iPad 5 LTE Front Panel Assembly Replacement

Place the iOpener in the center of the microwave.

• For carousel microwaves: Make sure the plate spins freely. If your iOpener gets stuck, it may overheat and burn.

Heat the iOpener for thirty seconds.

Throughout the repair procedure, as the iOpener cools, reheat it in the microwave for an additional thirty seconds at a time.

Remove the iOpener from the microwave, holding it by one of the two flat ends to avoid the hot center.

If your display glass is cracked, keep further breakage contained and prevent bodily harm during your repair by taping the glass.

Lay overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPad's display until the whole face is covered.

• This will keep glass shards contained and provide structural integrity when prying and lifting the display.

Do your best to follow the rest of the guide as described. However, once the glass is broken, it will likely continue to crack as you work, and you may need to use a metal prying tool to scoop the glass out.

Handling it by the tag, place the heated iOpener on the side of the iPad to the left of the home button assembly.

Let the iOpener sit for at least a minute to soften the adhesive beneath the glass.

As you follow the directions, take special care to avoid prying in the following areas:

• Front-facing camera
• Antennas
• Display cables

Carefully place a suction cup halfway up the heated side.

• Be sure the cup is completely flat on the screen to get a tight seal.

While holding the iPad down with one hand, pull up on the suction cup to slightly separate the front panel glass from from the rear case.

Place an opening pick in the gap opened by the suction cup.

• Don't insert the opening pick any deeper than the black bezel on the side of the display. Inserting the pick too far may damage the LCD.

Pull the suction cup's plastic nub to release the vacuum seal and remove the suction cup from the display assembly.

Reheat and replace the iOpener.

• Be careful not to overheat the iOpener during the repair procedure. Always wait at least ten minutes before reheating the iOpener.

Place a second opening pick alongside the first and slide the pick down along the edge of the iPad, releasing the adhesive as you go.

Continue moving the opening pick down the side of the display to release the adhesive.

If the opening pick gets stuck in the adhesive, "roll" the pick along the side of the iPad, continuing to release the adhesive.

Take the first pick you inserted and slide it up toward the top corner of the iPad.

If you can see the tip of the opening pick through the front glass, don't panic—just pull the pick out just a little bit. Most likely, everything will be fine, but try to avoid this as it may deposit adhesive on the front of the LCD that is difficult to clean off.

Reheat the iOpener and place it on the top edge of the iPad, over the front-facing camera.

• Be careful not to overheat the iOpener during the repair procedure. Wait at least ten minutes before reheating the iOpener.

Slide the opening pick around the top left corner of the iPad to separate the adhesive.

Slide the opening pick along the top edge of the iPad, stopping just before you reach the camera.

Pull the pick out slightly, and slide the very tip gently along the top of the front-facing camera section of the top edge.

Leave the opening pick in the iPad slightly past the front-facing camera.

Take a second pick and insert it to the left of the camera, and then slide it to the corner of the iPad to finish cutting the adhesive on that edge.

Insert the previous pick deeper into the iPad and slide it away from the camera toward the corner.

Leave the three picks in the corners of the iPad to prevent re-adhering of the front panel adhesive.

Reheat the iOpener and place it on the remaining side of the iPad—along the volume and lock buttons.

Slide the opening pick around the top right corner of the iPad, releasing the adhesive there.

Insert a new opening pick and slide it to the middle of the right edge of the iPad, releasing the adhesive as you go.

Leave the opening picks in place, and set the reheated iOpener on the home button end of the iPad.

Slide the lower left pick to the lower left corner to cut the adhesive on that corner.

Leave the pick at the corner. Do not pry any farther, and do not remove the pick from the iPad.

With a new pick, slice gently over the left-hand antenna, stopping before the home button.

• Only slide the pick from the outer edge toward the center of the iPad. Do not move the pick back toward the outer edge, as moving in this direction may damage the antenna.
• If you need to slide the pick over the lower section more than once, remove it and re-insert at the outer edge, and slide inwards.

Leave the pick in place before moving on.

Take a new pick and slip it in to the right of the previous pick.

Slide across the home button and right-hand antenna using only the very tip to remove the adhesive.

With the adhesive loosened, you can now insert the pick near the right-hand corner.

• Just like with the left antenna, only slide from the outer edge toward the center. Reversing this direction may damage the antenna.

Reheat and reapply the iOpener to the volume control side of the iPad.

On the side of the iPad opposite the volume controls, you should have a pick lodged into each corner. Twist the picks to lift the glass slightly, separating the last of the adhesive along the display cable edge.

Lift slowly and gently to further detach the adhesive along the display cable edge.

While supporting the front panel glass, use an opening pick to cut the last of the adhesive.

Once all of the adhesive has been separated, open the front glass like a page in a book and rest it on your workspace.

Remove any tape obscuring the LCD screws.

Remove the four Phillips screws securing the LCD:

• Three 4.0 mm screws
• One 4.8 mm screw

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the LCD out of its recess just enough to grab it with your fingers.

Flip the iPad LCD like a page in a book, lifting near the camera and turning it over the home button end of the rear case.

• Be gentle and keep an eye on the LCD cables as you flip the display over.

Lay the LCD on its face to allow access to the display cables.

• Set the LCD down on a soft, clean, lint-free surface.

Remove the single 2.3 mm Phillips screw securing the battery connector to the logic board.

Remove the three 1.4 mm Phillips screws securing the display cable bracket.

Use the flat end of a spudger to gently pry the display cable bracket straight up from the logic board.

Remove the LCD.

Remove any tape covering the home button ribbon cable connector.

Use the flat end of a spudger to flip the tab on the home button ribbon cable ZIF connector upward.

Carefully pull the home button ribbon cable straight out of the ZIF connector.

Use the flat end of a spudger or a fingernail to carefully pop the two digitizer cable connectors straight up from their sockets.

• To avoid damaging your iPad, pry only on the connectors themselves, not on the socket on the logic board.

Remove the front panel assembly.

• If the home button ribbon cable sticks to the iPad's rear case, don't try to force it. Gently peel it off the case using a pair of tweezers, and then you can fully remove the front panel assembly.

If you experience "ghost" or "phantom" touch input issues with your new display, this can be resolved by adding a layer of very thin insulating tape, such as Kapton (polyimide) tape, to the highlighted areas on the back of the panel. iFixit panels come with the proper insulation, and should not require the addition of any tape.

• Without the proper insulation, these areas of the digitizer can ground out against other components, causing touch input malfunction.
• The insulation is not visible to the naked eye, and is different from the foam dust barrier strips found on many iPads.

Gently begin peeling the home button cable off the back of the front panel.

Continue peeling until you reach the metal shield on the cable.

Insert an opening pick between the metal shield and the front panel and gently pry it from the digitizer.

Gently peel the metal contact from the home button bracket.

Use a plastic opening tool to pry the home button bracket off the back of the front panel.

• When reattaching the home button bracket, use a dab of adhesive or double-sided tape to secure the bracket in place.

Once you've separated one side of the home button bracket, firmly grasp the bracket and peel it off the front panel.

Press the home button from the external side of the digitizer to break up the adhesive holding it in place.

• Apply pressure slowly. The adhesive is attached to a delicate gasket that will tear easily.

Remove the home button assembly.