iPhone 15 Plus Screen Replacement

Written By: Clay Eickemeyer

Comments: 11

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

1 - 2 hours

Introduction

Use this guide to replace a broken or cracked screen in your iPhone 15 Plus.

Note: Since you can't disconnect the battery during this repair, be especially careful not to use metal prying tools or touch exposed contacts in your iPhone.

Due to Apple's parts pairing restrictions, your iPhone will disable True Tone and auto brightness after a screen replacement, even with a genuine part.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Allow your phone's battery to drain below 25%, as a charged lithium-ion battery is a potential safety hazard.
Unplug any cables from your phone.
Hold the power and either volume buttons and slide to power off your phone.

Step 2

If your screen or back glass is badly cracked, lay overlapping strips of packing tape over the glass to protect yourself and make disassembly easier.
Make sure there's a smooth area near the bottom edge that's big enough for a suction cup to stick to.

Step 3

If inserted too far, an opening pick can damage your device. Follow this step to mark your pick and prevent damage.
Measure 3 mm from the tip and mark the opening pick with a permanent marker.
You can also mark the other corners of the pick with different measurements.
Alternatively, tape a coin to a pick 3 mm from the tip.

Got to step 2 and realized the fix kit doesn't include an opening pick! Looks like a guitar pick, and I have those lying around. Is that expected? Looks like the pick is used in many steps below. There's a little blue crowbar that isn't mentioned in the instructions. Perhaps that replaces the opening pick?

Sloan Looney -

Hi! I can't see which guide you were using when writing this comment. Can you reply here with which guide and fix kit you used?

Clay Eickemeyer -

I see you posted this in Meta. I hope it's resolved soon! In the meantime, a guitar pick may work well enough for your repair.

Clay Eickemeyer -

what fix kit?

Meow Purr -

My fix kit didn't include an opening pick either

WILLIAM HARRIS -

Make sure you check inside the black boxes after emptying them. My pick was stuck inside one of the boxes.

AndyF -

My AliExpress refurbished screen came with a pick that has a coin-like circle that pops out, so no modification was necessary

Gijs Leegwater -

the picture shows 3 cm but the description says 3 mm's. Which one is it?

John Pena -

That is a misunderstanding. It is a ruler with a scale for cm, it shows 0.3 cm, i.e. 3 mm.

VauWeh -

Step 4

Use a P2 pentalobe driver to remove the two 7.7 mm-long screws on either side of the charging port.

Step 5

The next four steps demonstrate the Anti-Clamp, a tool we designed to make the opening procedure easier. If you aren't using the Anti-Clamp, skip down four steps for an alternate method.
For complete instructions on how to use the Anti-Clamp, check out this guide.
The Anti-Clamp applies suction to both the screen and the back glass. To open the screen, you need to secure the back glass with tape. You can also check out the full instructions on how to use this tape.
Cut two strips of tape, apply them along the long edges of the phone, and fold them over the back glass to secure it.

Step 6

Pull the Anti-Clamp's blue handle backward to unlock the arms.
With the screen facing up, slide the arms over the left edge of your phone, with one suction cup on the screen and the other on the back glass. Center the suction cups near the bottom edge.
Support your phone so it rests level while between the Anti-Clamp's arms—a small box works well.
Squeeze the cups together to create suction.
If you find that the surface of your iPhone is too slippery for the Anti-Clamp to hold onto, use tape to create a grippier surface.

Step 7

Pull the blue handle forward to lock the arms.
Turn the handle one full turn (360 degrees) or until the cups start to stretch.
As the cups stretch, make sure they stay vertically aligned with each other. If they tend to slip, remove the Anti-Clamp and apply tape for the cups to stick to.
If you don't have tape, you may use your hands to clean the suction cups and warm them up to help them stick.

Step 8

Use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat the bottom edge of the screen until it's hot to the touch.
Be careful not to heat the phone hotter than this—the battery is susceptible to heat damage.
Wait up to a minute for the adhesive to separate and a gap to form between the screen and the frame.
If a gap doesn't appear after one minute, apply more heat and rotate the handle a quarter turn. Let the Anti-Clamp and time do the work for you.
Insert an opening pick into the gap.
Remove the Anti-Clamp using the pull tabs on the suction cups.
Skip the next two steps.

Step 9

Use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat the bottom edge of the screen until it's hot to the touch.
Be careful not to heat the phone hotter than this—the battery is susceptible to heat damage.

Step 10

Apply a suction handle to the bottom edge of the screen.
Pull up on the handle with a strong, steady force to create a gap between the screen and the frame.
Insert the tip of an opening pick into the gap.

Step 11

As you slice the adhesive securing the screen in the next steps, be careful of the following areas:
There are two delicate cables connecting the screen to the phone, one just above the mute switch, and the other about halfway between the volume down button and the bottom of the phone.
There are multiple spring contacts around the perimeter of the phone. Be extra careful not to insert your pick deeper than suggested in these locations to avoid bending the contacts.

Step 12

Don't insert your opening pick deeper than 3 mm along the bottom edge.
Slide your pick back and forth along the bottom edge to separate the adhesive.
Leave your pick inserted in the bottom right corner to prevent the adhesive from re-sealing.

Step 13

Heat the right edge of the screen until it's hot to the touch.

Step 14

Don't insert your pick deeper than 5 mm along the right edge.
Insert a second opening pick to the right of the first one.
Slide the pick along the right edge of the screen to release the clips and separate the adhesive securing it.

Step 15

Heat the top edge of the screen until it's hot to the touch.

Step 16

Don't insert your pick deeper than 3 mm along the top edge.
Insert a third opening pick in the top right corner and slide it along the top edge to release the two clips and adhesive securing it.

Step 17

Heat the left edge of the screen until it's hot to the touch.

Step 18

Don't insert your pick deeper than 3 mm along the left edge to avoid the two cables connecting the screen to the phone.
Slide your pick around the top left corner of the screen and along the left edge to release the clips and separate the adhesive securing it.

Step 19

Gently swing open the screen over the left edge of the phone.
If the screen feels stuck, go back around the perimeter to check for missed sections of adhesive or stuck clips.
Rest the screen against a box or similar object so it doesn't strain the cables.

Step 20

Use a tri-point Y000 driver to remove the 0.9 mm‑long screw securing the front sensor connector cover.

Step 21

Use tweezers to lift the cover to a 90-degree angle.
Unhook the cover from its slot in the logic board.
Remove the cover.
During reassembly, insert the cover at a 90-degree angle to re-engage the hook before laying it flat against the press connector.

Step 22

Use the tip of an opening pick to pry up and disconnect the front sensor press connector.
To reconnect a press connector, align it over its socket and gently press down on one side until it clicks into place, then press down on the other side.

Step 23

Use your tri-point Y000 driver to remove the 0.9 mm‑long screw securing the screen connector cover.

Step 24

Use tweezers to lift the cover and unlatch it from its hook on the logic board.
Remove the cover.

Step 25

Use the tip of an opening pick to pry up and disconnect the screen press connector.

Step 26

Remove the screen.
During reassembly, use this guide to reapply adhesive and install your new screen.
Be careful not to damage any of the spring contacts as you clean the frame.

Conclusion

To reassemble your phone, follow this guide to reapply adhesive and install your screen.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.

Author

Clay Eickemeyer

Member since: 19/09/22

69212 Reputation

2 comments

No link for screen?

Josh Clayman -

Battery still plugged in? You would need to take the back glass also

Smarterthanyou - 18/04/24