iPhone 11 Taptic Engine Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 29 Steps
The Taptic Engine is responsible for those satisfying vibrations and haptic feedback on your iPhone. Follow this guide to remove or swap out the Taptic Engine in your iPhone 11. You’ll need to fully detach the display assembly to avoid damaging the display cables—trust us, it’s worth the extra step! If you're feeling confident and want to skip disconnecting the cables, feel free to jump ahead. But, if you want to be extra careful, stick to the full instructions for a smooth fix.
Step 1
Before diving in, make sure to drain that iPhone battery below 25%. A fully charged lithium-ion battery can turn into a firecracker if it gets punctured. Safety first, folks!
Opening up your iPhone's display? Well, you're breaking the waterproof seal. Be sure to have a replacement seal on hand before you move forward, or if you're reassembling without the new seals, just keep it away from liquids – the last thing you want is to let any moisture sneak in.
- Shut down your iPhone before you start taking it apart. Trust us, your phone prefers naps during surgery.
- Unscrew the two 6.7 mm pentalobe screws hanging out at the bottom edge of your phone. They're eager for a break.
Step 2
Be careful not to push your opening pick too deep, as it could harm your device. Use this tip to mark your pick and keep your gadget safe!
Feel free to mark the other corners of the pick with various measurements for extra precision.
Another fun idea is to tape a coin to the pick about 3 mm from the tip for a handy reference.
- Mark the opening pick 3 mm from the tip with a permanent marker to keep your tools on point.
Step 3
Slip on some safety glasses to keep your eyes safe from any sneaky glass bits that might come loose during the repair.
Got a cracked screen on your iPhone? No worries! Just grab some tape and cover that glass to keep it from breaking further and to protect yourself while you tackle the repair.
If you're really in a pinch, a little superglue on the suction cup can do the trick to stick it to the screen.
- Cover the entire front of your iPhone with overlapping strips of clear packing tape. Make sure it's nice and snug, so nothing gets in the way of your repair work.
- If the suction cup is being stubborn and not sticking, grab a strong piece of tape, like duct tape, fold it into a handle, and lift the screen with that. No stress – you'll get it done!
Step 4
The next three steps walk you through using the Anti-Clamp, a handy tool we put together to make popping open your device a breeze. Not using the Anti-Clamp? No worries—just skip ahead three steps for another way to get the job done.
For the full scoop on how to handle the Anti-Clamp, check out this guide.
If your iPhone’s surface feels too slick for the Anti-Clamp to grip, try adding some tape to give it a better hold.
- Pull the blue handle back to release the Anti-Clamp’s arms—easy does it!
- Slide the arms gently over the left or right edge of your iPhone.
- Place the suction cups close to the bottom edge of your iPhone—one up top, one down low.
- Press the cups together to create a solid suction grip on the spot you want.
Step 5
- Slide the blue handle forward to lock the arms in place.
- Rotate the handle clockwise a full 360 degrees or until you notice the suction cups starting to stretch.
- Keep an eye on the suction cups to ensure they stay perfectly aligned. If they start to drift out of line, just loosen them a bit and adjust the arms back into position.
Step 6
Take it slow—don't twist more than a quarter turn at a time, and give it a minute between each turn. Let the Anti-Clamp and the clock do their thing. No rush, we’ve got this.
Feel free to grab a hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate—but watch out! Too much heat can mess with your display or internal battery, so handle with care.
If the Anti-Clamp isn't giving you enough room, just apply a bit more heat and give that handle a little twist—about a quarter turn should do the trick!
- Warm up that iOpener and slide it through the arms of the Anti-Clamp like a pro.
- Bend the iOpener so it rests comfortably on the bottom edge of your iPhone.
- Hang tight for a minute to let the adhesive work its magic and create a little gap.
- Gently insert an opening pick into the gap between the screen and the plastic bezel, steering clear of the screen itself.
- Feel free to skip the next three steps!
Tools Used
Step 7
Heating up the bottom of your iPhone will loosen the adhesive holding the display in place, making it way easier to pry open. A little warmth goes a long way here.
- Grab a hairdryer or heat gun, or if you're feeling fancy, use an iOpener. Gently apply it to the lower edge of your iPhone for about a minute. Give it some time to warm up, and you'll be all set for the next step!
Tools Used
Step 8
- Grab your trusty suction handle and stick it right on the bottom edge of your phone. Just be sure to steer clear of that curved glass area—it’s a no-go zone!
Tools Used
Step 9
The adhesive holding your display in place is no joke – it’s super strong. You’ll need a fair bit of force to create that first gap. If you're struggling, don’t worry – just apply a little more heat and gently wiggle the screen up and down. This will help break down the adhesive, giving you enough room to slide your tool in. You've got this!
- Give that suction cup a solid pull – we're looking for just enough pressure to pop open a tiny gap between the front panel and the rear case, so hang tight!
- Slide an opening pick into that sweet little gap beneath the screen, and be sure to aim for the plastic bezel, not the screen itself. You've got this!
Step 10
Keep your pick shallow—no deeper than 3 mm—so you don’t accidentally poke any hidden parts inside!
- Gently glide the opening pick around the lower left corner and up the left edge of the iPhone, cutting through the adhesive that's keeping the display snug in place. Keep it steady and take your time – you got this!
Step 11
Be careful around the right edge of your iPhone – there are some fragile cables hiding there. Avoid inserting your pick in this area, or you might accidentally damage them.
Step 12
Keep your pick to a maximum of 3 mm—going deeper might just tickle those display cables the wrong way!
- Slide your pick back in at the bottom edge of the iPhone, then glide it up along the right side to keep loosening that sticky adhesive like a pro.
Step 13
The top edge of the display is held in place with a combination of glue and clips, making it a bit of a tricky spot. But don’t worry, you've got this!
- Carefully nudge the right edge of the display downward just a bit, aiming toward the Lightning port.
- Slide your pick into the top-right corner of the phone to get things started.
Step 14
Keep your pick insertion to under 3 mm to avoid messing with the Face ID sensor array—let’s keep it safe and sound!
- Keep gently pulling the display down toward the Lightning port until you've created a nice little gap for your trusty pick.
- Slide that pick over to the top left corner and slice through any leftover adhesive that's holding the display in place.
Step 15
- Give that little nub on the suction cup a gentle tug to release it from the front panel. You've got this!
Step 16
Hold off on fully lifting the display—there are some delicate ribbon cables still hanging on to your iPhone's logic board.
- Start by opening the iPhone like you’re flipping open a book—swing the display up from the left side.
- Rest the display against something solid to keep it steady while you work.
- When putting it back together, place the display in position, line up the clips along the top edge, and gently press that top edge down before snapping the rest of the display into place. If it’s being stubborn and doesn’t click easily, double-check the clips around the edges to make sure none are bent or out of place.
Step 17
Go easy on those display cables—no need to flex your superhero muscles and accidentally rip or stretch them!
- To get to the screws in the next step, gently lift the bottom edge of the display and tilt it back just a bit.
Step 18
Keep a sharp eye on every screw during this repair and make sure each one finds its way back to its original home.
- Grab your trusty Y000 driver and whip out those three 1.1 mm screws that are holding down the battery connector bracket.
- When you're putting things back together, this is a prime moment to power up your iPhone and make sure everything’s working as it should—before sealing up that display. Just don’t forget to shut it down all the way before continuing with the rest of the process.
Step 19
- Take off the bracket, it's time to give your device some breathing room!
Step 20
Be gentle with that black silicone seal around the board connections! It's there to keep the water and dust at bay, giving your device some extra love and protection.
- Grab a spudger or just your clean fingernail, and gently nudge that battery connector upwards from its cozy spot on the logic board. It's like giving it a little hug to say, 'Hey there, time to come out!'
- Once it's free, give the connector a slight bend away from the logic board. This way, it won’t sneak back into its socket when you're not looking!
Tools Used
Step 21
- Grab your trusty Y000 driver and carefully unscrew the five tiny 1.1 mm screws holding down the logic board cover bracket.
Step 22
- Time to say goodbye to that pesky bracket! Go ahead and remove it.
Step 23
- Gently pop off the LCD panel cable connector using your spudger or just your fingernail—no Hulk strength required.
- Right next door, unplug the digitizer connector. Easy does it!
Tools Used
Step 24
- Gently pry open the front panel sensor assembly connector using the tip of a spudger or your trusty fingernail. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 25
- Gently remove the display assembly—think of it as opening a treasure chest, but with fewer pirates.
- When putting things back together, this is your chance to refresh the waterproof adhesive around the display edges if you're feeling fancy.
Step 26
- Grab your Phillips driver and take out the trio of screws holding the Taptic Engine in place:
- Two screws, 1.8 mm each—like twins, but shorter.
- One solo screw, 1.9 mm—slightly taller, doing its own thing.
Step 27
- Take off the bracket that’s holding down the Taptic Engine flex cable connector.
Step 28
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry that Taptic Engine flex cable straight up from its socket to disconnect it. You're doing great!
Tools Used
Step 29
- Line up your new replacement part with the original one—sometimes you might need to move over some bits or peel off any sticky backing before fitting it in.
- To put your device back together, just follow the steps above in reverse order.
- Got e-waste? Make sure to recycle it responsibly at an R2 or e-Stewards certified facility.
- If things didn’t go as planned, no worries! Swing by our iPhone 11 Answers community for some helpful troubleshooting tips, or if it’s feeling tricky, you can always schedule a repair.
