iPhone 15 Back Glass Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 24 Steps
Ready to tackle that cracked or shattered back glass on your iPhone 15? You've come to the right place! Just a heads up: if you're rocking iOS 18 or later, you can easily pair new, genuine rear glass parts with the help of Apple's Repair Assistant. Don't forget to grab some replacement back glass adhesive to wrap things up nicely. Let’s get to it!
Step 1
Let your phone's battery dip below 25%—a fully charged lithium-ion battery can be a bit of a drama queen when it comes to safety!
- First things first, unplug any cords from your phone. It's time to give it some breathing room!
- Now, let's power it down! Just press and hold the power button along with either volume button, then slide that power-off option to get your phone to take a little nap.
Step 2
Ensure there's a nice, flat spot near the bottom edge that's roomy enough for a suction cup to grab on to.
- Got a super cracked screen or back glass? Cover it up with overlapping strips of packing tape. This keeps those sharp bits in check and makes taking things apart way less risky.
Tools Used
Step 3
If you push the opening pick in too deep, it could end up doing more harm than good to your device. To avoid this, use a smart trick—mark your pick's depth and keep things safe!
You can even mark different points along the pick to help you out in other corners.
Another option: tape a coin around 3mm from the tip of your pick. This way, you'll have a handy depth marker that prevents any unwanted slips.
- Mark your opening pick 3 mm from the tip with a permanent marker to keep your edge game strong.
Step 4
- Grab your P2 pentalobe driver and whip out those two 7.7 mm screws hanging out on either side of the charging port. You’re officially getting down to business!
Step 5
Keep the heat gentle—batteries and hot temps are not a match made in heaven!
- Grab a hair dryer or heat gun and direct the warmth to the bottom edge of the back glass. Heat it up until it feels comfortably warm to the touch—enough to get things loosened up but not too hot to handle.
Tools Used
Step 6
- Stick a suction handle onto the bottom edge of the back glass.
- Give the handle a firm, steady tug to pop open a gap between the back glass and the frame.
- Slide the tip of an opening pick into the gap you just created.
Tools Used
Step 7
As you carefully cut through the adhesive holding the back glass in place, keep an eye out for these important areas:
- Watch out for that delicate cable connecting the back glass to the phone, right near the volume down button. Keep your pick away from this spot to avoid any accidental snips!
- You'll find several spring contacts scattered around the edge of the phone. Be super careful not to push your pick in deeper than the instructions say, or you might end up bending those little guys!
Step 8
Be careful not to push your opening pick too deep along the bottom edge—keep it within 5mm. Safety first!
- Wiggle your pick along the bottom edge to loosen up that stubborn adhesive.
- Keep your pick chillin' in the bottom right corner so the adhesive doesn't sneak back together.
Step 9
- Warm up the right side of the back glass until it's nice and toasty to the touch.
Step 10
Keep your pick to a cool 7 mm or less along the right edge—no need to go deeper!
Steer clear of the volume buttons while slicing, unless you want to give that wireless charging cable a bad day.
- Swing your pick around the bottom right corner—think of it as a tiny surfboard catching the adhesive wave. Glide along until you hit the volume down button or bump into a stubborn clip holding the back glass in place.
- Let your pick hang out here for a bit to keep the sticky stuff from sealing back up.
Step 11
- Warm up the left edge of the back glass until it feels nice and toasty to the touch.
Step 12
Hey there! When you're working along the left edge, just remember not to poke your pick in deeper than 5 mm. Keep it light and breezy!
- Pop in a second opening pick at the bottom edge.
- Carefully twist that second pick around the bottom left corner.
- Slide this pick up along to the top left corner to gently break the adhesive seal.
- Keep this pick in place so the adhesive doesn't sneak back together.
Step 13
- Warm up the top edge of the back glass until it feels nice and toasty to your fingers.
Step 14
Keep your pick shallow—no more than 3 mm along the top edge, or you might poke something you shouldn’t!
You’ll probably hear and feel some clicks as the top two clips pop free.
- Twist your second opening pick around the top left corner and glide it over to the top right corner to break that adhesive seal like a pro.
- Keep that pick right where it is to stop the adhesive from sticking back together.
Step 15
- Gently warm up the top right corner of the back glass until it feels toasty when you touch it.
Step 16
Heads up: don’t push your pick more than 4 mm in along the right edge to keep things safe and sound.
- Take your second opening pick and work it around the top right corner. Gently slide it towards the volume up button to break the adhesive seal. Keep it steady and don’t rush!
Step 17
If the back glass feels stuck, go around the edges once more to make sure you didn’t miss any adhesive or hidden clips hanging on for dear life.
- Gently swing the back glass open to the right like you're opening a tiny door.
- Prop the back glass against something sturdy so the cable isn't under any stress.
Step 18
As you tackle this repair adventure, make sure to keep an eye on each screw and return it to its original home when you're done. You got this!
- Grab your trusty tri-point Y000 driver and gently unscrew those two 1.3 mm-long screws holding down the lower connector cover. You've got this!
Step 19
- Grab your trusty tweezers and gently slide the cover up towards the top of the phone to pop it off the logic board. Easy peasy!
- Now, go ahead and lift that cover right off.
- When you're putting everything back together, just make sure to latch the top edge of the cover into its spot on the logic board before you secure it with that little screw. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 20
To snap a press connector back in, line it up with the socket and gently press one side until you hear a click—then do the same for the other side. Make sure it sits completely flat, since the rubber around the socket can sometimes make it stubborn.
Look for the plus and minus symbols printed right on the connector head—they're there to keep you from mixing things up.
- Keep the back glass steady with one hand and gently twist it just enough to peek at the battery press connector right under the volume buttons.
- Grab an opening pick and carefully pry up the battery press connector to unplug it from the logic board.
Step 21
- Grab your tri-point Y000 driver and take out the 0.9 mm screw that's holding down the middle connector cover.
Step 22
- Grab a spudger or your trusty finger and give that cover a gentle push towards the bottom of the phone to unclip the top edge. Easy peasy!
- Now, go ahead and lift off the cover like a pro.
- When it's time to put everything back together, align the cover so that its tab sits just behind the clip on the logic board. Give it a little press down with one finger and slide the cover forward to lock it in place. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 23
- Grab an opening pick and gently wiggle it in to disconnect the wireless charging coil and NFC connector. You've got this!
Step 24
- When it's time to put your phone back together, use this guide to reapply the adhesive and snap your back glass into place.
- After you’ve wrapped up your repair, some parts might let you calibrate them using Apple’s Repair Assistant on iOS 18 or later. Just update your device, go to Settings → General → About → Parts & Service History, tap Restart & Finish Repair, and follow the instructions.
- Don’t forget to responsibly recycle your old electronics at an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
- If things didn’t go as planned, try some basic troubleshooting or reach out to our Answers community for a hand. And if you get stuck, you can always schedule a repair with us.
