iPhone 7 - Replacing the FaceTime camera

1. In order to protect your device from short circuits during repair, you should switch it off completely beforehand.
2. Press the sleep/wake button until the "Switch off" slider appears on the display.
3. Wipe the slider from left to right.
4. Your iPhone will shut down completely in about ten seconds.

• 2 × 3,3 mm Pentalobe

1. Use a Pentalobe screwdriver to remove the two Pentalobe screws located to the left and right of the Lightning connector.
2. Place the loosened screws in a screw storage.

To avoid losing any of the disassembled parts or screws, we recommend that you use a screw store. You can use an old sewing box for this purpose. We at iDoc use a high-quality magnetic mat for our repairs, on which the removed parts can be arranged in the same way as they were installed in the phone.

iPhone 7 opens from the display. This is strongly glued to the rest of the case and must be warmed up before opening.

1. First place your iPhone 7 on a clean, soft surface to protect the back cover from scratches.
2. Using a hot air tool, such as a heat gun or a regular hairdryer, run it over the edge of the screen from the outside to heat the adhesive.

As a rule of thumb, heat your device only enough to make it comfortable to touch without burning your fingers.

Once the iPhone 7 is opened, the warranty for dust and splash protection as well as waterproofness is void.

1. Once the display edge is well heated, you can place a suction cup on the display at the height of the home button.
2. Pull the suction cup upwards to create a narrow gap between the aluminium frame and the display.
3. At the same time, insert a flat, stable tool into the resulting gap. We use a hard plastic plectrum for this purpose.
4. Try to enlarge the gap by pushing the aluminium frame down with the tool.

Be careful not to insert the picks too far on the side of the sleep/wake button, to avoid damaging the flex cable of the display.

1. Now move the pick once around the display and slightly lift the display up so that the noses come off the aluminium frame.

Keep heating the edge of the display and leave individual flat picks in the frame, so that the glue doesn't rebond in the already loosened areas.

Avoid laying the display flat, otherwise the sensitive flex cables can easily be overstretched. We therefore recommend leaning the display against a stable object.

1. Once the display is completely detached, you can carefully flip it open towards the sleep/wake button.

• 1 × 2,4 mm Y-Type
• 3 × 1,0 mm Y-Type
• Battery connector

Loosen the battery connector at the beginning of the repair. This will help prevent a possible short circuit and ensure that you don't accidentally turn on your iPhone 7 while you're working.

1. Use a Y-type screwdriver to loosen the four Y-type screws and then remove the bracket plate over the battery connector.

1. Now move a plastic lever tool under the exposed battery connector and carefully lift it off. We use a plastic spudger for this purpose.

• Display connector
• Home button connector

When detaching the display connectors lever from the side where there are no small components on the board. This way you avoid potential damage.

1. Now separate the two display connectors (display and home button) in the same way - also with the plastic spudger.

• 2 × 1,2 mm Phillips
• FaceTime connector

1. In the first step, remove the two Phillips screws fixing the bracket plate over the FaceTime connector and take it out.

When detaching the FaceTime connector start from the side where there are no small components on the board. This way you avoid potential damage.

1. Now carefully separate the FaceTime connector from the logicboard with a plastic spudger.
2. At this point you can completely remove the display and put it aside.

• 1 × 1,7 mm Phillips-Schraube
• 2 × 2,6 mm Phillips-Schraube
• 1 × 1,9 mm Phillips-Schraube
• 1 × 2,3 mm Phillips-Schraube

The earpiece is attached to the inner side of the display. It is located on the upper edge, under a bracket plate and the flex cable of the FaceTime camera.

Note that the screws are of different lengths. To avoid damage to the display during reassembling, the screws must not be mixed up.

1. Loosen the five Phillips screws that hold the bracket plate over the earpiece.
2. Put the bracket plate aside and carefully bend the flex cable together with the FaceTime camera to the side.
3. Now you can easily remove the earpiece.

The FaceTime camera cable set is glued to the inside of the display. Several sensors and the ambient microphone are integrated on it.

1. In the first step, carefully remove the sensors from their lead at the upper edge of the display using tweezers.

Heat the cable set with hot air to make it easier to remove.

1. Next, you can carefully separate the flex cable from the inside of the display by using tweezers.
2. When the complete cable set is detached, you can remove it and put it aside.

1. Place the FaceTime camera cable set in its original place at the upper edge of the display and press it down.

Make sure that the microphone as well as the sensors are correctly seated in their leads, otherwise they will not function properly

1. Push the ambient microphone and sensors back into their leads.

• 1 × 1,7 mm Phillips-Schraube
• 2 × 2,6 mm Phillips-Schraube
• 1 × 2,3 mm Phillips-Schraube
• 1 × 1,9 mm Phillips-Schraube

1. Put the earpiece back to its original position at the upper edge of the display.

The small golden contacts of the earpiece will help you align it the right way. These must be positioned exactely above the golden contacts of the FaceTime cable set.

1. Place the FaceTime camera's flex cable back over the earpiece and push the camera back into its lead.
2. Secure earpiece and flex cable with the bracket plate by screwing it tight with the Phillips screws.

Despite the attachment of a new adhesive frame, your iPhone 7 is no longer 100% waterproof after repair.

We will show how to attach the adhesive frame using iPhone 8 as an example. The process is the same for iPhone 7.

1. To make sure the new adhesive frame fits properly, you must first remove all old adhesive residue from the back cover and display frame.
2. Try placing the adhesive frame on the back cover to align it correctly.

The corners of the glue frame differ and help to align it correctly.

1. Remove the first large protective film from the bottom of the adhesive frame.
2. Then place it on one side of the back cover frame and press it down firmly one by one.
3. Finally, remove the remaining protective film from the adhesive frame, leaving only a thin, transparent adhesive film on the edge of the back cover.

• FaceTime connector
• 2 × 1,2 mm Phillips

1. To reconnect the display unit to the logicboard, first place it upright at the top of the back cover.
2. Reattach the connector of the FaceTime camera by gently pressing it with your finger until it clicks into place.
3. Once the connector is attached, you can place the display on the side of the back cover.

Just as with detaching the FaceTime connector, it is recommended to lean the display against a stable object to prevent the flex cables from overstretching.

1. Finally, put the bracket plate back on the FaceTime connector and fix it with the two Phillips screws.

• Display connector
• Home button connector

1. Reconnect the home button and display connector to the logicboard.

• Connector
• 1 × 2,4 mm Y-Type
• 3 × 1,0 mm Y-Type

1. Now also reconnect the battery connector.
2. Then put the bracket plate back on the battery connector and fix it with the four Y-type screws.

• Wrong position
• Right position

1. Place the display on the side of the back cover frame and carefully fold it over.

Make sure that the silver chip on the cable is in exactly the same position as before (see photo). If the chip is in the wrong position, discolorations and spots will appear on the screen after installation. In this case, you have to adjust the position of the cable again.

2. Slide the display in the direction of the sleep/wake button so that the lugs on the display hook properly into the back cover.
3. Then press the display into the frame over its entire surface.

• 2 × 3,3 mm Pentalobe

1. Now fasten the two Pentalobe screws again left and right of the Lightning connector.