iPhone 4 Battery Replacement Guide: Step-by-Step DIY Tutorial

– Depending on your iPhone’s birthdate, you’ll need either a Phillips screwdriver or a pentalobe screwdriver to pop open your phone.

– These little screws are hanging out to the right and left of the dock connector. Make sure to stash them in the same spot in your organizer tray. You’ll be dealing with 2 x 3.6 mm pentalobe/Phillips screws.

– Give that back cover a little nudge with your thumbs or the palm of your hand, pushing it about 4 mm away from the bottom where the dock connector hangs out (check out figure 1 for a visual!).

– Once you’ve got it popped out a bit, just lift the end that’s sticking out and voilà, the back cover is on its way off (see figure 2 for guidance).

– If your iPhone’s still on, turn it off now by holding down the standby button for about five seconds and following the prompt on the display.

– Remove the screw on the battery connector using a Phillips screwdriver (see figure 1). Put the screw in a separate compartment of your organizer tray.1 x 2.6 mm Phillips screwThe battery contact point on the logic board could come off. If the contact point breaks off but the soldering points are still intact, you can solder the contact point back on.

– Now carefully lift off the battery connector by inserting the pointed ESD spudger slightly below the silver cover plate (see figure 2). If you don’t have a spudger, you can also try using your fingernail.

– For the rest of the repair, you can also use the metal laboratory spatula instead of the spudger. This may make some steps easier for you. However, we explicitly recommend using the ESD spudger produced specifically for precision electronics.

– The antenna cover is hiding just beneath the battery connector. Go ahead and remove it, then toss it into the same section of your organizer tray where you stashed that Phillips screw earlier (check out figure 1 for a visual!).

– Next up, it’s time to remove the battery. Sometimes it likes to play hard to get and can be glued down pretty well. Slide the flat end of your spudger into the gap (about 1 cm to the left of the volume down button) between the battery and the outer frame, and gently lift it out (see figure 2). If it’s really stubborn, try using leverage points on either side to pry it off. Still stuck? A little warmth from a heat gun can help loosen that glue.

– And don’t forget, you can also disconnect the antenna connector by gently pulling it off the plug head with your spudger (see figure 3).

– Time to slide that battery back into your iPhone like a pro!

– Next, let’s get that antenna cover back on (check out figure 1 for a little help).

– Finally, snap the battery connector back into place and secure it with a screw (see figure 2). Just one 2.6 mm Phillips screw will do the trick!

– Place the back cover back on and gently nudge it the final few millimeters towards the dock connector. You’ve got this!

– Now screw in the two screws at the bottom of the enclosure.2 x 3.6 mm pentalobe/Phillips screws

– Then all you have to do is push in the SIM card tray.

– Get your iPhone synced up with iTunes or hop onto a WLAN network and hang tight until the time is back on track!

– Pop out the SIM tray, give that SIM card a little love, and slide it back in.

– Turn on airplane mode for a sec, then flip it off again. Easy peasy!