iPhone X - Replacing the back cover

1. Turn off your iPhone X before making repairs to protect it from potential damage. To do so, press the standby button and one of the two volume buttons simultaneously for about three seconds.
2. When the "Power Off" slider appears on the display, wipe it from left to right. Your iPhone will shut down completely within about 10 seconds.

• 2 × 6,8 mm Pentalobe

You need a pentalobe screwdriver (PL1) to open your iPhone X.

1. Remove the two pentalobe screws located to the right and left of the Lightning connector and put them in a screw storage box.

To ensure that you do not lose any of the removed components and screws, we recommend that you use a screw storage box. For this purpose, you can for example convert an old sewing box. We use a high-quality magnetic pad for our repairs, on which the removed components can also be arranged in the same way as they were installed in the telephone. This way you know exactly where each screw was located, which makes it much easier for you to assemble later.

iPhone X is opened via the display. Since it is strongly glued to the rest of the case, you have to heat the glue first to be able to remove the display.

1. Place your iPhone X on a soft and clean surface to avoid scratching the back of your iPhone X when lifting the display.
2. Now use a hot air tool, such as a hot air dryer or a regular hairdryer, to run evenly over the glued edge of the display.

The rule of thumb is to heat your device only enough to be comfortable to touch without being uncomfortably hot.

Once the iPhone X has been opened, no warranty can be given for waterproofness. Also the warranty for protection against dust and splashing water of the IP67 classification expires.

1. Place the suction cup on the bottom edge of your device and pull it upwards to create a narrow gap between the stainless steel and display frame.
2. Insert a sturdy, flat tool into the narrow gap to enlarge it. At the same time, press the display slightly upwards with the tool, using flat plastic picks.

Be careful not to go further than 5 mm into the gap with your tool to avoid damaging any components inside the Iphone X.

1. Move the tool one step at a time around the frame of your iPhone to remove the stuck display completely. Use the plectrum to keep pushing upwards so that the noses come off the stainless steel frame.

To avoid overstretching the sensitive flex cables connected to the display, you should not completely fold the display over while it is still connected.

1. Remove the display from the aluminium frame by gently pushing it upwards with a hard plastic plectrum.
2. When the display is completely detached, you can slowly fold it up to the side of the standby button.
3. Lean it against a stable object so that it remains in a vertical position.

• 1 × 3,0 mm Y-Type
• 3 × 1,0 mm Y-Type
• 1 × 3,6 mm Y-Type
• Connector

When starting the repair, always disconnect the battery connector to avoid a potential short circuit.

Note that the screws installed in iPhone X vary in length.

1. Unscrew the Y-type screws with a Y-type screwdriver and remove the cover plate.
2. Now carefully disconnect the battery connector by sliding it under with a flat plastic tool. We use a plastic spudger for this.

• Display Connector
• Earpiece Connector

The display is attached to the rest of the iPhone X via three connectors.

To avoid damaging something on the logicboard while disconnecting the connectors, you should always use your tools from the side where there are no components.

1. Use a spudger to carefully remove the connectors from the Logicboard one by one. Please be aware, that the ear piece flex cable on the top of the display is slightly glued.
2. When all connectors are disconnected, you can remove the display completely.

• 1 × 1,5 mm Y-Type
• 1 × 1,4 mm Phillips
• 2 × 1,8 mm Y-Type
• 1 × 1,0 mm Y-Type
• 1 × 1,5 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2,2 mm Phillips
• Connector

1. Loosen the Phillips and Y-Type screws from the bracket plate of the speaker.
2. Flip the plate up and separate the connector with a spudger.
3. Now remove the bracket plate.

• 1 × 2.1 mm Y-Type
• Connector

1. Loosen the Y-type screw of the bracket plate and then remove the cover plate.
2. Disconnect the speaker connector and lift up the flex cable.
3. Loosen the heavily bonded speaker a little by carefully lifting it up with the spudger.
4. Once the speaker is loosened, you can remove it from your machine along with the flex cable.

• 1 × 2,2 mm Phillips
• Connector

1. First unscrew the Phillips screws that hold the Taptic Engine in place.
2. Carefully separate the connector of the Taptic Engine with a spudger.
3. Take the Taptic Engine carefully out of your iPhone with tweezers.

The iPhone X battery is attached to the case with four tabs that you can pull out by their tabs. Three tabs are taped to the bottom and one to the top edge of the battery.

1. Use tweezers or a spatula to remove the black tabs. The white adhesive strips are underneath.

To prevent the battery from falling out of the device, you should hold it firmly when pulling out the last adhesive strip.

1. Now pull out the adhesive strips as slowly and flatly as possible from under the battery so that they do not tear.

If one of the tapes tears, use a wide, sturdy tool to gently lever the battery out without bending it. We use a battery spudger for this purpose.

1. When all the adhesive strips are removed, you can take out the battery off your device.

• Camera Connector
• 1 × 2,2 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1,9 mm Phillips

1. First loosen the two Phillips screws that fix the bracket plate of the iSight camera.
2. Lift up the small eyelet on the upper edge of the rear case clamping the bracket plate.
3. Use a spudger to separate the two connectors of the iSight camera from the logicboard.
4. Now you can carefully lever the camera out of its lead with the spudger and put it aside.

Before you can remove the logicboard, you have to remove the SIM card tray.

1. Use a SIM tool or a paperclip to go into the opening next to the SIM card tray and then remove it.

• 1 × 2,8 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2,1 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1,1 mm Phillips
• Lightning connector
• Camera flash connector
• Speaker connector
• Front-facing camera connector
• Wi-Fi antenna connector
• Wireless charging connector

1. Use a spudger to carefully disconnect all connectors from the logicboard. This includes the Lightning connector, flash light, FaceTime camera and volume buttons.
2. A connector is located under the flex cable of the FaceTime camera. Bend the cable carefully to the side to be able to detach the connector.

If the connector cannot be released immediately, you can also remove the FaceTime camera first.

1. Loosen the screws that keep the logicboard in place.

One of the screws fixes a small metal component.

1. When all screws and connectors are loosened, bend the flex cables carefully to the side and take out the logicboard.

• 1 × 2,3 mm Standoff

Where the headphone jack was located on the previous models, a small plastic cover is now screwed on.

1. Loosen the screw and take out the plastic cover with tweezers.

The Standoff screws can be unscrewed with a special screwdriver. However, it is also possible with a thin, suitable slotted screwdriver.

• 1 × 1,9 mm Y-Type
• 2 × 2,6 mm Standoff
• 2 × 3,5 mm Phillips

The flex cable of the Lightning connector is glued into the back cover of your iPhone X. Additionally the Lightning connector is fixed with several screws.

1. Loosen all screws of the Lightning connector. Two screws are slightly longer and therefore more difficult to loosen.

Heat the entire flex cable with a hot air device to make it easier to remove.

1. Use a flat, sturdy tool to gently drive under the flex cable and gradually remove it from the bottom of the back cover. We use a steel spatula for this purpose.
2. Use the lever with the steel spatula to carefully remove the microphone from the edge of the rear case.
3. Also lever the Lightning connector out of its lead in the rear case's edge.
4. When everything is detached, you can remove the Lightning connector including the flex cable.

The speaker's antenna cable is glued to the bottom edge of the back cover. It connects the speaker to the logicboard.

1. Heat the glued flex cable over a large area with a heat gun or a hair dryer.
2. Remove the cable from the back cover one by one with a steel spatula and take it out.

The FaceTime camera forms one unit with the infrared sensor and the Face ID. It is hooked into the rear case on both sides. The integrated flex cable is glued to the bottom of the back cover.

Be especially careful when removing the unit, as damage can lead to loss of the Face ID function.

1. Use tweezers to carefully unhook the FaceTime camera and Face ID unit.
2. Heat the glued flex cable and loosen it bit by bit with a steel spatula until you can remove the entire unit from your iPhone.

• 1 × 1,9 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2,0 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1,8 mm Phillips

The standby button and the flash share a common flex cable.

1. First unscrew the screws that fix the standby button.
2. Then heat the flex cable and pull it carefully from the bottom of the back cover with the help of tweezers and a steel spatula.
3. Now bend the flex cable slightly to the side to pull the flashlight and the black protective frame out of its lead with tweezers.
4. Finally, lever also the microphone next to the flashlight out of its lead.

Check whether the adhesive surface of the microphone has come loose together with the flex cable. If it is left in the back cover, remove it and stick it to the appropriate place on the flex cable.

• 3 × 1,4 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1,0 mm Y-Type
• 1 × 1,5 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1,1 mm Y-Type
• 1 × 1,3 mm Phillips

The Wi-Fi antenna cable is glued in the upper part of the iPhone X rear case and is additionally fixed with several screws. Some of the fews simultaneously fix small metal clamps in the rear case.

Remember the orientation of the metal clamps before loosening them, so that you can screw them back on properly later.

1. First remove all screws that are fixing a clamp.

Make it easier for you to unscrew the clamps by holding them with tweezers while you unscrew the screws.

1. Now remove all remaining screws.
2. Heat the flex cable set and carefully remove it from the back cover with a steel spatula.
3. Then take out the entire cable set.

• 1 × 1,4 mm Phillips

The Bluetooth antenna cable must also be removed from the back cover. This is located right next to the lead of the iSight camera.

1. First unscrew the Phillips screw.
2. Then heat the flex cable and gradually loosen it with the steel spatula until you can remove it.

• 7 × 1,4 mm Phillips

Remember the orientation of the staples before removing them. If they are inserted incorrectly, the display will not sit properly.

1. Release the display clamps from the edge of the back cover by loosening all Phillips screws.

• 1 × 1,7 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2,5 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1,9 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1,8 mm Phillips
• 2 × 1,4 mm Phillips

On the iPhone X, the volume button, the mute button and the charging coil share a common cable set. The buttons are screwed into the rear case, the cable set is glued.

1. First unscrew all Phillips screws from the edge of the back cover.
2. Heat the whole cable set with hot air before carefully removing it from the bottom of the backcover with a steel spatula.

If necessary, heat the cable several times.

1. Use tweezers to peel the edge of the charging coil off. Then use a flat, stable plastic tool to slide under the charging coil and separate it completely from the bottom of the back cover. We use the iPlastix for this, which is made of flexible plastic.

After removing the volume control cable, the volume buttons themselves and the standby button must be removed. Both buttons are secured with a metal clamp at the edge of the rear case, and additionally hooked in with a metal bracket.

1. Start by carefully unhooking the metal bracket of the standby button with tweezers on one side and then pull it out completely.
2. Lever the silver metal clamp upwards from one side and then pull it upwards off the standby button's thread of the standby button
3. Now push the standby button from the inside out of the rear case frame of your iPhone X.

Proceed the same way with the volume buttons.

All parts are now removed. Before you start to reassemble your iPhone X, you should compare your spare part with the old back cover and check if any small parts like brackets or seals need to be taken over.

Don't forget to remove the plastic pin in the opening next to the SIM card tray, otherwise you won't be able to remove the tray anymore!

1. Put both back covers next to each other and take over all missing parts.

Since the keys are symmetrical, you do not have to pay attention to their alignment when inserting them.

1. Put the standby button back into the opening on the edge of the rear case.
2. Push the metal clamp vertically onto the thread of the standby button so that it snaps into place.
3. Then press the clamp downwards until it locks into place on the other side.
4. Finally, hook the metal bracket first on one side and then on the other side of the metal clamp.

Proceed the same way for the volume buttons.

• 1 × 1,7 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2,5 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1,9 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1,8 mm Phillips
• 2 × 1,4 mm Phillips

Next, attach the cable set of volume buttons, mute button and charging coil.

1. First place the charging coil in its original position in the back cover.
2. Place the metal clamps of the volume buttons on the edge of the rear case.

1. When everything is aligned correctly, you can fix the cable set with the Phillips screws.
2. Now press the thin flex cable as well as the charging coil on the back cover firmly.

• 7 × 1,4 mm Phillips

Be sure to insert and screw the clamps the right way round, otherwise the display will not fit properly.

1. Position the first clamp at the edge of the backcover and screw it with the Phillips screws.
2. Do the same with the other two clamps.
   

• 1 × 1,4 mm Phillips

1. Put the small Bluetooth antenna cable back next to the guide of the iSight camera.

Use the various screw holes as a orientation.

1. Press the cable slightly down everywhere, before attaching it to the back cover frame with the Phillips screw.

• 3 × 1,4 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1,0 mm Y-Type
• 1 × 1,5 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1,1 mm Y-Type
• 1 × 1,3 mm Phillips

1. Return the flex cable to its original position.

Orientate yourself by the different screw openings.

1. Press the cable lightly everywhere.

Make sure that the clamps are correctly aligned so that the FaceTime camera unit is properly seated later.

1. Then use tweezers to align the small metal clamps over the flex cable.
2. Screw the clamps, and at the same time the flex cable to the back cover.

• 1 × 1,9 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2,0 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1,8 mm Phillips

Remember that the small, oval adhesive surface must be on the microphone before you reinsert the flex cable with the flash and microphone. If the adhesive did not stick to the microphone when you removed it, take it off the old back cover.

1. Make sure that the adhesive is correctly positioned on the microphone before you push it back into its opening.
2. Put the black rubber frame back into the microphone opening as well. Make sure that it is aligned correctly.
3. Flip the flashlight into the opening next to the microphone and place the metal clamp of the standby button under the existing clamp on the rear case frame.
4. Screw the metal clamp tight and then press the thin flex cable flat to the bottom of the back cover.

1. Place your new FaceTime unit in its original position in the iPhone X.
2. Hook up the the unit on both sides, so that the module fits tightly.
3. Gently press the flex cables at the bottom of the back cover.

1. Put the speaker's antenna cable back in place and press it lightly against the bottom of the back cover.

• 1 × 1,9 mm Y-Type
• 2 × 2,6 mm Standoff
• 2 × 3,5 mm Phillips

1. Place the Lightning connector in its original position in the iPhone and slide it into its opening on the bottom case frame.
2. Push the microphone back into the bottom frame of the rear case.
3. Press the flex cable firmly on the edge of the back cover by running your finger along the cable.
4. Screw in the lightning connector and the flex cable.

• 1 × 2,3 mm Standoff

1. Place the barometric vent in its place at the bottom edge of the rear case and screw it on.

• 1 × 2,7 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2,1 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1,1 mm Phillips
• Lightning connector
• Camera flash connector
• Speaker connector
• Front-facing camera connector
• Wi-Fi antenna connector
• Wireless charging connector

1. Bend all loose flex cables a bit to the side before you put the logicboard back into the back cover, so that none of them gets jammed.
2. Put the small metal cover back in its original position and screw it in place.
3. Fix the logicboard with the remaining screws.
4. Now attach all connectors.

1. Slide the SIM card tray back into the frame of the back cover.

You shouldn't feel any strong resistance when inserting the SIM card tray. Otherwise the logicboard might not be properly seated.

• Camera Connector