iPhone 12 mini Battery Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 32 Steps
iPhone batteries are built to last about 500 charge cycles, which usually means 18-24 months before they start needing extra juice way more often. If you find your phone slowing down or getting performance warnings, it’s probably time for a battery swap. Follow this guide to give your iPhone a fresh start and a boost in speed. If your battery looks swollen, handle it carefully. Heads up: On iOS 17.6 and earlier, your iPhone might complain about battery 'genuineness' even if you use original Apple parts—if it’s working fine, don’t sweat it. On iOS 18 and newer, you’ll need to authenticate your new battery with Apple’s Repair Assistant. Don’t forget new adhesive for putting everything back together!
Step 1
Before you dive in, make sure your iPhone battery is under 25%. Trust us—lithium-ion batteries are way less dramatic when they're low on charge. No explosions, no fires, just smooth sailing.
- Make sure your iPhone is powered off before you get started. Trust me, your fingers will thank you.
- Use a pentalobe screwdriver to take out the two 6.7 mm screws from the bottom edge of your iPhone. They're tiny, so keep an eye on them!
Step 2
Pushing your opening pick in too deep can cause damage—let’s avoid that! Mark your pick to set a safe limit.
Feel free to mark other corners of the pick with different measurements for extra control.
Or, get creative and tape a coin about 3 mm from the tip to act as a handy depth stop.
- Grab your opening pick and measure about 3 mm from the tip. Mark that spot with a permanent marker – this is your go-to guide for a precise start.
Step 3
Pop on some safety glasses to keep those sneaky shards from eye-invading while you work your magic.
Got a cracked iPhone screen? Slap some tape over that glass to keep the shards in check and save your fingers from accidental battle scars.
If the suction cup just refuses to cooperate, break out the superglue and stick it right to the screen—desperate times, creative measures!
- Cover the iPhone's screen with overlapping strips of clear packing tape until the entire front is nicely wrapped.
- If the suction cup refuses to stick in the upcoming steps, no worries! Fold a sturdy piece of tape (like duct tape) into a little handle and use that to gently lift the screen instead.
Step 4
Next up, we've got three steps to show off the Anti-Clamp, our specially designed tool that makes opening your device a whole lot smoother. If you're not using the Anti-Clamp, no worries—just skip ahead three steps for a different method.
Want the full scoop on how to use the Anti-Clamp? Check out our detailed guide right here.
If your iPhone's surface is too slippery for the Anti-Clamp to get a grip, a little tape can do wonders to give it a bit more friction.
- Pull the blue handle back to release the Anti-Clamp's arms.
- Gently slide the arms over the left or right edge of your iPhone—whichever works best for you.
- Place the suction cups near the bottom of the iPhone, one on the front and one on the back.
- Squeeze the suction cups together to create a firm grip on the area you want to work on.
Step 5
- Pull that blue handle towards you to lock those arms in place.
- Spin the handle clockwise all the way around (yep, a full circle) or until you see those cups start to stretch.
- Keep an eye on the suction cups—they should stay lined up. If they start drifting apart, just loosen them a bit and realign the arms.
Step 6
Carefully slide the opening pick between the plastic bezel and the frame to keep your screen safe and sound.
Turn no more than a quarter turn at once, then take a breather for a minute. Let the Anti-Clamp and some patience do their magic.
If the Anti-Clamp isn't quite making that perfect gap, just throw some extra heat at the area and give the handle a little twist—about a quarter turn should do the trick!
- Place your iPhone on something solid like a hardcover book. Let it sit there, resting comfortably and parallel to the ground. This makes the next steps a breeze.
- Grab a hairdryer and heat the bottom edge of the iPhone. It should feel just a bit too hot to touch, but not unbearable.
- Give it a minute to let the adhesive loosen up and create a gap for you to work with.
- When the Anti-Clamp leaves a nice little opening, gently slide an opening pick under the screen's plastic bezel.
- Feel free to skip the next three steps—they’re not needed right now.
Tools Used
Step 7
Keep that hair dryer moving—parking it in one spot too long is a no-go!
Popping open your iPhone’s display will mess with its waterproof seals. Make sure you have fresh seals ready before going further, or be extra careful to keep moisture away if you put it back together without swapping them out.
Warming up the bottom edge of the iPhone softens the adhesive holding the display in place, making it simpler to lift off.
If the screen doesn’t budge easily, the adhesive has probably cooled down and hardened again. Just add a bit more heat to loosen it up and try again.
- Grab a hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until it feels just a tad too toasty to touch. Keep it chill, but warm enough to loosen things up!
Tools Used
Step 8
- Got a single suction handle? Stick it to the bottom edge of the phone, as close to the edge as you can. Easy, right?
- If your display is super cracked, cover it with a layer of clear packing tape to help the suction cup stick. If that’s not enough, you can try some strong tape as a substitute. And if all else fails, a bit of superglue might do the trick to hold that suction cup on.
Tools Used
Step 9
Be sure to slide that opening pick under the sturdy plastic bezel with care to keep your screen safe and sound. Look for a little visual gap – if you see it, you're on the right track! If not, give that screen a gentle tug to create some space, and then try again.
That waterproof glue holding the screen down is no joke—you’ll need some muscle to start prying it open! If it feels stuck, hit it with a little more heat and gently wiggle the screen up and down until you spot a gap big enough for your tool.
There’s a plastic bezel hiding under the display that needs to come up with the screen. Keep your pick away from the space between the bezel and the display, or you’ll risk cracking the panel.
- Grab the suction cup and give it a steady, confident pull to gently nudge a small gap between the screen and the metal frame.
- Slide an opening pick into the gap between the screen and the plastic bezel—be sure to go under the bezel, not the screen itself.
Step 10
- Grab a hair dryer and give the right side of your iPhone (yep, the one with the power button) a little heat love for about 90 seconds. It should feel slightly too hot to touch – but don't burn yourself! You got this!
Tools Used
Step 11
Keep your pick to a safe depth of no more than 3 mm, or you might accidentally poke something you didn't mean to!
- Gently glide that opening pick around the bottom right corner and along the right edge of your iPhone, cutting through the sticky adhesive that's keeping the display snug and secure.
Step 12
- Grab your hair dryer and warm up the top edge of your iPhone for about a minute and a half, or until the screen feels just a bit hotter than a summer sidewalk.
Tools Used
Step 13
Keep your pick shallow—don't go deeper than 3 mm or you'll risk poking the front panel sensor array where it hurts.
The top edge of the display is held in place with both glue and clips.
Easing the front panel assembly down towards the bottom edge of the phone makes this step a bit smoother.
- Slip your pick under the top-right corner of the display panel—like sneaking snacks after midnight.
- Work your way around that top right corner. The clips might put up a fight, but you’ve got this!
- Cruise along the top edge with your pick and slice through any leftover adhesive holding the display in place.
Step 14
- Give that left edge of your iPhone a little love! Grab a hair dryer and warm it up for about 90 seconds, or until it feels just a tad too hot to handle.
Tools Used
Step 15
Heads up! There are two super delicate cables hugging the left side of your iPhone — one chilling near the top and another hanging out just below the middle. Avoid sliding your pick in there or you might give those cables a little unwanted surprise.
Step 16
Ease into the twisting motion, nice and steady.
If the adhesive is being stubborn, give the left edge another gentle warm-up.
- Slide a second opening pick into the bottom left corner of your iPhone.
- Gently twist both picks at the same time until the clips along the left edge pop free.
Step 17
Hold off on pulling the display all the way apart—there are some delicate ribbon cables still keeping it connected to the iPhone’s logic board. Treat it like defusing a bomb, but with less sweating and more style.
- Turn your iPhone so the right side is facing you.
- Open the iPhone by lifting the display up from the right edge, just like flipping open a book cover.
- Prop the display up against something sturdy 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 the top edge down before snapping the rest of the display into place. If it doesn’t click easily, check the clips around the edge to make sure none are bent or out of place.
Step 18
Keep a close eye on every screw during this repair—making sure each one goes back exactly where it came from is the secret to keeping your iPhone safe and sound.
- Unscrew the tiny (1.25 mm) Y000 screw holding down the battery and display connector cover bracket. It's small but mighty!
- When you're putting things back together, this is a great spot to fire up your iPhone and make sure everything's working before locking the display back in place. Just remember to shut it down completely before you get back to tinkering.
Step 19
- Grab your tweezers and gently lift out the battery & display connector bracket. No need to wrestle with it—smooth and steady wins the day.
- When putting things back together, note the two small hinges chilling on the right edge of the connector bracket. Line them up with their matching spots for a hassle-free reassembly.
Tools Used
Step 20
Be gentle with the black silicone seal around the board connections—it’s like their raincoat, keeping water and dust out.
- Gently pop the battery connector up from its socket on the logic board using a spudger or your clean fingernail—no superhero strength required.
- Tilt the connector away from the logic board just a bit so it doesn’t sneak back into place and power up your phone while you’re working your magic.
Tools Used
Step 21
- Gently use a spudger or even a clean fingernail to lift the OLED panel cable connector out of its socket on the logic board. Take it slow and steady!
- When pressing connectors like this back into place, line up one side carefully and press down until you hear a click. Then do the same on the other side. Avoid pressing the middle—if it’s off, those pins might bend and cause trouble you don’t want.
Tools Used
Step 22
- Let's get those tiny screws out! Grab your trusty Y000 screwdriver and carefully remove the five 1 mm-long screws that are holding the front sensor assembly cover bracket in place. You're on your way to a successful repair!
Step 23
- Grab a trusty pair of tweezers and carefully lift out the front sensor assembly bracket. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 24
- Grab a spudger or use your clean fingernail to gently disconnect that front sensor assembly cable connector. Easy does it – you’ve got this!
Tools Used
Step 25
- Lift off the display assembly—like opening a treasure chest, but for tech.
- If you're planning to swap in new waterproof adhesive around the edges, now's the perfect pit stop before you keep cruising.
Step 26
- Unscrew the four Phillips #000 screws (they're 1.5 mm long) holding the speaker in place. Tiny tools, big impact!
Step 27
- Grab a trusty pair of tweezers and gently pluck out the speaker. You're doing great!
Tools Used
Step 28
Avoid poking the battery with anything sharp! A punctured battery can leak harmful chemicals or even start a fire. Stay safe and keep it cool!
- Gently peel down the first battery adhesive pull-tab to set it free from the bottom edge of the battery. It's like giving it a little hug to help it come out!
Step 29
If one of the adhesive strips snaps off under the battery and refuses to come out, just move on to the other strips. Once you’ve handled those, keep following the steps below—don’t sweat it!
- Grab the pull tab with your fingers and gently pull it away from the battery, aiming toward the bottom of the iPhone.
- If the adhesive strip snaps, try to fish it out with your fingers or some blunt tweezers and keep pulling—just don’t go poking under the battery.
- Pull with enough strength to keep the strip taut, but don’t force it. Give it some time to stretch and peel away from under the battery.
- Avoid pressing down on the battery. Hold the iPhone firmly by its sides to keep things steady.
- Keep the strip flat and wrinkle-free. Pull evenly along the whole strip instead of yanking mostly from the center or one side.
- Pull at a shallow angle so the strip doesn’t catch on the battery edge.
Tools Used
Step 30
- Take hold of that wide pull tab with your fingers and gently tug it away from the battery, guiding it towards the bottom of your iPhone. You're doing great!
Step 31
Avoid the temptation to wrestle that battery out of its cozy spot! If it's being stubborn, a few more drops of alcohol can help loosen the adhesive. And remember, no need to poke or squish the battery with your pry tool—let's keep it safe and sound!
If the adhesive underneath the battery comes loose and you can't grab it back, drop a little high-strength (90%+) isopropyl alcohol under the battery edge where the adhesive gave up. This helps soften things up for easier removal.
- Pinch the pull tab between your fingers and gently tug it downwards, heading for the bottom of the iPhone—slow and steady wins the race.
- Do the same dance with the other two pull tabs. They're waiting for their turn.
- Give it about a minute and let the alcohol solution work its magic on the sticky stuff underneath.
- Slide the flat end of your spudger under the battery and lift it up with care—just a gentle nudge will do.
Tools Used
Step 32
- If your device powers on, give it a quick test before applying fresh adhesive and sealing it up.
- Stick the new battery in place using pre-cut or double-sided adhesive tape. To get it just right, put the adhesive where the old stuff was—don’t slap it straight on the battery. Press down firmly to set it.
- Put your device back together by reversing the steps above. Clean any surfaces that need new adhesive with isopropyl alcohol (over 90%) before applying.
- Depending on your replacement part, you might be able to calibrate it using Apple’s Repair Assistant starting with iOS 18. Just update your device, go to Settings → General → About → Parts & Service History, tap Restart & Finish Repair, and follow the prompts.
- For best results, calibrate your new battery once you’re done.
- Don’t forget to recycle your e-waste responsibly at an R2 or e-Stewards certified facility.
- If something didn’t go as planned, try some basic troubleshooting or feel free to schedule a repair with us for expert help.
