How to Replace iPhone 16 Plus 5G mmWave Antenna
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 31 Steps
Follow this guide to swap out the 5G mmWave antenna in your iPhone 16 Plus. Note: This antenna is exclusive to USA models (A3082). Replace the antenna if your phone has trouble with cellular connectivity but works fine on Wi-Fi. You’ll need replacement back glass and 5G mmWave antenna adhesive to finish this repair. You can use thin, double-sided tape as a substitute for the specialty-cut adhesive. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 1
Let your phone’s battery run down to 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 free your phone from any cables it might be tangled up with. Unplug them all!
– Now, give a little love to your power and volume buttons! Hold them together and slide to power off your phone like a pro.
Step 2
Ensure there’s a nice, smooth patch near the bottom edge that’s large enough for a suction cup to grab onto.
– If your screen or back glass is looking a bit worse for wear with some serious cracks, don’t fret! Just grab some packing tape and lay down some overlapping strips over the glass. This will not only keep you safe but will also make the disassembly process a breeze. You’ve got this!
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Step 3
Be careful with that opening pick! If you push it in too deep, it could hurt your device. Use this step to mark your pick and keep things safe.
Feel free to mark the other corners of the pick with varying measurements for extra accuracy.
Another option is to attach a coin to a pick about 3 mm from the tip using tape. It’s a neat little trick!
– Grab your trusty opening pick and measure out 3 mm from the tip—then put a little mark on it with a permanent marker. You’re doing great!
Step 4
– Grab your P2 pentalobe driver and unscrew the two 7.7 mm-long screws hanging out by the USB-C port.
Step 5
In the next five steps, we’ll show you how to use the Anti-Clamp, our nifty little tool that makes opening your device a breeze. If you’re not rocking the Anti-Clamp, no worries—just hop down four steps for a different approach!
The Anti-Clamp works its magic by applying suction to both the screen and the back glass. If you’re just looking to pop the back glass open, be sure to tape down the screen first.
For a complete rundown on how to master the Anti-Clamp, be sure to check out this guide.
Just a quick reminder: make sure the tape is only holding the screen in place and not the back glass. We wouldn’t want anything getting stuck!
– Snip two strips of tape, place them along the longer sides of your phone, and fold them over the screen to keep everything snug and secure.
Step 6
If your phone’s surface is too slippery for the Anti-Clamp, grab some tape and create a grippy zone. Need help? You can always schedule a repair.
– Give the Anti-Clamp’s blue handle a little tug backward to free those arms.
– With the back glass looking up at you, slide the arms over the right side 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.
– Keep your phone nice and level while it’s nestled between the Anti-Clamp’s arms—using a small box is a smart move.
– Now, squeeze those cups together to create some good suction magic!
Step 7
If tape isn’t on hand, try giving those suction cups a little warmth to make them stick better.
– Give that blue handle a gentle tug forward to secure the arms in place.
– Now, twist the handle a complete turn (360 degrees) or until those cups start to stretch a bit.
– As the cups stretch, keep an eye on their vertical alignment. If they start to wander off, simply take off the Anti-Clamp and grab some tape to help those cups stay put.
Step 8
Watch out! Don’t crank up the heat on your phone too much—those batteries get super touchy with high temps. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Alternatively, grab a hair dryer or a heat gun and warm up the bottom edge of that back glass until it’s nice and toasty. We want it hot enough to feel it, not burn it!
If you don’t see a gap forming after a minute, don’t sweat it! Just add a bit more heat and give the handle a quarter turn. Let the Anti-Clamp work its magic while you kick back and repeat this step as needed.
– Warm up your iOpener and place it on the bottom edge of the back glass for a couple of minutes.
– Give it a minute for the adhesive to loosen and a gap to appear between the back glass and the frame.
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Step 9
– Wedge the opening pick’s tip into the gap.
– Use the pull tabs on the suction cups to detach the Anti-Clamp.
– Skip the next two steps.
Step 10
Hey, keep it cool! Don’t heat the phone beyond this point—the battery isn’t a fan of too much heat. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Or, you can crank up a hair dryer or heat gun to warm up the bottom edge of the back glass until it’s toasty.
– Warm up the bottom edge of the back glass with a heated iOpener for about two minutes to get things nice and toasty.
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Step 11
– Slap that suction handle onto the bottom edge of the back glass, right above the USB-C port.
– Give it a good tug with steady force to create a gap between the back glass and the frame.
– Slide the tip of an opening pick into the gap you’ve just made. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
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Step 12
As you slice through the adhesive securing the back glass in the next steps, watch out for these areas:
– Watch out for the delicate cable that connects the back glass to the phone, right by the volume up button. It’s a bit shy, so let’s keep your pick away from it to avoid any accidental slicing.
– You’ll notice several spring contacts around the edge of the phone. Be super cautious not to insert your pick deeper than what we suggest in each step, as bending these contacts can be a real party pooper.
Step 13
Keep your pick at 5 mm or shallower when working on the bottom edge to protect those spring contacts from any accidental damage. You’ve got this!
– Wiggle your pick along the bottom edge to break that adhesive bond.
– Keep your pick lodged in the bottom right corner to keep the adhesive from sticking back.
Step 14
Grab your hair dryer or heat gun and warm up that back glass until it’s toasty enough to touch!
– Warm up your iOpener and place it on the right edge of the back glass for two minutes. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
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Step 15
Keep your pick no deeper than 5 mm along the right edge to steer clear of those delicate spring contacts and ribbon cables!
Avoid slicing near the volume buttons—let’s keep that wireless charging/flash cable happy and intact!
– Swing your pick around the bottom right corner and glide it halfway up the right edge. Stop when you feel a clip securing the back glass.
– Keep this pick inserted to prevent the adhesive from sticking back together.
Step 16
Grab your hair dryer or heat gun and give it a little love until it’s pleasantly warm to the touch.
– Warm things up by applying a heated iOpener to the left edge of the back glass for a solid two minutes. Let’s get that adhesive loosened up!
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Step 17
Keep it cool and casual: don’t go more than 5 mm deep on the left edge to avoid messing with the spring contact. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
You’ll feel and hear those little metal clips giving way as you glide past them!
– Pop in a second opening pick at the bottom edge to get things started.
– Gently glide the second pick around the bottom left corner and along the left edge of the screen to free up that adhesive and let those metal clips go.
– Keep this pick snugly in place at the top left corner to keep the adhesive from giving you any trouble.
Step 18
Grab your trusty hair dryer or heat gun and warm it up until it’s nice and toasty to the touch!
– Heat up that iOpener and give it a cozy spot on the top edge of the back glass, making sure to angle it just right to warm up those volume buttons too. Let it hang out there for a solid two minutes.
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Step 19
Be careful not to poke your pick deeper than 3 mm along the top edge; we wouldn’t want to mess up those delicate spring contacts!
You’ll feel and hear clicks as the top two clips pop free.
– Gently glide your opening pick along the top edge and around the top right corner, making your way to the volume up button to break that adhesive seal.
Step 20
Hey there! Hold up on yanking off that back glass—it’s still cozy with a fragile ribbon cable. Just follow the upcoming steps to ease it off safely and keep everything intact!
If the back glass isn’t opening up smoothly, don’t try to muscle through it—just take a stroll around the edges with your pick to see if you missed any sneaky adhesive or stubborn clips.
You might need to give the back glass a gentle lift before swinging it open to fully release those clips. You’ve got this!
– Carefully swing the back glass open towards the volume buttons, like a gentle door opening to good vibes.
– Hold the back glass in place with a clean, sturdy item, such as a small box, to keep that cable happy and stress-free.
– Now, go ahead and remove those opening picks with a smile!
Step 21
– Grab your tri-point Y000 driver and unscrew the two 1.3mm screws holding the middle connector cover. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 22
Stay cool and take care not to ding or poke the battery during this step.
– Grab some blunt-nose tweezers or use those nimble fingers to slide the cover to the left edge of your phone and unhook it from the logic board.
– Off comes the cover!
– To put it back together, align those hooks over their slots on the logic board. Press down on the cover and slide it to the right edge to hook it back in.
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Step 23
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry up that battery press connector to disconnect it. You’ve got this!
– When it’s time to put everything back together, make sure to line up the connector just right over its socket. Give it a gentle press with your fingertip or the flat end of your spudger—start on one side, then switch to the other—until you hear that satisfying click. Remember, no need to force it! If it’s being a bit stubborn, just reposition and give it another go. You’ve got the skills to make it happen!
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Step 24
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently nudge up the wireless charging coil press connector to disconnect it. You’ve got this!
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Step 25
– Gently lift the back glass off the frame and set it aside.
– Now, during the reassembly phase:
– Here’s a great moment to ensure everything is working smoothly before sealing up your device. Reconnect the battery and back glass temporarily (just don’t forget to hold off on the adhesive for now), power up your phone, and check if everything is functioning as it should. Once you’ve confirmed it’s all good, power it down, disconnect the battery again, and let’s get back to reassembling.
– Follow this guide to reapply adhesive and get that back glass snugly back in place.
Step 26
– Pop off the four screws securing the upper connector cover:
– Two 1.4 mm-long Phillips screws
– One 3.5 mm-long Phillips screw
– One 1.0 mm-long tri-point Y000 screw
Step 27
– Grab those tweezers or use your trusty fingers to gently pop off the upper connector cover. You’ve got this!
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Step 28
– Gently use the tip of a spudger to lift and disconnect the 5G mmWave antenna press connector. You’ve got this!
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Step 29
For a better grip, twist the adhesive around the tip of your tweezers as you pull. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
– Grab that stretch-release adhesive pull-tab with your tweezers, it’s hanging out on the right edge of the 5G mmWave antenna.
– Now, gently and steadily pull the stretch-release adhesive strip out at a nice low angle. Give it some time to stretch and separate from under the antenna—patience is key!
– If the adhesive strip decides to break on you, no worries! Use your tweezers to fish it out and keep pulling.
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Step 30
– Gently lift the 5G mmWave antenna away from the earpiece speaker and carefully take it off.
Step 31
If your replacement part doesn’t come with fresh adhesive, grab a 4 mm x 16 mm strip of thin, double-sided tape to help stick that antenna onto the earpiece speaker like a pro!
– As we dive into reassembly, let’s keep it smooth and steady!
– Gently use tweezers or your fingers to peel away the old adhesive from the top of the earpiece speaker and the back of the antenna. It’s like unwrapping a present, but for your device!
– Next, slide that shiny new antenna right under the front camera cables, ensuring its cable finds a cozy spot in the channel above the logic board.
– Now, let’s connect the antenna press connector! Give it a little press onto the earpiece speaker to ensure it sticks around.
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