iPad 4 CDMA Lightning Connector Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 47 Steps
Follow this clear, step-by-step guide to swap out the Lightning connector and get your device charging like new again.
Step 1
For carousel microwaves: double-check that the plate spins without any hiccups. If your iOpener gets stuck, it can get way too hot and cause burns, so watch out!
Before diving in, give your microwave a quick clean-up. A layer of gunk on the bottom can easily hitch a ride on your iOpener, and we don’t want that. Clean it up first, and you're good to go!
- Pop the iOpener right in the middle of the microwave to get it warmed up and ready to work its magic.
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Step 2
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder to keep an eye on that iOpener while you're working. We don't want it to get too hot and burst on us! Remember, no heating it beyond 100˚C (212˚F).
If your iOpener looks a bit puffy, steer clear! Safety first, my friend.
Still feeling too toasty in the middle? No worries! Just keep using it while it cools down a bit before giving it another warm-up. A well-heated iOpener should stay cozy for up to 10 minutes.
Microwave wattage varies, so your heating time might need a little tweak. Your iOpener is good to go when it’s just a tad too warm to keep your fingers on it comfortably.
- Give your iOpener a warm-up in the microwave for thirty seconds.
- As you tackle the repair, remember to pop the iOpener back in the microwave for another thirty seconds whenever it starts to cool down.
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Step 3
The iOpener gets pretty toasty, so handle it with care! An oven mitt might just be your new best friend.
- Take the iOpener out of the microwave, making sure to grab it by one of the flat ends to keep your fingers safe from the toasty center.
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Step 4
Careful now! The iOpener is going to be hotter than a sunny beach day, so remember to grip those end tabs like a pro!
No microwave? No problem! Just heat up your iOpener by placing it in some boiling water instead.
- Grab a pot or pan and fill it with enough water to fully cover your iOpener.
- Heat the water until it’s boiling, then turn off the heat—no need to keep it hot on the stove.
- Submerge the iOpener in the hot water for 2-3 minutes, making sure it’s completely underwater.
- Use tongs to carefully lift the warmed iOpener out of the water.
- Give it a good dry off with a towel so it’s ready to go.
- Your iOpener is all set! If it cools down before you’re done, just repeat the boiling and soaking steps to warm it back up.
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Step 5
Safety first! Pop on those safety glasses to keep your eyes safe, and be super gentle with the LCD screen—it's delicate!
This will help keep those pesky glass shards in check and ensure the display stays sturdy while you're gently prying and lifting it.
- If you find yourself with a cracked display glass, let's keep that breakage from going wild and avoid any accidental finger cuts while you work. Grab some packing tape and cover that glass like it's a precious painting.
- Lay down some overlapping strips of clear packing tape on your iPad's display until the entire front is nicely wrapped up.
- Now, just follow the rest of the guide as best as you can. Keep in mind, once the glass starts to crack, it may just want to keep cracking. You might have to get a bit hands-on with a metal prying tool to help scoop out those glass pieces.
Step 6
Just a friendly reminder: while you're diving into this repair, keep an eye out for those pesky shards of glass that might come your way. We recommend rocking a pair of safety glasses to keep your peepers safe and sound!
- Place the iOpener flat along the right edge of the iPad, pressing it down so it hugs the surface well.
- Let it chill there for about 90 seconds to warm things up before you try popping open the front panel.
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Step 7
Getting the opening tool in there might need a bit of muscle—don’t rush it! Gently wiggle the plastic tool between the glass and plastic, back and forth, and it’ll eventually slide right in. Patience is key here, but you’ve got this!
- Check out the tiny gap in the iPad's adhesive ring 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 crack between the front glass and the plastic bezel—just enough to nudge it open a bit.
Step 8
- Be sure to position the tool just right—nestled between the plastic display bezel and the front panel glass. You've got this!
Step 9
- Slide a plastic opening pick into the gap right next to the plastic opening tool, which should be wedged between the front glass and plastic bezel—think of it as gently sneaking your way in without causing a fuss.
Step 10
- Take out that handy plastic opening tool from your iPad and slide the opening pick a little deeper, about half an inch under the front glass. You've got this!
Step 11
- As you tackle the adhesive on the right side of the iPad, give that iOpener a little reheat love, then pop it back on the bottom edge of the iPad to keep the good times rolling.
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Step 12
The adhesive is super strong, so you might need to put in some elbow grease. Just take your time and be gentle!
If you catch a glimpse of the opening pick peeking out from beneath the front glass, give it a gentle tug. While it’s usually safe to use the pick this deep, it might leave some adhesive residue on the LCD, so keep that in mind!
- While you're warming up the bottom edge with the iOpener, gently start peeling back the adhesive on the right edge of your iPad.
- Take that trusty opening pick and slide it down the side of the iPad, easing the adhesive away as you go.
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Step 13
You might need to slide the heated iOpener back onto the right edge of the iPad as you work through releasing the adhesive. How long the iPad has cooled down while you’ve been working will decide if this little move is necessary.
- If your opening pick is having a tough time with the adhesive, just give it a little roll along the side of the iPad to keep peeling away that sticky stuff. You've got this!
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Step 14
- Before you dive in and pull out that first opening pick from the bottom corner of the iPad, slide a second pick under the right edge of the front glass. This little buddy will help keep the adhesive from sticking back like it’s on a reunion tour.
- Time to give your iOpener a little love! Re-heat it and then place it at the top edge of the iPad to get things nice and cozy.
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Step 15
The Wi-Fi antenna is snugly connected at the bottom right edge of the iPad's rear case with screws and a cable. Since the antenna is positioned this way, it's super important to tread carefully—one wrong move, and the Wi-Fi antenna could become a sad story. Let's keep it safe and sound!
- Heads up: the next steps need you to be super careful.
- You’ll need to gently peel off the adhesive holding the antenna to 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
Be careful not to push the pick too far into the bottom right corner—doing so might mess with your Wi-Fi antenna. Take it slow!
- Gently run the opening pick around the bottom right corner of your iPad to free up that pesky adhesive. You've got this!
Step 17
Carefully slide the opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel. The Wi-Fi antenna is hanging out close to the corner, so take it slow to avoid cutting through the adhesive and causing trouble.
You don’t need to yank the pick out completely! Just pull it out a little so that around 1/8" (3 mm) of the tip stays under the front glass. Nice and steady!
- Gently glide the tip of your opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad to free up the adhesive around the Wi-Fi antenna. You're doing great!
Step 18
- After you’ve passed the Wi-Fi antenna (about 3" (75 mm) from the right edge, right next to the home button), slide that opening pick all the way back in.
- Gently slide the pick to the right to loosen the adhesive holding the Wi-Fi antenna to the front glass.
- The antenna is screwed and cabled to the bottom of the iPad. This step frees it from the front panel, so you can remove the panel without risking antenna damage.
Step 19
Keep it cool and collected! Don't let the iOpener bask in the heat for more than a minute at a time, and be sure to give it a breather of at least two minutes before you fire it back up again.
If the adhesive along the bottom edge has cooled down too much, just pop the iOpener back in action to gently warm up the sticky stuff where you’re working.
- Keep sliding that opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad, carefully pulling it out enough to glide around the home button, then pop it back in about half an inch (10 mm) past the button to keep things moving smoothly.
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Step 20
For iPad 4 models, slide your pick in no deeper than 1/2 inch (10 mm) here to keep the home button ribbon cable safe and sound.
- Keep peeling away that sticky goodness along the bottom edge of your iPad until it's all set free!
- Slide the opening pick in and let it rest snugly under the front glass by the home button for a smooth separation.
Step 21
- Pop the iOpener back in the microwave to warm it up, then place it on the left edge of your iPad to gently heat up that adhesive and get things loosened.
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Step 22
If the adhesive has cooled down too much, just swap the iOpener along the top edge and keep on going! If the iOpener itself has lost its warmth, 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 the front-facing camera bracket.
- This section's adhesive is pretty tough, so you might need to use some muscle. Take your time and be careful—no one wants to accidentally hurt themselves or their iPad!
- If your opening pick feels like it's stuck in the gooey stuff, just give it a little 'roll' as demonstrated in step 9.
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Step 23
If the adhesive is feeling just right, go ahead and take that iOpener away from your iPad for some ease of movement. But if it's still a bit clingy, don’t sweat it! Just give the iOpener another warm-up and place it on the left edge while you get to work.
- Keep peeling away that adhesive at the top edge of the iPad, and gently slide the opening pick around the top left corner. You're doing great!
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Step 24
Heads up! The digitizer cable is chilling about 2" (50 mm) up from the bottom of your iPad. When sliding your pick, pause the fun once you reach around 2.25" (60 mm) from the bottom to keep things safe and sound.
- Gently slide the opening pick along the left edge of the iPad, carefully loosening the adhesive as you go. The adhesive is pretty thin here because the digitizer runs along the entire left side. Keep the pick shallow—no deeper than about 10 mm (half an inch)—to avoid any accidental damage to the digitizer.
Step 25
Heads up! The bottom of the digitizer cable is just about an inch (25 mm) from the iPad's base. Take it slow and steady to avoid cutting this little guy.
- Gently slide the opening pick that's tucked under the bottom edge of the iPad to loosen the adhesive at the bottom left corner.
Step 26
Some of the adhesive around the edge of your iPad might have decided to play nice and reattach itself. If that's the case, grab a pick and gently slide it under the edge where the front glass is still holding on. Just give that adhesive a little snip, and you'll be on your way!
- With an opening pick in hand, gently nudge up the bottom right corner of your iPad and grasp it with your fingers. You've got this!
Step 27
Watch out for any leftover sticky stuff that might still be clinging on! Grab your trusty opening pick and gently slice through any adhesive that's keeping that front panel in place. You've got this!
- Grab the iPad by the top and bottom right corners, and gently swivel the front glass away from the device.
- When putting it back together, give the LCD a quick once-over with a microfiber cloth and some compressed air to shoo away any dust or fingerprints before snapping the glass back on.
Step 28
The bottom left screw is hiding behind the home button ribbon cable connector. Gently nudge the ribbon cable aside to get that sneaky screw out of its hiding spot!
- Unscrew those four tiny 2 mm Phillips #00 screws holding the LCD snugly against the aluminum frame. You're almost there!
Step 29
Handle the LCD with care! That ribbon cable is a delicate little thing and can snap if you bend it too much. Keep it safe while you work your magic!
- Grab your trusty plastic opening tool or a spudger and gently pry up the right side of the LCD from the iPad. You've got this!
- Now, swing that LCD around on its left edge and rest it lovingly on the front glass panel. Easy peasy!
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Step 30
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift away the tape that’s keeping the LCD ribbon cable connector under wraps. You got this!
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Step 31
- Lift the little retaining flap on the LCD ribbon cable’s ZIF connector—think of it like opening a tiny door.
- Gently wiggle the LCD ribbon cable out of its socket on the logic board using your fingers or tweezers.
- If the LCD screen doesn’t light up 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 without making contact with its surface—you're aiming for a smooth getaway!
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 gently.
Step 34
- Lift the retaining flap on the home button ribbon cable ZIF connector with a gentle nudge.
Step 35
- Grab a pair of tweezers and gently pull the home button ribbon cable straight out of its socket on the logic board. Keep it steady and make sure it comes out smoothly – no rush!
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Step 36
- Gently guide the home button ribbon cable out of its cozy little spot in the rear case. You've got this!
Step 37
- With the spudger's tip, gently lift and peel away the tape holding the digitizer ribbon cable to the logic board. You've got this!
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Step 38
- Lift the retaining flap on both ZIF connectors for the digitizer ribbon cable.
Step 39
- Grab that trusty flat end of your spudger and gently pry apart the adhesive holding down the digitizer ribbon cable. You've got this!
- Now, give the digitizer ribbon cable a straight pull, just like you're yanking on a stubborn jar lid, and remove it from its cozy home on the logic board.
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Step 40
- Gently lift the digitizer ribbon cable and use the flat end of a spudger to carefully loosen the adhesive holding the cable to the back aluminum case.
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Step 41
- Gently use your fingers to pop the digitizer ribbon cable out from its snug spot in the aluminum frame.
- Lift off the front panel from the iPad carefully.
Step 42
If it's there, go ahead and peel off that piece of electrical tape that's hiding the Lightning connector cable. You're doing great!
Step 43
- With the flat end of your trusty spudger, gently nudge the plastic spacer away from the rear case. It's like giving it a little nudge to say, 'Time to move on!'
- Now, go ahead and lift that plastic spacer right out of the iPad. You've got this!
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Step 44
- Unscrew the two 2.9 mm Phillips #00 screws that are holding the Lightning connector in place on the back case. Time to get those screws out!
Step 45
- Gently grab your trusty spudger and slide the flat end underneath the Lightning connector cable. Give it a little nudge and pry it straight up from its cozy spot on the logic board. Easy peasy!
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Step 46
- Gently use the flat end of a spudger to lift the Lightning connector cable away from the aluminum frame. Take your time, you've got this!
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Step 47
- To put your device back together, simply retrace your steps in the opposite order! Don’t forget to grab our handy iPad 4 CDMA Front Panel Adhesive strips guide to help you stick that front panel back on like a pro.
