out.
– As those cups stretch, keep an eye on their vertical alignment. If they’re slipping out of place, feel free to remove the Anti-Clamp and stick some tape on there to help the cups hold tight.
Step 8
Keep an eye on the heat while working on your phone—too much warmth can be a bummer for the battery. Let’s keep it cool!
If you don’t see a gap forming after a minute, no worries! Just add a bit more heat and give that handle a little twist—about a quarter turn should do the trick. Let the Anti‑Clamp work its magic while you kick back and relax.
– Grab your trusty hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the bottom edge of the back glass until it feels nice and toasty.
– Give it a moment—up to a minute should do—so the adhesive can loosen up and a little gap can form between the back glass and the frame.
– Slide an opening pick into that gap you’ve created.
– Time to say goodbye to the Anti-Clamp! Use those pull tabs on the suction cups to help you out.
– Go ahead and skip the next two steps.
Tools Used
Step 9
Feeling a bit warm? Grab an iOpener to gently heat up that stubborn back glass. Just follow these handy steps to ensure you’re heating and applying the iOpener like a pro!
– Grab your trusty hair dryer or heat gun and give the bottom edge of that back glass a nice warm hug until it’s toasty enough to touch!
Tools Used
Step 10
– Grab a suction handle and place it on the bottom edge of the back glass. You’ve got this!
– With one hand firmly supporting the frame, pull up on the handle with a steady and confident force to create a little gap between the back glass and the frame. Keep it steady!
– Now, slide the tip of an opening pick into that gap you just made. You’re doing great!
Tools Used
Step 11
As you carefully slice through the adhesive holding the back glass, remember to keep your pick no deeper than 3 mm to steer clear of any potential damage to the sensitive areas below. You’ve got this!
– Be gentle! There’s a fragile cable linking the back glass to the phone, snugly positioned next to the volume down button. It’s best to steer clear of your pick in this area to prevent any accidental snips to that cable.
– You’ll spot several spring contacts lining the edges of the phone. Just a heads up, these little guys are important!
Step 12
– Grab your trusty hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the right edge of that back glass until it’s toasty enough for a gentle touch. You’ve got this!
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Step 13
Keep your pick to a maximum of 3 mm deep to dodge any mishaps with the spring contacts.
Steer clear of sliding past the volume buttons to keep the wireless charging cable safe and sound.
You’ll hear and feel the satisfying click of the metal clip letting go as you glide past it.
Step 14
– Warm up the left edge of the back glass with a hair dryer or heat gun until it feels nice and toasty to the touch.
Tools Used
Step 15
Keep your pick under 3 mm deep—it’s a small space party down there, and we don’t want to accidentally crash into the spring contacts!
As you glide through, you’ll hear and feel those little metal clips popping loose like they’re ready to take a break!
– Slide in a second opening pick at the bottom edge—you’re doing great!
– Now, glide that second pick around the bottom left corner and along the left edge of the screen. This will help separate the adhesive and pop those metal clips loose. Keep it smooth!
– Once you’ve made some progress, leave this pick hanging out at the top left corner to keep that adhesive from sticking back together. You’ve got this!
Step 16
– Grab your trusty hair dryer or heat gun and give the top edge of that back glass a warm hug until it feels nice and toasty when you touch it.
Tools Used
Step 17
Keep your pick shallow, buddy! Don’t go deeper than 3 mm to keep those spring contacts safe and sound.
As you glide through, you’ll hear and feel those metal clips giving way like they’re ready for a break!
– Gently slide your second opening pick around the top left corner and along the top edge to break free the adhesive and let those metal clips go.
– Keep sliding your pick around the top right corner until you hit the Action button—you’re almost there!
– Leave this pick in place to keep that adhesive from making any sneaky reappearances.
Step 18
Now that you’ve got your back glass all cozy, it should be ready to pop off the frame. If it’s feeling a bit clingy, just glide your pick around the edges one more time to see if there’s any adhesive or clips that didn’t get the memo to let go.
– Gently swing the back glass to the right side of the phone to break free from the remaining adhesive. You’ve got this!
– Give that back glass some support with a clean, sturdy object. It’s like a cozy pillow for your phone!
– Before you move on, be sure to remove those opening picks. They’ve done their job, now it’s time to say goodbye!
Step 19
– Grab your trusty tri-point Y000 driver and get ready to work some magic! Unscrew those two 1 mm-long screws holding the middle connector cover in place. You’ve got this!
Step 20
– Grab a spudger and gently slide its point into one of the cutouts on the middle connector cover.
– Now, give that cover a little nudge to the left, letting it pop free from its cozy spot on the logic board.
– Go ahead and take off the cover; it’s time for some serious business!
– When you’re putting it all back together, just line up the hook with its slot on the logic board. Press the cover down firmly and slide it to the right until the hook clicks back into place. You’re doing great!
Tools Used
Step 21
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry up to disconnect that battery press connector. You’ve got this!
– When you’re putting it all back together, make sure to line up the connector just right over its socket. Give it a gentle press with your fingertip—first one side, then the other—until you hear that satisfying click. No need to muscle it in there; if it’s being tricky, just reposition and give it another go. Easy peasy!
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Step 22
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry up to disconnect the wireless charging coil press connector. You’ve got this!
Tools Used
Step 23
Now’s the perfect time to give your repair a quick test run before sealing everything up! Just temporarily hook up the battery and back glass, power on your phone, and see if it’s performing like a champ. Once you’re satisfied, power it down and let’s carry on with the reassembly.
– Gently lift the back glass away from the frame and take it off with care.
– When putting everything back together:
– Follow this guide to reapply adhesive and securely attach your back glass.
Step 24
– Grab your trusty Phillips screwdriver and tackle those two 1.8 mm-long screws holding down the Taptic Engine bracket. You’ve got this!
Step 25
– Grab those tweezers or just use your fingers to gently lift off the Taptic Engine bracket. You’ve got this!
Tools Used
Step 26
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently nudge up the Taptic Engine press connector to disconnect it. You’ve got this!
Tools Used
Step 27
– Grab your trusty Phillips screwdriver and let’s get those screws out! First up, you’ll need to remove the two screws holding the Taptic Engine in place:
– One screw that’s 2.2 mm long
– Another screw that’s 1.7 mm long
Step 28
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry the Taptic Engine out of its cozy little home in the frame.
– Go ahead and lift out the Taptic Engine with care.
Tools Used
