iPad 7 SIM Card Reader Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 50 Steps
Ready to replace or remove the SIM card reader in your iPad 7? This guide is for the LTE version only, so if you have the Wi-Fi version, check out the other guide. When you're isolating the battery, be extra cautious—battery contacts can get damaged easily, and that means trouble. If you skip isolating the battery, just avoid using metal tools unless necessary (like for screws) to keep the battery and circuits safe. A couple of the pictures in this guide might come from a different model, but don’t worry—the steps are the same, and it won’t mess up your repair!
Step 1
- Warm up your iOpener and ease it onto the left edge of the device for a couple of minutes—nice and steady!
Tools Used
Step 2
- Hey, while that adhesive is chilling and loosening up, just a heads up on these spots that need a gentle touch:
- Front camera
- Antennas
- Display cables
Step 3
The next three steps show you how to use the Anti-Clamp, a nifty little tool we've designed to make the opening process a breeze. If you’re not using the Anti-Clamp, just skip ahead three steps to see an alternate method.
For a detailed guide on how to get the most out of the Anti-Clamp, check out our full instructions.
If your iPad's surface is a bit too slick for the Anti-Clamp to grip, just grab some tape and make it stickier. It'll work like a charm!
- Gently pull the blue handle back to release the Anti-Clamp’s arms.
- Place something underneath your iPad to keep it level and snug between the suction cups.
- Position the suction cups about halfway along the left edge—one near the top, one near the bottom.
- Hold the bottom of the Anti-Clamp steady, then firmly press down on the top cup to create suction.
Step 4
- Slide the blue handle forward to lock those arms into place.
- Twist the handle a full 360 degrees (or until the suction cups start to stretch—whichever comes first).
- Keep those suction cups lined up like a perfect pair! If they start to drift out of sync, just loosen them a little and nudge the arms back into alignment.
Step 5
Take it slow—give it half a turn at a time, then pause for a minute. Let the Anti-Clamp and time handle the magic!
Want to learn how to use a hair dryer like a pro? Check out this guide for all the details.
If the Anti-Clamp isn't giving you the gap you need, no worries—just add a bit more heat to the area and give the handle a half turn clockwise to keep things moving.
- Hang tight for a minute—let that adhesive loosen up and create a nice opening gap.
- If the screen's not warming up enough, grab a hair dryer and gently heat the left edge of your iPad.
- Slide an opening pick under the digitizer once the Anti-Clamp gives you a good-sized gap.
- You can skip the next step.
Step 6
- Once the screen feels comfortably warm to the touch, grab a suction handle and attach it to the left edge, as close to the corner as you can manage.
- Gently lift the screen with the suction handle to create a tiny gap between the digitizer and the frame—just enough to get started.
- Slip an opening pick into that gap and carefully work your way around the frame.
If your screen's cracked up pretty bad, slapping on a layer of clear packing tape might just do the trick to get that suction cup to stick. Alternatively, if you've got some strong tape lying around, that can also work in place of the suction cup. Worst case, you can always get a little creative and superglue the suction cup to the cracked screen to make it hold. Just be careful – it’s a bit of a hack!
Tools Used
Step 7
No need to stress if you can spot the opening pick peeking through the digitizer — just pull it out gently. The LCD screen should be safe, though you might leave a little sticky residue behind that could take some extra scrubbing to clean up.
- Pop a second opening pick into the tiny gap you just made—think of it as giving your device a little wiggle room.
- Gently slide that pick down toward the bottom-left corner to ease apart the sticky adhesive.
- Leave the pick snug in the bottom-left corner so the adhesive doesn’t sneak back together.
Step 8
- If the opening pick is having a tough time with the adhesive, no worries—just gently roll the pick along the edge of the iPad. This should help keep things moving and get that adhesive separated like a charm.
Step 9
- Gently slide your first opening pick towards the top-left corner to loosen up that adhesive.
- Leave it chilling in the top-left corner to keep the adhesive from snapping back together.
Step 10
- Warm up an iOpener and gently place it along the top edge of your device for a couple of minutes to loosen things up.
Tools Used
Step 11
- Give that pick a gentle twirl around the top-left corner to loosen up the adhesive – nice and easy!
Step 12
Be careful not to slide the pick over the front camera! You wouldn’t want to scratch that lens. We’ll walk you through some simple steps to make sure everything stays safe and sound.
- Gently slide the opening pick along the top edge of your device, and pause just before you hit the front camera. Nice and easy!
Step 13
- Gently pull the pick out until just the tip is nestled between the digitizer and the frame.
- Slide the pick right above the front camera to loosen up that adhesive—nice work!
- Leave the pick hanging out near the right side of the front camera before moving on.
Step 14
- Pop that pick back in and glide it over to the top-right corner to fully peel away that stubborn top adhesive.
- Keep the pick hanging out in the top-right corner to stop the adhesive from gluing itself back together.
Step 15
- Grab your iOpener and give it a little warm-up! Apply it to the right edge of your device for about two minutes. Let that heat do its magic before moving on.
Tools Used
Step 16
- Gently slide the pick around the top-right corner of the device to loosen the adhesive. Take it slow and steady, and you’ll be on your way.
Step 17
The display cables hang out around halfway up from the bottom of the iPad. Slide carefully, and stop when you've moved about three inches from the bottom—no need to go further.
- Grab a new opening pick and gently slide it along the right edge of your iPad, aiming for the middle. Take your time, it's a smooth move!
Step 18
- Get your iOpener warmed up and gently place it on the bottom edge of the device for two minutes to soften things up.
Tools Used
Step 19
Avoid rotating the pick all the way around the corner—it's a quick way to mess with the antenna. Take it slow and steady to keep everything safe and sound.
- Slide the bottom-left pick into the bottom-left corner to gently separate the adhesive.
- Keep that pick in place at the bottom-left corner before moving on to the next step.
Step 20
Slide the pick gently towards the home button, but don't go the other way – it could mess with the antenna. Keep it smooth!
If you need to slide the pick over this spot again, just pull it out and slot it back in at the bottom-left corner.
- Pop a fresh opening pick into the gap you’ve just made along the bottom edge of the iPad.
- Carefully slide the pick over the antenna, stopping just shy of the home button.
- Keep the pick to the left of the home button before moving on to the next step.
Step 21
Be gentle with that pick! Only slide it in about 1mm to keep the right antenna safe and sound.
- Pop in an opening pick where you made the gap. You're doing great!
- Gently slide the pick under the home button, aiming for the bottom-right corner. Just the tip should be between the digitizer and frame—nothing too crazy!
Step 22
Keep that pick moving towards the home button—steer clear of pushing it the other way, or you might accidentally mess with the antenna!
If you gotta slide the pick over this spot again, just pull it out and pop it back in at the bottom-right corner.
- Pop the pick back in and gently slide it toward the home button, aiming to fully detach the bottom adhesive.
- Leave the pick just to the right of the home button before moving on to the next step.
Step 23
- Warm up an iOpener and give the right edge of your device a nice, toasty hug for two minutes.
Tools Used
Step 24
Take it easy on this one, buddy. Go slow, make sure that glue is nice and toasty, and double-check you've pried up every bit with your pick. No sweat if you need to pause and warm it up again.
If you're feeling some serious resistance, don't sweat it! Just heat up the edges a bit more and gently work your opening pick along them. It should loosen right up.
- Give those two opening picks a gentle twist on the left corners of the iPad to lift the digitizer just a bit, peeling off that final strip of adhesive in the process.
Step 25
- Gently lift the left edge of the digitizer upward to keep separating that adhesive along the right edge of your iPad. Nice work!
Step 26
- Keep the digitizer steady and slide your opening pick between the two display cables to peel away the last of that adhesive.
Step 27
- Once the adhesive is fully separated, gently open the digitizer like a book and lay it flat next to the iPad.
- When putting everything back together, be sure to clean off any leftover adhesive from the frame—and the digitizer too if you're reusing it—with some isopropyl alcohol. You can use our adhesive strips or pre-cut adhesive cards to reapply the sticky stuff.
- As you're putting the device back together, be careful with those display cables! Make sure they're tucked properly under the LCD screen so nothing gets damaged.
Step 28
- Grab a Phillips screwdriver and twist out those four 4.3 mm-long screws that are keeping the LCD snug in the frame.
- As you go through this repair, keep tabs on every screw and put 'em back exactly where they belong to keep your device happy and undamaged.
- If there's any tape hiding the LCD screws, just peel it away nice and easy.
Step 29
Hey, don't go pulling the LCD all the way out just yet—it's still tethered by a bunch of cables near the home button.
For now, just gently lift it from the front-facing camera side.
- Grab the flat end of your spudger and gently pry the LCD out of its spot—just enough to snag it with your fingers. Easy does it!
- Flip that LCD like turning a page in a book: lift it near the camera and swing it over to the home button end of the rear case.
- Gently lay the LCD face-down on a clean, soft, lint-free surface to keep those display cables nice and accessible.
Tools Used
Step 30
- Grab your Phillips screwdriver and gently remove that single 2.3 mm screw holding the battery connector to the logic board.
Step 31
Check out these shots of the battery connector chilling under the logic board. Use 'em as your guide to safely unplug the battery.
Heads up—the battery connector's got these springy cantilever bits on the logic board pushing against the battery pads. Since the board and battery are glued in place, just slip something slim and bendy between the contacts to pop it free.
Step 32
Hey, ease up when using that battery blocker—those contacts are super delicate and can bend or break easily, leading to permanent damage. Take it nice and slow!
Make sure the logo on the battery blocker is facing up.
Don't muscle the battery blocker under the connector—ease it on in. If it's fighting you with the logic board, just swap in a playing card to disconnect the battery.
The battery blocker or playing card should slide smoothly under the logic board, no hitches. Once it's in, keep it at about a 15-degree angle.
- Gently slide the battery blocker under the logic board's battery connector at about a 35-degree angle.
- Keep that battery blocker in place while you continue working to keep things safe and sound.
Tools Used
Step 33
- Grab your Phillips screwdriver and go ahead and remove the three tiny 1.4 mm screws holding the display cable bracket in place.
Step 34
- Time to pop off that display cable bracket! Just give it a gentle nudge, and it should come off easily. No need to wrestle with it – we’re in this together!
Step 35
- Grab the flat end of a spudger and carefully lift the LCD cable connector straight up to disconnect it.
- To reattach press connectors like this, align them just right and press down on one side until it clicks, then do the other side. Steer clear of the middle to prevent bending pins, which could cause lasting damage.
Tools Used
Step 36
- Gently lift the LCD off and place it face down on a clean, soft, lint-free surface. Make sure it’s comfy and safe!
Step 37
- Grab your tweezers and gently peel off the tape covering the home button cable's ZIF connector. Easy does it!
Tools Used
Step 38
- Grab your spudger, an opening tool, or even your fingernail to give that little hinged flap on the home button cable ZIF connector a gentle flip upwards. Easy peasy!
Tools Used
Step 39
- Grab a pair of tweezers and gently slide the home button ribbon cable out of the ZIF connector. Keep it steady and avoid any sudden pulls—you're almost there!
Tools Used
Step 40
Hey, take it easy on that iPad—pry just the connectors, not the socket on the logic board, to keep everything in one piece.
- No sweat! Grab the flat end of your spudger and gently disconnect those two digitizer cables by lifting straight up on the press connectors.
Tools Used
Step 41
Keep it chill and avoid poking or ripping that home button ribbon cable, okay?
- Grab the flat end of your spudger and carefully pry up the vibration isolator tucked under the SIM card reader.
- Now, just remove that vibration isolator.
Tools Used
Step 42
The cable's held in place with a bit of light adhesive.
- Grab your tweezers and gently peel the home button cable away from the rear case – you're doing great!
Tools Used
Step 43
Use an opening pick to carefully slice through any leftover adhesive still holding the front panel assembly to the frame.
Without the right insulation, those parts of the digitizer might end up touching other components, causing some weird touch input issues.
The insulation is practically invisible to the naked eye, and it’s not like the foam dust barriers you might spot on some iPads.
- Kick things off by carefully removing the front panel assembly.
- If your new display starts acting up with any 'ghost' or 'phantom' touch vibes, don't sweat it—just add a super thin layer of insulating tape, like Kapton (polyimide tape), to the marked spots on the back. Most replacement digitizers handle this insulation themselves, so extra tape might not be needed.
- As you reassemble, before sliding in the display, clear off any leftover adhesive from the iPad. Wipe down the glued areas with high-concentration isopropyl alcohol (90% or higher) and a lint-free cloth. This sets the stage for fresh adhesive to bond perfectly.
- Run a quick test on your iPad's functions to ensure everything's clicking, then apply the pre-cut adhesive strips to the back of the display using the adhesive guide. Seal it up once you're good to go. If you run into any tricky spots along the way, remember you can always schedule a repair.
Step 44
- Grab a SIM eject tool, a tiny bit, or even a straightened paper clip and gently poke it into the SIM card tray hole.
- Give it a firm press to pop that SIM card tray right out.
Step 45
- Gently slide out the SIM card tray from your iPad. It should come out smoothly, just like opening a drawer. No force needed here!
Step 46
- Carefully use the tip of a spudger, an opening tool, or even your fingernail to lift that small, hinged locking flap on the SIM card reader cable's ZIF connector.
Tools Used
Step 47
- Grab your tweezers and gently tug that SIM card reader cable straight out of the ZIF connector—keep it smooth and steady!
Tools Used
Step 48
- Warm up your iOpener and gently place it on the bottom left corner of the rear case to soften the SIM card tray's adhesive for about thirty seconds. Nice and easy!
Tools Used
Step 49
If the SIM card reader is being stubborn, try warming it up a bit more and give it another go.
- Hey, take it easy! Grab an opening tool and gently pry up the bottom edge of the SIM card reader with a smooth, steady force.
Step 50
- Time to put everything back together! Just follow these steps in reverse, and you'll be all set.
- Got some old electronics lying around? Make sure they get recycled the right way with an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
- Things didn’t go quite as expected? No worries! Try some basic troubleshooting or head over to our helpful community for a hand.
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