DIY iPad 3 4G Display Bezel Replacement Guide
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 43 Steps
The display bezel guide was originally designed for the iPad 3 Wi-Fi. But guess what? The steps to pop off that display bezel are exactly the same for both the 4G and Wi-Fi versions!
Got a banged-up display bezel? No worries! This guide is here to help you swap it out like a pro. Originally crafted for the iPad 3 Wi-Fi, the steps to remove that bezel are just the same for the 4G and Wi-Fi models. So, roll up your sleeves and let’s get to it! And remember, if you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 1
We suggest giving your microwave a little TLC before diving in, as any leftover grime on the bottom might just hitch a ride on the iOpener.
– Pop the iOpener right in the middle of the microwave like a boss.
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Step 2
Hey there, keep an eye on that iOpener while you’re working! We don’t want it to get too hot and pop like a balloon. Aim to keep the temperature below 100˚C (212˚F).
If the iOpener looks like it’s puffing up, give it a break and don’t touch it.
If the middle of the iOpener is still too toasty to handle, just hang tight and let it cool down a bit before you reheat. A well-heated iOpener should stay cozy for about 10 minutes.
– Give the iOpener a warm hug in the microwave for thirty seconds.
– As you work through the repair, keep the iOpener cozy by reheating it in the microwave for another thirty seconds whenever it starts to cool down.
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Step 3
Heads up! The iOpener is going to be super toasty, so handle it with care. If it feels a bit too hot to handle, grab an oven mitt and stay safe!
– Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave, gripping it by one of the flat ends to steer clear of that hot middle part.
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Step 4
No microwave? No problem! Just pop your iOpener into some boiling water to heat it up.
– Grab a pot or pan and fill it up with enough water to completely submerge your iOpener. Let’s get it nice and cozy!
– Bring that water to a rolling boil and then turn off the heat. Safety first, friends!
– Carefully place your iOpener into the hot water and let it soak for about 2-3 minutes. Make sure it’s fully underwater for maximum warmth.
– Using tongs, gently lift the heated iOpener out of the water. Watch out, it’s going to be toasty!
– Give the iOpener a good towel dry. We want it nice and dry before the next step.
– Voilà! Your iOpener is all set and ready to tackle your repair needs! If it cools down and needs a little extra heat, just repeat the process: boil the water, turn off the heat, and let it soak for another 2-3 minutes. Easy peasy!
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Step 5
Put on those stylish safety glasses to keep your peepers protected, and watch out for that LCD screen—it’s more delicate than it looks!
– Got a cracked display? No worries! Let’s keep that glass from turning into confetti and avoid any accidents while you tackle this repair. Grab some tape and cover up that glass.
– Start by laying down some overlapping strips of clear packing tape across the iPad’s screen until it’s all wrapped up snugly.
– Now, just follow the rest of the guide as best as you can! Keep in mind that once the glass starts to break, it might want to keep cracking a bit. You might even need to grab a metal prying tool to help you scoop out the shards. You’ve got this!
Step 6
Just a friendly reminder: when dealing with shattered glass, it’s a smart move to rock some safety glasses. They’ll keep those pesky shards from spoiling your day!
– Place the iOpener flat against the right edge of your iPad, ensuring it’s snug and cozy for optimal contact with the surface.
– Give the bag a little time to work its magic on the iPad—about 90 seconds should do the trick—before you start prying the front panel open.
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Step 7
It might take a bit of elbow grease to slide that wedged tip of your trusty opening tool between the glass and plastic. Just take your time, stay cool, and give the plastic opening tool a little wiggle here and there as needed.
– Look closely at your iPad; you’ll spot a little gap in the adhesive ring at the upper right corner, about 2.0 inches (~5 cm) from the top. Time to use that to your advantage!
– Now, align your tool with the mute button. Carefully insert the tip of a plastic opening tool into the gap between the front glass and the plastic bezel. Just slide in the very tip, enough to gently widen that crack.
Step 9
– With the plastic opening tool snugly nestled between the front glass and plastic bezel, gently slide a plastic opening pick into that little gap, right alongside the tool. You’re doing great!
Step 10
– Take that handy plastic opening tool out from your iPad and slide the opening pick in deeper under the front glass—aim for about half an inch. You’ve got this!
Step 12
That adhesive is really tough! You might need to channel your inner superhero for this one. Just take it slow and steady.
If you can spot the tip of the opening pick peeking out from under the front glass, gently pull it out a smidge. While it’s totally safe to use the pick this deep, just a heads up: it might leave some adhesive goop on the LCD. No biggie, just keep that in mind!
– As the iOpener warms up the bottom edge, start peeling away the adhesive from the right edge of your iPad.
– Gently slide the opening pick down along the edge of the iPad, letting it work its magic to release the adhesive.
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Step 13
As you let go of the adhesive, you might want to slide that warm iOpener back onto the right edge of the iPad. Just keep in mind how long the iPad has had to cool off while you were busy working your magic.
– If your opening pick is having a tough time and getting stuck in the adhesive, just give it a little ‘roll’ along the edge of the iPad to help loosen that sticky stuff up.
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Step 14
– Before you pluck out that first opening pick from the bottom corner of your iPad, slide a second pick under the right edge of the front glass. This little buddy will help keep the adhesive from making any sticky comebacks!
– Give your iOpener a little warmth boost, then place it on the top edge of the iPad. Let’s keep things nice and toasty!
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Step 15
Hey there! The Wi-Fi antenna hangs out at the bottom right edge of the iPad’s rear case, secured by screws and a cable. Just a heads up: due to the antenna’s placement, it’s super important to handle this part with care. A little misstep could lead to some unfortunate and permanent damage to the Wi-Fi antenna. So, let’s keep it cool and proceed with caution!
– Time to get a bit careful, my friend! The next few steps are all about precision.
– You’ll need to gently release the adhesive that’s holding the antenna to the front panel. Just make sure to be super delicate so you don’t accidentally mess up the fragile parts that connect the antenna to the bottom of the iPad. Take your time and follow the upcoming steps closely.
Step 16
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder: don’t slide that pick beyond the bottom right corner. It’s a sneaky move that could put the Wi-Fi antenna in harm’s way!
– Gently glide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPad to free up that pesky adhesive.
Step 17
As you glide the opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel, be extra careful! The Wi-Fi antenna is lurking close to the corner, and if the adhesive gets a little too cozy with your pick, it could end up severed. Let’s keep everything intact, shall we?
Just a heads up! When you’re working with the pick under the front glass, keep it in place—don’t pull it all the way out! Just wiggle it out a smidge so that about 1/8″ (3 mm) of the tip is still snugly tucked under the glass. You’re doing great!
– Gently glide the tip of the opening pick along the bottom edge of your iPad to free the adhesive around the Wi-Fi antenna. You’ve got this!
Step 18
– After you’ve navigated past the Wi-Fi antenna (that’s about 3″ (75 mm) from the right edge, or right next to the home button), gently slide the opening pick back in all the way.
– Now, give that pick a little nudge to the right to break free the adhesive that’s holding the Wi-Fi antenna snug against the front glass.
Step 19
Keep your iOpener chill! Heat it for just a minute at a time, and give it a little breather of at least two minutes before you heat it up again.
If the adhesive has gotten a bit too cool along the bottom edge, just give that iOpener a little extra heat to warm things up where you’re working. No stress, you’ve got this!
– Keep easing that adhesive along the bottom of the iPad, gently pulling the opening pick out far enough to navigate around the home button. Once you’ve successfully passed the home button, re-insert the pick to a depth of about 1/2 inch (10 mm) for optimal access.
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Step 20
– Keep working that adhesive loose all along the bottom edge of your iPad. You’ve got this!
– Slide the opening pick in and leave it snug under the front glass by the home button. It’s like giving your iPad a little hug!
Step 22
If the adhesive has cooled down a bit too much, just pop the iOpener back along the top edge and keep at it! And if your iOpener feels a little chilly, give it a warm-up session and it’ll be ready to roll again.
– Gently glide the opening pick along the top edge of your iPad, giving it a little tug to navigate around the front-facing camera bracket.
– The adhesive here is pretty strong, so don’t be shy about applying some pressure. Just take your time and be cautious to avoid any slips that could harm you or your iPad.
– If the opening pick feels like it’s stuck in the adhesive, try ‘rolling’ it as demonstrated in step 9.
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Step 23
If the adhesive is nice and toasty, go ahead and take the iOpener off the iPad for a smoother ride. But if it’s still feeling a bit too clingy, give the iOpener another warm-up and place it on the left edge while you tackle the task at hand.
– Keep peeling away the adhesive along the top edge of your iPad, and gently glide the opening pick around the top left corner.
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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, take a breather when you’re around 2.25 inches (60 mm) from the bottom. You’ve got this!
– Gently glide the opening pick down the left edge of your iPad, letting it work its magic on the adhesive as you go. The adhesive here is pretty thin, thanks to the digitizer that runs along the entire left side. Just a friendly tip: keep the pick depth to a maximum of 1/2 inch (10 mm) to avoid any unintentional damage to the digitizer.
Step 25
Hey there! Just a heads up: the bottom of the digitizer cable is hanging out just about an inch (25 mm) from the bottom of the iPad. So, take it easy and be super careful while you’re working—let’s not accidentally cut that cable, alright?
– With the trusty opening pick still nestled under the bottom edge of your iPad, gently pop the adhesive free at the bottom left corner. You’ve got this!
Step 26
– Grab an opening pick and gently pry up the bottom right corner of your iPad. Once it’s lifted, give it a little pinch with your fingers to hold it steady.
Step 27
Watch out for any sneaky adhesive that might still be hanging around! Grab an opening pick and gently slice through any sticky stuff that’s keeping that front panel in place.
– Grab your iPad by the top and bottom right corners and gently twist the front glass away from the device. It’s like a little dance move for your gadget!
– When putting everything back together, make sure to grab a microfiber cloth and some compressed air to wipe away any pesky dust or fingerprints from the LCD before you set the glass back in place. A clean screen is a happy screen!
Step 28
– Go ahead and take out those four 2 mm Phillips #00 screws that are holding the LCD tight against the aluminum frame. You’ve got this!
Step 29
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool or a spudger and gently lift the right edge of the LCD out of the iPad. You’ve got this!
– Now, give that LCD a little rotation along its left edge and carefully lay it down on top of the front panel. Easy peasy!
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Step 30
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift the tape that’s hiding the LCD ribbon cable connector. Let’s uncover that connection!
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Step 31
– Gently lift the retaining flap on the LCD ribbon cable ZIF connector like you’re opening a treasure chest.
– With a little finesse, use your fingers or tweezers to wiggle the LCD ribbon cable out of its cozy spot on the logic board.
– If your iPad decides to play hard to get and the LCD screen doesn’t light up after connecting the ZIF connector, just hold down the power button and home button for about ten seconds until the Apple logo makes its grand entrance. You’ve got this!
Step 32
– Gently lift the LCD off the front panel without touching its surface. You’ve got this!
Step 33
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift the tape holding the touchscreen ribbon cable to the logic board. You’ve got this!
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Step 34
– Gently lift the retaining flap on both of the ZIF connectors for the touchscreen ribbon cable. You’ve got this!
Step 35
– Gently slide the flat end of a spudger under the adhesive holding the digitizer ribbon cable in place and give it a little nudge to loosen it up.
– Carefully pull the digitizer ribbon cable straight out of its sockets on the logic board, like you’re unveiling a surprise!
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Step 36
– Gently lift the touchscreen ribbon cable and grab your trusty spudger. Use the flat end to carefully free the adhesive that’s keeping the cable snug against the rear aluminum case. You’ve got this!
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Step 37
– Gently coax the touchscreen ribbon cable out of its cozy spot in the aluminum frame using your fingers. No need to rush, it’s a delicate operation!
– Carefully lift the front panel away from the iPad. You’re doing great—keep it up!
Step 38
– Gently wedge the plastic opening tool between the plastic and aluminum frames at one of the corners.
– Carefully glide the plastic opening tool along the edge of the iPad to break free the adhesive.
Step 39
– Keep that groove going! Slide the plastic opening tool along the entire left edge of your iPad like a pro.
Step 40
– As you approach the bottom left corner, give that plastic opening tool a little twist around the edge and keep gliding it along the bottom. You’re doing great!
Step 41
– Keep on gliding that trusty plastic opening tool down the right side of your iPad like a pro!
Step 42
– Keep an eye on that front-facing camera while you gently glide the plastic opening tool along the top edge of the iPad. We want to avoid any unexpected surprises!
