Remove the Battery from an iPhone

This article teaches you how to remove a battery from an iPhone by disassembling the phone. Removing the battery yourself will void your warranty. If your phone is still protected under warranty, you should just take your phone into an Apple Store to have the technicians there fix your phone for free.

Steps

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

  1. Make sure the iPhone is turned off. Failing to turn off the phone can result in a shorted circuit. To turn off your iPhone 7, press and hold the Lock button on the right side of the phone's casing, then slide the slide to power off switch at the top of the screen right.
  2. Remove the Pentalobe screws from each side of the Lightning port. The Lightning port is at the bottom of the phone. You'll need a 3.4 millimeter Pentalobe P2 screwdriver to remove the two screws here.
  3. Place a gentle heating pad on the bottom of the iPhone 7. Doing so will loosen the adhesive that holds the screen in place, which will allow you to lift the display up later. Leave the heating pad for five minutes before proceeding.
  4. Place a suction cup on the front of the iPhone. Place it at the bottom of the screen, directly above the Home button.
  5. Pull up on the suction cup to lift the screen. The screen should only lift a fraction of an inch away from the case. Pulling too hard may rip the display from the case, so be gentle.
    • Hold the rest of the iPhone down with your other hand while you pull the suction cup.
    • If the screen won't come up, try heating the bottom of the iPhone for another few minutes.
  6. Insert your spudger into the space in the lower-left corner of the iPhone. There should be a space created by gently pulling up on the suction cup, and your spudger should fit snugly into the gap.
    • Make sure you're using a plastic spudger and not a metal one, as a metal spudger will damage your phone.
  7. Slide the spudger up the left side, then repeat on the right side. Twisting the spudger back and forth should gently pry the screen away from the phone's casing. Do not use the spudger near the top of the phone--there are plastic clips that hold the top of the screen in place, and doing so will break them. Instead, only move the spudger about halfway up each side.
  8. Lift the screen up to form a ten-degree angle with the phone's case. Lifting the screen any higher than this will break the fragile display cables, so err on the side of caution when doing this.[1]
  9. Slide a thin card or guitar pick along the top of the iPhone. Doing so will unstick the last of the adhesive there.
  10. Pull the screen down toward the bottom of the phone. You should only have to pull it a few millimeters down to clear the plastic clips at the top of the iPhone
  11. Open the display to the right. It should fold open like a book, with the interior of the iPhone now exposed and the still-connected display and screen face-down to the right of the case.
  12. Remove the four tri-point screws from the lower display bracket. This silver bracket is on the lower-right side of the iPhone's interior; there's a ribbon connecting it to the display part of the phone. You'll find four screws attaching the bracket to the phone, three of which require a 1.2 millimeter screwdriver and one of which needs a 2.6 millimeter screwdriver.
  13. Remove the display bracket and set it aside. You'll see two black strips of plastic beneath it: one running parallel to the battery, and one running perpendicular.
  14. Use the spudger to lift up the perpendicular plastic strip. This strip is the battery connector; detaching it will disconnect the display from your iPhone's battery.
  15. Use the spudger to lift up the parallel plastic strip and the grey strip beneath it. Doing so will detach the ribbon here from the iPhone's interior, thereby disconnecting one of the two display ribbons.
  16. Unscrew the bracket over the second display ribbon. This silver bracket is at the top-right corner of the phone's interior. You'll find three tri-point screws here: one 1.3 millimeter, and two 1.0 millimeter.
  17. Remove the bracket. You should see another black piece of plastic that's perpendicular to the battery; this is the connector for the second display ribbon.
  18. Use the spudger to pry up the connector. Doing so will remove the second display ribbon from the iPhone's interior.
  19. Set the iPhone's display assembly aside. It should be completely removed at this point.
  20. Remove the two Phillips (+) screws from the barometric vent. This black bracket is in the bottom-left corner of the iPhone's case. You'll find a 2.9 millimeter screw and a 2.1 millimeter screw holding it down.
  21. Remove the barometric vent. You should now be looking at the Taptic Engine's connector, which is a black piece of plastic like the rest of the connectors you've unattached so far.
  22. Pry up the Taptic Engine's connector with your spudger. Doing so will disconnect the Taptic Engine from your iPhone's logic board, which will in turn allow you to remove the Taptic Engine.
  23. Remove the three Phillips screws from the Taptic Engine. All three of these screws are 1.5 millimeter screws.
  24. Lift gently the Taptic Engine out of the case. With the Taptic Engine out of the way, you're finally ready to remove the iPhone's battery.
  25. Peel back the three adhesive strips from the bottom of the battery. You'll want to use a pair of needle-nose pliers or tweezers for this step.
  26. Pull one of the adhesive strips toward you. Do this gently, since wrinkling or tearing the adhesive strip will make it extremely difficult to remove your iPhone's battery. After enough pulling, the strip will slide out from under the battery.
    • If one of the adhesive strips tears and renders the battery impossible to remove: lay the iPhone on a heating pad for a few minutes to loosen the adhesive, then pry out the battery with a thin plastic card inserted on the left side of the battery.
  27. Pull the other two strips out. Make sure you're holding down the battery while pulling out the last one so that the battery doesn't get ejected from the iPhone's interior.
  28. Remove your iPhone's battery. At this point, you can place a new battery in the iPhone, or let the phone dry as needed if it has suffered water damage.

iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, and 6S Plus

  1. Make sure the iPhone is turned off. Make sure the iPhone is completely turned off, not just in Sleep mode. Press and hold the Power button, then swipe the slider to turn the iPhone off.
  2. Remove the two Pentalobe screws on each side of the Lightning port. This is the charging port at the bottom of the iPhone. You'll need a Pentalobe P2 screwdriver to remove them. The size varies slightly depending on the model:
    • 6 and 6 Plus - 3.6 mm Pentalobe
    • 6S and 6S Plus - 3.4 mm Pentalobe
  3. Place a suction cup on the front of the iPhone right above the Home button. You'll want a strong suction cup that can help you separate the display from the case.
    • For the 6S and 6S Plus, place the suction cup in the lower left corner instead of directly above the Home button.
  4. Pull up firmly on the suction cup to separate the display from the case. You just want to create a very small gap between the display and the rest of the shell. Pulling too hard can damage the display, so pull with a firm, constant force.
    • Hold the rest of the iPhone down with your other hand while you pull the suction cup.
  5. Use a plastic spudger to pry the case apart. A spudger is a tool with a flat end, much like a flathead screwdriver. Insert the spudger into the space created, and then gently work the display apart more.
    • If you're opening the 6S or 6S Plus, insert the spudger into the notch that appears above the headphone jack.
    • Twist the spudger to help pry the display up from the case.
  6. Move the spudger around the case (6S and 6S Plus). Sliding the spudger up the right and left sides of the case while gently twisting it will help pry up the screen.
  7. Swing the display up using the top as a hinge. Once you've pried the lower portion of the screen from the case, you can swing it up so that the screen is at a 90° angle from the case. You can prop it up on a book or box to keep it in place.
    • Do not completely remove the screen, or you will damage the connectors, rendering the iPhone inoperable.
  8. Find the battery connector bracket. If you're looking at the battery, the connector will be on the left side, about a third of the way from the bottom. The connector is covered by a rectangular piece of metal with two screws.
  9. Remove the two screws holding the connector bracket. Use a small #000 Phillips screwdriver to remove the two screws holding the bracket into place. You'll be able to lift the bracket out, revealing the connector.
  10. Pop the connector off of the logic board. Use your spudger to pop the end of the connector off of the logic board. Be careful when doing so, as removing the entire socket will break the iPhone.
  11. Remove the screws from the display cable bracket. This bracket can be found in the upper-right corner of the open iPhone. Take the screws out and remove the bracket. Make sure to pay attention to which screws went in which holes.
    • The iPhone 6, 6 Plus, and 6S Plus have five screws to remove. The iPhone 6S has four.
  12. Disconnect the camera cable. This is the large connector at the bottom of the area you revealed when you removed the bracket, with a cable leading to the display. Use the spudger or your fingernail to gently pry the connector from the socket. Be careful not to remove the socket as well.
  13. Remove the other connectors in the same area. There are three other connectors that need to be removed from the same area. One is directly next to the camera cable, and the other two are revealed when you disconnect the camera cable.
  14. Separate the screen from the rest of the case. Once the connectors are all removed, you can separate the screen from the rest of the iPhone.
  15. Use tweezers to peel the adhesive off the bottom of the battery. These adhesive strips help keep the battery in place. You'll find them along the bottom of the battery.
  16. Gently pull the adhesive out and away from the battery. The adhesive runs along the other side of the battery. Pull it slowly out until you've completely removed it.
    • One strip will go up the right side of the battery, and another will go up the left.
  17. Heat the back of the iPhone with a hairdryer. Use a hairdryer and blow on the backing of the iPhone for about a minute. This will weaken the rest of the adhesive that is holding the battery in.
    • Don't hold the hairdryer directly up against your phone or attempt this step on its hottest setting, as too much heat can cause your phone to sustain more damage.
  18. Use a plastic card (like a credit card) to pry the battery out. After removing the adhesive strips, you'll need to use a firm plastic card to pry the battery off of the remaining adhesive. Stick the card in between the left edge of the battery and the side of the case, then gently pry it out.
    • Make sure that you don't bend the battery while you're prying it, as this can release hazardous chemicals.
  19. Replace your battery and reassemble your iPhone. Once your battery has been removed, you can replace it with a new one and put your iPhone back together. Make sure that all of your connectors are firmly reseated in the correct ports, and that you put the screws back in the same holes that they came out of.[2]
    • Perform a hard reset after reassembling by pressing and holding the Home and Power buttons until the Apple logo appears.
    • For best battery performance, it's recommended that you drain the battery to below 10%, then charge it to 100%.

iPhone 5, 5S, and 5C

  1. Remove the two Pentalobe screws next to the Lightning port. This is the charging port at the bottom of the phone. You'll need a Pentalobe P2 screwdriver to remove these screws.
  2. Secure a suction cup to the front of the phone. Press the suction cup onto the screen, just a bit above the "Home" button. Apply enough pressure to form a tight seal.
    • A tight seal is necessary to hold this front half up as you try to disconnect it from the bottom.
  3. Pry the rear case down. Lift the suction cup upward with one hand while pulling down on the rear case with your other hand. Once enough of a gap forms, slide a plastic opening tool in between the two halves and pry the rear case away more firmly.
  4. Disconnect the Home button before opening the iPhone completely (5s only). If you have a 5s, you'll notice a cable leading from your Home button to the bottom of the iPhone. If you separate the two halves too quickly, you'll break this cable, which will make your Home button useless. You'll need to disconnect this cable before proceeding:
    • Pop the metal bracket holding the cable to your iPhone off with a spudger.
    • Pry the cable out of the connector, making sure not to remove the socket as well.
  5. Open the iPhone so that the display is at a 90° angle to the base. Use the top as a hinge, and rest the screen against a book or a box at a 90° angle so that you can work on the insides without holding it. Don't let it open further, or you may damage the cables connecting it.
  6. Remove the two screws holding the battery connector bracket in place. This bracket can be found about an inch up from the bottom of the phone, directly to the right of the battery. Use your screwdriver to remove the screws surrounding the cable bracket. Then, use your fingers to lift the front panel assembly cable bracket from the logic board inside the rear case.
  7. Disconnect the battery from the logic board. Use a spudger or your fingernail to pry the connector out of the socket. This connector was protected by the bracket you just removed. Be careful not to pull the socket out with it.
  8. Disconnect the digitizer (display). To make things easier, you can remove the display so that you don't have to keep it propped up. This can help prevent damage to the cables, but is not strictly required to remove the battery:
    • Remove the four screws (three for the iPhone 5) holding the connector bracket plate in the upper-right corner. Make sure to note which screws go in which holes, because it is vitally important that they return to the same ones.
    • Disconnect each of the cables that were housed underneath the bracket. Make sure to not pry the sockets off of the logic board. The 5 has three cables, the 5C has two, and the 5S has three.
    • Once all of the cables are removed, you can separate the display from the rest of the iPhone.
  9. Peel the adhesive back from the bottom edge of the battery. You'll see a black tap stuck to the bottom of the battery. Peel this back to reveal two strips connected by the black tab.
  10. Cut the black tab to separate the adhesive strips. You'll see that the two strips have space in between them. use scissors to cut the black tab in half, making two different strips.
  11. Pull each strip out from the bottom of the battery. Grip and pull one of the strips out and then to the side. Pull at a slight angle out from behind the battery. Continue pulling while running up the side of the battery, until the entire strip is free. Repeat with the other strip on the other side.
  12. Heat the back of the iPhone if the battery does not come out. There's a good chance that the battery is still stuck to adhesive residue. Heat the back of the iPhone with a hairdryer for about 60 seconds.
  13. Gently pry the battery out with a credit card. Use a credit card, or similar strong plastic card, to pry the battery out after heating it. Make sure to not bend the battery itself when prying it out.
  14. Replace your battery and reassemble the iPhone. Once your battery has been removed, you can replace it with a new one and reassemble all of the pieces. Make sure that all of your connectors are securely fastened, and that all of the screws went back in their original holes.[3]
    • After reassembly, perform a hard reset by pressing and holding the Power and Home buttons until the Apple logo appears.
    • New batteries should be drained to below 10% and then charged to 100% before using them for the first time for maximum efficiency.

iPhone 4 and 4S

  1. Remove the screws at the bottom of the iPhone. You can find them on either side of the charging port. The iPhone 4S uses Pentalobe screws, which require a Pentalobe P2 screwdriver. The iPhone 4 may have Pentalobe screws, or it may have #000 Phillips screws.
  2. Slide the back plate up and off. Grasp the iPhone in both hands, placing your thumbs on the back plate and your fingers on the screen. Slide the plate upwards to separate it
    • You will need to apply a good deal of pressure to slide the case up. To minimize the risk of damaging your screen, apply most of the pressure using your thumbs, and focus the pressure toward the bottom or top of the back plate rather than at the center.
    • The panel will move up about 2 mm.
    • Once the case slides up, you can open it to the side and lift it off the front assembly completely. If you cannot lift the case off with your fingers, you can use a small suction cup to lift it off.
  3. Remove the screws from the battery bracket. Use a #000 Phillips screwdriver to remove the two screws around the battery bracket. This bracket can be found to the left of the battery, at the bottom. These screws hold the battery connector to the logic board.[4]
    • Note that the top screw is shorter than the bottom.
    • On some iPhone 4 models, there's only one screw you'll need to remove.
  4. Pry up the battery connector. Slide a plastic opening tool beneath the metal connector next to the battery. Lift it up to release it from the logic board.
    • You should also consider removing the small grounding clip beneath the battery connector before removing the connector itself. You can do this using the same plastic opening tool. If you do not do this, you risk sending the clip flying as you remove the connector.
    • Work carefully to avoid prying up the socket by accident. You only want to remove the connector.
  5. Lift the battery out. Pull the plastic tab from behind the battery to lift it out. You may need to use a stiff credit card to help pry it from the adhesive.
    • You will need to work carefully. There is an adhesive holding the battery to the rear case, so you will need to use considerable yet directed force to lift it out.
    • Avoid moving too close toward the top of the iPhone, since this is where your volume button cables are located.
  6. Replace your battery and reassemble the iPhone. You can put your new battery in and then reassemble the iPhone. Make sure that all of the connectors have been reattached, and that the screws have gone back in their original holes.[5]
    • After reassembling, perform a hard reset by pressing and holding the Power and Home buttons until the Apple Logo appears.
    • New batteries should be discharged to below 10% and then charged to 100% before being used for the first time.

iPhone 3G

  1. Remove the two bottom screws. Use a Phillips #00 screwdriver to remove the 3.7 mm screws at the bottom of the phone. Set them aside in a safe spot.
    • The two screws are located on either side of the dock connector.
  2. Lift open the front panel. Place a sturdy suction cup on the screen, just above the "Home" button. Once it has a secure hold, lift it straight up with one hand while holding the bottom of your iPhone with the other. The top panel should come right off.
    • You will need to use considerable force to lift the front panel off using the suction cup. There is a rubber gasket between the front bezel and back assembly, so the two halves are fit together fairly tight.
    • Rock the suction cup back and forth as you lift to help loosen it.
    • If necessary, you can also use a plastic opening tool to pry the bottom away from the top as you lift the top off.
    • Do not remove the front case completely since it is still connected to the bottom by several cables. Instead, lift it up and rotate it so that it rests at a 45 degree angle from the bottom of the phone.
  3. Disconnect the ribbon cables. While holding the front assembly open with one hand, use your other hand to disconnect the black ribbon cables labeled "1," "2," and "3" with a plastic opening tool.
    • Insert the tool from the left. If you pull it up from the right, you could damage the ribbon connector.
    • Lift cables 1 and 2 up to remove the connectors. Cable 3 will rotate up about 90 degrees.
    • Slid the ribbon cables of the the connectors. This should allow you to remove the entire front assembly from the back case.
  4. Remove the SIM tray. Insert a SIM eject tool into the hole next to the headphone jack in your phone. Press down until the SIM card tray pops out, and continue sliding it out with your fingers to remove it.
    • If you do not have a SIM eject tool, you could also use a paper clip.
    • Note that you could also remove this tray at the beginning of the process if you find that to be easier or more comfortable for you.
  5. Disconnect ribbon cable 4, 5 and 6. Slide your plastic opening tool under each connector to pop them up and open.
    • If you have an iPhone 3GS, there will also be a ribbon cable labeled "7" that you need to disconnect.
    • Take this time to remove the "Do not remove" sticker to reveal one of the screws near the bottom of the case.
  6. Remove the screws surrounding the phone and battery. There will be eight screws: five 2.3 mm screws, two 2.3 mm screws, and one 2.9 mm screws.
    • The first five 2.3 mm screws have partial threads and secure the logic board to the rear case.
    • The second two 2.3 mm screws have fill threads and secure the logic board to the camera.
    • The 2.9 mm screw was below the "Do not remove" sticker.
  7. Remove the camera. Slide the flat tip of the plastic opening tool beneath the camera. Apply slight yet even pressure to pop it up and out.
    • Note that you can only partially remove the camera. The bottom will still be connected to the logic board.
  8. Pry up the bottom end of the logic board. Slid the tip of the plastic opening tool beneath the logic board at the dock connector side. Lift the logic board up carefully and slide it out toward the dock connector end of the phone, removing it completely.
    • There is a small gold tab on the logic board. It's delicate and can break easily, so you need to be extra careful.
  9. Lift the battery out. Slide the plastic opening tool beneath the battery. Lift the battery up to remove it.[6]
    • There is an adhesive that holds the battery to the rear case. As a result, you could end up bending the battery or otherwise damaging it if you attempt to remove it without being careful.
    • You could use the plastic pull tab to remove the battery, but doing so could increase the risk of bending the battery.
    • If necessary, try gently heating the back of the case with the lowest setting of a hair dryer. This can weaken the adhesive bond, making it easier to remove the battery.
    • This step completes the process.

Tips

  • Keep any screws you remove in a safe location as you work. Keep the screws separated as well, so you can easily recall which ones belong in which spots.

Warnings

  • Turn your iPhone off before trying to remove the battery. Otherwise, you could zap yourself and cause damage to your phone.
  • Understand that removing the battery from your iPhone will nullify your warranty. If you still have a warranty on your phone, it's better to have professionals remove the battery free of cost. If not, however, removing the battery yourself can be much cheaper than a professional repair.
  • Only use a plastic opening tool. A metal tool can damage your phone.

Things You'll Need

  • Heating pad or heat gun
  • Phillips #00 screwdriver
  • P2 Pentalobe screwdriver
  • Plastic opening tool (spudger)
  • Small suction cup
  • Paperclip or SIM card eject tool
  • Container to hold the screws

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPhone+7+Plus+Battery+Replacement/67612?utm_source=iphone7guide&utm_campaign=YouTube&utm_medium=Description
  2. ↑ https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPhone+6+Battery+Replacement/29363
  3. ↑ http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Replacing+iPhone+5+Battery/10587/
  4. ↑ http://www.imore.com/how-diy-replace-battery-iphone-4s
  5. ↑ http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Replacing+iPhone+4+Battery/3141/1
  6. ↑ http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Replacing+iPhone+3G+Battery/577/1
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