iPad 4 CDMA Display Bezel Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 47 Steps
The display bezel guide was originally designed for the iPad 3 Wi-Fi, but don’t worry, the steps for popping off that display bezel are just the same for the iPad 4, whether you're rocking the 4G or the Wi-Fi version. You're all set to get started!
If your display bezel took a hit, this guide will walk you through swapping it out. Originally made for the iPad 3 Wi-Fi, the steps are just as solid for the iPad 4, whether it's the 4G or Wi-Fi version.
Step 1
- Pop the iOpener right in the center of the microwave and let it warm up.
For carousel microwaves: Ensure the plate spins without any hiccups. If your iOpener gets jammed, it could overheat and cause some serious trouble. Keep it spinning smoothly!
Before you dive into the repair, it’s a good idea to give your microwave a quick clean. Any leftover gunk at the bottom could end up sticking to the iOpener, and nobody wants that! A little cleaning now can save you a hassle later.
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Step 2
Don't let the iOpener get too hot while you're using it! If it overheats, it could pop, and that's not a fun surprise. Keep the heat under 100˚C (212˚F) to stay safe.
If the iOpener starts to look a little puffy, give it some space! Avoid touching it until it cools down.
If the iOpener is still too hot in the middle to handle, no worries! Just keep using it, but give it a few more minutes to cool before reheating. A properly heated iOpener should stay warm for around 10 minutes.
Your microwave's wattage can change the heating time a bit, so keep that in mind! The iOpener is ready to rock when it’s just shy of too hot to handle.
- Give your iOpener a quick spin in the microwave for about thirty seconds to get it nice and toasty.
- As you dive into the repair, keep an eye on that iOpener! When it starts to cool down, pop it back in the microwave for another thirty seconds to keep the heat flowing.
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Step 3
Heads up! The iOpener gets super hot, so handle it with care. Gloves or an oven mitt are your buddies here.
- Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave, gripping one of the flat ends so you don’t burn your fingers on the hot center.
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Step 4
Heads up! The iOpener gets seriously hot, so make sure to grab it only by the end tabs to keep your fingers safe.
No microwave? No problem! Just heat your iOpener by placing it in boiling water following this step.
- Grab a pot or pan and fill it up with enough water to fully submerge your iOpener.
- Heat that water up until it starts boiling. Then, turn off the heat.
- Carefully drop your iOpener into the hot water and let it soak for about 2-3 minutes. Make sure it's completely submerged.
- Using tongs, carefully remove the iOpener from the hot water.
- Give the iOpener a good dry with a towel—make sure it's nice and dry.
- All set! If you need to heat it up again, just bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat, and place the iOpener in for another 2-3 minutes.
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Step 5
Put on your safety glasses to keep those peepers safe, and remember to handle that LCD screen with care—no need for any accidental damage!
This will help keep those pesky glass shards in check and maintain the strength of your device while you carefully pry and lift the display.
- If your display glass is cracked, keep those pesky shards in check and avoid any ouch moments by taping over the glass before you dive in.
- Cover the iPad's screen with overlapping strips of clear packing tape until the entire front is wrapped up nice and snug.
- Follow the rest of the steps as best as you can. Just a heads up: once the glass is broken, it might keep cracking as you work, so be ready to carefully scoop out pieces using a metal prying tool.
Step 6
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder, while you're getting your hands dirty with this project, make sure to rock those safety glasses! Protect those peepers from any pesky flying glass shards. Safety first, fun second!
- Place the iOpener flat along the right edge of the iPad, making sure it’s nicely pressed down for solid contact between the iOpener and the iPad surface.
- Let it hang out there for about 90 seconds to warm things up before you try to pop open the front panel.
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Step 7
Getting the tip of your opening tool wedged between the glass and plastic might take a bit of muscle. Take your time, stay chill, and gently wiggle the tool back and forth until it slips in.
- Check out the tiny gap in the iPad's adhesive ring located at the upper right corner, about 2.0 inches (~5 cm) down from the top. This little spot is your entry point.
- Line up your tool with the mute button. Gently slip the tip of a plastic opening tool into the narrow space between the front glass and the plastic bezel. Just a quick tip-in to slightly widen the gap—no need to force it!
Step 8
- Be sure to position your tool just right—nestled between the plastic display bezel and the front panel glass. You've got this!
Step 9
- Place the tip of the plastic opening tool snugly between the front glass and plastic bezel, then gently slide a plastic opening pick into the gap right next to it. Just take your time, and keep things steady – no need to rush!
Step 10
- Slide the plastic opening tool away from the iPad, then carefully nudge the opening pick a bit deeper under the front glass—aim for about half an inch. You've got this!
Step 11
- While you're gently peeling away the adhesive on the right side of your iPad, don't forget to give your iOpener a little reheat love and place it back on the bottom edge of the iPad. You've got this!
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Step 12
The adhesive is super strong, so you might need to bring some serious muscle. 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 just a tad. Don't worry, using the pick this deep won't cause any harm, but it might leave some sticky adhesive residue on the LCD. Just keep that in mind as you proceed with your repair adventure!
- As the iOpener warms up the bottom edge, let's start gently peeling away the adhesive along the right edge of your iPad.
- Carefully slide the opening pick down the side of the iPad, and keep releasing the adhesive as you go. Slow and steady!
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Step 13
You might need to slide the heated iOpener back to the right edge of the iPad as you work through the adhesive. How long the iPad has been cooling while you worked will decide how often you need to do this.
- If your trusty opening pick is feeling a bit too cozy in the adhesive, just give it a gentle 'roll' along the side of your iPad. Keep on moving to free that sticky stuff up!
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Step 14
- Before pulling out that first opening pick from the bottom corner of your iPad, slide a second pick under the right edge of the front glass to stop the adhesive from sticking back together.
- Heat up the iOpener again and shift it to the top edge of the iPad to keep things nice and warm for the next step.
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Step 15
Hey there! Just a quick heads up: the Wi-Fi antenna is snugly secured to the bottom right corner of your iPad's rear case with screws and a cable. Given its position, it's super important to handle it with care—otherwise, you might accidentally cause some irreversible damage to the antenna. So, take your time and be gentle!
- Heads up, the upcoming steps need you to be extra careful.
- You'll need to carefully loosen the adhesive holding the antenna to the front panel without harming the fragile connectors that attach it to the bottom of the iPad. Take it slow and follow each step closely.
Step 16
Heads up! Don’t slide the pick past the bottom right corner—doing that might mess up the Wi-Fi antenna, and we definitely don’t want that.
- Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPad to loosen the adhesive holding it in place.
Step 17
Careful now! Glide that opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel. The Wi-Fi antenna is hanging out near the corner and can get cut if the adhesive lets go the wrong way.
Just a friendly tip: keep that pick snugly under the front glass! Pull it out just a smidge so that about 1/8" (3 mm) of the tip stays tucked away beneath the glass. You're doing great!
- Gently glide the tip of the opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad to free up that pesky adhesive over the Wi-Fi antenna. You've got this!
Step 18
- Now that you've successfully navigated past the Wi-Fi antenna (that's about 3 inches from the right edge, or right next to the home button), it's time to reinsert that opening pick all the way in.
- Give that pick a little slide to the right, and watch as it frees up the adhesive holding the Wi-Fi antenna snugly against the front glass. You're doing great!
- Just a heads up: the antenna is attached to the bottom of the iPad with screws and a cable. This step is all about detaching the antenna from the front panel, so when you take off the panel, the antenna stays safe and sound!
Step 19
Keep it cool, my friend! Don’t let the iOpener roast for more than a minute at a time, and give it a little breather for at least two minutes before heating it up again. Safety first, fun second!
If the adhesive along the bottom edge has cooled down too much, give your iOpener another quick warm-up to soften the glue right where you're working.
- Keep sliding the opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad, scoot it out just enough to curve around the home button, then slide it back in about half an inch (10 mm) once you’ve cleared the button.
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Step 20
For iPad 4 models, gently slide that pick in just about 1/2 inch (10 mm) in this area – we want to keep that home button ribbon cable safe and sound!
- Keep peeling away that adhesive along the bottom edge of the iPad – you're doing great!
- Once you've got it going, slide in the opening pick and leave it snugly under the front glass near the home button.
Step 21
- Pop the iOpener back in the microwave to heat it up, then place it on the left edge of your iPad to gently warm up the adhesive hiding there.
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Step 22
If the adhesive has cooled down a bit too much, no worries! Just swap out the iOpener along the top edge and keep at it. If your iOpener has cooled off, give it a little reheat and you’ll be back in business!
- Gently glide that opening pick along the top edge of your iPad, giving it a little tug to maneuver around the front-facing camera bracket.
- The adhesive in this area is quite thick, so you might need to apply a bit of muscle. Take your time and be careful; we don’t want any slips that might harm you or your iPad.
- If your opening pick feels like it's stuck in the adhesive, try 'rolling' it as shown in step 9.
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Step 23
If the adhesive is nice and toasty, go ahead and take that iOpener off the iPad for some easy maneuvering. But if it’s still feeling a bit clingy, just give the iOpener another heat-up and rest it on the left edge while you get your work done!
- Keep peeling away that pesky adhesive at the top edge of your iPad, and gently glide the opening pick around the top left corner like a pro!
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Step 24
The digitizer cable sits about 2" (50 mm) up from the bottom of your iPad. When sliding the pick, ease off once you hit around 2.25" (60 mm) to keep things safe and sound.
- Gently slide the opening pick along the left edge of your iPad to loosen the adhesive. Heads up: the adhesive here is pretty thin because of the digitizer running along the entire left side. Keep the pick shallow—no more than about 10 mm (half an inch)—to avoid any accidental digitizer damage.
Step 25
Be super careful here! The bottom of the digitizer cable is just about an inch (25 mm) from the iPad's bottom. Take it slow and steady, so you don’t accidentally cut this little guy in half.
- With the trusty opening pick still nestled under the bottom edge of your iPad, gently coax the adhesive free from the bottom left corner. You've got this!
Step 26
Sometimes, the adhesive around the edges of your iPad decides to play hard to get and sticks back down. If you find yourself in this sticky situation, just grab a pick and gently slide it under the edge where the front glass is still holding on. Give it a little 'cut' through the adhesive and you're back in business!
- Grab one of those trusty opening picks and gently wedge it under the bottom right corner of your iPad, then lift it up enough to get a good hold with your fingers.
Step 27
Watch out for any sticky stuff still hanging around! Grab an opening pick and gently slice through any adhesive that might be keeping the front panel in place.
- Grab your iPad by the top and bottom right corners and gently twist that front glass away from the device. You've got this!
- When you're putting everything back together, whip out a microfiber cloth and some compressed air to banish any dust or fingerprints from the LCD before you place the glass back on. A clean screen is a happy screen!
Step 28
That bottom left screw is hiding under the home button ribbon cable connector. Gently nudge the ribbon cable out of the way to get that screw out without any hassle.
- Let's get those pesky four 2 mm Phillips #00 screws out of the way! These little guys are keeping the LCD snugly attached to the aluminum frame, so grab your screwdriver and show them who's boss!
Step 29
Handle that LCD with care! The ribbon cable is a bit of a diva and might snap if you give it too much of a bend. Keep it gentle and you'll be just fine!
- Grab your trusty plastic opening tool or spudger and gently lift the right edge of the LCD out of the iPad. You're doing great!
- Next, swing the LCD over to its left edge and carefully lay it down on top of the front glass panel. Nice and easy!
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Step 30
- Grab your spudger and gently work the tip under the tape that's covering the LCD ribbon cable connector. Slowly peel it back – you're almost there!
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Step 31
- Lift up the little flap holding the LCD ribbon cable in place on the ZIF connector.
- Gently wiggle the LCD ribbon cable free from its socket on the logic board using your fingers or tweezers.
- If the LCD screen stays dark after reconnecting the ZIF connector, try a force restart by holding down the power button and home button together for about ten seconds until the Apple logo pops up.
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Step 32
- Gently lift the LCD off the front panel, but be sure not to touch the front of the screen. Handle with care, you're almost there!
Step 33
If you spot any electrical tape hiding the Wi-Fi antenna, speaker cable, or home button ribbon cable, go ahead and peel it off carefully.
Step 34
- Gently lift the little flap holding down the home button ribbon cable connector. You've got this!
Step 35
- Grab your trusty tweezers and gently tug that home button ribbon cable straight out of its cozy little socket on the logic board. You've got this!
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Step 36
- Carefully guide the home button ribbon cable out from its cozy spot in the rear case. Let's get that cable some fresh air!
Step 37
- Gently use the tip of your spudger to lift the tape holding down the digitizer ribbon cable on the logic board. Take it slow and steady!
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Step 38
- Lift the retaining flap on both of the ZIF connectors for the digitizer ribbon cable.
Step 39
- Gently slide the flat end of your spudger under the digitizer ribbon cable to carefully free the adhesive holding it down.
- Once loosened, pull the digitizer ribbon cable straight out from its connectors on the logic board with a steady hand.
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Step 40
- Gently peel back the digitizer ribbon cable, then grab a spudger (flat end) to carefully free the adhesive that's holding the cable to the rear aluminum case. Take your time and work it loose – patience is key!
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Step 41
- Gently use your fingers to carefully lift the digitizer ribbon cable out from its snug spot in the aluminum frame.
- Next, take off the front panel of the iPad and set it aside.
Step 42
- Gently wedge the edge of your trusty plastic opening tool between the plastic and aluminum frames at one of the corners. Take your time—this is where the magic begins!
- Now, carefully glide that plastic opening tool along the edge of your iPad to free up the adhesive. You're doing great—keep it steady!
Step 43
- Keep going and gently slide that plastic opening tool along the entire left edge of the iPad. Nice and steady—you're doing great!
Step 44
- As you approach the bottom left corner, give your plastic opening tool a little twist around the edge, and keep sliding it along the bottom like a pro.
Step 45
- Keep sliding your plastic opening tool smoothly along the right edge of the iPad, like a pro gently opening a secret treasure chest.
Step 46
- Keep an eye on that front-facing camera while you gently slide the plastic opening tool along the top edge of the iPad. We want to avoid any accidental selfies during this process!
Step 47
- Once you've successfully released the adhesive around the iPad's edges, gently lift the plastic display bezel away from the device. It's like giving your iPad a little hug as it says goodbye to its old cover!
