iPhone 4 Display Assembly Replacement

Use this guide to replace your iPhone's display assembly. Replacing the display assembly will give you a new front glass panel, digitizer, and LCD. The LCD is adhered to the glass at the factory and the two parts are not separable without damage.

After successfully replacing the display assembly, protect your new display from scratches by installing a screen protector.

Sections
Rear Panel 3 steps
Battery 3 steps
Logic Board 13 steps
Speaker Enclosure Assembly 2 steps
Display Assembly 9 steps
Display Assembly 1 step
Files
iphone4-screw-template.pdf
Display-Screw-Template.pdf
iphone4-display-replacement-screw-map.pdf
Tools
P2 Pentalobe Screwdriver iPhone if iPhone has external pentalobe screws Buy it
SIM Card Eject Tool or paperclip Buy it
Buy these parts and tools
Tools (continued)
Phillips #000 Screwdriver Buy it
Plastic Opening Tools Buy it
2.5 mm Flathead Screwdriver Buy it
Spudger Buy it
Anti-Static Project Tray Buy it
Relevant Parts
iPhone 4 Display Assembly (GSM), Fix Kit / Black This kit contains the part and all tools needed. Buy it
iPhone 4 Display Assembly (GSM), Fix Kit / White This kit contains the part and all tools needed. Buy it
iPhone 4 Display Assembly (GSM), Part Only / Black Buy it
iPhone 4 Display Assembly (GSM), Part Only / White Buy it
iPhone 4 and 4S Screen Protector Buy it
Formats:PDFXMLEmbed
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14 EditStep 1 — Rear Panel
Before disassembling your iPhone, be sure it is powered off.
Your iPhone 4 rear cover may have either two #000 Phillips screws or Apple's 5-Point "Pentalobe" screws (second image). Check which screws you have, and ensure you also have the correct screwdriver in order to remove them.
Remove the two 3.6 mm Pentalobe or Phillips #000 screws next to the dock connector.
During reassembly, we recommend you replace the 5-point screws with equivalent Phillips screws. Our Liberation Kit provides the tools and screws needed to replace the Pentalobe screws with Phillips screws.
The 5-Point Screwdriver should only be used once, as it has the potential to strip the screws.
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1 EditStep 2
Push the rear panel toward the top edge of the iPhone.
The panel will move about 2 mm.
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3 EditStep 3
Pinch the rear panel with your fingers and lift it away from the iPhone. Alternatively, use a Small Suction Cup .
Be careful not to damage the plastic clips attached to the rear panel.
If you are installing a new rear panel, be sure to remove the plastic protective sticker from the inside of the camera lens and the sticker from the large black area near the lens.
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13 EditStep 4 — Battery
Remove the single 2.5 mm Phillips screw securing the battery connector to the logic board.
Some devices may have two screws, one of which holds down the contact pad which is located above the screw indicated in red in the photo.
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3 EditStep 5
Use a plastic opening tool to gently pry the battery connector up from its socket on the logic board.
Be very careful to only pry up on the battery connector and not the socket on the logic board. If you pry up on the logic board socket, you may break it entirely.
Remove the metal clip covering the antenna connector.
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19 EditStep 6
Use the clear plastic pull tab to gently lift the battery out of the iPhone.
Do not remove the plastic tab from the iPhone.
You may need to use a plastic opening tool to loosen the adhesive under the battery.
Remove the contact clip from the iPhone.
Before reconnecting the battery connector, be sure the contact clip (shown in red) is properly positioned next to the battery connector.
Before reassembly, be sure to clean all metal-to-metal contact points on the pressure contact as well as its contact point on the rear panel with a de-greaser such as windex. The oils on your fingers have the potential to cause wireless interference issues.
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1 EditStep 7 — Logic Board
Use a SIM card eject tool or a paperclip to eject the SIM card and its holder.
This may require a significant amount of force.
Remove the SIM card and its holder.
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3 EditStep 8
Remove the following two screws:
One 1.2 mm Phillips
One 1.6 mm Phillips
Remove the thin steel dock connector cable cover from the iPhone.
Before reassembly, be sure to clean all metal-to-metal contact points on the dock connector cable cover with a de-greaser such as windex. The oils on your fingers have the potential to cause wireless interference issues.
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2 EditStep 9
Use an iPod opening tool to gently pry the dock cable connector up off the logic board from both short ends of the connector.
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2 EditStep 10
Carefully peel the dock ribbon cable off the logic board and the lower speaker enclosure.
Do not use excessive force to peel the dock ribbon cable off the logic board. Doing so may tear the cable.
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6 EditStep 11
Use a plastic opening tool to pry the lower antenna connector up off its socket on the logic board.
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5 EditStep 12
Remove the 1.9 mm Phillips screw securing the bottom of the logic board to the inner case.
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19 EditStep 13
Remove the following five screws securing the Wi-Fi antenna to to the logic board:
One 2.3 mm Phillips
Two 1.6 mm Phillips
One 1.4 mm Phillips
One 4.8 mm Phillips
When re-assembling, start off with replacing the 4.8 mm Philips screw first, then the 2.3 mm. This is to ensure there is no mix-up, and avoid rendering the LCD and digitizer useless.
Also make sure to put the long 4.8 mm Philips back in correctly when reassembling. This is the ground for the Wi-Fi antenna and is often the culprit if you are having bad Wi-Fi reception after reassembly.
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8 EditStep 14
Use an iPod opening tool to slightly lift the top edge of the Wi-Fi antenna away from the logic board.
Use the tip of a spudger to pull the Wi-Fi retaining clips away from the inner frame.
Remove the Wi-Fi antenna from the iPhone. Make sure you don't lose the metal clips on the top of the cover where the 4.8mm screw attaches or the 4.8mm screw. That's the primary reason for abnormal Wi-Fi performance after the reassembly.
Before reassembly, be sure to clean all metal-to-metal contact points on the connector cover with a de-greaser such as Windex. The oils on your fingers have the potential to cause wireless interference issues. Do not clean the connectors themselves with Windex.
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3 EditStep 15
Use an iPod opening tool to carefully lift the rear camera connector up off its socket on the logic board.
Remove the rear camera.
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5 EditStep 16
Remove the small circular white sticker (warranty sticker and water indicator) covering the screw near the battery pull tab.
Remove the 2.4 mm Phillips screw that was hidden underneath the sticker.
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12 EditStep 17
Use the edge of a plastic opening tool to gently pry the following connectors up and out of their sockets on the logic board:
Digitizer cable (pry from bottom)
LCD cable (pry from bottom)
Headphone jack/volume button cable (pry from top)
Top Microphone/sleep button cable (pry from top)
Front camera cable (pry from top)
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12 EditStep 18
Use a small flathead screwdriver to remove the 4.8 mm standoff near the headphone jack.
When reassembling the device, this standoff sets the height of the Wi-Fi shield removed in step 13. If not torqued down, the shield will be above the plane of the frame and the back will not slide into place in step 2. The shield should be flush with the headphone jack.
When reassembling the motherboard, ensure that its edge sits under the circled standoff, otherwise the screws will not fit.
When reassembling ensure that the small rubber spacer attached to the top of the motherboard is in place. Without this part the motherboard could damage the ribbon cables around it.
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14 EditStep 19
Carefully remove the logic board from the iPhone, minding any cables that may get caught.
Be careful not to damage the small gold prong (marked in red, near the top) as it's very fragile.
On reassembly, be careful not to trap the lower antenna cable beneath the logic board.
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3 EditStep 20 — Speaker Enclosure Assembly
Remove the single 2.4 mm Phillips screw securing the speaker enclosure to the side of the inner frame.
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8 EditStep 21
Remove the speaker enclosure from the iPhone.
Before re-fastening the speaker enclosure to the inner frame, be sure the four small EMI fingers rest below the lip of the LCD frame.
Before reassembly, be sure to clean all metal-to-metal contact points between the EMI fingers and the internal frame as well as the brass screw mounting point with a de-greaser such as Windex. The oils on your fingers have the potential to cause wireless interference issues.
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2 EditStep 22 — Display Assembly
Remove the following two screws securing the vibrator to the inner frame:
One 6 mm Phillips
One 1.4 mm Phillips
Remove the vibrator from the iPhone.
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4 EditStep 23
Remove the 1.5 mm Phillips screw securing the front panel near the headphone jack.
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4 EditStep 24
Remove the three large-headed 1.5 mm Phillips screws along the volume button side of the iPhone.
Keep track of the washers under each of the screws.
Tip: It can be tricky, but it is also possible to just loosen the large-headed 1.5 mm Phillips screws slightly, without having to remove and replace the screw-and-washer set.
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1 EditStep 25
Remove the 1.5 mm Phillips screw near the lower microphone.
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2 EditStep 26
Remove the 1.5 mm Phillips screw near the dock connector ribbon cable.
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4 EditStep 27
Remove the three large-headed 1.5 mm Phillips screws along the SIM card side of the iPhone.
Keep track of the washers under each of the screws.
Tip: It can be tricky, but it is also possible to just loosen the large-headed 1.5 mm Phillips screws slightly, without having to remove and replace the screw-and-washer set.
Remove the small-headed 1.5 mm Phillips screw near the rear camera.
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10 EditStep 28
Carefully insert the edge of an iPod opening tool between the rubber bezel around the front glass panel and the steel inner frame.
Do not attempt to insert the tool between the glass and the rubber bezel.
Carefully pry the upper edge of the front panel assembly away from the steel inner frame.
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1 EditStep 29
Slowly and gently lift the top edge of the front panel assembly away from the steel inner frame.
Continue to rotate the front panel assembly away from the steel inner frame until it slowly begins to peel off the adhesive applied below the home button area.
It may be easiest to insert a spudger at the top and work it around the edges, spreading gently as you go.
Carefully pull the lower edge of the front panel assembly away from the steel inner frame.
Be careful, if the home button sticks to the front panel you may tear the home button cable.
Do not flip the front glass completely away from the frame. Doing so may result In damage to the digitizer cable.
If the glass is cracked (which it probably is since you're replacing it) removing the panel is likely to cause it to bend, kicking off small shards of glass. Before you do this step, cover the front with clear tape, then perform the actual removal over a trash can. Protective eyewear would also be prudent.
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15 EditStep 30
De-route the digitizer and LCD cables through the steel inner frame, and remove the display from the iPhone.
When reinstalling the display, carefully straighten the digitizer and LCD data cables, and feed them through the slot cut in the steel frame. This photo shows the display assembly being installed incorrectly, with a fold in the digitizer cable.
When the front panel has been correctly installed, both the LCD and digitizer cables should be immediately next to one another and should be the same length, as shown in the second photo.
If the digitizer cable has been installed incorrectly, it will not reach its socket on the logic board. Do not attempt to pull it through by force, or it will tear. Remove the display assembly, straighten the cable, and feed it through to its full length, as shown.
During reassembly, do not touch the metallic area at the base of the LCD data cable, as this can cause problems with the LCD. If you do touch it accidentally, clean it gently with an alcohol wipe before continuing.
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7 EditStep 31 — Display Assembly
Your replacement display may come with colored plastic film on the back of the LCD. If so, use the pull tab near the home button to peel the plastic film from the LCD before installing the new display in your iPhone.
When replacing the front panel assembly, you may have to reuse the earpiece grille and the clear plastic ring around the front facing camera from the old/damaged assembly. This will depend on where you buy the replacement part.
After reassembly, clean the touchscreen surface with an alcohol wipe prior to turning the iPhone back on. The alcohol helps dissipate any lingering static electricity, which can cause problems with the display.
After reassembly, connect the iPhone to an AC power source before turning it on for the first time. Once the iPhone has booted up successfully, you can disconnect the AC power.
After reassembly, protect your new display from any scratches by installing a new screen protector.