iPhone XR Taptic Engine Replacement

Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 33 Steps

The Taptic Engine is what gives your iPhone that satisfying vibration and haptic feedback. Ready to dive in? This guide will walk you through the process of removing and/or replacing the Taptic Engine on your iPhone XR. We recommend taking the full display assembly off to keep those delicate display cables safe while you work your magic. If you're feeling confident and think you can manage without disconnecting the display cables, feel free to skip those steps. Happy repairing!

Step 1

- Make sure your iPhone is powered off before you start taking it apart.

- Unscrew the two 6.7 mm-long pentalobe screws located at the bottom edge of the iPhone.

- Each pentalobe screw has a little black rubber gasket just under its head. To keep dust and liquid out, take a moment to check these gaskets and consider swapping out the screws when putting everything back together.

Step 2

- Grab your opening pick and mark a line 3 mm from the tip with a permanent marker—precision with a dash of style!

Step 3

- Place strips of clear packing tape over the iPhone's screen, making sure they overlap a bit, until the entire face is covered. Keep it neat – you want a nice, smooth surface.

- If the suction cup isn't sticking in the next few steps, no worries! Just grab a strong piece of tape (like duct tape), fold it into a handle, and use that to lift the screen instead. It's a quick fix to keep things moving.

Step 4

- Pull that blue handle back to release the Anti-Clamp’s arms.

- Now, slide the arms over either the left or right edge of your iPhone. Easy peasy.

- Place the suction cups just near the bottom edge of your iPhone—one on the front, one on the back. Make sure they're comfy.

- Squeeze the cups to apply some gentle suction to hold everything in place.

Step 5

- Pull that blue handle forward to lock the arms in place.

- Give the handle a good twist clockwise, turning it a full 360 degrees (or until the cups start to stretch).

- Make sure the suction cups stay perfectly aligned. If they start slipping out of sync, just loosen them a little, adjust the arms, and you're good to go!

Step 6

- Warm up your iOpener and slide it through the Anti-Clamp arms like it’s getting ready for a spa day.

- Fold that iOpener over so it cozies up to the bottom edge of your iPhone.

- Hang tight for a minute—let the adhesive loosen up and give you a nice little gap to work with.

- Slip an opening pick under the screen and the plastic bezel (not the actual screen—keep it classy).

- Go ahead and skip the next three steps. You’re moving right along!

Tools Used
  1. iOpeneriPhone XR Taptic Engine Replacement

Step 7

- Grab a hairdryer or heat gun, or get your iOpener ready, and warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone for about a minute. This softens the adhesive underneath and makes the next step way smoother.

Tools Used
  1. iOpeneriPhone XR Taptic Engine Replacement

Step 8

- Grab your trusty suction handle and stick it onto the bottom edge of the phone, but make sure to steer clear of that curved glass area. You've got this!

Tools Used
  1. Suction HandleiPhone XR Taptic Engine Replacement

Step 9

- Give that suction cup a good tug! Keep the pressure steady to work up a little gap between the front panel and the rear case.

- Slide an opening pick right under the screen and the plastic bezel, but steer clear of the screen itself.

Step 10

- Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom left corner and then up the left edge of your iPhone, cutting through the adhesive that’s holding the display in place. Take it slow, no need to rush here.

Step 11

Step 12

- Grab your pick, slide it back in at the bottom edge of your iPhone, and cruise up the right side to loosen the stubborn adhesive. Keep it smooth and steady!

Step 13

- Gently slide the opening pick around the top corner of the display while carefully pulling or wiggling the display downward toward the Lightning port.

- Next, move the pick to the opposite corner and slice through any leftover adhesive holding the display in place.

Step 14

- Give that little nub on the suction cup a gentle tug to pop it off the front panel. You're doing great!

Step 15

- Gently lift the iPhone's display from the left side, just like flipping open a book. It's a smooth move!

- Prop that display up against something sturdy so you have a clear view while you work your magic on the phone.

- When it's time to put everything back together, carefully position the display, line up the clips along the top edge, and gently press the top edge into place. Once you've got that locked in, snap the rest of the display down. If it doesn't click easily, take a moment to check the clips around the edge to ensure they're not bent. You've got this!

Step 16

- First up, let's tackle those three 1.2 mm Y000 screws that are holding the battery connector cover bracket in place. Unscrew them carefully!

- Next, gently lift off the bracket and set it aside.

- Now, here's a pro tip: before you seal everything back up, why not power on your iPhone to test out all its functions? Just remember to switch it back off completely before continuing your repair journey!

Step 17

- Grab your trusty spudger and gently pop the battery connector straight up from its socket.

- Tilt the connector a bit away from the logic board so it doesn’t sneak back and power up the phone while you’re working your magic.

Tools Used
  1. SpudgeriPhone XR Taptic Engine Replacement

Step 18

- Unscrew the two tiny 1.2 mm Y000 screws holding the display connector bracket in place. Easy, right?

- Now, carefully lift off the bracket and set it aside. You're making great progress!

Step 19

- Gently use the tip of a spudger to lift and unplug the digitizer cable.

- When reconnecting press-fit connectors like this one, line it up carefully and press down on one side until you hear a click, then do the same on the other side. Avoid pressing the middle to keep those pins happy and intact.

- If any part of your screen stops responding to touch after the repair, try disconnecting the battery and then reseating this connector, making sure it clicks in fully and that the socket is free from dust or debris.

Tools Used
  1. SpudgeriPhone XR Taptic Engine Replacement

Step 20

- Gently pop the display cable connector loose using the tip of your spudger—easy does it, no need to wrestle with it!

Tools Used
  1. SpudgeriPhone XR Taptic Engine Replacement

Step 21

- Let's get started by taking out the five screws that are holding the logic board connector bracket snugly against the rear case:

- Now, gently lift off the bracket.

- You'll need one 1.3 mm Phillips #000 screw.

- Don't forget to grab one 1.5 mm Phillips #000 screw.

- And last but not least, there are three 1.2 mm Y000 screws to remove.

Step 22

Step 23

- Gently use the tip of a spudger to nudge the front sensor assembly connector out of its cozy little socket.

Tools Used
  1. SpudgeriPhone XR Taptic Engine Replacement

Step 24

- Take off the display assembly carefully.

- If you want to freshen up the waterproof adhesive around the display edges, this is the perfect moment to pause and replace it before putting everything back together.

Step 25

- Let's get those screws out! Start by removing the seven screws holding the bracket right below the Taptic engine and speaker. Here's the breakdown for you:

- Three trusty Phillips 1.4 mm screws

- Two reliable Phillips 1.7 mm screws

- One bold Phillips 1.9 mm screw

- And finally, one sneaky Phillips 1.6 mm screw

Step 26

- Gently lift the bracket from the side closest to the battery. No need to yank it off completely—it's still connected by a tiny flex cable, so just ease it up carefully.

Step 27

- While keeping the bracket out of the way, carefully use the tip of your spudger to lift and disconnect the flex cable beneath it.

Tools Used
  1. SpudgeriPhone XR Taptic Engine Replacement

Step 28

- Take off that bracket like a pro.

Step 29

- Peel off that piece of black tape and lift away the small rubber rectangle that’s guarding the Taptic Engine connector cover. Time to reveal the magic inside!

Step 30

- Let's kick things off by unscrewing that pesky 1.8 mm Phillips screw holding the Taptic Engine connector cover in place. Grab your trusty screwdriver and give it a twist!

- Now, gently lift off the Taptic Engine connector cover. You’re doing great!

Step 31

- Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry the Taptic Engine flex cable straight up from its socket to disconnect it.

Tools Used
  1. SpudgeriPhone XR Taptic Engine Replacement

Step 32

- Take out the two 1.8 mm Phillips screws holding down the Taptic Engine—let’s get that little shaker loose!

Step 33

- Line up your new part with the old one—make sure you've moved any bits and peeled off any sticky protectors before popping it in.

- To put your device back together, just work your way through the steps backwards.

- When you’re done, recycle your old stuff with a certified e-waste recycler.

- If things got weird along the way, our Answers community is ready with advice, and if you’re still stuck, you can always schedule a repair.

Success!
Line up your new part with the original one—sometimes you'll need to move over leftover bits or peel off adhesive layers before popping it in.
To put your device back together, just follow the steps above in reverse order.
Got some old electronic parts? Take them to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler to keep things green.
Things didn’t go exactly as planned? Swing by our Answers community for some troubleshooting tips, or if it’s feeling too tricky, you can always schedule a repair.

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