iPad 2 CDMA Home Button Assembly Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 37 Steps
Follow this guide to swap out the Home Button Assembly. Some parts were filmed using a Wi-Fi model, so the inside might look a bit different from the cellular version. Don’t worry—the steps are the same for both, except where we point out the differences.
Step 1
For carousel microwaves: Ensure that the plate can spin without any hiccups. If that little iOpener gets jammed, it might just get too hot to handle and cause a burn!
Before you get started, give your microwave a quick clean—nobody wants leftover gunk making friends with the iOpener!
- Pop that iOpener right in the microwave, aiming for the center spot!
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Step 2
Hey there, just a heads-up! Make sure not to let your iOpener get too hot while you're working on your device. We wouldn't want it bursting on you! Keep the heat under 100˚C (212˚F).
And if your iOpener looks a bit puffy, steer clear of it!
If the center of the iOpener is still too toasty to handle, keep using it while it cools down a bit before you reheat. A well-heated iOpener should stay cozy for about 10 minutes.
Your microwave's wattage plays a big role here, so adjust your timing accordingly! When your iOpener is warmed up just right, it’ll be almost too hot to handle—perfect for getting the job done.
- Warm up your iOpener for about thirty seconds.
- As you go through the repair, make sure to give the iOpener some love by reheating it in the microwave for another thirty seconds whenever it cools down.
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Step 3
Careful now! The iOpener is going to be blazing hot, so handle it with caution. An oven mitt might just be your new best friend here!
- Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave, grabbing it by one of the flat ends to keep your fingers safe from that sizzling hot center!
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Step 4
Heads up! The iOpener can get pretty hot, so make sure to grab it by the tabs and keep your hands safe!
No microwave? No problem! Just heat up your iOpener by dipping it in some hot, boiling water. You’ve got this.
- Grab a pot or pan and fill it up with enough water to give your iOpener a nice, cozy bath.
- Crank up the heat and bring that water to a rolling boil. Once it’s bubbling, go ahead and turn off the heat.
- Carefully dip your iOpener into the hot water for about 2-3 minutes. Make sure it’s fully submerged and soaking up all that warmth.
- Using some trusty tongs, fish out the warmed-up iOpener from the hot water.
- Give the iOpener a good towel dry to make sure it’s all set.
- And there you go! Your iOpener is primed and ready for action! If you ever need to reheat it, just repeat the boiling water routine for another 2-3 minutes.
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Step 5
Pop on some safety glasses to keep your eyes safe, and handle the LCD screen gently to avoid any oops moments.
This will help keep those pesky glass shards in check and maintain the strength of the display while you gently pry and lift it.
- If your display glass is cracked, don't panic—just make sure to keep it from shattering even more and prevent any injuries by taping it up.
- Grab some clear packing tape and layer it over the iPad’s display, making sure to cover the entire surface.
- Now, follow the steps as usual. Just a heads-up, once the glass is cracked, it might keep breaking as you work. You might need a metal prying tool to scoop out the pieces, but don’t stress—it’s all part of the process!
Step 6
Heads up! Since you might be dealing with shattered glass, it's a good idea to wear safety glasses to keep those flying bits at bay. Better safe than sorry!
- Place the iOpener flat along the right edge of the iPad, pressing down so it makes solid contact with the surface.
- Let it hang out there for about 90 seconds to warm things up before you try popping open the front panel.
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Step 7
It might take a little muscle to get that stubborn tip of the opening tool wedged between the glass and plastic. Stay patient and give it some gentle back-and-forth wiggles as needed. The goal is to work smart, not hard—keep at it!
- You'll notice a small gap in the iPad's adhesive ring at the upper right corner, around 2.0 inches (~5 cm) down from the top. Time to take advantage of this little opening!
- Line up your tool with the mute button. Gently slide the tip of a plastic opening tool into the gap between the front glass and the plastic bezel. Just nudge the very tip in – enough to slightly widen the crack and create some room to work with.
Step 8
- Slide your tool in just right—snugly nestled between the plastic display bezel and the front panel glass.
Step 9
- With the plastic opening tool snugly positioned between the front glass and the plastic bezel, gently slide a plastic opening pick into that cozy gap right next to your trusty tool. You're doing great!
Step 10
- Gently slide the plastic opening tool out from the iPad, then carefully push the opening pick a little deeper under the front glass—about half an inch should do the trick.
Step 11
- While you're carefully peeling back the adhesive on the right side of the iPad, pop the iOpener back in the microwave to reheat it, then place it on the bottom edge of your iPad to keep things nice and toasty.
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Step 12
This glue is super tough stuff—get ready to bring your A-game and some elbow grease. Take it slow and steady!
If you can spot the tip of the opening pick just peeking under the front glass, gently pull it back a little. While it’s unlikely to cause any issues, getting adhesive residue on the LCD is totally a possibility. Take it slow and steady!
- As the iOpener warms up the bottom edge, start gently loosening the adhesive from the right side of the iPad.
- Carefully slide the opening pick down along the iPad's edge, freeing the adhesive bit by bit as you go.
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Step 13
If the adhesive is being a bit stubborn, you might need to slide the heated iOpener back onto the right edge of the iPad for a little extra heat. This might depend on how much time the iPad had to cool down while you were busy with other tasks. Keep it cool and steady!
- If your opening pick is feeling a bit clingy in the adhesive, simply give it a little 'roll' along the edge of the iPad to keep releasing that sticky stuff like a pro.
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Step 14
- Before you pop that first opening pick out of 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 getting all clingy again!
- Give that iOpener a quick reheat, then move it up to the top edge of the iPad. Let's keep those things nice and cozy!
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Step 15
The Wi-Fi antenna is screwed and connected by a cable to the bottom right edge of the iPad's rear case. Since the antenna likes to sit in just the right way, take your time and handle it gently to avoid any accidental damage that can’t be undone.
- These next steps call for some serious carefulness.
- You’ll need to gently lift the adhesive holding the antenna onto the front panel without messing up the fragile connections attaching the antenna to the bottom of the iPad. Take it slow and follow these steps closely.
Step 16
Hey there! Just a quick heads-up: avoid sliding that pick too far past the bottom right corner. Your Wi-Fi antenna might not appreciate the extra love and could get damaged. Keep it cool and stay on track!
- Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPad to loosen the adhesive and get things moving.
Step 17
As you glide that opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel, keep your eyes peeled! The Wi-Fi antenna is sneaky and hangs out near the corner, so be gentle. If the adhesive gets a little too friendly and releases improperly, it could go snip-snip!
Don’t slide the pick all the way out from under the front glass—just wiggle it out a tiny bit so about 1/8" (3 mm) of the tip stays tucked underneath. Keep it cozy!
- Gently slide the tip of your opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad to carefully loosen the adhesive holding down the Wi-Fi antenna.
Step 18
- After you’ve passed the Wi-Fi antenna area (about 3" or 75 mm from the right edge, right next to the home button), slide the opening pick all the way in.
- Gently slide the pick to the right to break free the adhesive holding the Wi-Fi antenna to the front glass.
- The antenna is screwed and connected by a cable at the bottom of the iPad. This step carefully disconnects it from the front panel so you don't accidentally damage it when removing the panel.
Step 19
Keep the iOpener heating sessions under a minute, and give it a solid two-minute break before heating it up again—patience is key!
If the adhesive near the bottom edge has cooled down too much, just heat up the iOpener again to warm up the glue where you're working.
- Keep peeling away the adhesive at the bottom of the iPad. Gently pull the opening pick out far enough to navigate around the home button, then reinsert it to a depth of about 1/2 inch (10 mm) once you’ve passed the home button. You're doing great!
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Step 20
On iPad 4 models, gently insert the pick about 1/2 inch (10 mm) deep in this spot. Go easy, as you don’t want to mess with the home button ribbon cable underneath!
- Keep working your way along the bottom edge of the iPad, gently peeling away the adhesive as you go.
- Place the opening pick carefully underneath the front glass near the home button to keep things nice and steady.
Step 21
- Pop that iOpener into the microwave for a quick reheat, then place it gently on the left side of your iPad. This will get the adhesive nice and toasty in that section, making it easier to work with.
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Step 22
If the adhesive has cooled down too much, pop the iOpener back along the top edge and keep going. And hey, if the iOpener itself feels chilly, just give it a quick heat-up and you’re good to go.
- Gently slide the opening pick along the top edge of the iPad, easing it out just enough to get around the front-facing camera bracket.
- Heads up: the adhesive here is super stubborn, so you might need to apply some solid pressure. Take it slow and steady to avoid any slips or scrapes—safety first!
- If the pick starts to get stuck in the adhesive, try "rolling" it like in step 9 to keep things moving smoothly.
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Step 23
If the adhesive has warmed up nicely, feel free to take the iOpener off the iPad for easier handling. But if it's still clinging on a bit too much, just give that iOpener another heat-up and place it along the left edge while you get to work.
- Peel away the adhesive along the top edge of the iPad, then gently slide the opening pick around the top left corner. Nice and steady—you're doing great!
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Step 24
The digitizer cable sits about 2" (50 mm) up from the bottom edge of the iPad. When sliding your pick, stop once you hit roughly 2.25" (60 mm) from the bottom—no need to go any further!
- Gently slide the opening pick along the left edge of the iPad, carefully loosening the adhesive as you move. Heads up: the adhesive here is pretty thin because of the digitizer running the whole left side. Keep the pick shallow—no deeper than about 10 mm (half an inch)—to avoid any accidental digitizer damage.
Step 25
The digitizer cable is pretty close to the bottom of the iPad—just about 1" (25 mm). Take your time and handle it gently, so you don’t accidentally snip this cable!
- With the opening pick still tucked under the iPad's bottom edge, gently work your way around the bottom left corner to lift off the adhesive.
Step 26
Sometimes the adhesive around the edge of the iPad decides to be clingy again. If that happens, gently slide a pick under the spot where the front glass is still holding on and carefully 'cut' through the adhesive to free it up.
- Grab an opening pick and gently pry up the bottom right corner of the iPad. Once it's loose, use your fingers to lift it the rest of the way.
Step 27
Watch out for any leftover adhesive that might still be clinging on! Grab an opening pick and gently slice through any sticky bits holding the front panel in place. Slow and steady!
- Grab the iPad by the top and bottom right corners, and give the front glass a gentle twist away from the body. Take it slow, no rush!
- When you're putting it all back together, use a microfiber cloth to wipe away any dust or fingerprints from the LCD. A quick blast of compressed air can help too. It'll make the glass go back on nice and clean!
Step 28
- Unscrew the four 2.0 mm Phillips #0 screws holding the LCD onto the rear case—easy does it!
Step 29
Handle the LCD with care while moving it around—don’t try to yank it off just yet, since its display data cable stays connected as you gently flip it over.
- To get to those sneaky front panel ribbon cables hiding under the LCD, you'll need to gently flip the LCD out of the way for a moment. Think of it like giving your device a little stretch!
- Carefully lift the LCD from the edge nearest the volume buttons and flip it away from the rear case—just like turning a page in your favorite book, but with a tech twist!
- Now, place the LCD face down on the front panel, giving it a cozy spot to rest.
Step 30
Make sure you’re lifting the hinged retaining flaps, not the sockets themselves—handle with care!
Check out the second picture where the retaining flaps are marked in red, making them easy to spot.
- Gently slide the edge of a plastic opening tool under the retaining flaps on the two digitizer ribbon cable ZIF sockets and carefully flip them up.
Step 31
- Gently use the edge of a plastic opening tool to lift the digitizer cable from the shields on the logic board. Take it slow and steady!
- Carefully peel the digitizer cable off the adhesive that’s holding it to the side of the rear case. Patience is key here!
Step 32
- Gently wiggle the digitizer ribbon cable out of its two snug spots on the logic board. A little patience here goes a long way.
Step 33
Handle the LCD with care, and remember—don't try to detach it from the iPad! Its cable will stay connected while you gently rotate it.
To get the front panel assembly off, you'll need to carefully slide the ribbon cable out from between the case and the LCD. You might have to nudge the LCD a bit to create enough space for this to happen smoothly.
- Gently lift the LCD from the edge farthest from the digitizer cable and slowly flip it back like you're closing a book. Easy does it!
- While holding the LCD up, carefully slide the front panel away from the iPad. Watch out for the digitizer cable—it can get caught on the rear case or LCD.
- Set the LCD back into the body for safekeeping, so it's out of the way while you tackle the next step.
Step 34
Take it easy with the iOpener—don’t let it get too hot! Give it a chill break of at least three minutes before heating it up again.
The home button assembly is glued to the front panel, so it’s a bit of a sticky situation! To make it easier, we suggest using an iOpener to warm up that adhesive. Trust us, it’ll make things smoother sailing!
- Heat up the iOpener in the microwave for about thirty seconds on the highest power setting—think of it as giving it a quick power nap.
- Now, place the warm iOpener right over the home button at the front edge of the display to loosen things up.
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Step 35
- Slip the plastic opening tool under the right side of the home button assembly and gently pry upward to break the adhesive seal on that side.
Step 36
- Carefully work your way around the left side of the home button to loosen the adhesive using the method described above.
- Gently lift the home button mount away from the front panel.
Step 37
- To put your device back together, just work through these steps backward and use our iPad 2 CDMA Front Panel Adhesive strip guide to stick the front panel back on like a pro. If you get stuck, remember you can always schedule a repair!
