iPhone Air Display
Before You Begin
Warning
Read Battery Safety and follow workspace and battery handling guidelines before you begin.
Read Broken Glass Safety before you begin.
Tools
6.5-inch repair tray with platypus icon
Adhesive cutter
Adhesive removal tool
Display press
Display removal wedges
ESD-safe tweezers
Ethanol wipes or isopropyl alcohol (IPA) wipes
Heated display removal fixture
Kapton tape
Nylon probe (black stick)
Pentalobe PL1.1 bit 44 mm half-moon bit
Torque driver (blue, 0.65 kgf cm)
Torque driver (green, 0.45 kgf cm)
Trilobe 44 mm half-moon bit
Refer to a full list of tools required for all repairs.
Caution
To avoid damaging the lenses, don’t touch the front camera assembly or nearby parts.
Don’t touch the back of the display. Touching the back of the display may affect image quality.
Important
Read Heated Display Removal Fixture if you’re setting up the fixture for the first time.
If you replace this part, it’s recommended to run Repair Assistant in order to finish the repair. Repair Assistant will be available on the device after you’ve completed all reassembly steps.
Removal
Note: If you’ve already completed the removal steps, skip to reassembly.
Caution
The iPhone must be turned off before beginning this repair. Failure to do so will result in damage to the display and other parts. If you can’t turn the iPhone off, follow the steps under Alternate Procedure before starting the repair.
Use a torque driver and the PL1.1 bit to remove the two PL1.1 screws, one from each side of the USB-C connector.
Use the heated display removal fixture to heat the display adhesive. Refer to the Heated Display Removal Fixture Operating Manual for instructions.
Important
Only cut along the bottom of the phone while it’s in the fixture.
The adhesive on this model might take longer to lift than indicated in the operating manual. Wait until you see a gap.
Remove the iPhone from the heated display removal fixture. Then place the iPhone in the repair tray with the display faceup and the USB-C connector facing the cutout.
Using the adhesive cutter, cut along the sides and top of the iPhone until the display is free.
Insert the edge of the adhesive cutter between the display and the enclosure. Hold the adhesive cutter at a 45-degree angle and cut along both sides.
Insert the display removal wedges into the repair tray. The icons on the ends of the wedges correspond to the icons on the repair tray.
Slide the display toward the bottom of the iPhone until you see a slight gap. Insert the adhesive cutter at a 45-degree angle into the top of the iPhone and cut along the top until the display is free.
- Caution: To avoid damaging the display flex cables, don’t tilt up the bottom of the display more than 5 degrees.
Insert the repair tray suction cups into the slots in the repair tray.
Note: The icon on the bottom of the tray indicates the direction to lift the display and the correct side to place the suction cups.
Tilt up the display toward the suction cups. Press the top and bottom edges of the display to secure it to the suction cups.
- Caution
To avoid damaging the enclosure or display, ensure that the internal display clips are released before you tilt up the display.
Don’t damage the flex cables as you tilt up the display.
Avoid pressing on the back of the display when securing it to the suction cups.
Use a torque driver and the trilobe bit to remove the trilobe screw from the display connector cowling. Then complete the entire step before continuing to the next step.
Remove the display connector cowling. Save the cowling for reassembly.
Lift the ends of the display flex cable and ambient light sensor flex cable from the connectors.
Hold the display by the edges. Pull the tabs on the suction cups to release them from the display. Then set the display facedown on a clean, flat surface.
Reassembly
Screw Diagram
Remove the suction cups from the repair tray.
Use ESD-safe tweezers or the adhesive removal tool to pick up the display adhesive. Then pull the adhesive at a 45-degree angle to remove it. Repeat this process until all the adhesive is removed from the perimeter of the enclosure.
- Caution: Don’t touch the front camera assembly, grounding springs, or nearby parts.
Use ethanol wipes or IPA wipes to clean all residual adhesive from the enclosure and only from the edges of the display.
- Caution
Don’t touch any other part of the display glass with the ethanol wipes or IPA wipes. Ethanol and isopropyl alcohol may damage the display and affect image quality.
Don’t use the adhesive removal tool to clean the display.
Inspect the grounding springs in the locations shown in step 6. If a grounding spring is bent or damaged, continue to step 5. Otherwise, skip to step 9.
Note the orientation of the grounding spring that you will replace. Use ESD-safe tweezers to hold the bent or damaged grounding spring. Then use a torque driver and the trilobe bit to remove the trilobe screw from the grounding spring.
Note: For the top right grounding spring, remove two trilobe screws.
Identify the correct replacement grounding spring according to the diagram.
923-13678 (1)
923-13675 (2)
923-13676 (3)
923-13677 (4)
Use ESD-safe tweezers to position the new grounding spring. Then use the green torque driver and trilobe bit to install a new trilobe screw into the grounding spring.
923-13685 (1)
923-13689 (2)
923-13679 (3, 4)
If other grounding springs are bent or damaged, repeat steps 5 through 7 to replace them. Then continue to step 9.
Inspect the internal display clips for damage before reassembly. Ensure that the internal display clips are at a 90-degree angle and aren’t bent or damaged.
Important
If the internal display clips are damaged, you may need to replace the display.
If you’re installing a replacement display, peel the protective liner from the top and underside of it.
Align the replacement display adhesive over the enclosure. Ensure that the top holes of the adhesive align over the front camera assembly.
- Caution: Ensure that you’ve removed all residual adhesive from the display and the enclosure before you apply the replacement display adhesive.
Grasp the tab on the liner and slowly pull the liner away from the adhesive while pressing the adhesive onto the enclosure.
Important: Don’t remove the enclosure liners yet.
Inspect the display adhesive to ensure that it’s positioned on the shelf of the enclosure. If the adhesive isn’t correctly positioned on the enclosure, repeat reassembly steps 2 through 8. Then repeat reassembly steps 9 through 12 with new display adhesive.
Use the black stick to adhere the display adhesive to the enclosure. Move the flat end of the black stick around the edge of the enclosure at least three times to ensure that the adhesive is adhered evenly.
- Caution
Don’t touch the front camera assembly while adhering the display adhesive.
Don’t damage the top speaker grille or the foams. If the grille or foams are damaged, the grille must be replaced.
Insert the suction cups into the repair tray.
Align the left edge of the display with the left edge of the enclosure. Then gently press along the edges of the display to secure it to the suction cups.
Press the ends of the display flex cable and ambient light sensor flex cable to the connectors. Press evenly along the length of the connectors.
Position the display connector cowling over the ends of the flex cables.
Use the green torque driver and trilobe bit to install one new trilobe screw (923-13681) into the display connector cowling.
Peel the first strip of the middle release liner (1) counterclockwise, starting at the bottom of the enclosure. Peel the second strip (2) clockwise. Peel the third strip (3) clockwise.
- Caution: The third strip of the middle release liner runs under two flex cables. Don’t damage the flex cables while removing the release liner.
Important: Avoid touching the components of the front camera and nearby parts.
Inspect the display adhesive to ensure that it’s in the correct position and isn’t damaged or wrinkled. If the adhesive is damaged, remove it and apply replacement adhesive.
- Warning: Inspect the enclosure for loose or extra screws and small parts, which can damage the battery and cause safety issues.
Pull the tabs on the suction cups to release them from the display. Tilt down the display to rest on the enclosure.
Remove the suction cups from the repair tray.
Press all four corners of the display simultaneously. Then press along the edges of the display until it clicks and the display is flush with the enclosure.
- Caution: Ensure that the flex cables aren’t trapped between the display and the enclosure. Feel the edges of the display for variations or gaps. If the display isn’t flush, repeat all removal steps and check the flex cables for damage. Then repeat reassembly steps 1 through 23.
Position the repair tray with the iPhone in the display press and the display faceup. Pull down the lever until the display press locks.
Wait until the display press beeps and its timer shows 0. Pull down the lever (1) and pull out the release knob (2). Then lift the lever (3).
Remove the repair tray from the display press.
Use the blue torque driver and PL1.1 bit to install two new PL1.1 screws, one on each side of the USB-C connector. As you install the screws, press lightly on the display near the USB-C connector. Count five clicks as you install each screw to ensure that the screw is fully installed.
Note: Use the correct screw color for the model.
923-13877, space black
923-13878, cloud white
923-13879, light gold
923-13880, sky blue
- Caution: If the screws aren’t flush, remove the screws. Then install a new set of security screws. If the new screws still aren’t flush, repeat all removal and reassembly steps.
Important
Depending on the part replaced, Repair Assistant may be available on the device to finish the repair. Learn how to initiate Repair Assistant.
Note: If you have not run Repair Assistant, the device’s parts and service history may show a part status of “finish repair,” and Apple Diagnostics for Self Service Repair may show a part status of “unknown.”
Alternate Procedure
Only if you can’t turn off the iPhone, complete the following steps before removing the display:
Complete all removal steps in Back Glass.
Place Kapton tape over the battery connector on the logic board.
Press the end of the back glass flex cable to the connector.
Don’t reconnect the battery flex cable at this time.
Don’t reinstall the upper and lower cowlings or back glass adhesive at this time.
Position the back glass on top of the enclosure. Remove the enclosure from the repair tray. Then place the enclosure back in the repair tray with the display faceup and the USB-C connector facing the cutout.
Continue to removal step 1.