iPad 8 LTE Button Control Cable Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 62 Steps
Ready to swap out the button control cable on your iPad 8 LTE? No problem! Just a heads-up, this guide is specifically for the LTE version, so if you're working with the Wi-Fi model, you’ll need a different guide. The button control cable includes the lock button and volume buttons, so if any of those buttons aren’t working right, it’s time to replace the whole cable. When isolating the battery with a battery blocker, be extra cautious – the battery contacts are delicate and can bend or break, causing some serious damage. If you're feeling brave and skip the battery isolation step, make sure to keep the metal tools to a minimum (only use them when absolutely necessary, like for screws). This will help prevent any battery shorts or damage to your circuit components. A couple of photos in this guide are from a different model, so they might look slightly different, but don't worry, they won’t mess with the steps. Ready to get started? Let’s do this!
Step 1
- Warm up your iOpener and place it on the left edge of the device for two minutes.
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Step 2
- While that adhesive softens up, keep an eye on these spots—they get finicky when prying:
- Front camera
- Antennas
- Display cables
Step 3
The next three steps walk you through using the Anti-Clamp, a handy tool we came up with to make opening your device a breeze. Not using the Anti-Clamp? No worries—just skip ahead three steps to try a different approach.
For all the details on how to work the Anti-Clamp like a pro, check out this guide.
If your iPad’s surface feels a bit too slick for the Anti-Clamp to get a good grip, slap on some tape to give it a bit more stick.
- Give that blue handle a gentle pull backwards to unlock the Anti-Clamp's arms.
- Pop something under your iPad to keep it level between the suction cups.
- Position the suction cups near the middle of the left edge—one up top, one down below.
- Hold the bottom steady and press firmly on the top cup to apply suction.
Step 4
- Grab that blue handle and pull it forward to lock the arms in place—easy peasy!
- Now, give the handle a clockwise spin, 360 degrees or just until those cups start stretching out.
- Keep an eye on those suction cups to make sure they stay lined up. If they start to misbehave, loosen 'em a bit and get 'em back in sync.
Step 5
Ease up on the twisting—just half a turn at a time, and give it a minute to breathe between each one. Trust the Anti-Clamp and some good old time to get the job done smoothly.
Want to know how to use a hair dryer like a pro? Check out this guide for all the details.
If the Anti-Clamp isn't creating enough space, give it another shot by adding some heat and turning the handle clockwise for a quick half turn.
- Hang tight for a minute—let that adhesive loosen up and create a nice gap.
- If the screen's not warming up enough, grab a hair dryer and gently heat along the left edge of your iPad.
- Once the Anti-Clamp has opened a good gap, slide an opening pick under the digitizer.
- You can skip the next step.
Step 6
If your screen is really cracked up, try covering it with clear packing tape to help the suction cup stick. Or, just use some heavy-duty tape in place of the cup. Still not working? Go ahead and superglue the suction cup right to the broken screen—it'll do the trick!
- Once the screen feels warm to the touch, grab your suction handle and place it as close to the left edge as possible—right on the border for a perfect grip.
- Gently lift the screen using the suction handle. You should now see a small gap opening up between the digitizer and the frame. Easy, right?
- Now, take your opening pick and slide it carefully into that gap you've just created. No rush—just make sure it’s snug in there.
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Step 7
Hey, it's fine if you spot the opening pick poking through the digitizer—just slide it out. Your LCD should stay safe, but watch out for that stubborn adhesive that's a hassle to scrub off later.
- Slide in a second opening pick into the gap you've just made. It's like a little shimmy for your device.
- Now, gently slide the pick towards the bottom-left corner. This helps break that sticky bond.
- Leave the pick in the corner, so the adhesive stays separated. This way, it won’t re-join and make things messy.
Step 8
- Hey, if that opening pick gets jammed in the sticky adhesive, just give it a smooth roll along the edge of your iPad to keep separating it like a pro.
Step 9
- Gently slide your first opening pick toward the top-left corner to loosen up that stubborn adhesive.
- Keep the pick wedged in place at the top-left corner to stop the adhesive from sticking back together.
Step 10
- Heat up your iOpener and give it a nice, cozy 2-minute rest on the top edge of your device. Just enough time to let it work its magic!
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Step 11
- Gently rotate the pick around the top-left corner of the device to break the adhesive seal. Take your time and let the tool do the work—no rush here!
Step 12
Watch out for the front camera while using the pick! You don't want to accidentally scratch or damage that lens. We'll show you how to avoid that in the next steps.
- Gently glide the opening pick along the top edge of your device, but make sure to stop just before you hit the front camera. Nice and smooth, no rush!
Step 13
- Gently tug that pick until just the tip is snug between the digitizer and the frame – easy does it!
- Now, shimmy the pick above the front camera to loosen up that sticky adhesive.
- Park the pick close to the right side of the front camera, and we'll take it from there.
Step 14
- Slide the pick back in and gently nudge it towards the top-right corner to fully free the top adhesive.
- Keep the pick lodged there so the adhesive doesn’t sneak back together.
Step 15
- Heat up your iOpener and give the right edge of the device a two-minute warm hug—let's loosen that adhesive!
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Step 16
- Swing that pick tool around the top-right corner to loosen up the adhesive—nice and smooth!
Step 17
The display cables hang out about halfway up from the bottom of your iPad. Ease up and stop sliding when you hit about three inches from the bottom—that's your sweet spot!
- Grab a fresh opening pick and slide it right to the middle of the iPad's right edge—easy does it!
Step 18
- Warm up that iOpener and press it gently against the bottom edge of your device for about two minutes.
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Step 19
Hey, don't spin that pick all the way around the corner, or you might nick the antenna!
- Gently slide the bottom-left pick down to the bottom-left corner to start loosening that adhesive.
- Keep the pick wedged in the corner while you get ready for the next move.
Step 20
Slide the pick gently towards the home button only—going the other way might mess with the antenna, and we want to keep it happy!
If you need to glide the pick over this area again, just pull it out and pop it back in at the bottom-left corner to keep things smooth.
- Grab a fresh opening pick and slip it into that gap you made on the bottom edge of the iPad.
- Gently slide the pick across the antenna, but stop right before you hit the home button.
- Park that pick to the left of the home button, then keep going.
Step 21
Ease that pick in gently, up to 1 mm max, to keep the right antenna safe and sound!
- Slip that opening pick right into the gap you just made – good job!
- Now, slide the pick under the home button, aiming for the bottom-right corner, and make sure only the tip stays tucked between the digitizer and the frame.
Step 22
Slide the pick gently towards the home button. Avoid going the other way to prevent damaging the antenna. Take it slow, and your device will thank you!
If you need to slide the pick over this section again, simply remove it and try reinserting it from the bottom-right corner. You'll get the hang of it!
- Pop that pick back in and glide it toward the home button to fully peel away the bottom adhesive.
- Keep the pick hanging out to the right of the home button before you keep going.
Step 23
- Heat up your iOpener and apply it to the right edge of the device for about two minutes – let's loosen that adhesive!
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Step 24
Take your time here and be extra careful. Make sure the adhesive is nice and warm, and gently work your pick around to separate it all. If it feels stubborn, don’t hesitate to stop and give it another heat-up. Patience pays off, trust us.
If you're feeling some serious resistance, just give those edges a little more heat, then gently work along them with your trusty opening pick.
- Give those two opening picks a gentle twist on the left corners of the iPad to lift the digitizer just a bit, peeling away the last of that stubborn 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 the iPad. Nice and steady!
Step 26
- Keep the digitizer steady and gently wiggle an opening pick between the two display cables to carefully loosen the last bit of stubborn adhesive.
Step 27
- After you've gently separated all the adhesive, open the digitizer like a book and set it down flat next to the iPad.
- When putting everything back together, wipe off any leftover adhesive from both the frame and the digitizer (if you plan to reuse it) using some isopropyl alcohol. Then, swap in fresh adhesive strips or pre-cut adhesive cards to keep things snug.
- Keep an eye on those delicate display cables during reassembly. Make sure to fold them neatly under the LCD screen to avoid any accidental damage.
Step 28
- Snag a pair of tweezers and carefully peel back the tape that's covering the home button cable ZIF connector.
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Step 29
- Grab your spudger, opening tool, or even your fingernail to gently flip up that small, hinged locking flap on the home button cable ZIF connector—you're doing great!
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Step 30
- Grab your tweezers and gently tug that home button ribbon cable straight out of the ZIF connector.
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Step 31
Hey, to keep your iPad grinning ear to ear, pry only on the connectors themselves—not the socket on the logic board. Let's keep things damage-free!
- Grab the flat end of your spudger and carefully pry up those two digitizer cable press connectors to disconnect them – you've got this!
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Step 32
Be careful not to poke or rip the home button ribbon cable—it's delicate, so treat it with care!
- Grab the flat end of your spudger and gently pry up the vibration isolator tucked right under the SIM card reader.
- Lift out the vibration isolator and you're good to go.
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Step 33
The cable is lightly taped in place.
- Grab your tweezers and carefully peel the home button cable away from the rear case.
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Step 34
Grab an opening pick and carefully slice through any leftover adhesive that’s still holding the front panel to the frame. We don’t want anything sticking around longer than it should!
Make sure to keep those areas of the digitizer insulated. Without it, they might make accidental contact with other components, causing touch input to go haywire.
The insulation here is sneakily invisible to the naked eye, and it’s not the same as the foam dust barriers you might see in some iPads.
- Kick things off by carefully removing the front panel assembly.
- If your new display starts acting up with 'ghost' or 'phantom' touch issues, fix it by adding a super thin layer of insulating tape, like Kapton tape, to the highlighted spots on the back. Quality replacement digitizers usually come with the right insulation, so you might not need extra tape.
- As you reassemble, before sliding in the display, peel off any leftover adhesive from the iPad and wipe down those glued areas with high-strength isopropyl alcohol (90% or more) and a lint-free cloth. This preps everything for fresh adhesive so it bonds perfectly.
- Test out your iPad's functions, then apply the pre-cut adhesive strips to the back of the display using our display adhesive application guide, before sealing it all up. If anything feels tricky, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 35
- Grab your tweezers and gently peel away the tape covering the home button cable ZIF connector.
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Step 36
- Grab a spudger, opening tool, or your fingernail to carefully lift the small, hinged locking flap on the home button cable's ZIF connector.
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Step 37
- Grab your tweezers and gently pull the home button ribbon cable straight out of the ZIF connector – keep it simple and steady!
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Step 38
To keep your iPad happy and healthy, focus your prying on the connectors themselves—steer clear of the socket on the logic board.
- Grab the flat end of your trusty spudger and gently pry up those two digitizer cable press connectors to disconnect them – you've got this!
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Step 39
Be super careful not to damage or rip the home button ribbon cable – it's more delicate than it looks!
- Grab the flat end of your spudger and gently pry up the vibration isolator tucked below the SIM card reader.
- Now, just lift out that vibration isolator.
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Step 40
The cable is lightly glued in place, so just give it a gentle nudge to loosen it up.
- Grab your tweezers and gently peel that home button cable away from the rear case – nice and easy!
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Step 41
Grab your opening pick and slice through any leftover adhesive holding the front panel to the frame.
Without the right insulation, parts of the digitizer could short circuit against other components, messing up your touch input.
This insulation is invisible to the naked eye and totally different from the foam dust barriers on many tablets.
- Start by gently removing the front panel assembly.
- If your display starts acting up with 'ghost' or 'phantom' touches, don't worry! Just add a super thin layer of insulating tape, like Kapton tape, to the highlighted spots on the back of the panel. Most replacement digitizers come with the necessary insulation, so you shouldn’t need extra tape, but if you do, it's an easy fix!
- Before putting everything back together, be sure to clean off any leftover adhesive from the iPad. Use high-concentration isopropyl alcohol (90% or greater) and a lint-free cloth to wipe the glued areas clean. This preps the surface perfectly for fresh adhesive to stick well and do its job right.
- Test all your iPad’s functions and then apply pre-cut adhesive strips to the back of the display following our guide for display adhesive application. After that, seal it up, and you’re good to go!
Step 42
- With a steady hand, gently peel the LCD buffer tape up from the upper component bracket.
Step 43
- Grab your trusty Phillips screwdriver and carefully take out the five screws holding the upper component bracket in place:
- Three screws, each 1.4 mm long
- Two screws, each 1.9 mm long
Step 44
You might have to gently peel off the upper component bracket from the tape that's keeping it in place on the logic board.
- Alright, grab your spudger and use its pointy end to gently lift that upper component bracket until you can easily grab it with your fingers.
- Now, just remove the upper component bracket—got it?
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Step 45
- Grab the flat end of your spudger and gently pry up to disconnect the rear camera connector.
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Step 46
- Grab your iOpener, give it a good heat-up, and then place it on the top-left corner of your iPad’s back for about thirty seconds. This will help loosen up the rear camera adhesive so we can move on with the repair.
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Step 47
- Grab your opening tool and gently coax that rear camera out of its cozy spot in the back case.
Step 48
- Grab your tweezers or just use your fingers to carefully pull out the rear camera.
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Step 49
- Carefully peel away any tape covering the button control cable ZIF connector.
Step 50
- Gently use the tip of a spudger, an opening tool, or even your fingernail to flip up the tiny, hinged locking flap on the button control cable ZIF connector. You got this!
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Step 51
- Grab a pair of tweezers and gently pull the button control cable straight out of the ZIF connector. Go slow, and keep it steady, you’ve got this!
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Step 52
- Grab your trusty Phillips screwdriver and carefully unscrew the two 2.3 mm screws that are holding the volume button bracket to the rear case. Keep those screws safe—they're important!
Step 53
- Grab your trusty Phillips screwdriver and unscrew the two 2.3 mm screws holding down the lock button bracket. A little twist, and you're one step closer to success!
Step 54
- Slide the tip of your spudger between the rear case and the bottom of the volume button bracket to loosen it up.
- Lift out the volume button bracket.
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Step 55
- Grab the flat end of your spudger and gently coax those volume buttons out of their slots in the back case. Nice work!
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Step 56
- Gently slide an opening pick between the button control cable and the rear case.
- Move the pick upward toward the lock button to carefully cut through the adhesive that's holding the button control cable to the rear case.
Step 57
Once you remove the button control cable, the lock button will feel a bit loose – that's totally expected!
- Gently disconnect the button control cable. It’s just a simple step, don’t worry!
- When you put everything back together, be sure to slide the lock button right back into its spot. That’s the last piece of the puzzle!
Step 58
- Warm up your iOpener and place it on the button control cable for about 30 seconds. It’ll loosen things up nicely, making the next steps a breeze!
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Step 59
- Grab the upper volume button with a trusty pair of tweezers, keeping it steady.
- Slip an opening pick in between the volume control cable and that upper volume button.
- Carefully peel the volume control cable away from the upper volume button.
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Step 60
- Now, let's repeat those same steps to carefully peel the volume control cable off the lower volume button.
Step 61
- Grab a pair of tweezers and gently grip the lock button bracket – you've got this!
- Slip a halberd spudger or opening pick right between the lock button bracket and the button control cable – smooth move!
- Carefully peel the button control cable up and away from those pegs on the lock button bracket – nice work!
- When putting it back together, slap on some Tesa tape to reattach the volume buttons and lock button bracket to the button control cable – easy peasy!
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Step 62
- To put your device back together, just flip through these steps in reverse.
- Be kind to the planet and take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
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- Repair didn't go smoothly? Give some basic troubleshooting a try, or if you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
