iPhone 16e Loudspeaker Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 49 Steps
Follow this guide to swap out the loudspeaker in your iPhone 16e. If your phone’s audio sounds crackly or static-y and you’ve ruled out software issues, it’s probably time for a new speaker. To get the job done right, you’ll need replacement adhesive for the back glass. Some pictures in this guide come from a different model and might look a bit different, but don’t worry—they won’t throw off the steps.
Step 1
Let your phone’s battery dip below 25% — a fully charged lithium-ion battery can be a safety concern if mishandled. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on your battery level and avoid letting it stay fully charged for too long. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
- First things first, let’s disconnect those cables from your phone. Give them a gentle tug and set them aside.
- Now, press and hold the power button along with either of the volume buttons, and then slide to power off your phone. You're on your way to a smooth repair!
Step 2
Find a nice, flat spot near the bottom edge where your suction cup can get a solid grip. No bumps or curves allowed—your suction cup likes it smooth!
- Got a screen or back glass that's looking like modern art? Cover it with overlapping strips of packing tape to save your fingers and make taking things apart way smoother.
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Step 3
- Grab your trusty P2 pentalobe screwdriver and get ready to tackle those two 7.8 mm-long screws on either side of the charging port. You've got this!
Step 4
Be careful not to push the opening pick too deep, as it might harm your device. To keep things safe, mark your pick so you don’t go overboard.
Feel free to put marks on the other corners of the pick with varying measurements for extra precision.
Another fun option is to attach a coin to your pick about 3 mm from the tip with some tape.
- Mark a spot 3 mm from the tip on your opening pick using a permanent marker—precision is key!
Step 5
Keep an eye on the heat—don't let your phone get too toasty! Batteries can be a bit dramatic when it comes to heat, and we want to keep everything happy and functioning.
If things get tricky, try using a hair dryer or heat gun to warm up the bottom edge of the back glass until it's hot to the touch.
- Heat things up a bit by applying a warm iOpener to the bottom edge of the back glass for a cozy 90 seconds.
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Step 6
- Stick a suction handle onto the lower edge of the back glass—like you're giving your device a little handlebar mustache.
- Give that handle a confident, steady pull to crack open a gap between the glass and the frame. Patience and muscle—your new best friends.
- Slide the tip of an opening pick into the gap you just made. Time to work your magic!
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Step 7
While you're working your way around the back glass, keep your pick shallow—no more than 3 mm deep—or you might poke something sensitive hiding underneath!
- There's a fragile little cable hooking up the back glass right by the volume up button—handle it with care!
- Around the edges of the phone, you'll find several springy contacts ready to do their thing.
Step 8
- Gently slide the opening pick along the bottom edge of the back glass to loosen the adhesive. Keep the pick near the bottom left corner to start. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 9
Warm up the back glass with a hair dryer or heat gun until it feels comfortably hot to the touch. This helps loosen things up for the next steps.
- Warm up the left edge of the back glass with a heated iOpener for about 90 seconds. Let it soak in that heat so the adhesive gets nice and soft.
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Step 10
As you move along, you’ll feel and hear those metal clips letting go. It’s a satisfying little pop, so don’t worry—you’re on the right track.
- Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom left corner, then smoothly move it along the left edge to break the adhesive and free the metal clips.
- Keep the opening pick hanging out near the top left corner, ready for the next move.
Step 11
Warm things up a bit! Grab a hair dryer or heat gun and gently warm the back glass until it feels comfortably hot to the touch. This helps loosen things up for the next steps. If you need a hand, you can always schedule a repair.
- Heat up your iOpener and apply it to the top edge of the back glass for about 90 seconds. This will help soften things up so you can get to work. Take your time and make sure it's nice and warm!
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Step 12
As you gently pass along the edges, you'll notice and hear those metal clips pop free — like a satisfying click! Keep it smooth and steady, and you'll be all set to move forward. If you need a hand at any point, just schedule a repair with Salvation Repair.
- Gently spin the opening pick around the top left corner, then slide it along the top edge to loosen the adhesive and pop those metal clips free.
- Keep that opening pick wedged in the top right corner for now.
Step 13
Grab your hair dryer or heat gun and warm up the back glass until it feels nice and toasty to the touch.
- Press a heated iOpener against the right edge of the back glass and hold it there for about 90 seconds. This helps loosen the adhesive and makes your next steps smoother. If you need a hand, you can always schedule a repair.
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Step 14
Keep your pick shallow—no more than 3 mm—to dodge any surprise cable casualties!
You’ll notice and hear that satisfying click as the metal clip pops free. Keep your ears and fingers ready for that release—it’s a good sign you’re on the right track. If you need a hand, remember you can always schedule a repair with Salvation Repair.
- Gently rotate the opening pick around the top right corner and glide it along the right edge to loosen the remaining adhesive and lift the metal clip. If you need a hand, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 15
Your back glass adhesive should be fully loosened by now. If it’s still sticking around, gently slide your opening pick along the edges to break up any stubborn glue hiding out. Keep it chill, you’ve got this!
- Carefully swing open the back glass to the right side of the phone and prop it up against a clean, sturdy surface to keep it steady.
Step 16
- Grab a tri-point Y000 screwdriver and carefully unscrew the two 1.3mm screws holding down the lower connector cover. Easy peasy, right?
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Step 17
- Gently grab the lower connector cover with your tweezers or fingers, then give it a little slide towards the top of the phone to detach it from the metal clip.
- Now, go ahead and remove that lower connector cover.
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Step 18
- Gently use the pointy end of a spudger to lift and unplug the battery press connector with care.
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Step 19
- Grab your trusty tri-point Y000 screwdriver and go ahead and unscrew that 1.0 mm-long screw holding down the middle connector cover. You've got this!
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Step 20
The middle connector cover is tucked securely into two metal clips—one at the top, one at the bottom. Just a gentle nudge will set it free!
Step 21
- Gently use the spudger's tip to lift and disconnect the wireless charging coil connector. Take it easy, and make sure to keep everything in place—no rush!
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Step 22
- Gently lift the back glass away from the frame and set it aside.
Step 23
- Grab your trusty Phillips screwdriver and unscrew the four screws holding the loudspeaker in place.
- Next up, you'll need a tri-point Y000 screwdriver to carefully remove the tiny 1.3mm screw. Take it slow, you've got this!
- Now, go for two 1.4mm screws and remove them with precision. No rush, just steady hands.
- Almost there—finish it off by unscrewing the two 1.7mm screws. You've got the hang of this now!
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Step 24
- Gently pry up the loudspeaker using the tip of the spudger and pop it right out of the frame.
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Step 25
- If the orange loudspeaker gasket took a little vacation during disassembly, grab your trusty tweezers and gently guide it back into the sound channel. You've got this!
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Step 26
- Congratulations on completing disassembly! The remaining steps will show you how to reassemble your device.
Step 27
- Gently slot the loudspeaker into its designated opening in the frame, making sure it sits snugly and securely. If you need a hand along the way, you can always schedule a repair with Salvation Repair.
Step 28
- Grab a Phillips screwdriver and tighten down the four screws holding in the loudspeaker—easy peasy. Switch to a Y000 tri-point screwdriver to snug up that 1.3 mm‑long screw. Then, secure the two 1.4 mm‑long screws and the two 1.7 mm‑long screws in place. If you need a hand with any of this, you can always schedule a repair.
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Step 29
Try gently bunching up the adhesive using the point of a spudger before grabbing it with tweezers. It might be a little tricky, but you’ve got this!
Step 30
Your adhesive might have a different color or the pull tabs could be hanging out in other spots—no worries, you’re still on track!
- Get your replacement adhesive ready to rock! Position it over the frame with the bigger blue liner facing down and the handy pull tab nestled in the bottom-right corner.
- Use those cool features like the camera cutout and the notches on the edges to picture how the adhesive will fit snugly in the frame.
Step 31
Once you stick the adhesive down, that's where it's staying—trying to move it means peeling it off and grabbing a fresh strip.
- Grab that pull tab and start peeling the back liner off the adhesive from the bottom—but don’t go wild and take it all off just yet.
- Flip the blue liner out of your way, line up the adhesive with the bottom edge of your iPhone, and get ready to stick it down.
- Set the bottom edge of the adhesive into its little nook in the frame, making sure those spring contacts are chilling in their proper cutouts.
Step 32
- Keep peeling back that liner from the adhesive while gently pressing the sticky edge down along the frame of your iPhone. You’ve got this!
When aligning the adhesive, make sure the lower edge lines up perfectly—this helps the side and top edges fall into place smoothly. If the adhesive is off, just peel it back and start fresh with a new strip. If you’re out of new adhesive and your device’s water resistance isn’t a top priority right now, you can put everything back together without adhesive temporarily. Just keep in mind, your device won’t be as water-resistant until you get new adhesive installed. If you need extra help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 33
- Grab the flat end of your trusty spudger and gently press the adhesive into place around the edges of the frame. You've got this!
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Step 34
- Use the spudger's tip to gently lift the pull tab in the top right corner of the pink adhesive liner. Once it's popped up, you should be able to grab it with your fingers and keep going!
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Step 35
- Grab that handy pull tab and give it a gentle tug to peel away the pink liner from the frame. This will reveal the secondary blue liners, ready for action!
Step 36
- Let's get that back glass supported! Prop it up along the right edge of your iPhone using a sturdy box or something similar to keep it nice and steady.
- Now, grab your trusty spudger or just your finger, and give the charging coil press connector a gentle nudge to connect it. Once that's done, it's time to tackle the battery press connector next!
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Step 37
- Go ahead and position that middle connector cover right over the wireless charging coil press connector, letting it hang just a smidge over the logic board's bottom clip slot. You're doing great!
Step 38
- Give that cover a gentle press down onto the logic board with your finger. You're doing great!
- While keeping the pressure on, slide the cover up so those little metal clips can happily slot into their designated homes on the logic board.
Step 39
- Grab your tweezers and gently set the top part of the lower connector cover into its spot on the logic board.
- Carefully lay the lower connector cover right over the press connector like a pro.
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Step 40
- Grab your tri-point Y000 screwdriver and pop in the 1.0 mm screw to lock down the middle connector cover.
- Next up, use that same tri-point Y000 screwdriver to fasten the two 1.3 mm screws holding the lower connector cover in place.
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Step 41
To make your life easier, hold the back glass just above the frame without letting it touch the sticky stuff while you peel off the liner along the right edge.
- Grab your trusty tweezers and carefully pull the three blue liners by their tabs. Peel them away to reveal the sticky adhesive underneath. Easy, right?
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Step 42
- Lift the back glass and carefully line it up with the phone’s frame like a pro puzzle solver.
Step 43
- Gently set the back glass onto the frame, making sure it lays flat, then press down until all the clips snap into place.
- Work your way around the edges of the back glass, pressing lightly to ensure every clip clicks securely.
Step 44
- Warm up the edges of the back glass with an iOpener, hair dryer, or heat gun until it feels nice and toasty. This helps the adhesive stick like a champ.
- Go ahead and press firmly all around the perimeter of the back glass to seal it up. If you have screen vise clamps, now's their moment to shine—use them to really lock in that bond. No clamps? No worries, keep cruising for more ways to make sure your back glass stays put.
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Step 45
To make sure your iPhone is snug as a bug and the back glass sticks like glue to the frame, just keep that camera bump in mind.
If you've misplaced your original box, no worries! Just hop over to the alternate method and keep going.
- Grab the lid from your iPhone’s original box and set it down on a flat surface.
- Place your iPhone face-up inside the lid, making sure the camera bump fits snugly into its little spot.
- Find an object about the size of your iPhone but taller than the box’s sides. Stack it on top of the phone, then pile on some weighty items.
- Let everything chill like this for at least thirty minutes. If your weights are on the lighter side, give it more time—overnight is even better.
Step 46
Don't have your iPhone's original box? No worries! Just follow these next three steps to help evenly compress the back glass like a pro.
- Set your iPhone down screen-side-down 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 47
Since coin thickness can vary, you might want to stack a few together to get the right fit.
- Lay down a single row of coins or any objects about the same thickness on the tape around the edges of the back glass.
- Make sure the coins are spread out evenly and are at least as tall as the camera bump to keep things level.
Step 48
Coins might leave a mark on the bottom part, so avoid using anything too valuable on top of it.
- Stack a few thick books or heavy objects on top of your iPhone to gently press it back into shape. Keep them in place for at least thirty minutes—if the objects are lighter, leave them longer. For best results, leave it stacked overnight and let gravity do its thing. If you need a hand or want to make sure everything’s done just right, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 49
- Once you've wrapped up your repair, don't forget to give that shiny new loudspeaker a little love! Fire up Apple's Repair Assistant and navigate to Settings → General → About → Parts & Service History. Hit Restart & Finish Repair and follow the friendly prompts on your screen.
- Got some old tech that needs a new home? Take it to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler and do your part for the planet!
- Did things not go as smoothly as planned? No worries! Check out some basic troubleshooting tips, or swing by our iPhone 16e Answers Community for a helping hand.
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