iPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement

Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 32 Steps

Ready to swap out your iPhone 12's front camera (aka selfie cam)? Follow these steps to get your camera back in action. Heads up: swapping this part means Face ID won’t work unless you recalibrate. On iOS 17.6 and earlier, only Apple or their certified crew can restore Face ID. But with iOS 18 or newer, you can recalibrate the front camera yourself using Apple's Repair Assistant. If things get tricky, you can always schedule a repair.

Step 1

- Make sure to power off your iPhone before you start taking it apart.

- Next up, grab your pentalobe P2 screwdriver and remove the two 6.75 mm screws located at the bottom edge of the iPhone.

Step 2

- Grab your opening pick and measure about 3 mm from the tip. Then, use a permanent marker to mark that spot.

Step 3

- Cover your iPhone's screen with a few strips of clear packing tape, making sure the entire front is shielded. Think of it like giving your screen a protective layer of armor.

- If the suction cup isn't doing its job and sticking like it should, grab a piece of sturdy tape (duct tape works wonders), fold it into a handle, and use that to lift the screen. It's like a DIY tool hack!

Step 4

- Give that blue handle a gentle tug back to unlock the Anti-Clamp's arms—it's like giving it a little hug!

- Slide those arms over the left or right edge of your iPhone like you're tucking it in for a cozy nap.

- Place the suction cups close to the bottom edge of your iPhone—one on the front and one on the back, like they're holding hands.

- Squeeze those cups together with a little love to create a solid suction on the area you want to work on.

Step 5

- Slide the blue handle forward to lock those arms in place.

- Give the handle a full 360-degree clockwise twist, or keep going until the suction cups start to stretch a bit.

- Keep an eye on the suction cups—they should stay lined up. If they start to drift out of sync, just loosen them a little and realign the arms.

Step 6

- Prop your iPhone up on something solid like a hardcover book so it can chill hands-free and lie flat—makes the next steps way easier.

- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone until it feels a bit too toasty to touch.

- Give it a minute to let the adhesive loosen and create a small gap for you to work with.

- Slide an opening pick under the screen’s plastic bezel once the Anti-Clamp has made enough space.

- Skip the next three steps.

Tools Used
  1. Hair DryeriPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement

Step 7

- Grab a hair dryer or a heat gun and gently warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until it feels a bit too toasty to touch.

Tools Used
  1. Hair DryeriPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement
  2. Heat GuniPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement

Step 8

- Grab your trusty suction handle and stick it on the bottom edge of your phone, just be careful to steer clear of that glass edge!

Tools Used
  1. Suction HandleiPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement

Step 9

- Give that suction cup a solid tug! Keep the pressure steady to create a little wiggle room between the screen and the frame.

- Slide an opening pick into the cozy gap you've just made under the screen and the plastic bezel, but steer clear of poking the screen itself!

Step 10

- Grab a hair dryer and gently warm up the right edge of your iPhone (where the power button hangs out) for about 90 seconds, or until the screen feels just a bit too hot to handle.

Tools Used
  1. Hair DryeriPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement

Step 11

- Gently slide that trusty opening pick around the bottom right corner of your iPhone to break free from the adhesive's grip.

- Keep the momentum going and glide the pick up the right edge until you hit the top right corner.

- Pause for a moment and leave the pick nestled in the top right corner before moving on.

Step 12

- Grab your trusty hair dryer and warm up that top edge of the iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until it feels just a little too toasty to touch. You're doing great!

Tools Used
  1. Hair DryeriPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement

Step 13

- Gently slide the opening pick around the top right corner of your iPhone to loosen the stubborn adhesive holding it down.

- Keep that pick chilling in the top left corner before moving on to the next step.

Step 14

- Give the left edge of your iPhone a warm blast with a hair dryer for about 90 seconds, or until the screen feels just a bit too toasty for comfort.

Tools Used
  1. Hair DryeriPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement

Step 15

Step 16

- Slide a second opening pick into the bottom left corner of the iPhone.

- Gently twist both picks at the same time until you hear that satisfying click as the left edge clips pop free.

Step 17

- Flip your iPhone around so the right edge is looking right at you.

- Gently lift the display from the right side, just like opening the front cover of a book.

- Prop the display up against something sturdy, so it stays put while you tackle the inner workings of your phone.

- When it's time to put everything back together, lay the display back in its spot, align those clips along the top, and gently press down the top edge until it clicks into place. If it’s being stubborn and doesn’t snap in easily, take a moment to check if the clips around the display are in good shape and not bent.

Step 18

- Take out the two tiny 1.1 mm Y000 screws holding down the battery and display connector cover. (Seriously, they’re small—don’t lose them to the carpet goblins!)

- When you’re putting things back together, go ahead and fire up your iPhone to make sure everything is working before sealing up the display. Don’t forget to fully power it down again before you keep going!

Step 19

- Pop off the cover to get started.

Step 20

- Gently use a spudger or even a clean fingernail to lift the battery connector off its spot on the logic board.

- Give the connector a little bend away from the board so it doesn’t accidentally touch the socket and power the phone while you’re working on it.

Tools Used
  1. SpudgeriPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement

Step 21

- Pop off the display cable connector using a spudger or your trusty fingernail—no need for superhero strength.

- When reconnecting, get the edges lined up and gently press one side until you hear a click, then do the same for the other. Skip pressing the middle unless you’re into bent pins and permanent damage (hint: you’re not).

Tools Used
  1. SpudgeriPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement

Step 22

- Gently pry up the digitizer cable connector using a spudger or your fingernail to unplug it.

- If your screen isn’t responding to touch after the repair, try disconnecting the battery, then firmly reconnect this cable until it clicks into place. Make sure the socket is clean and free of any dust or debris.

Tools Used
  1. SpudgeriPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement

Step 23

- Grab your trusty Y000 driver and unscrew the four screws holding down the front sensor connector cover.

- There are three screws measuring 1.1 mm long.

- One screw is a bit longer at 1.4 mm.

Step 24

- Lift the cover from the left side until the little clip on the right pops free.

- Take off the cover.

- When putting it back, start by snapping the clip on the right edge into its spot, then swing the rest of the cover down to close it up.

Step 25

- Gently pry open the front sensor assembly cable connector using a spudger or your trusty fingernail. You've got this!

Tools Used
  1. SpudgeriPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement

Step 26

- First things first, gently take off the display assembly like a pro.

- When you're ready to put everything back together, take a moment here if you want to swap out that waterproof adhesive around the edges of the display. It's a small touch that makes a big difference!

Step 27

- Grab your trusty Y000 driver and take out that tiny 1 mm screw holding the front-facing camera assembly in place. You've got this!

Step 28

- Gently pop up the front-facing camera bracket and set it aside, like a tiny hat for your desk.

Step 29

- Carefully wiggle a spudger or your fingernail to unplug the Face ID dot projector cable from its spot on the logic board.

Tools Used
  1. SpudgeriPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement

Step 30

- Gently pry up the Face ID sensor cable from its connector on the logic board using a spudger or just your fingernail. Take it slow and steady!

Tools Used
  1. SpudgeriPhone 12 Front-Facing Cameras Replacement

Step 31

- Carefully nudge those Face ID cable connectors away from the logic board so you can uncover the selfie cam connector hiding underneath. No need to rush, take your time!

- Now, let's give that selfie camera some love by gently prying its connector straight up. You've got this!

Step 32

- Take a moment to compare your replacement part with the original. You might need to move some components over or peel off any adhesive backings before you pop it in place.

- Now, just work your way backwards through the steps above to reassemble your device. Easy peasy!

- If your repair involved a part that supports it, why not try out Apple’s Repair Assistant (available on iOS 18 and up)? Just go to Settings→General→About→Parts & Service History, tap Restart & Finish Repair, and follow the on-screen instructions to calibrate.

- When you're all done, be sure to responsibly recycle your e-waste! Find a certified recycler through R2 or e-Stewards.

- Something didn’t quite go according to plan? No worries! Try some basic troubleshooting, or reach out to the Salvation Repair community for some expert advice. And if you still need a hand, you can always schedule a repair.

Success!
Check out your shiny new part next to the old one—sometimes you’ll need to move over a few bits or peel off adhesive before the big install.
Ready to put everything back together? Just follow these steps backwards and you’re golden.
Swapped something fancy, like a screen or battery? If your device runs iOS 18 or later, you can give it a quick calibration using Apple’s Repair Assistant: update your device, head to Settings→General→About→Parts & Service History, tap Restart & Finish Repair, and follow the prompts.
Don’t forget to recycle your old parts with an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler—let’s keep things green.
Ran into a hiccup? Try some basic troubleshooting, or jump into our iPhone 12 Answers community to swap tips. If you need backup, you can always schedule a repair.

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