iPhone 8 - Replacing the back cover

1. Turn your iPhone off completely to protect it from a potential short circuit. To do this, press the standby button for about three seconds until the slider "Turn off" appears on the screen.
2. Swipe the slider from left to right and wait until your iPhone has completely shut down.

• 2 × 3.4mm Pentalobe

You need a pentalobe screwdriver (PL1) to open the iPhone 8.

1. Loosen the two Pentalobe screws on the left and right side of the Lightning Connector and put them into a screw storage.

We recommend you using a screw storage to avoid losing any of the removed parts or screws. You can convert an old sewing box for this purpose. We at iDoc use a high quality magnetic mat for our repairs, which allows the removed parts to be arranged in the same way as they were in the phone. This way you know exactly where each screw was located, which makes it much easier for you to assemble later.

The iPhone 8 is opened via the display, which is strongly glued to the rest of the case. To open it, you have to heat the adhesive first.

1. First, place your iPhone 8 on a soft and clean surface to avoid scratches when lifting the display.T
2. Then use a hot air tool, such as a hot air dryer or a regular hairdryer, to evenly cover the outside of the display.

The rule of thumb is to heat your device only to the extent that you can still touch it without burning your fingers.

Opening the iPhone 8 will void the warranty of protection against dust and splashing water, as well as the warranty of waterproofness.

1. Press a suction cup on the display above the Home button and pull it upwards to create a narrow gap between the aluminium and display frames.
2. Insert a flat plastic tool into the narrow gap between the aluminum and display frames. Try to enlarge the gap by pushing the aluminium frame upwards with the tool. We use flat plastic picks for this.

Be careful not to insert the picks on the side of the standby button too far to avoid damaging the display's flex cable.

1. Now move the pick once around the display. To prevent the adhesive from reattaching to the already loosened areas, heat the edge of the display again and again and leave individual picks in the device frame.

As long as it is still connected, you must never open the display more than 180°, otherwise the sensitive flex cables may tear.

1. Gently push the display upwards with the plectrum to release the lugs from the aluminium frame.
2. Then open it laterally towards the standby button. Lean the display against a stable object to avoid overstretching the flexible cables.

• 2 × 2.6 mm Phillips
• 2 × 1.0 mm Phillips

Before starting the repair, disconnect the battery connector to prevent short circuits and avoid accidentally turning on your device during the repair.

1. Use a phillips screwdriver to remove the four phillips screws. Then carefully take off the cover with tweezers.
2. Now disconnect the battery connector by carefully levering it off with a lever tool. For this purpose we use a plastic spudger.

• Connector

1. Use the spudger to also disconnect the display connectors (display and home button).

• 3 × 1.0 mm Phillips

1. Unscrew the three Phillips screws from the cover plate above the connector.
2. Use tweezers to remove the cover plate from your iPhone 8.
3. Carefully separate the FaceTime connector from the board with a spudger.
4. Now you can remove the display completely.

• 1 × 2.9 mm Phillips
• 1 × 3.0 mm Standoff
• Connector

1. Loosen the screws and remove the cover plate of the iSight camera.

Special screwdrivers are available for the stand-off screw. But you can also use an ordinary, narrow slotted screwdriver.

1. Gently slide the plastic spudger under the camera's connector and lift it off.
2. Now take the camera out of your iPhone 8.

• 1 × 1.1 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2.7 mm Phillips

1. First remove the screws of the bracket plate.
2. Take the bracket plate out of your device.
3. Disconnect the connector from the logicboard, by levering it carefully with a plastic spudger.

• 2 × 1.2 mm Philliips
• 2 × 1.0 mm Philliips
• 1 × 2.5 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1.4 mm Phillips

1. First loosen the screws of the plastic bracket.

One of the screws is screwed into the side of the backcover.

1. Then take out the plastic bracket. Under it there are more screws, with which a kind of connector is fixed.
2. Remove the screws of the connector and take it out.

• 1 × 1.3 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1.2 mm Phillips
• Connector

1. First remove the Phillips screws that secure the antenna.
2. Then remove the connector from the board.
3. Loosen the slightly stuck antenna by heating it with a little hot air and carefully levering it off with a spatula.

1. You can use the SIM tool or a paper clip to remove the SIM card holder. Press the SIM tool into the small hole next to the SIM card holder.

• Connector

1. Use a spudger to carefully disconnect the three connectors on the battery side of the logicboard.

• 1 × 2.4 mm Standoff
• 1 × 2.1 mm Standoff
• 1 × 1.6 mm Phillips

1. Unscrew all screws that hold the logic board in place.

The Phillips screw is covered by a sticker (see photo).

2. Now you can carefully remove the logic board by hand. Next to the two holes for the iSight camera, there is a plastic holder for a screw.. This plastic holder is placed on top of the logicboard.

• 1 × 1.2 mm Y-type
• 1 × 2.9 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2.5 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1.4 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2.1 mm Phillips

1. First loosen the screws of the cover plate that lies over the connector of the flex cable and put it aside.
2. Then disconnect the connector of the flex cable and lift it up.
3. Then loosen the screws of the speaker.
4. You can now lift out the speaker and the flex cable.

• 1 × 2.0 mm Standoff
• 1 × 2.0 mm Phillips

1. First detach the small flex cable above the connector of the Taptic Engine with a spudger or tweezers.
2. Then loosen the screws that secure the Taptic Engine.
3. Carefully lever the Taptic Engine connector with a spudger and remove the Taptic Engine from your device.

The iPhone 8 battery is attached to the case with four tabs that you can pull out by their tabs. The tabs are taped to the top and bottom edges of the battery.

1. Use tweezers or a spatula to remove the black tabs from the battery. Underneath are the white adhesive strips.

When pulling out the adhesive strips, take care not to damage the contact of the standby and volume cable.

While pulling the tapes, hold the battery and iPhone firmly to prevent the battery from falling out of the device.

If one of the tabs tears, you will need to gently lever the battery out with a wide spudder. Try to bend the battery as little as possible.

1. When all the adhesive strips have come off, you can remove the battery.

• 1 × 1.7 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1.9 mm Phillips

1. Unscrew the two screws on the barometric vent.
2. Carefully pull off the barometric vent using tweezers. It is slightly glued on.

• 2 × 2.1 mm Phillips
• 3 × 1.2 mm Phillips

1. Now remove the Phillips screws.

The two screws, which are screwed into the edge of the housing, are hidden under black stickers.

1. Heat the glued flex cable of the Lightning Connector and carefully separate it with the flat side of the steel spatula from the bottom of the housing.
2. Loosen the Lightning Connector and the two gold microphones with the spatula or spudger.
3. Carefully pull off the flex cable with your fingers or tweezers.

• 1 × 2.4 mm Standoff
• 2 × 1.6 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2.6 mm Phillips
• 2 × 2.3 mm Phillips

1. First remove the stand-off screw on the flash cover.
2. Then remove the five Phillips screws that attach the volume control cable.

Heating the cable briefly will make it easier to remove it from the back cover.

1. Move the flat side of the steel spatula under the flex cable and carefully separate it from the bottom of the backcover.
2. Also carefully lift the small golden microphone hanging from the same cable set out of its guide with the spatula.
3. Now you can remove the cable.

• 6 × 1.6 mm Phillips

1. Each of the three mounting clamps is secured with two Phillips screws. Remove them.
2. Two of the clamps have a protective film. Remove and reuse it.

• 1 × 1.3 mm Phillips

1. Remove the Phillips screws screwed into the side of the back cover.
2. Use a steel spatula to loosen the guide rail of the iSight camera and then remove it.

1. Using tweezers, carefully pull the brackets of the standby button out of the frame of the back cover.
2. Press the button bracket vertically upwards from one side before pulling it upwards from the back cover frame.
3. Now you can press the standby button out of the frame from the inside.
4. You can do the same with the volume buttons.

In your new backcover you also have to take over the coil for contactless charging. This consists of a black adhesive surface with an integrated copper coil.

1. First, heat the edge of the charging coil with hot air to make it easier to remove the adhesive that holds the coil to the back cover.
2. Then remove the edge of the coil from the backcover by running a flat, stable tool under it.

If you don't want to use the old backcover anymore, you can work with a flat metal tool. Otherwise, we recommend using a plastic tool to loosen the loading coil, so as not to scratch the inside of the backcover. We use either the iFlex made of metal or the iPlastix made of plastic.

1. Once the edge is loosened, you can push the tool completely under the coil.
2. The loading spool should now be easy to remove from the backcover. If not, heat it up again.

• Dichtungen
• Plastikführung

Not all replacement backcovers are equipped in the same way. So check if you need to transfer small plastic guides or foam spacers from your old one to your new back cover.

1. Remove all parts that you need to transfer from the old back cover.

You also have to transfer the small plastic pin for the SIM holder into the new back cover.

1. Attach the detached parts, such as stickers or plastic frames, to the new back cover.

1. Paste the charging coil to the back cover as flatly as possible.
2. Position it correctly so you can connect it to the logicboard later.
3. If the glue doesn't hold properly, heat it a little and press it on.

1. First press the buttons from the outside inwards into the frame of the back cover.
2. Insert the button bracket from vertical first, then turn it down sideways.
3. Use the tweezers to hook the other button brackets into their openings.
4. Proceed the same way for the volume buttons.

• 1 × 1.3 mm Phillips

1. Place the guide rail in its opening and screw it tight with the Phillips screw.

• 6 × 1.6 mm Phillips

1. Install the mounting clamps with two Phillips screws each. Make sure the clamps face the right direction.

• 2 × 1.6 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2.6 mm Phillips
• 2 × 2.3 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2.4 mm Standoff

When inserting the flex cable, make sure that the cable lies flat, and that the microphone and flash are correctly aligned before you screw the flex cable on.

1. Put the flex cable of the standby button and the volume buttons back into the back cover and fix it with the five Phillips screws.
2. Check the pressure sensitivity of the buttons after tightening the screws and readjust if necessary.
3. Press the entire cable set, including microphone and flash light, firmly into the case.
4. Fix the bracket plate of the flash light with the stand-off screw.

• 2 × 2.1 mm Phillips
• 3 × 1.2 mm Phillips

1. Drücke das Flexkabel des Lightning Connectors an seiner ursprünglichen Stelle flach auf dem Boden des Backcover fest.
2. Presse die zwei Mikrofone, die am Flexkabel integriert sind, in ihre Führungen am Rand des Backcovers.
3. Fixiere nun den Lightning Connector mit allen zuvor gelösten Schrauben.

• 1 × 1.7 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1.9 mm Phillips

1. Put the barometric vent back in its place.
2. Fasten it using the two screws.

To position the battery correctly, you can reinstall all parts except the logicboard.

The adhesive strips must be aligned correctly. Check the alignment by placing the adhesive strips in your device first.

1. First remove the blue protective film from the adhesive strips before placing them in the middle of the battery's bottom side.
2. Turn the battery over and remove the small blue and pink protective films from the tabs of the adhesive strips.
3. Fold the tabs over to attach them to the top side of the battery.

When attaching the tape, leave enough space on both sides to fold the tabs over.

1. Turn the battery over again to finally remove the pink protective film from the adhesive strips.

1. Place the battery back into the case of your iPhone 8, using the battery connector as a guide to position the battery correctly.

Leave some space on all sides of the battery to other components.

• 1 × 2.0 mm Standoff
• 1 × 2.0 mm Phillips

1. Put the Taptic Engine back between the battery and the Lightning connector.

Make sure the screw holes of the Taptic Engine sit correctly, in order to avoid damaging the screws.

1. Connect the Taptic Engine’s connector.
2. Screw the Taptic Engine tight with the Standoff- and Phillips screw.
3. Insert the mini flex cable and attach its connector.

• 1 × 2.1 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1.4 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1.2 mm Y-type
• 1 × 2.9 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2.5 mm Phillips

1. Place the speaker back in its original position in the rear case and press it down.
2. Now you can fasten the speaker using the two Phillips-screws.
3. Press in the connector of the speaker.
4. Reinsert the bracket plate over the flex cable and fasten it using the three screws.

• 1 × 2.4 mm Standoff
• 1 × 2.1 mm Standoff
• 1 × 1.6 mm Phillips

1. Reinsert the logicboard in its original position.

The camera holder should be on top of the logicboard (over the screw hole on the top right in the image).

1. Fasten the logic board using the screws.

• Connector

Connect the three connectors of the logicboard.

1. First position the connectors over their sockets and then carefully press them in with your finger.

1. Now insert the SIM card tray into its slot.

If you’re having trouble sliding it in, check the position of the logicboard.

• 1 × 1.3 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1.2 mm Phillips
• Connector

1. Put the Wi-Fi antenna back in its original position and gently press it on to restore the adhesion.
2. Connect the antenna's connector.
3. Then, attach the bracket plate with the two Phillips-screws.

• 1 × 2.5 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1.4 mm Phillips
• 2 × 1.2 mm Phillips
• 2 × 1.0 mm Phillips

1. Put the connecting piece back into its position and fasten it with the Phillips-screws.
2. Now reinstall the plastic bracket and fasten it with Phillips-screws as well.

• Connector
• 1 × 1.1 mm Phillips
• 1 × 2.7 mm Phillips

1. Attach the connector of the volume control cable again.
2. Put the bracket plate back on the connector and fasten it with the screws.

• Connector
• 1 × 2.9 mm Phillips
• 1 × 3.0 mm Standoff

1. Press the camera back into its opening.
2. Attach the camera connector.
3. Put the bracket plate of the camera back on and screw it tight.

After attaching a new adhesive frame, iPhone 8 is again protected against dust and splash water, but is no longer 100% waterproof.

1. First remove all adhesive residue on the metal frame and display to ensure that the new adhesive frame fits properly.
2. Try to align the adhesive frame with the back cover of your iPhone in order to position it correctly.

The corners are different and help with orientation.

1. Remove the first protective film from the adhesive frame.
2. Then place it on one side and apply it gradually to the edge of the back cover.
3. Now also remove the remaining protective films so that only a thin strip of transparent adhesive film remains on the edge of the iPhone.

• Connector
• 3 × 1,0 mm Phillips-Schraube

1. Place the display upright on the frame and connect the FaceTime connector to the logicboard.
2. Place the display on the side of the backcover.
3. Place the cover plate over the FaceTime-connector and fix it with the three Phillips screws.

• Connector

1. Connect the two display connectors (display and home button) to the logicboard again.

• Wrong position
• Right position

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

Make sure that the silver chip on the cable is positioned exactly as before (see photo). Otherwise, you will see discolorations and spots on the screen at this exact spot after installation. If you notice this error, check the position of the cable again and align the chip exactly like in our photo.

2. Then press the display firmly over the entire surface.

• Connector
• 2 × 2.6 mm Phillips
• 2 × 1,0 mm Phillips-Schraube

1. Reconnect the battery by reattaching the battery connector.
2. Put the bracket plate over the battery connector and secure it with the four screws.

• 2 × 3.4 mm Pentalobe

1. Screw the two pentalobe screws left and right of the Lightning connector back into the rear case.