iPhone 5 - Replacing the back cover

1. You need a pentalobe screwdriver to open the iPhone 5.
2. Remove the two pentalobe screws at the bottom of the enclosure. They are located to the right and left of the Lightning connector. LPut the screws in the same compartment of your organizer tray.
   2 x 3.6 mm pentalobe screws

1. Put your iPhone 5 on a soft, clean surface to avoid scratching the back.
2. To lift the front panel, you need a suction cup and the hard plastic pick. If the screen is severely cracked, cover all of it with packing tape.
3. Place the suction cup over the Home button (if possible) or next to it (see figure 1). While lifting the screen with the suction cup, insert the hard plastic pick between the aluminum frame and the display frame and press down the aluminum frame. Also use the hard plastic pick to raise the screen (see figures 2 and 3). This usually takes several attempts.
4. As soon as you can lift the screen a little bit (see figure 4), you have to carefully work your way around the outside until it’s loosened on both sides (see figure 5).
5. Once the display is fully detached, you can flip it up at the Home button. Note that the display cables are still connected to the logic board (see next step).

1. First remove the three Phillips screws from the silver cover (see figure 1). Put the screws in the same compartment of your organizer tray.
   2 x 1.2 mm Phillips screws
   1 x 1.7 mm Phillips screw (not magnetic)
2. Now you can disconnect the following three connectors (see figure 2). Be very careful.
3. Place the pointed tip of the spudger very slightly below the contact and lift it up. Make sure you don’t break off the resistors that are soldered onto the logic board. In later batches of phones, the resistors are protected by a black plastic film.
   LCD
   Touchscreen
   Front camera/sensor/earpiece

1. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the Phillips screws on the battery connector (see figure 1). Then lift the cover using the spudger (see figure 2). Put all the parts in the same compartment of the organizer tray.
   1 x 1.8 mm Phillips screw (funnel head)
   1 x 1.7 mm Phillips screw
2. Now carefully lift off the battery connector by inserting the pointed tip of the ESD spudger slightly below the connector (see figure 3). If you don’t have a spudger, you can also try using your fingernail.

1. Now remove the battery. It’s sometimes glued firmly in place. Insert the flat end of the spudger into the space between the battery and the logic board, and carefully lift the battery.
   The logic board is very sensitive. You can also lift the battery from the other side.If the battery’s really stuck on, use other leverage points to the right and left of the original spot to pry it off. If you still can’t detach the battery, you can use a heat gun to slightly warm the glue from the outside and soften it.

1. Fold the plastic tab with the warning over and press it firmly onto the adhesive strip. This way, it won’t get in the way during your repair.

1. You can use the SIM Tool or a paperclip to remove the SIM card tray. Press the SIM Tool into the small hole in the SIM card tray to remove it.

1. Remove the Phillips screw and the silver cover below it (see figure 1). Put the parts in the same compartment of your organizer tray.
   1 x 1.2 mm Phillips screw
2. Disconnect the connector of the Lightning connector’s ribbon cable (see figure 2) by placing the pointed tip of the spudger very slightly below the contact and lifting it up. Then carefully fold the cable over.

1. Carefully lift off the antenna connector using the laboratory spatula (see figure 1).
2. Then lift the standby/volume cable set connector to remove it (see figure 2). Carefully place the pointed tip of the spudger or spatula below the contact and lift it up. Make sure you don’t break off any of the resistors that are soldered onto the logic board.

1. Remove the two Phillips screws and the bracket below them. There’s another connection underneath. Put the parts in the same compartment of your organizer tray.
   1 x 2.3 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 1.5 mm Phillips screw

1. Remove the two Phillips screws that connect the antenna to the frame.
   2 x 1.3 mm Phillips screws

1. Remove the two connection cables (see figures 1 and 2). Carefully place the pointed tip of the spudger or spatula below the contact and lift it up. Make sure you don’t break off any of the resistors that are soldered onto the logic board.

1. Now unscrew all five screws that hold the logic board in place (see figure 1).
2. Three of the screws have an internal thread. The one next to the rear camera isn’t magnetic. You can remove this screw with a flathead screwdriver or the spatula. Put the screws in the same compartment of your organizer tray.
   3 x 2.7 mm Phillips/flathead screws
   2 x 2.3 mm Phillips screws
3. Lift the camera flash using the laboratory spatula (see figure 2).

1. Slightly raise the logic board using the spudger (see figure 1) and turn it around the longitudinal axis by the plastic tab (see figures 2 and 3).
2. On the other side, disconnect the antenna connector by carefully pulling it off the plug head using the spudger (see figure 3).
3. Carefully remove the logic board.

1. First remove the foam sticker (see figure 1).
2. Now remove the Phillips screw (see figure 2). Put the screw and foam sticker in the same compartment of your organizer tray.
   1 x 1.9 mm Phillips screw

1. Now remove the screws and the metal bracket. Use the laboratory spatula or a flathead screwdriver to remove the screw with the internal thread.
   1 x 2.9 mm Phillips/flathead screw
   1 x 1.6 mm Phillips screw

1. Remove the three screws that hold the vibration motor and its support frame in place.
   1 x 1.8 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 2.4 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 1.5 mm Phillips screw
2. Now remove the vibration motor.

1. Remove the three Phillips screws in the volume and mute button bracket. This bracket is glued to the cable set.
1 x 1.7 mm Phillips screw
1 x 1.8 mm Phillips screw
1 x 1.9 mm Phillips screw

1. The cable set is still lightly glued in place. Carefully detach it using the laboratory spatula (see figures 1 and 2).
2. The standby button is glued to the metal rocker switch (see figure 3). Now detach the cable set from the rocker switch. It’s better if you don’t remove the rocker switch because putting it back in is pretty tough.
3. Once the cable set is detached from the rocker switch, you can take it out with tweezers (see figure 4) or your fingers.

1. Remove the volume, mute and standby buttons, as well as the standby button’s rocker switch.
2. The standby button’s rocker switch is hooked onto a metal peg. Reuse this metal peg if there isn’t one in your new back cover.

1. Now remove the following five Phillips screws. Put the screws in different compartments of your organizer tray so you can easily identify them later.
   2 x 1.4 mm Phillips screw
   2 x 3.1 mm Phillips screws
   1 x 2.7 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 2.7 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 2,4 mm Phillips-Schraube

1. Use the laboratory spatula to detach the Home button contact cable, which is lightly glued in place (see figure 1).
2. Remove the silver cover attached to the cable (see figure 2).
3. Now remove the speaker (see figure 3).

1. Now carefully remove the ribbon cable using your fingers (see figure 1). In this process, use the spatula or spudger to detach the Lightning connector, headphone jack and microphone.
2. Make sure you don’t lose the little washers below the cable set (see figure 2).

1. Unscrew the Phillips screw and remove the ejector lever.
   1 x 2.0 mm Phillips screw

1. Remove the silver rail. Insert the laboratory spatula below the rail and detach it from the back cover (see figure 1).
2. Insert the laboratory spatula below the antenna ribbon cable and detach it from the back cover (see figure 2).

1. Each of the four retaining brackets is secured with two Phillips screws. Remove them. Put the screws in the same compartment of your organizer tray.
   8 x 1.6 mm Phillips screws

1. Remove the plastic tab, which is lightly glued in place (see figure 1).
2. You may have to keep other parts of your old back cover for your new one (see figure 2).

1. Stick the plastic tab on the new back cover and fold it over. You can also hold off on this step until you install the battery.

1. Attach the four brackets using the Phillips screws.
   8 x 1.6 mm Phillips screws

1. Stick the antenna cable to the back cover and attach the silver rail.

1. Attach the ejector lever using the Phillips screw. The higher part of the ejector lever is to the left of the SIM card slot.
   1 x 2.0 mm Phillips screw
2. Check whether you can push the SIM card tray in and out.

1. Now put in the Lightning connector (see figure 1). Make sure the washers are on the thread.
2. Push the nipple of the microphone’s rubber seal into the little black groove and make sure that the Lightning connector and audio jack are fitted properly against the frame.

1. Turn the speaker to one side to put it in the original position (see figure 1).
2. Put on the silver cover, which is attached to the cable (see figure 2).
3. Now you can fasten the Philipps screws again (see figure 3).
   1 x 2.8 mm Phillips screw
   2 x 3.3 mm Phillips screws
   1 x 1.4 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 2.9 mm Phillips screw

1. Put the volume, mute and standby buttons, as well as the standby button’s rocker switch, back in their original positions. The rocker frame for the standby button has to face downward. Make sure you insert the volume button correctly.

1. Stick the standby button securely onto the metal rocker switch again (see figure 1). This part is a bit tricky. If you can’t do it, take out the rocker switch and then stick the standby button on it.
2. Connect the vibration switch and volume controller at their original location (see figure 2).
3. When you install the vibration rocker switch, make sure the vibration switch is facing downward (you can see the orange stripe outside along the frame). This makes it easier to connect the button to the rocker switch the right way. (See figure 3).
4. Then screw in the volume and mute button bracket (see figure 4).
   1 x 1.7 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 1.8 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 1.9 mm Phillips screw

1. Fasten the three Phillips screws that hold the vibration motor and its support frame in place.
   1 x 1.8 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 2.4 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 1.5 mm Phillips screw

1. Attach the metal bracket and the following screws (see figure 1).
   1 x 2.9 mm Phillips/flathead screw
   1 x 1.6 mm Phillips screw
2. Now fasten the Phillips screw on the standby switch (see figure 2). The rocker frame for the standby button has to face upward in this process.
   1 x 1.9 mm Phillips screw
3. Attach the foam sticker (see figure 3).

1. Reconnect the WLAN antenna connector to the logic board (see figure 1) and put the logic board back in its original position (see figure 2). Use figure 4 to check whether your logic board is in the right place.
2. Put in the camera flash (see figure 3).
3. Now screw in all five screws that hold the logic board in place (see figure 4).
   3 x 2.7 mm Phillips/flathead screws
   2 x 2.3 mm Phillips screws

1. Connect the two connection cables again. Make sure the connectors are fitted properly.

1. Fasten the two Phillips screws that connect the antenna to the frame.
   2 x 1.3 mm Phillips screws

1. Install the bracket and fasten it with the two Phillips screws.
   1 x 2.3 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 1.5 mm Phillips screw

1. Connect the antenna connector and the standby/volume cable set connector again (see figure 1).
2. Now connect the ribbon cable, put the cover over it and screw it in (see figure 2).
   1 x 1.2 mm Phillips screw

1. Detach the plastic tab with the warning or stick it back in if you took it out.

1. Now put the battery back in the iPhone and position it as close to the logic board as possible.
2. Click the battery connector back into place.
   
3. Then put the cover on and screw it in.
   1 x 1.8 mm Phillips screw (funnel head)
   1 x 1.7 mm Phillips screw

1. Now reconnect the connectors (see figure 1). The LCD connector sometimes comes undone when you connect the touchscreen connector.
   LCD
   Touchscreen
   Front camera/sensor/earpiece
2. Reattach the battery connector and fix the coverplate again.
3. Start your iPhone as soon as the connectors are securely attached. Check the function of the LCD, touchscreen, proximity sensor, front camera and earpiece.
4. Now attach the cover and screw it in place (see figure 2).
   2 x 1.2 mm Phillips screws
   1 x 1.7 mm Phillips screw (not magnetic)
5. Then carefully fold down the screen. Make sure that the edge of the screen where the cables are clicks into place properly. Now carefully press the screen on toward the Home button until it’s properly installed in the frame. (See figure 3).

1. Now screw in the two pentalobe screws at the bottom of the enclosure.
   2 x 3.6 mm pentalobe screws

When the battery is removed from the device, the iPhone loses the time and sets itself to 1:00 a.m. on 1/1/1970. You could have trouble connecting to the cellular network if the time isn’t set.

After a repair, complete the following steps:

1. Synchronize your iPhone with iTunes or connect to a WLAN network and wait until the time is set.
2. Remove the SIM tray with the SIM card and reinsert it.
3. Activate airplane mode on the device and then deactivate airplane mode.