iPhone 16 Back Glass Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 44 Steps
Ready to give your iPhone 16 a fresh new look? Follow this guide to swap out that cracked or shattered back glass. Just make sure you grab some replacement back glass adhesive to get the job done right. And once you're all set, don’t forget to calibrate your authentic Apple back glass using Repair Assistant. If you hit a snag, remember, you can always schedule a repair!
Step 1
Let your phone's battery dip below 25% before we get to work—an overly charged lithium-ion battery can be a bit of a drama queen when it comes to safety.
- Disconnect all cables from your phone before getting started.
- Press and hold the power button along with either volume button, then slide to power off your device.
Step 2
Find a nice flat spot near the bottom edge that's just the right size for your suction cup to grip onto.
- Got a screen or back glass that looks like it survived a blender? Stick on some overlapping strips of packing tape to keep those shards in line and make your repair journey a whole lot safer and smoother.
Tools Used
Step 3
- Grab your trusty P2 pentalobe driver and unscrew the two 7.7 mm screws chillin’ on each side of the charging port.
Step 4
Pushing the opening pick in too deep can cause damage, so let's mark the pick to keep things safe and sound.
Feel free to mark the other corners of your pick with different measurements for extra control.
Another trick: tape a coin to the pick about 3 mm from the tip to set a handy depth guide.
- Take a moment to measure 3 mm from the tip and give your opening pick a little mark with a permanent marker. You've got this!
Step 5
Feeling fancy? Grab an iOpener and warm up that back glass. Here’s how to heat it and get the iOpener working its magic.
- Grab your trusty hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the bottom edge of the back glass until it feels nice and toasty.
Tools Used
Step 6
- Grab a suction handle and place it on the bottom edge of the back glass.
- While holding the frame steady with one hand, give that handle a good pull with a strong, consistent force to make a little gap between the back glass and the frame.
- Now, slip the tip of an opening pick into that gap you've just created!
Tools Used
Step 7
When you're slicing through the adhesive holding the back glass, keep your pick no deeper than 3 mm to avoid poking around where you shouldn’t!
- Heads up! There’s a fragile cable linking the back glass to your phone, sitting right next to the volume down button. Avoid poking your pick here—it's not a great spot for a slice and dice.
- Around the edge of the phone, you’ll find a bunch of tiny spring contacts hanging out.
Step 8
- Grab your hair dryer or heat gun and give the right edge of the back glass some warmth—just until it feels toasty.
Tools Used
Step 9
Keep your pick shallow—don’t go deeper than 3 mm, or you might mess with the spring contacts.
Be careful around the volume buttons—don’t slide too far, or you could damage that wireless charging cable.
You'll both hear and feel that satisfying snap as the metal clip lets go while you slide past it.
- Gently slide your pick along the bottom right corner over to the volume down button to loosen the adhesive and pop off the metal clip.
- Keep that pick wedged in place so the adhesive doesn't sneak back together.
Step 10
- Crank up your hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the left edge of the back glass until it feels nicely toasty.
Tools Used
Step 11
Keep your pick no deeper than 3 mm—those spring contacts are delicate and don’t like surprises!
As you glide past, you'll hear and feel the satisfying pop of the metal clips letting go.
- Pop in a second opening pick at the bottom edge.
- Gently slide that pick around the bottom left corner and up along the left side of the screen to loosen the adhesive and free those sneaky metal clips.
- Keep this pick wedged in at the top left corner so the adhesive doesn’t sneak back together.
Step 12
- Crank up your hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the top edge of the back glass until it feels nice and toasty.
Tools Used
Step 13
Be careful not to go too deep with your pick—staying under 3 mm will keep you clear of those delicate spring contacts!
Get ready for that satisfying click and pop as the metal clips spring free while you work your way around.
- Gently slide your second opening pick around the top left corner and along the top edge to break through the adhesive and free the metal clips.
- Keep sliding your pick around the top right corner until you reach the Action button.
- Leave the pick in place to keep the adhesive from snapping back together.
Step 14
By now, the back glass should pop right off the frame. If it’s still clinging on like a stubborn burr, take your pick and carefully run it around the edges again to find any sneaky adhesive or clips holding it back.
- Carefully swing the back glass open to the right side of the phone to break up the last bit of adhesive.
- Prop up the back glass with something clean and sturdy to keep it steady.
- Make sure to pull out the opening picks before moving on.
Step 15
- Grab your tri-point Y000 driver and unscrew the two tiny 1 mm screws holding down the middle connector cover. Steady hands, you got this!
Step 16
- Gently wedge the tip of a spudger into one of the cutouts on the middle connector cover.
- Carefully slide the cover toward the left side of the phone to unhook it from its slot on the logic board.
- Lift and remove the cover.
Tools Used
Step 17
- Grab your spudger and gently pop up the battery connector—think of it as giving your device a little nudge to wake up!
Tools Used
Step 18
- Gently use the pointy end of your spudger to lift and unplug the wireless charging coil press connector.
Tools Used
Step 19
- Carefully lift the back glass off the frame and set it aside, making sure you don’t damage anything in the process.
Step 20
When reconnecting press connectors, line up that connector nice and easy over the socket, then use your fingertip or spudger—press one side, then the other—until you hear that satisfying little click. No need to wrestle it in! If it’s being stubborn, just reposition and give it another go.
- Way to go on getting through disassembly! Now, let’s dive into the fun part—putting your device back together. Follow these steps to bring it back to life!
Tools Used
Step 21
Watch out for those tiny spring contacts while cleaning the frame—they're delicate little guys!
Now’s a great moment to check your handiwork before sealing everything up. Reconnect the battery and back glass, power on your phone, and make sure it’s running smoothly. Then power it down, disconnect the battery and back glass, and keep going with the reassembly.
The leftover adhesive on your phone can be stubborn and sticky. If it’s giving you trouble, gently warm it up with a hair dryer or heat gun to loosen it up and make cleanup easier.
- Take the pointed end of your spudger, press down on the adhesive, and give it a little roll until it’s ready to be snatched up with your tweezers.
Tools Used
Step 22
- Grab those tweezers and gently peel the sticky adhesive off your phone—like you're unwrapping a tiny present.
- Keep repeating the previous step and this one until every last bit of the adhesive is history.
Step 23
Any leftover gunk can mess with your iPhone's seal, so give that frame a good, thorough clean!
- Grab a spudger, wrap it with a microfiber or lint-free cloth, and add a few drops of isopropyl alcohol (90% or higher—go for the strong stuff) to the cloth.
- Glide around the frame in one direction, showing that stubborn adhesive residue who's boss.
- Give it a couple minutes for the alcohol to vanish before moving on to the next step.
Tools Used
Step 24
If you’re not planning to reuse the back glass, feel free to skip this step. No need to complicate things!
- Dab a few drops of high-strength isopropyl alcohol (90% or more) onto a microfiber or lint-free cloth, then give the edges of the back glass a good wipe to get it ready for fresh adhesive.
- If you spot any bent clips on the back glass, use your fingers to carefully nudge them back into place.
Step 25
Your adhesive might be rocking a different liner shade or have pull tabs in other spots—don't sweat it, just follow along!
- Line up your replacement adhesive on the frame, making sure the big blue liner is facing down and the pull tab is chilling in the bottom-right corner.
- Use landmarks like the camera cutout and those little notches along the edge to make sure you’re not putting it on upside-down or sideways.
Step 26
- Grab the pull tab and start peeling away the back liner from the bottom. Hold up! Don’t rip the whole thing off just yet—just get it started.
Step 27
Once the adhesive is stuck down, it's a one-shot deal—you won't be able to move it around. If it’s not quite right, you’ll need to peel it off and start fresh with new adhesive.
- Swing that blue liner out of your way and line up the adhesive with the bottom of your iPhone like you're setting up for a perfect selfie.
- Gently press the bottom edge of the adhesive into its spot, keeping an eye on those spring contacts—make sure they line up perfectly with their cutouts in the liner.
Step 28
Line up the bottom edge of the adhesive and the rest should fall into place like magic. If it’s off, gently peel it away and try again with a fresh piece.
If you’re out of adhesive and things aren’t lining up, you can put your iPhone back together and use it as usual—just keep in mind, it won’t be water-resistant until you slap on a new adhesive.
- Keep peeling away the back liner from the adhesive while gently pressing it down along the edges of your iPhone's frame. You're doing great—let's get this phone looking fabulous again!
Step 29
- Grab that trusty spudger and gently press the adhesive into the groove around the frame like a pro!
- Watch out for those spring contacts peeking through the pink liner – they can be a bit shy!
Tools Used
Step 30
- Grab the small pull tab at the top-right corner and gently peel off the pink adhesive liner. It's a simple step, but it'll help you get started on the right foot.
Step 31
Your pull tabs might be in various spots, so keep an eye out!
- When the top liner is peeled off, you should spot three skinny liners chilling on top of the adhesive, each with a handy pull tab hanging out near the bottom edge.
- Missing those pull tabs? You might've peeled off the thin liners in the last step—no worries. If the adhesive looks clean and lines up nicely, you're good to keep going. Just keep your fingers and anything else away from the sticky stuff until it's time to set the back glass in place.
Step 32
- Lift up the back glass along the right edge of your iPhone, propping it up with a sturdy box or any solid object you have on hand to keep the screen steady.
- Take the flat end of a spudger (or your finger, if you're feeling brave) and gently connect the charging coil press connector.
Tools Used
Step 33
- Gently use the flat end of a spudger or your finger to make that all-important battery connection.
Tools Used
Step 34
The connector cover features a couple of nifty hooks that fit snugly into slots on the logic board.
- Place the connector cover onto the phone, aiming so the little hooks are chilling just to the left of their slots on the logic board.
- Give the cover a gentle push down and to the right with your finger, sliding those hooks smoothly into their cozy slots.
Step 35
- Grab your tri-point Y000 driver and pop in those two 1 mm-long screws to secure the middle connector cover. Nice and snug—no need to overdo it!
Step 36
When you peel off the liners in this step, the adhesive is out there and ready. Keep it clean—don't let anything stick to that exposed adhesive!
- Peel off the liners from the bottom, left, and top edges of your iPhone using those handy blue tabs. Hold off on the right edge for now—patience is a virtue (or at least handy in phone repair)!
Step 37
- Carefully position the back glass above the phone without letting it touch the adhesive. This way, you'll have easy access to that sneaky final liner hiding along the right edge of the phone.
- Grab a pair of tweezers or just your trusty fingers and gently peel away that final liner along the right edge. You've got this!
Step 38
- Hold the back glass just above the phone and line it up with the frame.
- Gently lower the glass straight down onto the frame and press until you hear the clips snap in place.
- Give the edges a good press all around to make sure every clip is locked in snugly.
Step 39
- Warm up the edges of the back glass using an iOpener, hair dryer, or heat gun until it feels nice and toasty to the touch to get that adhesive ready to stick.
- Give the back glass a good, firm press all around the edges to help everything bond snugly.
- If you have screen vise clamps handy, use them to press the adhesive together even tighter. If not, no worries—just keep going for more tips on securing the back glass.
Tools Used
Step 40
To get your iPhone’s back glass sitting pretty and firmly stuck to the frame, make sure you factor in that stylish camera bump.
No original box? No worries! Just skip ahead for a different way to get the job done.
- Got the box your iPhone came in? Awesome! Grab the lid and set it down on a flat surface.
- Now, carefully place your iPhone screen-side-up in the box lid. Make sure the camera bump sits nicely in the little recess meant for it.
- Find something around the size of your iPhone, but a little taller than the sides of the box. Stack it right on top of your iPhone, and then add a few heavier items on top to give it some weight.
- Let those objects sit there for at least 30 minutes. If you're using lighter items, you might want to leave them there a bit longer. For the best results, overnight is perfect!
Step 41
Lost the original box for your iPhone? No worries! Just follow the next three steps for a fun alternative to evenly compress that back glass.
- Lay your iPhone face-down gently on a soft, flat spot to keep it comfy.
- Slap some tape on the back glass to keep that shiny finish safe and sound.
Step 42
- Stack up two layers of coins or anything with similar thickness along the tape edges of the back glass.
- Spread the coins out evenly and make sure they're at least as chunky as the camera bump.
Step 43
Be careful with the coins! They might leave a mark on whatever they're resting on, so best avoid putting them on anything you care about.
- Grab a few books or any other heavy objects you have lying around, and stack them gently on top of your iPhone.
- Let them chill there for at least 30 minutes. If the objects are light, let them sit for a bit longer. For best results, leave them overnight, and give your phone a little time to breathe.
Step 44
- Once your repair is complete, make sure to calibrate that new back glass like a pro! Use Apple's Repair Assistant by heading over to Settings → General → About → Parts & Service History. Just tap Restart & Finish Repair and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Got some old electronics to dispose of? Make a trip to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler to give them a proper send-off.
- If things didn't go as smoothly as you'd hoped, don’t fret! Try some basic troubleshooting or hop on over to our iPhone 16 Answers Community for a little extra help. And remember, if you really hit a wall, we’re just a click away—feel free to schedule a repair!
