iPhone Air Back Glass
Before You Begin
Warning
Read Battery Safety and follow workspace and battery handling guidelines before you begin.
Read Broken Glass Safety before you begin.
Improper replacement, improper handling of parts, or failure to follow the provided instructions may cause malfunctions. Additionally, wireless charging may appear slow or the iPhone may not charge properly. These events could result in injury, or damage to the device, parts, or other property.
Tools
6.5-inch repair tray with platypus icon
Adhesive cutter
Adhesive removal tool
Adjustable torque driver (10–34 Ncm)
Camera cap
Crosshead 50 mm bit
Cut-resistant gloves
Display press
ESD-safe tweezers
Ethanol wipes or isopropyl alcohol (IPA) wipes
Half-moon bit adapter
Heat-resistant gloves
Nylon probe (black stick)
Safety glasses with side shields
Pentalobe PL1.1 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.
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.
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 back glass adhesive.
Refer to the Heated Display Removal Fixture Operating Manual for instructions.
The adhesive on this model might take longer to lift than indicated in the operating manual. Wait until you see a gap.
Important: Only cut along the bottom of the iPhone while it's in the fixture
Remove the iPhone from the heated display removal fixture and place the iPhone in the repair tray with back glass faceup and the USB-C connector facing the cutout.
Using the adhesive cutter, finish cutting along the sides and top of the iPhone until the back glass is free.
Insert the edge of the adhesive cutter between the back glass and the enclosure. Hold the adhesive cutter at a 45-degree angle. Cut along the sides until you reach the antenna bands.
Slide the back glass 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 back glass is free.
Caution: To avoid damaging the flex cables, don’t tilt up the bottom of the back glass more than 5 degrees.Insert the repair tray suction cups into the slots in the repair tray.
Tilt up the back glass and secure it to the suction cups. Covering the camera is recommended to prevent contamination.
Note
The icon on the bottom of the tray indicates the direction to lift the back glass and the correct side to place the suction cups.
Wearing nitrile or lint-free gloves is recommended when covering the camera.
- Caution: Don’t damage the flex cable as you tilt up the back glass.
- Warning
If the battery is dented, punctured, or otherwise damaged, stop the repair. You can find a service option at support.apple.com/repair.
If the back glass is broken, inspect the enclosure. If there are shards of glass in the enclosure, put on the safety glasses with side shields and cut-resistant gloves. Use ESD-safe tweezers to remove the shards. Then use ethanol or IPA wipes to remove any remaining shards from the adhesive on the perimeter of the enclosure. Vacuum any shards of glass from the workspace.
Use a torque driver and the trilobe bit to remove four trilobe screws.
Use a torque driver and crosshead bit to remove the two crosshead screws. Then complete the entire step before continuing to the next step.
Remove the logic board cowling and the back glass cowling and save them for reassembly.
Lift the end of the battery flex cable off the connector (1). Then lift the end of the the back glass flex cable off the connector (2).
- Caution: You must disconnect the battery flex cable first to ensure that the iPhone stays turned off.
Hold the back glass by the edges. Pull the tabs on the suction cups to release them from the back glass. Then set the back glass facedown on a clean, flat surface.
Reassembly
Screw Diagram
Remove the suction cups from the repair tray.
Use the adhesive removal tool or the black stick to lift the adhesive from the enclosure. Use the ESD-safe tweezers to pull the adhesive. Repeat this process until all the adhesive is removed from the perimeter of the enclosure.
- Caution
Don’t touch the camera assembly, front camera grounding springs, or nearby parts.
Ensure that you don't damage the small antennas when removing the adhesive around the bottom corners of the enclosure.
Use ethanol wipes or IPA wipes to clean all residual adhesive from the edges of the back glass and the enclosure.
- Caution: Don’t use the adhesive removal tool on the back glass.
Place the enclosure in the repair tray with the USB-C connector facing the cutout.
- Caution: Ensure that you’ve removed all adhesive residue from the back glass and the enclosure before you apply the replacement back glass adhesive.
Important: If you’re installing a replacement back glass, peel the protective liner from the top and underside of it.
Align the replacement back glass adhesive over the enclosure.
The replacement back glass adhesive has a top release liner, a middle release liner, and a bottom release liner. Grasp the tab on the bottom release liner. Then slowly pull the bottom release liner out from under the adhesive while pressing the adhesive onto the enclosure.
Important: Don’t remove the top release liner yet.
Inspect the back glass adhesive. If the adhesive is positioned correctly on the shelf of the enclosure, continue to step 8. If not, remove the adhesive, clean the shelf of the enclosure if necessary, and repeat steps 5 and 6.
Use the flat end of the black stick to adhere the back glass adhesive to the enclosure. Move the black stick around the edge of the enclosure at least three times to ensure that the adhesive is adhered evenly.
Remove the top release liner.
Important: Don’t remove the remaining release liners located on the edge of the enclosure.
Insert the suction cups into the repair tray.
Align the right edge of the back glass with the right edge of the enclosure. Gently press along the edges of the back glass to secure it to the suction cups.
- Caution: Don’t press the back of the back glass to secure it to the suction cups. Pressing the back may affect functionality.
Press the end of the back glass flex cable (1) to the connector. Press the end of the battery flex cable to the connector (2).
Reinstall the logic board cowling.
Reinstall the back glass cowling.
Set the torque value on the 10–34 Ncm adjustable torque driver to 12 Ncm. Use the adjustable torque driver and half-moon bit adapter to install two new crosshead screws into the cowlings as shown:
One screw (923-13970) (1) (back glass cowling)
One screw (923-13696) (2) (logic board cowling)
Use the green torque driver and trilobe bit to install four new trilobe screws as shown:
Three screws (923-13683) (1)
One screw (923-13680) (2)
Peel the first strip of the middle release liner (1) clockwise, starting at the bottom left of the enclosure. Peel the second strip (2) counterclockwise, starting at the bottom right of the enclosure. Peel the third strip (3) counterclockwise, starting at the bottom right of the enclosure.
- Caution: The third strip of the middle release liner runs under one flex cable. Don’t damage the flex cable while removing the release liner.
Inspect the back glass adhesive to ensure that it’s in the correct position and not damaged or wrinkled. If the adhesive is damaged, remove it and apply a replacement adhesive.
- Warning
Carefully inspect the back glass for loose or extra screws and other small parts that may have attached to magnetized areas. These small parts can damage the iPhone and cause safety or functional issues when the iPhone is reassembled.
If the battery is dented, punctured, or otherwise damaged, stop the repair. You can find a service option at support.apple.com/repair.
Pull the tabs on the suction cups to release them from the back glass. Tilt down the back glass to rest on the enclosure.
Lay the back glass flat on the enclosure.
Remove the suction cups from the repair tray.
- Caution: Don’t touch the camera lenses.
Turn the iPhone over in the repair tray so the display is faceup. Press the display on the four areas shown simultaneously.
- Caution: Ensure that the flex cables aren’t trapped between the back glass and the enclosure. Feel the edges of the back glass for variations or gaps. If the back glass isn’t flush, repeat removal steps 2 through 5, and check the flex cables for damage. Then repeat reassembly steps 1 through 21 and continue to step 22.
Position the repair tray with the iPhone faceup in the display press. 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. Count five clicks as you install each new screw to ensure that the screw is fully installed.
Note: Use the correct screw color for the model.
Space black (923-13877)
Cloud white (923-13878)
Light gold (923-13879)
Sky blue (923-13880)
- Caution: If the screws aren’t flush, remove them. Then install a new set of PL1.1 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.”