iPad 4 GSM LCD Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 32 Steps
Follow this guide to swap out your LCD like a pro.
Step 1
For carousel microwaves: Make sure the plate can spin around smoothly. If your iOpener gets stuck, it might get too hot and cause a burn, so keep an eye on it!
Before diving in, it’s a good idea to give your microwave a quick clean. That leftover gunk on the bottom? Yeah, it might just hitch a ride on the iOpener, and nobody wants that. A little prep now can save you a lot of hassle later!
- Pop the iOpener right in the middle of the microwave. It's like giving it a cozy little spot to warm up, but without the popcorn.
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Step 2
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder to keep an eye on that iOpener during your repair. Too much heat can make it go boom! So, let’s keep it under 100˚C (212˚F), shall we?
If you see the iOpener looking a bit puffy, hands off! Safety first, my friend.
If the center of the iOpener is still too toasty to touch, no worries! Keep using it while it cools off a bit more before you reheat. A well-heated iOpener should stay cozy for about 10 minutes.
Depending on your microwave's wattage, you might need to adjust the heating time a bit. The iOpener is ready to go when it’s just shy of too hot to handle!
- Warm up the iOpener for about thirty seconds to get it nice and toasty.
- As you go through the repair, if the iOpener starts to cool down, just pop it back in the microwave for another thirty seconds to keep the heat going.
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Step 3
The iOpener gets pretty hot, so handle with care. If you’re feeling cautious, grab an oven mitt to keep things cool!
- Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave by grabbing one of the flat ends—steer clear of the hot middle to keep those fingers safe!
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Step 4
Heads up! The iOpener gets super 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 with enough water to totally immerse an iOpener.
- Bring that water to a boil, then turn off the heat.
- Now, drop the iOpener into the hot water and let it soak for 2-3 minutes, making sure it's completely submerged.
- Carefully use tongs to take the hot iOpener out of the water.
- Give the iOpener a good drying off with a towel.
- And that's it! Your iOpener is good to go! If you need to reheat it, just repeat the process: boil the water, turn off the heat, and let the iOpener soak for 2-3 minutes.
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Step 5
Put on your safety glasses to keep those peepers safe, and handle the LCD screen with care to avoid any unwanted cracks or scratches.
This will help keep those pesky glass shards in check and make sure the display stays sturdy while you gently pry and lift it up.
- Got a cracked display? Keep things from getting worse and avoid hurting yourself while fixing it by taping up the glass.
- Grab some clear packing tape and lay down overlapping strips over the iPad's display until the whole thing is covered.
- Follow the rest of the guide as closely as you can. Just a heads up: once the glass cracks, it might keep cracking as you work. If it gets tricky, don’t hesitate to grab a metal prying tool to help get that glass out.
Step 6
Heads up! You'll be dealing with some glass during this process, so it's a good idea to rock some safety glasses to keep those pesky shards away from your eyes. Better safe than sorry!
- Place the iOpener flat along the right edge of the iPad, making sure it’s nicely pressed 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 tip wedged between the glass and plastic might take a bit of elbow grease. Stay patient and give that plastic tool a little wiggle dance back and forth to ease it in smoothly.
- There’s a 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 slide the tip of a plastic opening tool into the crack between the front glass and the plastic bezel—just enough to pry it open a bit.
Step 8
- Carefully slide your tool in right where the plastic display bezel meets the front panel glass—getting in that perfect spot is key!
Step 9
- Gently slide the plastic opening pick into the gap right next to the plastic opening tool, keeping the tip wedged between the front glass and plastic bezel. This will help you separate them without causing any damage. Take it slow and steady—patience is key here!
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—to keep things moving smoothly.
Step 11
- As you work on loosening the adhesive along the right edge of the iPad, go ahead and reheat the iOpener, then pop it back on the bottom edge to keep things nice and toasty.
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Step 12
The adhesive is super strong, so you might need to bring your A-game and a bit of muscle. Take it slow and steady!
If you spot the tip of your opening pick sneaking out from under the front glass, gently wiggle it out a bit. Digging this deep with the pick won’t hurt anything, but it might leave some sticky adhesive marks on the LCD.
- As the iOpener warms up the bottom edge, start loosening the adhesive from the right side of your iPad.
- Gently slide the opening pick down along the iPad's edge, peeling away the adhesive bit by bit.
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Step 13
If the iPad has cooled down too much while you were working, you might need to slide the heated iOpener back onto the right edge to warm up the adhesive again before continuing to peel it off.
- If the opening pick gets stuck in the adhesive, try gently rolling it along the side of the iPad to keep loosening the adhesive. Patience is key here—just keep at it and it will eventually give way.
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Step 14
- Before popping that first pick into the bottom corner of the iPad, slide a second pick under the right edge of the front glass. This will keep the adhesive from sticking back down on you—let's avoid a sticky situation.
- Give that iOpener another round of heat, then move it up to the top edge of the iPad. You're almost there, just a little more to go!
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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 sits in a specific spot, take your time and handle it gently to avoid any permanent damage.
- Alright, let's take it slow here. This next part requires a bit of finesse.
- You're going to need to carefully release the adhesive holding the antenna to the front panel, but don't worry—just be gentle around the delicate parts connecting the antenna to the bottom of the iPad. Keep following the steps closely and you'll be fine!
Step 16
Be careful not to slide the pick past the bottom right corner. Going too far might mess with the Wi-Fi antenna. Keep it steady!
- Carefully slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPad to loosen the adhesive hiding out there.
Step 17
- Gently slide the tip of your opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad to carefully loosen the adhesive around the Wi-Fi antenna.
Be careful as you slide the opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel. The Wi-Fi antenna is sneaky-close to the corner, and it’s all too easy to damage it if the adhesive comes off the wrong way.
Don't fully yank the pick out from under the front glass. Just slide it out a little so that about 1/8" (3 mm) of the tip stays under the glass. That way, you'll have just enough leverage to keep things in place while you work your magic.
Step 18
- Alright, now that you've passed the Wi-Fi antenna (around 3" (75 mm) from the right edge or right near the home button), slide that opening pick back in fully.
- Gently push the pick to the right to break the adhesive holding the Wi-Fi antenna to the front glass.
- The antenna is secured to the bottom of the iPad with screws and a cable. By completing this step, you're safely detaching the antenna from the front panel, so when you remove the panel, the antenna stays safe and sound.
Step 19
- Carefully continue releasing the adhesive along the bottom of the iPad. As you pull the opening pick out, make sure it goes around the home button. Once it's past the home button, reinsert it about 1/2 inch (10 mm) deep to keep things secure.
Don't go overboard with heating the iOpener—just one minute at a time is all it needs. Give it a couple of minutes to cool down before reheating for the next round. Patience is key!
If the adhesive has cooled down a bit too much along the bottom edge, give your iOpener another quick heat-up to warm up that spot where you’re working. It'll make the job a lot easier!
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Step 20
For iPad 4 models, slide the pick in no deeper than 1/2 inch (10 mm) here to keep that home button ribbon cable safe and sound.
- Work your way along the bottom edge of the iPad, peeling off the adhesive. It's like peeling the perfect sticker, just keep going!
- Once you've got some space, slide the opening pick right under the front glass near the home button. It's going to be your trusty sidekick for the next step.
Step 21
- Pop the iOpener back in the microwave to warm it up again, then place it along the left edge of the iPad to gently loosen the adhesive there.
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Step 22
If the adhesive has started to cool down too much, no worries—just pop the iOpener back along the top edge and keep going. If it’s too cool to work with, give it another heat-up session and you’re good to go!
- Gently slide the opening pick along the top edge of your iPad, carefully guiding it around the front-facing camera bracket. A little wiggle here will do the trick!
- The adhesive in this section is pretty thick, so you'll need to apply some steady pressure. Take it slow, avoid any sudden moves, and make sure you and your iPad stay in one piece!
- If the opening pick gets stuck due to the adhesive, just give it a little roll, as shown in step 9, to keep things moving smoothly.
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Step 23
If the adhesive feels nice and warm, go ahead and pull the iOpener off the iPad for easier access. But if it’s still pretty sticky, just reheat the iOpener and place it on the left edge while you continue working. Keep at it, you’ve got this!
- Keep peeling off that sticky adhesive along the top edge of the iPad, then grab your opening pick and gently slide it around the top left corner.
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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 to keep things safe and sound.
- Gently slide the opening pick along the left edge of the iPad, carefully releasing the adhesive as you go. Be mindful of the digitizer on the left side, as the adhesive is a bit thinner here. Keep the pick no deeper than 1/2 inch (about 10 mm) to avoid causing any damage to the digitizer.
Step 25
Heads up! The bottom of the digitizer cable sits just about an inch (25 mm) from the iPad’s bottom edge. Take it slow and steady to avoid accidentally snipping this little guy.
- With the opening pick still tucked under the bottom edge of the iPad, carefully slide it to loosen the adhesive at the bottom left corner.
Step 26
Sometimes the adhesive around the edge of the iPad decides to play sticky again. If that happens, gently slide a pick under the spot where the front glass is still holding on and carefully slice through the adhesive to free it up.
- Grab one of those trusty opening picks and gently wedge it under the bottom right corner of your iPad, then lift it up and hold on tight!
Step 27
Watch out for any sticky glue still hanging on, and gently slide an opening pick to slice through any adhesive keeping that front panel stuck.
- Grab the iPad firmly by the top and bottom right corners, then gently swivel the front glass away from the device.
- When putting everything back together, give the LCD a quick once-over with a microfiber cloth and some compressed air to wipe away any dust or smudges before snapping the glass back on.
Step 28
The screw at the bottom left is hiding behind the home button ribbon cable connector. Gently move the ribbon cable aside, and voila, you've got access to the screw!
- Unscrew the four tiny 2 mm Phillips #00 screws holding the LCD onto the aluminum frame—time to get that screen free!
Step 29
Handle the LCD with care—its ribbon cable is delicate and can snap if you bend it too much. Treat it like your phone’s secret handshake!
- Grab your plastic opening tool or a spudger, and carefully lift the right edge of the LCD away from the iPad.
- Now, gently rotate the LCD along its left edge and rest it carefully on top of the front glass panel.
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Step 30
- Gently lift the piece of tape covering the LCD ribbon cable connector using the tip of your trusty spudger.
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Step 31
- Flip open the little retaining flap on the LCD ribbon cable ZIF connector. It’s like giving it a tiny hug, just enough to release it.
- Using your fingers or a pair of tweezers, gently pull the LCD ribbon cable out of its socket on the logic board. No wrestling here, just a smooth pull.
- If the LCD screen doesn’t light up after reconnecting the ZIF connector, try holding the power button and home button together for at least ten seconds. If all goes well, you should see the Apple logo pop up. If that’s still not doing the trick, don’t worry, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 32
- Carefully lift the LCD off the front panel, making sure not to touch the screen directly. Keep it gentle – no sudden moves!
