iPhone 13 mini Taptic Engine Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 30 Steps
Ready to bring back that sweet buzz and tap to your iPhone 13 mini? The Taptic Engine is your phone’s behind-the-scenes shaker, making all the vibrations and haptic magic happen. This guide walks you through swapping it out, step by step. When you’re putting things back together, don’t forget to use fresh adhesive so everything stays put.
Step 1
Before you pop open your phone, make sure the battery is charged below 25%. This little trick helps dodge any surprise heat-ups if the battery gets nicked during the repair. And hey, if your battery looks puffed up, handle it with extra care!
Opening up your iPhone's display means you're breaking those waterproof seals, so be sure to have some replacements on standby before diving in. If you choose to reassemble without them, just keep it away from any liquids and you'll be golden!
- Hit that power button and shut down your iPhone before you start taking it apart.
- Take out the two 6.8 mm pentalobe P2 screws hanging out at the bottom edge of your iPhone.
Step 2
Be careful not to push your opening pick too deep, as it could cause some harm to your device. A great tip is to mark your pick to keep things safe and sound.
Feel free to tag the other corners of the pick with varying measurements for extra precision!
Another fun trick is to stick a coin to your pick about 3 mm from the tip. It's a nifty little hack!
- Take a moment to measure out 3 mm from the tip and give your opening pick a little love tap with a permanent marker to mark the spot. You're doing great!
Step 3
Pop on some safety glasses to keep those unexpected glass shards out of your eyes while you work your magic.
Got a cracked iPhone screen? Keep those shards from going everywhere and avoid any ouch moments by taping over the glass before you start your repair.
If the suction cup just won’t stick, don’t sweat it—try a little superglue to get it to grip the screen.
- Use some clear packing tape to create overlapping strips across the iPhone's screen until every square inch of the face is covered. It's like giving your phone a cozy, protective blanket!
- If the suction cup isn't playing nice in the next steps, simply take a sturdy piece of tape—duct tape works wonders—and fashion it into a handy handle to gently lift the screen instead.
Step 4
The next three steps will walk you through using the Anti-Clamp, a handy tool we created to make opening your device a breeze. If you're not using the Anti-Clamp, no worries! Just skip ahead three steps for a different method.
Want to know more about how to use the Anti-Clamp? Check out this full guide.
If your iPhone’s surface is too slippery for the Anti-Clamp to grip, a little tape can do wonders. Just add a strip to create a better surface for the clamp to hold onto.
- Give that blue handle a gentle tug backward to release the Anti-Clamp’s arms.
- Swing the arms over either the left or right edge of your iPhone—like a hug for your device.
- Get those suction cups in place, lining them up near the bottom: one on the front, one on the back.
- Press the cups together so they stick nice and snug to your iPhone where you need them.
Step 5
- Slide the blue handle forward to lock those arms in place.
- Give the handle a full 360-degree clockwise spin, or keep going until you see the cups start to stretch.
- Keep the suction cups lined up like best buddies. If they start to drift apart, just loosen them a bit, realign the arms, and get back on track.
Step 6
Take it slow—just a quarter turn at a time, then give it a minute to chill. Let the Anti-Clamp handle the hard work while you vibe.
Want the full scoop on how to handle a hair dryer like a pro? Check out this guide.
If the Anti-Clamp isn’t making enough space, just heat it up a bit more and twist the handle a quarter turn to get things moving.
- Set your iPhone on a sturdy surface, like a hardcover book, so it can chill hands-free and lay flat. This makes it a breeze to tackle the next steps.
- Grab a hair dryer and give the bottom edge of your iPhone a warm hug. It should feel just a smidge too hot to touch.
- Hang tight for a minute to let the adhesive loosen up and create a little opening gap.
- Slide an opening pick under the screen's plastic bezel when the Anti-Clamp has made a gap big enough.
- Feel free to skip the next three steps!
Tools Used
Step 7
Keep that hair dryer moving! Don’t let it sit in one place for too long, or it might get a little too cozy and cause some trouble.
- Warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone with a hair dryer or heat gun for about 90 seconds, or until it’s just too hot for a friendly touch.
Tools Used
Step 8
- Grab your single suction handle and stick it right at the bottom edge of the phone, as close to the edge as you can get. Ready to lift? Let’s go!
Tools Used
Step 9
Slide the pick in between the plastic bezel and the metal frame—try to avoid going between the glass screen and plastic bezel, or you might end up with a sad, cracked screen.
The watertight adhesive keeping that screen snug is super strong; getting that initial gap open requires some serious muscle! If you're struggling to pry it apart, no worries—just add a bit more heat and gently wiggle the screen up and down to loosen the adhesive until you've got enough room to slide your tool in.
- Give the suction cup a good, steady pull to coax a little gap between the screen and the frame. Patience is your friend here—slow and steady wins the race.
- Slide an opening pick right into that gap, aiming for underneath the screen’s plastic bezel. You got this!
Step 10
- Grab your hair dryer and warm up the right side of your iPhone—the one with the power button—for about 90 seconds. You want it just hot enough that you think, ‘Whoa, that’s toasty!’ but not scalding.
Tools Used
Step 11
Keep your pick shallow—no deeper than 3 mm—and don’t force it through parts of adhesive that aren’t heated. Otherwise, it might slip and mess with the internal parts.
- Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner, making your way along the right edge of the iPhone. You're cutting through the adhesive that's holding the display in place—easy does it!
- Once you reach the top right corner, leave the pick there for now before moving on to the next step.
Step 12
- Grab your trusty hair dryer and give the top edge of your iPhone a heated blowout for about 90 seconds, or just until it feels almost too warm to touch. We’re not baking cookies—just loosening things up!
Tools Used
Step 13
Keep your pick to a maximum of 3 mm; going deeper could lead to some unfortunate damage to those delicate top sensors!
- Gently slide the opening pick around the top right corner of your iPhone to break that stubborn adhesive seal.
- Leave the pick hanging out in the top left corner for a moment while you prepare to move on.
Step 14
- Grab your trusty hair dryer and give the left edge of your iPhone a warm hug for about 90 seconds, or until it’s sizzling enough to make you think twice about touching it!
Tools Used
Step 15
Watch out for those delicate cables hanging out along the left edge of your iPhone! It's best to avoid sticking your pick in there—those cables are a bit fragile and might not appreciate the visit.
Step 16
Gently twist your way to success—patience is key!
If the adhesive is putting up a fight, give that left edge a little heat love.
- Slide a second pick into the bottom left corner of your iPhone like you’re sneaking in a secret weapon.
- Give both picks a gentle twist at the same time—watch that left edge pop loose like it’s got places to be.
Step 17
- Give that little nub on the suction cup a gentle tug to pop it off the front panel like a pro!
Step 18
Hold off on pulling the display all the way off—there are some delicate ribbon cables still keeping it tethered to the iPhone’s logic board.
- Turn your iPhone so that the right edge is facing you—like you're ready to dive into a good book!
- Gently lift the display up from the right side, as if you're flipping open the front cover of a book. It's time to get to the good stuff inside!
- Prop the display up against something stable while you work your magic on the rest of the phone. We want it to be comfy while you do your thing!
- When you're putting things back together, lay the display back in its spot, align those clips along the top edge, and press the top edge down gently. If it doesn't snap into place easily, take a moment to check those clips around the perimeter. Make sure they're not feeling a bit bent out of shape!
Step 19
- First up, let's tackle that 1.2 mm-long Y000 screw that's holding the battery and display connector cover in place. Out it goes!
- Now, before you seal everything back up, it's a great idea to power up your iPhone and give it a quick test run. Make sure all functions are working like a charm! Just remember to power it down completely before diving back into the repair.
- As you work your magic on this repair, keep an eye on those screws! It's super important to remember where each one goes to keep your iPhone safe and sound.
Step 20
- Grab your trusty tweezers and gently lift off the battery and display connector cover. Easy does it!
Step 21
Be careful not to mess up the black silicone seal that hugs the board connections. These little guys are like superheroes, keeping water and dust at bay!
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift the battery and OLED panel cable connectors up from their cozy little spots on the logic board.
- Give the connector a slight bend away from the logic board—this little move will keep it from accidentally reconnecting and sending power to the phone while you’re in repair mode. Safety first!
- When you're ready to reconnect those shiny connectors, line them up just right and press down on one end until you hear that satisfying click. Then, do the same on the other side. Remember, no pressing down in the middle! If things get misaligned, you could bend the pins and that’s a one-way ticket to permanent damage city.
Tools Used
Step 22
- Time to loosen those screws holding the front sensor assembly cover! You’ll need the following tools:
- One nifty PH000 screw, 1.4 mm long
- One charming Y000 screw, 1.8 mm long
- And one adorable Y000 screw, 1.2 mm long
Step 23
- Grab a pair of tweezers and carefully lift off the front sensor assembly connector cover.
Step 24
- Grab that trusty spudger and gently pry apart the front sensor assembly cable connector. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 25
- Time to say goodbye to that display assembly! Carefully detach it and set it aside.
- If you're feeling adventurous and want to swap out the waterproof adhesive around the display's edges during reassembly, this is your moment to shine! Take a breather and tackle that step with confidence.
Step 26
- Take out the three Phillips screws holding down the Taptic Engine:
- One screw, 1.5 mm long
- One screw, 2.1 mm long
- One screw, 1.9 mm long
Step 27
- Grab your tweezers and lift out the Taptic Engine connector cover bracket—easy does it!
Step 28
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently pop the Taptic Engine flex cable straight up out of its socket. Easy does it—you’ve got this!
Tools Used
Step 29
- Take out that little 3 mm-long standoff screw with confidence! You've got this!
Step 30
- Line up your new part with the original one—sometimes you'll need to move over leftover bits or peel off adhesive liners before popping it in.
- Put your device back together by running through the steps above backwards. Don’t forget to clean surfaces with isopropyl alcohol (over 90%) and slap on fresh adhesive where it’s needed.
- Got old electronic parts? Take them to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler to keep things green.
- If things didn’t go as planned, no worries! Try some basic troubleshooting or schedule a repair for expert help.
