iPad 4 GSM Front Facing Camera Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 47 Steps
Time to swap out that front-facing camera! This guide will walk you through the steps to get it done. If you hit any roadblocks along the way, don't worry—just schedule a repair and we'll lend a hand!
Step 1
For carousel microwaves: Ensure the plate is spinning freely. If the iOpener gets stuck, it could overheat and burn out. Keep it moving to keep it cool!
Before you start, give your microwave a quick clean—no one wants leftover gunk sticking to the iOpener and ruining the vibe.
- Pop the iOpener right in the middle of your microwave. It’s ready for a quick heat-up, so it can do its magic!
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Step 2
Heads up! Don't crank up the heat on the iOpener too much—going over 100˚C (212˚F) might make it pop like a balloon.
If your iOpener looks puffed up or swollen, keep your fingers away—it’s not feeling its best.
Still too toasty to handle in the center? No worries, just keep using it while it cools down a bit before reheating. When heated just right, your iOpener should stay warm and ready for about 10 minutes.
Microwave power varies, so you might need to adjust the heating time a bit. The iOpener is ready when it’s just a tad too warm to comfortably hold.
- Zap the iOpener in the microwave for 30 seconds to get it nice and toasty.
- As it cools down during your repair adventure, just pop it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds whenever you need a little extra heat boost.
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Step 3
The iOpener can get pretty hot, so handle with care! If you're worried about the heat, an oven mitt can do wonders.
- Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave, grabbing it by one of its flat ends to steer clear of the hot center. You've got this!
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Step 4
Heads up! The iOpener is going to be pretty hot, so grab it by the tabs only. We don’t want you getting burnt!
No microwave? No problem! Just heat your iOpener by dunking it in boiling water for a few minutes.
- Grab a pot or pan and fill it with enough water to completely cover your iOpener.
- Bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat to avoid overheating.
- Drop your iOpener into the hot water and let it soak for 2-3 minutes, making sure it’s fully submerged.
- Carefully fish out the warm iOpener using tongs—no burnt fingers here!
- Give your iOpener a good dry-off with a towel.
- And boom, your iOpener is good to go! Need it hotter? Just boil the water again, turn off the heat, and dunk it for another 2-3 minutes.
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Step 5
Put on your safety glasses to keep those peepers safe, and handle the LCD screen gently to avoid any oops moments.
This will help keep any glass pieces in check and ensure the display stays solid while you're carefully prying and lifting it.
- If your display glass is cracked, keep those shards in check and avoid any ouch moments by taping the glass up first.
- Cover the iPad’s screen with overlapping strips of clear packing tape until it’s fully wrapped like a tech burrito.
- Follow the rest of the steps as best you can. Just a heads up—once the glass is cracked, it might keep splitting as you work, so you might need to carefully pry out the pieces with a metal tool.
Step 6
Heads up! If you're working with broken glass, it's a good idea to pop on some safety glasses to protect yourself from those pesky flying shards. Better safe than sorry!
- Place the iOpener gently on the right edge of your iPad, making sure it's flat and that it's making solid contact with the iPad's surface.
- Let the iOpener hang out on the iPad for about 90 seconds before you try to open up the front panel.
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Step 7
You might need to apply a little muscle to slip the wedged tip of the opening tool between the glass and plastic. Take your time and be gentle, wiggling the tool back and forth as needed. Patience is key here!
- There’s a tiny gap in the iPad’s adhesive ring located at the upper right corner, about 2.0 inches (~5 cm) down from the top edge. This little spot is your entry point.
- Line up your plastic opening tool with the mute button. Gently slip just the tip of the tool into the space between the front glass and the plastic bezel—just enough to nudge the crack open a bit.
Step 8
- Carefully slide your tool right where it belongs—between the plastic display bezel and the front panel glass—to get things moving smoothly.
Step 9
- Gently wedge the plastic opening tool between the front glass and the plastic bezel, then carefully slide a plastic opening pick into the gap, right next to the tool. Take it slow, and make sure everything is snug before moving forward!
Step 10
- Gently pull out the plastic opening tool from the iPad, then slide the opening pick a bit deeper under the front glass—about half an inch in. Keep it smooth and steady!
Step 11
- While you're gently loosening the adhesive on the right side of the iPad, pop that iOpener back in the heat and let it work its magic on the bottom edge of the iPad. A little warmth goes a long way!
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Step 12
This adhesive means business—expect to use some serious muscle. Take your time and work smart!
If you spot the tip of the opening pick peeking out from under the front glass, gently pull it back a bit. Going this deep with the pick won't cause harm, but it might leave some sticky adhesive smudges on the LCD.
- While the iOpener warms up the bottom edge, start loosening the adhesive along the right side of the iPad.
- Gently slide the opening pick down the edge, easing the adhesive free as you go.
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Step 13
Depending on how much time your iPad has had to cool down while you were working, you might need to slide the heated iOpener back onto the right edge to keep that adhesive nice and soft as you peel it away.
- If the opening pick gets caught in the sticky adhesive, just roll it along the edge of the iPad. Keep going, and the adhesive will gradually release. Take your time and let the pick do its thing!
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Step 14
- Before you pop the first pick into the bottom corner of your iPad, slide a second pick gently under the right edge of the front glass. This keeps that pesky adhesive from sticking back down on you.
- Give the iOpener another warm-up, then move it to the top edge of the iPad. Let's keep things toasty!
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Step 15
- Alright, these next steps are a bit tricky, so make sure you're careful and steady!
- You're going to need to gently release the adhesive that's holding the antenna to the front panel. Just take your time to avoid damaging the sensitive parts where the antenna connects to the iPad. Stick to the steps ahead and you'll be golden!
The Wi-Fi antenna is located on the bottom right edge of the iPad's rear case, held in place with screws and a cable. Because of its orientation, it's super important to be extra careful here—one wrong move, and you might cause some irreversible damage to the antenna. Take your time, and if you feel unsure, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 16
Keep the pick from sliding past the bottom right corner—going too far might give the Wi-Fi antenna a little unwanted love tap!
- Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of your iPad to free up the adhesive holding it in place.
Step 17
Careful when sliding the opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel — the Wi-Fi antenna is hanging out close to the corner and can get cut if you’re too eager with the adhesive.
Don't yank that pick all the way out from under the front glass just yet. Gently pull it out a little, leaving about 1/8" (3 mm) of the tip still tucked under there. You’re almost there, just take it slow!
- Gently slide the opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad to loosen the adhesive securing the Wi-Fi antenna—smooth moves here keep everything safe!
Step 18
- After you pass the Wi-Fi antenna (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 cabled to the bottom of the iPad. This step carefully separates it from the front panel so you don’t accidentally mess it up when removing the panel.
Step 19
Keep the iOpener heat sessions short and sweet—no more than a minute at a time! After each round, let it chill for at least two minutes before reheating. You’ve got this!
If the adhesive's gotten a bit too chilly along the bottom edge, give the iOpener another warm-up to heat things back up where you're working. A little extra heat never hurts!
- Keep peeling the adhesive along the bottom edge of the iPad. When you get past the home button, pull the opening pick out enough to go around it, then slide it back in about half an inch (10 mm) to keep things moving smoothly.
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Step 20
For iPad 4 models, gently insert the pick about 1/2 inch (10 mm) into this area. Be careful not to push too far to avoid messing with the home button ribbon cable. Take it easy and go slow!
- Keep peeling away the adhesive along the bottom edge of the iPad until it’s all free.
- Leave the opening pick gently tucked under the front glass, right by the home button, for a little extra leverage.
Step 21
- Pop the iOpener back in the microwave to warm it up, then place it on the left edge of the iPad to gently heat and loosen the adhesive there.
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Step 22
If the adhesive has chilled out too much, pop the iOpener back along the top edge and keep on going. If the iOpener itself has cooled off, 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 navigate around the front-facing camera bracket.
- Heads up: the adhesive here is seriously stubborn, so you might need to apply some firm pressure. Take it slow and steady to avoid any slips or accidental damage to yourself or your iPad.
- If your opening pick is getting stuck in the adhesive, try "rolling" it as demonstrated in step 9 for a smoother glide.
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Step 23
If the adhesive feels nice and warm, go ahead and take the iOpener off to make your life easier. But if it’s still sticking like glue, just heat it up again and rest it on the left edge while you keep going.
- Gently keep sliding that adhesive-release pick along the top edge of your iPad, looping it around the top left corner like a pro—it’s like giving your device a little stretch!
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Step 24
The digitizer cable hangs out about 2" (50 mm) up from the bottom of your iPad. When sliding the pick, ease up and stop once you hit roughly 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 to loosen the adhesive. Heads up: the adhesive here is pretty thin because of the digitizer running along this side. Keep the pick shallow—no deeper than half an inch (about 10 mm)—to avoid any unwanted damage to the digitizer.
Step 25
Heads up! The bottom of the digitizer cable hangs out just about an inch (25 mm) from the iPad’s base. Take it slow and steady to avoid slicing through this little guy.
- With the opening pick still tucked under the bottom edge of the iPad, gently work it to loosen the adhesive at the bottom left corner.
Step 26
The adhesive around the edges of the iPad might have re-stuck itself. No worries, just grab a pick and gently slide it under the spot where the front glass is still holding on tight. Give it a little 'cut' to break the adhesive free.
- Grab an opening pick and gently wedge it under the bottom right corner of the iPad, then lift it up enough to get a good grip with your fingers.
Step 27
Keep an eye out for any stubborn adhesive still hanging on. A handy opening pick can help you slice through anything that's still keeping the front panel stuck down. Take it slow, and if it gets tricky, remember we're here to help—just schedule a repair.
- Grab your iPad by the top and bottom right corners, then gently rotate the front glass away from the device. Be careful, you don’t want to force it!
- Before putting everything back together, grab a microfiber cloth and some compressed air to give the LCD a nice clean-up. Dust and fingerprints? Gone. Now you're ready to reinstall that glass!
Step 28
That bottom left screw is playing hide and seek behind the home button ribbon cable connector. Gently nudge the ribbon cable out of the way so you can grab that sneaky screw and remove it.
- Grab your trusty Phillips #00 screwdriver and remove the four 2 mm screws that are holding the LCD to the aluminum frame. Just a few turns, and you’ll be ready for the next step!
Step 29
Handle the LCD with care—its ribbon cable is super sensitive and might snap if you bend it too much. Take it slow!
- Grab your trusty plastic opening tool (or a spudger, if you’re feeling fancy) and gently pry up the right edge of the LCD from the iPad.
- Once you’ve got that edge lifted, carefully rotate the LCD around its left edge and let it rest on the front glass panel. Nice and easy!
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Step 30
- Carefully use the tip of your trusty spudger to lift up the piece of tape that’s hiding the LCD ribbon cable connector underneath.
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Step 31
- Gently lift the little flap holding the LCD ribbon cable in place on the logic board’s ZIF connector.
- Carefully wiggle the LCD ribbon cable free from its socket using your fingers or a pair of 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 appears.
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Step 32
- Carefully lift the LCD off the front panel—just don’t touch the front of the screen to keep it nice and safe!
Step 33
If you spot any electrical tape hiding the Wi-Fi antenna, speaker cable, or home button ribbon cable, peel it off gently and keep moving!
Step 34
- Gently lift up the little flap on the home button ribbon cable ZIF connector. It's like giving it a friendly nudge to get things moving!
Step 35
- Grab a trusty pair of tweezers and gently wiggle that home button ribbon cable right out of its cozy little socket on the logic board. You've got this!
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Step 36
- Gently lift the home button ribbon cable out from its groove in the back case.
Step 37
- Gently use the tip of your trusty spudger to lift the tape holding the digitizer ribbon cable onto the logic board—easy does it!
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Step 38
- Gently flip up the little retaining flap on each of those digitizer ribbon cable ZIF connectors to free them up.
Step 39
- Gently use the flat end of your spudger to ease up the adhesive under the digitizer ribbon cable. No rush here, just take your time!
- Once the adhesive is loosened, carefully pull the digitizer ribbon cable straight out from its socket on the logic board. A smooth, steady motion works best!
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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 aluminum back case.
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Step 41
- Gently wiggle the digitizer ribbon cable free from its snug spot in the aluminum frame using your fingers.
- Lift the front panel off the iPad carefully to avoid any surprises.
Step 42
- Gently peel back and take off the adhesive tape covering the headphone jack assembly.
Step 43
- Unscrew the single 2.6 mm Phillips #0 screw holding the camera ribbon cable in place, right by the headphone jack assembly.
Step 44
- Gently use the flat end of your spudger to lift the front-facing camera right off its socket on the headphone jack assembly.
- Keep the spudger in place and slide it to the right to carefully pop free the adhesive holding down the camera’s ribbon cable.
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Step 45
- Gently use the tip of your spudger to lift the adhesive holding the camera ribbon cable onto the headphone jack assembly—nice and easy does it!
- Next, do the same with the adhesive foam tape that’s keeping the camera ribbon cable stuck to the aluminum frame. You got this!
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Step 46
- Grab the flat end of your spudger and gently nudge the camera ribbon cable out of its cozy spot in the plastic antenna housing.
- Peel back the adhesive on the camera carefully, but take it slow to avoid ripping the metal EMI tape. Patience is key!
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Step 47
There might still be some sticky stuff hanging out on the camera cable. If it's making the cable stick or get stuck, grab a spudger to gently scrape it off or nudge it out of the way.
- Gently ease the camera out of the iPad, guiding the camera cable smoothly through its slot in the aluminum frame.
- Take the camera completely out of the iPad.
