iPhone 13 Pro Max Taptic Engine Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 29 Steps
The Taptic Engine is what brings your iPhone to life with its vibrations and haptic feedback. Ready to dive in? This guide will walk you through the steps to safely remove and swap out the Taptic Engine in an iPhone 13 Pro Max. Let’s get this fix rolling!
Step 1
Heads up: Before diving in, make sure your iPhone battery is below 25%. A fully charged lithium-ion battery can get fiery or even explode if poked the wrong way. Safety first!
Opening up your iPhone's display can break its waterproof seals. Make sure to have some replacement seals handy before diving into this step, or just be extra careful to keep it away from any liquids if you choose to put your iPhone back together without swapping out those seals.
- Shut down your iPhone before you start taking it apart.
- Unscrew the two 6.8 mm-long pentalobe P2 screws located at the bottom edge of your iPhone.
Step 2
If your pick is pushed in too far, it could cause some damage. To avoid that, mark your pick at the right spot so you don’t go too deep.
You can also mark other corners of the pick using different measurements to be on the safe side.
Another trick? Tape a coin about 3mm from the tip of the pick to keep things precise.
- Grab your opening pick and measure about 3mm from the tip. Mark that spot with a permanent marker, so you know exactly where to work next.
Step 3
Pop on some safety glasses to keep your eyes safe from any rogue glass bits that might break loose during the repair.
Got a cracked iPhone screen? No worries, just tape over it to stop the glass from shattering further and keep your hands safe during the repair.
If things get tricky, don't stress—superglue the suction cup to the screen for a little extra hold.
- Start by laying down some clear packing tape in overlapping strips over your iPhone's screen until the whole face is nicely covered. It’s like giving your phone a protective blanket!
- If the suction cup decides it wants to play hard to get in the next steps, no worries! Just grab a sturdy piece of tape (duct tape works great) and fold it into a handle to lift the screen instead. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 4
Next up: the Anti-Clamp! It's a handy gadget we cooked up to make opening your device a breeze. If you're rolling without the Anti-Clamp, just skip ahead three steps for another way to crack things open.
Want the full lowdown on using the Anti-Clamp? Hit up the guide for all the details.
If your iPhone is slicker than a greased watermelon and the Anti-Clamp is slipping, slap some tape on the surface for extra grip.
- 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 and one on the back of your iPhone.
- Give the cups a good squeeze to create a strong hold on the area.
Step 5
- Push that blue handle away from the hinge to get the opening mode rolling.
- Twist the handle clockwise and watch as those suction cups start to stretch out.
- Keep those suction cups aligned – they should be working together. If they slip out of line, just loosen them up a bit and realign the arms.
Step 6
Turn no more than a quarter turn at a time, then take a breather for a minute. Let the Anti-Clamp and patience do their magic!
Looking for the full scoop on using a hair dryer? Dive into this handy guide!
If the Anti-Clamp isn't making enough space, just warm up the area a bit more and give that handle a little twist—about a quarter turn should do the trick!
- Place your iPhone on a solid surface like a hardcover book so it stays put and level, making the next steps a breeze.
- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the bottom edge of the iPhone until it feels just a bit too hot to handle.
- Give it a minute to let the adhesive loosen and create a small gap to work with.
- Slide an opening pick under the screen’s plastic bezel once the Anti-Clamp has made enough room.
- Skip the next three steps.
Tools Used
Step 7
Keep your hair dryer moving and grooving! Don't let it linger in one place for too long.
- Grab a hair dryer or heat gun and gently warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds. You want it to feel just a bit too hot to touch, but not like you're trying to cook an egg!
Tools Used
Step 8
The adhesive keeping your screen snug and secure is no joke; getting that first gap might require a bit of muscle. If you're struggling to pry it open, don't hesitate to add some more heat! Gently wiggle the screen up and down to help loosen the adhesive until you create just enough space to slide your tool in. You've got this!
- Grab a suction handle and stick it onto the bottom edge of your phone—just be careful not to stick it right on the glass edge.
- Give that suction cup a good pull with steady pressure to create a tiny gap between the screen and the frame. You've got this!
- Slide an opening pick into the little gap beneath the plastic bezel of the screen. Easy peasy!
Tools Used
Step 9
- Grab your hair dryer and aim it at the right edge of your iPhone (the one with the power button) for about 90 seconds. You want it to be warm enough that it's almost too hot to touch, but not quite. Just enough to loosen things up without burning yourself!
Tools Used
Step 10
Keep your pick under 3mm to avoid causing any damage to the internal components. A gentle touch goes a long way!
- Gently slide your opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPhone to loosen up the adhesive holding it together.
- 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 in place at the top right corner to keep things separated before moving on.
Step 11
- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the top edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until it feels just a bit too hot to keep your finger on.
Tools Used
Step 12
Keep your pick shallow—anything deeper than 3 mm could mess with the top sensors, and we’d rather keep those happy!
- Gently slide the opening pick around the top right corner of your iPhone to loosen the top adhesive.
- Keep the pick tucked in the top left corner before moving on to the next step.
Step 13
- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the left edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until it feels just a tad too toasty to keep your finger on it comfortably.
Tools Used
Step 14
Be cautious when working along the left edge of your iPhone – there's some fragile wiring tucked away. Avoid inserting your pick here to keep everything intact and avoid causing any damage.
Step 15
Twist gently and steadily to loosen things up.
If the adhesive is being stubborn, give the left edge a little warm-up to help it along.
- Slide in a second opening pick at the bottom left corner of your iPhone. You're doing great!
- Now, give both picks a gentle twist at the same time until the left edge clips decide to set themselves free.
Step 16
Hold your horses before completely separating the display! There are still a few delicate ribbon cables connecting it to the iPhone's logic board, and we wouldn't want any mishaps.
- Gently pull your suction handle off the screen.
- Turn your iPhone so the right side is facing you.
- Open your 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 inside the phone.
- When putting it back together, place the display in position, line up the clips along the top edge, and press that edge down carefully before snapping the rest of the display into place. If it doesn’t snap in easily, double-check the clips around the edge to make sure none are bent or out of place.
Tools Used
Step 17
Keep an eye on every screw, and make sure each one finds its way back to its original spot—your iPhone will thank you for not mixing things up!
- Grab your trusty Y000 screwdriver and take out the three 1.3 mm screws holding down the battery connector cover.
- When putting things back together, it's a perfect moment to power on your iPhone and make sure everything’s running smoothly before sealing the display. Just remember to shut it down completely again before moving forward.
Step 18
- Let's kick things off by gently taking off the battery connector cover.
Step 19
Be gentle with the black silicone seal around this and other board connections. These little guys are the unsung heroes, keeping water and dust out like champs!
- Grab the pointy end of a spudger (or just use a clean fingernail—no shame!) and gently pop the battery connector up out of its socket on the logic board.
- Tilt the connector just a bit away from the logic board—think of it as giving the socket some personal space—so it doesn’t sneakily touch and power up your phone while you’re working.
Tools Used
Step 20
- Grab your trusty spudger or a clean fingernail and gently pop the display connector up from its cozy spot on the logic board. We’re just giving it a little nudge, nothing too crazy!
- When it's time to reattach those connectors, take a moment to line them up perfectly. Press down on one side until you hear that satisfying click, then do the same on the other side. Remember, no need to press down in the middle! If things get a little wobbly and misaligned, you might bend the pins, and nobody wants that. Keep it cool and steady!
Tools Used
Step 21
- Grab your Y000 screwdriver and take out the two 1.1 mm screws holding down the front sensor connector cover.
- Switch to a Phillips screwdriver to remove the other two screws securing the front sensor connector cover:
- One screw is 1.5 mm
- The other screw is 1.8 mm
Step 22
- Pop off the front sensor connector cover—just gently lift it up and set it aside, like you’re revealing a secret compartment.
Step 23
- Gently pry up the front sensor assembly cable connector with the pointy end of your spudger to disconnect it.
Tools Used
Step 24
- Lift off the display assembly—like opening a treasure chest, but with more screws.
- If you're planning to swap out the waterproof adhesive during reassembly, this is your pit stop.
Step 25
If your shiny new replacement part didn't come with that handy plastic strip at the top of the loudspeaker, no worries! Just give it a little transfer love to your new buddy.
- Carefully lift the adhesive strip off the loudspeaker using your fingertips—gentle does it!
Step 26
- Just the loudspeaker left to tackle!
Step 27
- Use the pointy end of your spudger to gently pop the Taptic Engine cable loose.
Tools Used
Step 28
- Grab your Phillips screwdriver and unscrew the two screws holding down the Taptic Engine—easy peasy.
- Switch to a standoff screwdriver and take out the 2.9 mm standoff screw that's keeping the Taptic Engine in place.
- Remove the 1.8 mm screw—just a quick twist.
- Take out the 1.9 mm screw—almost done with this bit!
Step 29
- Check out your new part next to the old one—make sure you don’t miss any leftover bits or sticky stuff before popping it in.
- To put it all back together, just reverse the steps you followed.
- Give your old parts a second life by dropping them off with an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
- If things got a little weird, try some basic troubleshooting. And if your device is still acting up, you can always schedule a repair.
