DIY Guide to Replace iPhone 16 Front Camera Assembly
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 27 Steps
Ready to give your iPhone 16 a little makeover? This guide will help you swap out the front camera assembly, which houses the front-facing camera and Face ID goodies. If your selfies are coming out a bit blurry or your camera is acting shy, it could be time for a new one. Don’t forget to grab some replacement back glass adhesive to wrap up this repair. And once you’re done, make sure to calibrate those authentic Apple front cameras using Repair Assistant. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 1
Let your phone’s battery dip below 25%—a fully charged lithium-ion battery can be a bit of a drama queen when it comes to safety.
– First things first, let’s disconnect those pesky cables from your phone. Give them a little wiggle and pull them out!
– Now, press and hold the power button along with either of the volume buttons. When you see the power-off slider, slide it to turn off your phone. Easy peasy!
Step 2
Ensure there’s a nice, clean spot near the bottom edge that’s spacious enough for a suction cup to grab onto.
– If your screen or back glass is sporting some serious cracks, grab some packing tape and lay down overlapping strips over the glass. This will keep you safe and make taking everything apart a breeze!
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Step 3
– Grab your trusty P2 pentalobe driver and get ready to unscrew! Carefully remove the two 7.7 mm-long screws snugly sitting on either side of the charging port. You’re doing great!
Step 4
Whoa there! If you push your opening pick in too deep, you might accidentally hurt your device. So let’s take a moment to mark your pick and keep everything safe.
Feeling crafty? You can also add different measurements to the other corners of the pick for extra precision.
Or, for a little fun, tape a coin about 3 mm from the tip of your pick. That’s a nifty trick!
– Take a moment to measure out 3 mm from the tip and give your opening pick a little mark with a permanent marker. You’ve got this!
Step 5
In the next four steps, we’ll show you how to use the Anti-Clamp, a nifty tool we’ve created to help you open your device without a hitch. If the Anti-Clamp isn’t in your toolkit, don’t worry—just skip down four steps for another way to get the job done.
The Anti-Clamp works its magic by applying suction to both the screen and the back glass. If you’re just looking to pop open the back glass, make sure to secure the screen with some tape first. And if you need a little more guidance on using that tape, we’ve got you covered.
For a detailed walkthrough on how to use the Anti-Clamp like a pro, check out this guide.
Just a friendly reminder: ensure that the tape is only holding the screen in place and not the back glass. Happy repairing!
– Grab two strips of tape, stick them down along the long edges of your phone, and then fold them over the screen to keep everything nice and secure.
Step 6
If your iPhone’s surface feels a bit too slick for the Anti-Clamp to get a good grip, just grab some tape and give it a little texture. You’ve got this!
– Give that Anti-Clamp’s blue handle a backward pull to set those arms free!
– With the back glass facing up, gently slide the arms over 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.
– Make sure your phone is resting nice and level between the Anti-Clamp’s arms—using a small box is a clever trick!
– Now, squeeze those cups together and let them create some suction magic.
Step 7
If tape isn’t on hand, try warming up those suction cups to help them stick better!
– Give the blue handle a gentle forward tug to secure those arms in place.
– Now, twist that handle a full 360 degrees or until you see those cups starting to stretch out.
– As the cups stretch, keep them in line like a well-organized dance team. If they start to wobble, no worries—just take off the Anti-Clamp and stick some tape on there to keep everything nice and steady.
Step 8
Just a friendly reminder: keep the heat in check! Going too hot could put your battery at risk for damage. Let’s keep it cool!
If a gap isn’t showing up after a minute, just crank up the heat a bit more and give that handle a quarter twist. Let the Anti‑Clamp do its magic and take your time—it’s got this!
– Grab your trusty hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the bottom edge of that back glass until it feels nice and toasty.
– Take a breather for about a minute while the adhesive does its thing and a little gap opens up between the back glass and the frame.
– Slide an opening pick into that gap like a pro.
– Say goodbye to the Anti-Clamp by pulling those tabs on the suction cups.
– Feel free to skip the next two steps and keep moving forward!
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Step 9
Feeling a bit chilly about that back glass? Grab an iOpener to give it a warm hug! Just follow these steps to heat things up and apply the iOpener like a pro.
– Grab a hair dryer or a heat gun and warm up the bottom edge of the back glass until it feels nice and toasty!
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Step 10
– Grab a suction handle and stick it to the bottom edge of that back glass. You’ve got this!
– With one hand giving a solid support to the frame, tug on that handle with a nice, steady pull to open up a little gap between the back glass and the frame. Easy peasy!
– Now, slide the tip of an opening pick into that gap and let’s keep the momentum going!
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Step 11
As you carefully slice through the adhesive holding the back glass, remember to keep your pick no deeper than 3 mm. We want to avoid any mishaps with the sensitive areas below!
– Be careful of that delicate cable connecting the back glass to your phone, right by the volume down button. It’s a sensitive little guy, so steer clear of inserting your pick here to avoid any accidental slicing!
– Watch out for those multiple spring contacts around the edge of your phone. They’re like little bouncers keeping everything in place!
Step 12
– Grab a hair dryer or heat gun and gently warm up the right edge of that back glass until it’s nice and toasty to the touch!
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Step 13
Keep your pick on the lighter side—no deeper than 3 mm to keep those spring contacts happy and intact!
Steer clear of the volume buttons; sliding past them could lead to a surprise encounter with the wireless charging cable!
You’ll feel and hear that satisfying metal clip pop free as you glide past it.
– Gently slide your pick around the bottom right corner and shimmy it over to the volume down button. This will help you break free that pesky adhesive and pop the metal clip loose.
– Keep that pick in place to keep the adhesive from playing tricks on you and resealing.
Step 14
– Grab a hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the left edge of that back glass until it feels toasty to the touch!
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Step 15
Keep your pick in check! Don’t go deeper than 3 mm to steer clear of those delicate spring contacts.
As you glide along, you’ll hear and feel those little metal clips giving way!
– Pop in a second opening pick at the bottom edge.
– Gently slide that second pick around the bottom left corner and along the left edge of the screen to break free from the adhesive and let those metal clips go.
– Keep that pick snugly in place at the top left corner to stop the adhesive from making a comeback.
Step 16
– Grab your trusty hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the top edge of the back glass until it feels nice and toasty to the touch.
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Step 17
Keep your pick’s depth to no more than 3 mm to steer clear of any mishaps with the spring contacts!
As you glide along, you’ll hear and feel those metal clips giving way. It’s like music to your ears!
– Gently slide your second opening pick around that top left corner and along the top edge to break free the adhesive and pop those metal clips loose.
– Keep the good vibes going by sliding your pick around the top right corner until you hit the Action button.
– Leave that pick in place to keep the adhesive from sticking back together. You’ve got this!
Step 18
Alright, we’re getting close! The back glass should now be loose from the frame. If it seems a bit stubborn, don’t worry! Just take your pick and check around the edges for any sneaky adhesive or clips that might still be hanging on. You’re doing great!
– Gently swing the back glass to the right to break free from the stubborn adhesive holding it down.
– Give the back glass some support with a clean, solid object to keep it steady.
– Don’t forget to remove the opening picks before moving on to the next step!
Step 19
– Grab your trusty tri-point Y000 driver and get ready to tackle those two 1 mm-long screws holding down the middle connector cover. Let’s do this!
Step 20
– Gently slide the tip of your spudger into one of the nifty cutouts on the middle connector cover.
– Give that cover a little nudge to the left, letting it pop free from its snug spot on the logic board.
– Now, go ahead and lift off that cover with ease.
– When you’re putting it all back together, just align that hook with its cozy slot on the logic board. Press the cover down and slide it to the right to snap it back into place like a champ!
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Step 21
– Grab a spudger and gently nudge it under the battery connector to lift it up and disconnect it. Easy peasy!
– When you’re putting everything 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. Remember, no need to force it! If it’s being a bit stubborn, just adjust it and give it another go. You’ve got this!
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Step 22
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift up to disconnect that wireless charging coil press connector. You’ve got this!
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Step 23
Now’s a great time to give your repair a little test run before sealing everything up. Go ahead and temporarily reconnect the battery and back glass, power on your phone, and see if it’s working like a charm! Once you’re satisfied, power it back down and let’s get back to reassembling.
– Gently lift the back glass off the frame and set it aside.
– When you’re ready to put it all back together:
– Follow this guide to reapply the adhesive and securely reinstall your back glass.
Step 24
– Grab your trusty screwdriver and let’s tackle those four screws holding the top bracket in place:
– One Phillips screw that’s 3.5 mm long—easy peasy!
– Two more Phillips screws, each measuring 1.4 mm long—you’re almost there!
– And don’t forget about the one tri-point Y000 screw that’s 1.0 mm long—it’s the final piece of the puzzle!
Step 25
– Grab those tweezers or use your fingers to gently lift off the top bracket. You’ve got this!
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Step 26
The second press connector is hiding right under the first one.
– Grab the spudger and gently lift up to disconnect those two front camera press connectors. You’ve got this!
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Step 27
– Slide the spudger’s point into the gap between the top of the front camera and the frame.
– Gently lift the front camera out of its cozy spot in the frame and set it aside.
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