iPhone 12 Pro Rear-Facing Cameras Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 31 Steps
Get ready to tackle the rear camera swap on your iPhone 12 Pro! This guide will walk you through replacing all the camera modules as one clever unit. Just a heads up: if you’re rocking iOS 18 or newer, you can easily calibrate those shiny new camera modules with Apple's Repair Assistant. If you find yourself needing a hand, feel free to schedule a repair!
Step 1
Heads up! Before you dive in, make sure your iPhone battery is under 25%. Poking a charged lithium-ion battery can get fiery—literally. Keep it cool and safe by running down the battery first.
Cracking open your iPhone’s display will break those waterproof seals, so if you want to keep your device splash-resistant, grab some new seals before moving ahead. If you skip the fresh seals, just be extra careful to keep your phone away from water after reassembly.
- First things first—power down your iPhone before diving in. Safety first, right?
- Next up, grab your screwdriver and remove the two 6.75 mm pentalobe P2 screws on the bottom edge of your iPhone. Don't worry, they're easy to spot!
Step 2
Pushing your opening pick too deep can cause damage—let’s avoid that! Mark your pick to keep things safe and sound.
Feel free to mark other corners of your pick with different measurements for extra precision.
Or, try taping a coin 3 mm from the tip of your pick as a handy depth guide.
- Get ready for some measuring fun! Take your trusty ruler and measure out 3 mm from the tip of your opening pick. Then, grab a permanent marker and make a little mark to guide you. You're doing great!
Step 3
Grab your safety glasses to keep your eyes safe from any bits of glass that might try to make a getaway during the repair. Better safe than sorry!
Got a cracked screen on your iPhone? No worries! Just tape over that glass to keep any further shattering in check and avoid any potential accidents while you tackle the repair.
If you're really stuck, you can always give that suction cup a little extra stick by supergluing it to the screen. Just a little hack to help you out!
- Cover the iPhone's screen with overlapping strips of clear packing tape until the entire front is nicely wrapped.
- If the suction cup doesn’t want to stick in the next steps, no worries! Grab a sturdy piece of tape (like duct tape), fold it into a little handle, and use that to lift the screen instead.
Step 4
The next few steps will introduce you to the Anti-Clamp, our nifty little gadget designed to make opening your device a breeze. If you’re not using the Anti-Clamp, feel free to jump ahead three steps for a different approach.
For detailed instructions on how to make the most of the Anti-Clamp, be sure to check out this guide.
If your iPhone's surface is giving you a slippery vibe and the Anti-Clamp is struggling to grip, just use some tape to create a stickier surface. It's a simple fix!
- Pull the blue handle back to release the Anti-Clamp's arms.
- Slide those arms onto either the left or right side of your iPhone.
- Place the suction cups near the bottom edge—one on the front, one on the back.
- Press the cups together to create a good seal and get ready to go.
Step 5
- Gently pull that blue handle forward to lock those arms in place. You've got this!
- Now, give that handle a smooth twist clockwise, making a full 360-degree turn or until you see those cups starting to stretch out. Keep it steady!
- Just a quick tip: make sure those suction cups are perfectly aligned. If they start to wiggle out of place, don't worry! Loosen them up a bit and get those arms back in line.
Step 6
Give the tool a gentle quarter turn, then kick back for a minute before your next move. Patience is your secret weapon here—let the Anti-Clamp do its thing!
Want the full scoop on using a hair dryer for your repair? Check out our easy-to-follow guide for all the details.
If the Anti-Clamp isn't creating enough space, just crank up the heat a bit more and give the handle a quarter turn. It'll make a difference!
- Place your iPhone on something solid like a hardcover book so it stays nice and flat, hands-free. This will make the next steps a whole lot easier.
- Grab a hair dryer and heat up the bottom edge of your iPhone. The screen should be warm enough that it feels just a bit too hot to touch.
- Give it about a minute to let the adhesive loosen up, making way for an opening gap.
- Once the Anti-Clamp has created enough space, slide an opening pick under the plastic screen bezel.
- Skip ahead three steps—you're doing great!
Tools Used
Step 7
Keep your hair dryer moving! Staying in one spot for too long can lead to some serious heat drama.
- Grab your hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds—just until the screen feels a bit too toasty to touch. That’s your cue it’s ready for the next move!
Tools Used
Step 8
- If you're working with just one suction handle, place it near the bottom edge of the phone. Make sure you're not too close to the glass edges to avoid any accidents.
Tools Used
Step 9
Gently slide the opening pick underneath the thick plastic bezel. You should see a small gap, and the pick should glide right through without any resistance. If the pick is getting stuck, just lift the screen a little more to create that space.
The adhesive keeping your screen in place is seriously tough—think superhero grip. Getting that first gap open takes some elbow grease. If it feels stuck, hit it with a bit more heat and gently wiggle the screen up and down. Keep at it until you've got enough space for your tool.
- Grab the suction cup and pull up steadily—keep it firm but chill—to nudge a tiny gap between the screen and frame.
- Slide in an opening pick at a sharp angle and gently wiggle it to start the separation.
Step 10
- Grab that trusty hair dryer and give some love to the right edge of your iPhone (that's the side with the power button, in case you forgot). Warm it up for about 90 seconds or until it feels just a tad too hot to handle. Let's get that screen ready to pop off!
Tools Used
Step 11
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder: Keep your pick to a maximum of 3 mm – going deeper might lead to some unexpected internal damage. Stay safe while you repair!
- Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of your iPhone to start loosening that adhesive grip.
- Keep sliding the pick up along the right edge until you reach the top right corner—smooth and steady wins the race.
- Leave the pick resting in the top right corner before moving on to the next step.
Step 12
- Give your iPhone's top edge a little warmth with a hair dryer for about 90 seconds, or until it feels just a tad too hot to touch. It's like giving your phone a cozy spa day!
Tools Used
Step 13
Keep your pick shallow—no more than 3 mm—to avoid messing up the top sensors. You've got this!
- Glide your opening pick around the top right corner of the iPhone—think of it as cutting through some stubborn tape at the last corner of a gift.
- Pause for a sec and keep the pick parked in the top left corner before you move on. Almost there!
Step 14
- Grab your hair dryer and warm up the left edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds—aim for just a bit hotter than a cozy mug of tea.
Tools Used
Step 15
Heads up! There are some fragile cables hanging out along the left edge of your iPhone. Avoid poking your pick there to keep everything safe and sound.
Step 16
Gently twist it – no need to rush. Let the force build up slowly and steadily.
If the adhesive is putting up a fight, give the left edge a little heat and try again.
- Place a second opening pick into the bottom left corner of your iPhone.
- Twist both picks at the same time to release the clips along the left edge. Just a little twist and you'll be golden!
Step 17
Hold off on fully pulling the display away just yet—there are still some delicate ribbon cables hooking it up to the iPhone's logic board.
- Turn your iPhone so the right edge is facing you.
- Open the iPhone by swinging the display up from the right side, just like flipping open a book cover.
- Prop the display up by leaning it against something stable while you work on the phone.
- When putting it back together, set the display in place, line up the clips along the top edge, and gently press the top edge down before snapping the rest of the display into position. If it doesn’t click in smoothly, double-check that the clips around the display aren’t bent or damaged.
Step 18
During this repair adventure, keep a close eye on every screw and remember to return each one to its original home to keep your iPhone safe and sound.
- Grab your trusty screwdriver and remove those two Y000 screws, each a snug 1.1 mm in length, that are keeping the battery and display connector cover in place.
- Once you’ve got everything back together, it's a fantastic idea to power on your iPhone and give all the functions a quick test drive before sealing the display. Just remember to turn your iPhone completely off again before diving back into the repair!
Step 19
- Take off the cover to get started.
Step 20
Be careful not to mess up the black silicone seal around this and other board connectors. These little guys are the unsung heroes keeping water and dust from crashing the party.
- Grab a spudger or even a clean fingernail to gently pop the battery connector up from its snug spot on the logic board.
- Carefully nudge the connector away from the board just a bit to keep it from accidentally touching the socket and powering up the phone while you work your magic.
Tools Used
Step 21
- Grab a spudger or use your fingernail to gently disconnect the display cable. Take it slow—no need to rush!
- When you're ready to re-attach those connectors, line them up carefully and press one side down until you hear that satisfying click. Then do the same for the other side. Whatever you do, avoid pressing in the middle—misalignment can cause those tiny pins to bend, and that’s a permanent problem.
Tools Used
Step 22
- Gently pop off the digitizer cable connector using a spudger or your fingernail—just a little nudge should do it.
- If your screen decides it's on strike and ignores your touch after the repair, disconnect the battery, then give this connector another go. Make sure it snaps in with a satisfying click and there's no dust or random bits hanging out in the socket.
Tools Used
Step 23
- Grab your trusty Y000 driver and take out the four screws hanging onto the front sensor connector cover.
- Three of these little guys are 1.1 mm long.
- One is a bit taller at 1.4 mm.
Step 24
- Flip the cover up from the left side like you’re opening a secret book, and let the clip on the right do its thing and pop free.
- Lift that cover off and set it aside.
- When you’re putting it all back together, start by sliding the right-side clip into its slot first, then fold the rest of the cover down like you’re closing the deal.
Step 25
- Grab your trusty spudger or just use a fingernail, and gently pop off the front sensor assembly cable connector. Easy does it!
Tools Used
Step 26
- Take out the display assembly carefully.
- When putting everything back together, feel free to pause here if you want to swap out the waterproof adhesive around the display edges.
Step 27
- Grab your Y000 driver and take out the four screws that are holding the rear-facing camera sensor in place.
- Three screws that are 1.6 mm long
- One screw that's 1.4 mm long
Step 28
- Gently pry up the camera cover starting from the edge nearest the logic board, then lift it off.
- When putting the camera cover back on, slide the tab on the outer edge into its slot in the phone frame first, then swing the cover closed like a pro.
Step 29
- Gently use a spudger or your trusty fingernail to pop that first camera cable connector right out of its socket. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 30
- Gently use a spudger or your trusty fingernail to lift the second camera cable connector straight up from its socket. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 31
- Take a moment to double-check your shiny new part against the original—sometimes there are bits and pieces that need swapping, or a sneaky adhesive that needs peeling.
- Ready to put it all back together? Just retrace your steps in reverse and you’re golden.
- If your new part supports it, you can calibrate it using Apple’s Repair Assistant (starting with iOS 18). Just update, head to Settings → General → About → Parts & Service History, tap Restart & Finish Repair, and cruise through the prompts.
- Finished up? Give your old parts a proper send-off at an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
- If things went sideways, don’t stress. Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask for advice in our iPhone 12 Pro Answers community. Still stuck? You can always schedule a repair.
