How to Replace iPad Wi-Fi Home Button Control Board Tutorial
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 38 Steps
Get ready to tackle that Home Button Control Board replacement! With this guide, you’ll be able to navigate the process like a pro. If you run into any bumps along the way, remember, you can always schedule a repair for some expert help!
Step 1
It’s a good idea to give your microwave a quick clean before diving in. Any stubborn gunk on the bottom might just hitch a ride on the iOpener, and we want to avoid that mess!
– Pop the iOpener right in the middle of the microwave and let it soak up that heat!
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Step 2
Keep an eye on the iOpener and don’t let it get too hot during your repair adventure! If it overheats, it could pop like a balloon. Remember, no heating beyond 100˚C (212˚F)!
If the iOpener looks like it’s been hitting the gym and is all swollen, steer clear of it!
If the center of the iOpener is still a bit too toasty to handle, just hang tight and let it cool down a little more before you give it another heat-up. A well-heated iOpener should keep the warmth for about 10 minutes—perfect for your repair needs!
– Give that iOpener a warm-up in the microwave for thirty seconds!
– As you work through the repair, keep an eye on your iOpener. If it starts to cool down, just pop it back in the microwave for another thirty seconds. You’ve got this!
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Step 3
The iOpener is going to be quite toasty, so handle it with care! An oven mitt can be your best buddy here if you need a little extra protection.
– Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave, gripping one of the flat ends to keep your fingers safe from the hot center. You’ve got this!
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Step 4
If you’re not packing a microwave, no worries! Just take a detour and warm up your iOpener in some boiling water instead.
– Grab a pot or pan and fill it up with enough water to completely dunk that iOpener.
– Bring the water to a bubbling boil and then turn off the heat—safety first!
– Carefully lower the iOpener into the hot water for about 2-3 minutes. Make sure it’s taking a nice, warm bath!
– Using tongs, gently fish out the heated iOpener from the water.
– Give the iOpener a good towel dry to ensure it’s all set.
– Voila! Your iOpener is ready to roll! If you need to give it another warm-up, just repeat the process: boil the water, turn off the heat, and let the iOpener soak for another 2-3 minutes.
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Step 5
Put on those stylish safety glasses to keep your peepers safe, and watch out for that LCD screen – we don’t want any accidental mishaps!
– If your display glass is looking a bit worse for wear, let’s keep it from shattering all over the place and avoid any accidental ouches during your repair. Grab some tape and cover that glass up!
– Start by laying down some clear packing tape in overlapping strips over the iPad’s display until you’ve got the whole face protected. It’s like giving your device a cozy blanket!
– Try your best to stick to the rest of the guide as we navigate this repair adventure. Just a heads up, once the glass starts to crack, it might get a little feisty and continue to break. Don’t worry though, a metal prying tool can help you scoop out the glass when needed. You’ve got this!
Step 6
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder that while you’re getting your hands dirty with that tricky broken glass, it’s a smart move to rock some safety glasses. They’ll keep those pesky shards from making a surprise appearance. Safety first, repair heroes!
– Place the iOpener flat against the right edge of your iPad, ensuring it makes solid contact with the surface. You want it to feel right, like a cozy hug for your device!
– Give it about 90 seconds to work its magic before you start prying open the front panel. Patience is key, and you’re doing great!
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Step 7
Getting that wedged tip of the opening tool in between the glass and plastic might take a little muscle. Just take your time and stay cool! Gently wiggle the plastic tool back and forth as needed to make it work. You’ve got this!
– Spotting a tiny gap in the iPad’s adhesive ring at the upper right corner? That’s about 2.0 inches (~5 cm) down from the top. Time to take advantage of that little opening!
– Get your tool lined up with the mute button. Gently 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 to give that crack a little nudge!
Step 9
– With the plastic opening tool snugly positioned between the front glass and the plastic bezel, gently slide a plastic opening pick into the gap right alongside the tool. You’re doing great!
Step 10
– Take out the plastic opening tool from the iPad and slide that opening pick in a bit deeper, about half an inch under the front glass. You’re doing great!
Step 12
This adhesive is super strong, so you might need to put in a little muscle! Just take your time and be gentle with it.
If the tip of your opening pick is peeking out from under the front glass, give it a gentle tug. Don’t worry, using the pick this far in won’t hurt anything, but it might leave some sticky residue on the LCD. Keep it cool and keep going!
– As the iOpener works its magic on the bottom edge, start gently peeling away the adhesive from the right edge of your iPad.
– Carefully slide the opening pick down the edge of the iPad, releasing that sticky adhesive along the way.
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Step 13
You might need to shift that warm iOpener back over to the right edge of your iPad as you peel away the adhesive. This will depend on how long your iPad has been cooling off while you’ve been busy working your magic.
– If your trusty opening pick is feeling a bit sticky in the adhesive, give it a little ‘roll’ along the iPad’s edge to keep on freeing that adhesive. You’ve got this!
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Step 14
– Before you dive in and pop out that first opening pick from the bottom corner of your iPad, make sure to slide a second pick under the right edge of the front glass. This little buddy will help keep the adhesive from sticking back together!
– Give your iOpener a quick re-heat and then place it at the top edge of the iPad. You’re on your way to a successful repair!
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Step 15
The Wi-Fi antenna is cozying up to the bottom right edge of the rear case of your iPad, held on by screws and a cable. Since the Wi-Fi antenna has a bit of a quirky position, it’s super important to handle it with care—otherwise, you might end up causing some permanent damage to it. So, let’s keep it safe and sound!
– Alright, folks, it’s time to tread carefully through the next few steps.
– You’ll need to gently peel away the adhesive holding the antenna to the front panel, all while being super mindful of the sensitive components connecting the antenna to the bottom of the iPad. Take it slow and follow these steps with care!
Step 16
Keep that pick from sliding too far into the bottom right corner! You wouldn’t want to accidentally give your Wi-Fi antenna a rough day, would you?
– Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of your iPad to free up that pesky adhesive. You’ve got this!
Step 17
Take your time sliding the opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel. Just a heads up, the Wi-Fi antenna is sneaky close to the corner, and if you’re not careful with that adhesive, it could end up in a sticky situation!
Just a friendly tip: don’t yank the pick all the way out from under the front glass! Give it a gentle tug so about ~1/8″ (3 mm) of the tip stays snug under there. You’ve got this!
– Gently glide the tip of your opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad, freeing up the adhesive that’s hugging the Wi-Fi antenna.
Step 18
– Now that you’ve gracefully glided past the Wi-Fi antenna (that’s about 3″ or 75 mm from the right edge, right near the home button), gently reinsert that opening pick all the way in.
– Give the pick a little slide to the right to free the adhesive holding the Wi-Fi antenna snugly to the front glass. You’ve got this!
Step 19
Keep the iOpener cozy, but not too toasty! Heat it for no more than a minute at a time, and give it a breather of at least two minutes before warming it up again.
– Keep on peeling away that adhesive at the bottom of your iPad! Gently pull the opening pick out far enough to glide around the home button, and then slide it back in until it’s about 1/2 inch (10 mm) deep, just past the home button. You’ve got this!
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Step 20
– Keep on peeling that adhesive all the way across the bottom edge of your iPad like a pro!
– Slide the opening pick snugly under the front glass by the home button and let it hang out there.
Step 22
If your adhesive has decided to cool off too much, just swap in the iOpener along the top edge and keep on going! If the iOpener itself feels a bit too chilly, give it a quick reheat and you’re good to go!
– Gently slide the opening pick along the top edge of your iPad, giving it a little tug to navigate around that pesky front-facing camera bracket.
– This section has some super sticky adhesive, so you might need to put in a bit of muscle. Take your time and be cautious—nobody wants to slip and hurt themselves or their iPad!
– If your opening pick feels like it’s getting glued down, try ‘rolling’ it like shown in step 9. You’ve got this!
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Step 23
If the adhesive is feeling cozy, go ahead and take the iOpener off the iPad for a bit. But if it’s still a bit clingy, just warm up that iOpener again and set it on the left edge while you tackle the task at hand!
– Keep working that adhesive loose along the top edge of the iPad, and gently slide your opening pick around the top left corner. Just take it slow and steady!
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Step 24
The digitizer cable hangs out about 2″ (50 mm) from the bottom of your iPad. So, when you’re sliding that pick, hit the brakes at around 2.25″ (60 mm) from the bottom to keep everything safe and sound.
– Gently slide that trusty opening pick along the left edge of your iPad, letting it work its magic on the adhesive as you go. Since the adhesive is a bit on the thin side here, thanks to the digitizer running along the entire left side, just keep an eye on the depth—no deeper than half an inch (10 mm) to avoid any unintentional damage to that digitizer. You’ve got this!
Step 25
Careful now! The bottom of the digitizer cable is just about an inch (25 mm) from the iPad’s bottom. Take your time and work gently to avoid cutting this cable. You’ve got this!
– With the trusty opening pick snugly tucked under the bottom edge of your iPad, gently work your magic to free the adhesive at the bottom left corner.
Step 26
It looks like some of the adhesive around the edges of your iPad might have decided to stick around a bit longer than we’d like. No worries! Just grab a pick and gently slide it under the stubborn edge where the front glass is still holding on tight. Give that adhesive a little ‘cut’ and let’s get back to business!
– Grab one of those nifty opening picks and gently lift the bottom right corner of your iPad. Once it’s up, give it a little hug with your fingers to keep it steady.
Step 27
Watch out for any stubborn adhesive still hanging around! Grab an opening pick and gently slice through any sticky spots that might be keeping that front panel in place.
– Grab your iPad by the top and bottom right corners and gently twist that front glass away from the iPad like you’re unveiling a surprise.
– When it’s time to put everything back together, don’t forget to whip out a microfiber cloth and some compressed air to banish any pesky dust or fingerprints from the LCD before you lay the glass back on.
Step 28
– Unscrew those four tiny 2 mm Phillips #00 screws that are holding the LCD to 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 away from the iPad. Easy does it!
– Now, give that LCD a little rotation along its left edge and lay it down gracefully on top of the front panel. You’re doing great!
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Step 30
– With the spudger’s tip in hand, gently lift the tape that’s hiding the LCD ribbon cable connector. You’ve got this!
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Step 31
– Gently lift the retaining flap on the LCD ribbon cable ZIF connector like you’re flipping a tiny taco.
– With a little finesse, either with your fingers or some trusty tweezers, ease the LCD ribbon cable out of its snug socket on the logic board.
Step 32
– Gently lift the LCD away from the front panel without touching the screen. You’ve got this!
Step 33
If needed, gently peel away the tape holding the digitizer ribbon cable to the logic board. You’ve got this!
– Gently lift the retaining flap on both of the digitizer ribbon cable ZIF connectors. You’ve got this!
Step 34
– Grab the flat end of your trusty spudger and gently work it under the adhesive that’s holding down the digitizer ribbon cable. No need to rush, take your time!
– With a careful touch, pull the digitizer ribbon cable straight out of its sockets on the logic board. You’ve got this!
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Step 35
– Gently lift the digitizer ribbon cable and grab your trusty spudger. With the flat end, give a little nudge to the adhesive holding that cable to the rear aluminum case, and watch it come loose like a champ!
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Step 36
– With a gentle touch, wiggle that digitizer ribbon cable out of its cozy spot in the aluminum frame.
– Carefully lift the front panel away from the iPad, like peeling off a sticker—smooth and steady!
Step 37
– Unscrew the two 2.1 mm Phillips #00 screws that are holding the home button control board snugly to the home button assembly. You’ve got this!
Step 38
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently nudge the home button control board off its cozy little mounts on the front panel.
– Now, lift that home button control board and set it free from the front panel assembly!
