iPhone SE - Replacing the back cover

1. Turn your iPhone off completely to avoid damaging it during the repair.
2. Press the standby button for about three seconds until the slider appears.
3. Wipe it from left to right. Now your iPhone will shut down completely, which can take about ten seconds.

• 2 × Pentalobe

1. You need a pentalobe screwdriver to open the iPhone SE.
2. Remove the two pentalobe screws at the bottom of the enclosure. They are located to the right and left of the Lightning connector. Store these screws in the same box.

1. Put your iPhone SE on a soft, clean surface to avoid scratching the back.
2. To lift the display, you need a suction cup and a hard plastic pick. If the screen is severely cracked, cover all of it with tape before you continue. Risk of injury due to broken glass.
3. Place the suction cup over the Home button if possible (otherwise, put it next to the button). While lifting the display with the suction cup, use the hard plastic pick to press down the aluminum frame. At the same time, insert the hard plastic pick between the aluminum frame and the display. This usually takes several attempts.
4. Once a little gap has opened up between these two parts, you can open it further by slightly turning the pick.
5. As soon as you can lift the display a few millimeters, you have to carefully work your way around the outside until it’s loosened on both sides.Don’t take off the display all the way. You have to disconnect the Home button first.
6. There’s a metal cover blocking the Home button. Carefully detach the cover using a pair of tweezers.
7. As soon as the cover is off, you can disconnect the Home button from the flexible flat Lightning cable.

• 2 × 1.5 mm Phillips
• Connector

1. The battery contact and the contact for the flexible flat Lightning cable are under a cover. This cover is fastened with two Phillips screws. Remove the Phillips screws using a Phillips screwdriver and then lift the cover with a pair of tweezers. Put all the parts in the same compartment of the organizer tray.
2. Carefully detach the battery contact using the spudger. Insert the pointed tip of the spudger slightly below the connector. If you don’t have a spudger, you can also try using your fingernail.

• 1 × 1.4 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1.5 mm Phillips
• 2 × 1.1 mm Phillips
• Connector

1. First remove the four Phillips screws from the silver cover. Put the screws in the same container. Then lift the cover to remove it.
2. Disconnect the following three overlapping connectors in the order shown in the image. Be very careful. Place the pointed tip of the spudger very slightly below each contact and lift it up.

• Lightning connector
• Antenna

1. Disconnect the plug connection on the Lightning connector’s flex cable. Place the pointed tip of the spudger very slightly below the contact and lift it up. The flex cable is lightly glued to the back cover. Detach it from the back cover and then carefully fold the cable over.
2. Also use the spudger to detach the antenna cable from the logic board.

• 1 × 3.0 mm Phillips
• 2 × 3.3 mm Phillips
• 2 × 1.3 mm Phillips
• 2 × 2.7 mm Phillips

1. Remove the seven Phillips screws. Put the screws in different containers so you can easily identify them later.

1. Use the flat end of the spudger to carefully lift the speaker out of the enclosure. Note that there are two tabs holding the speaker in the device. One of the two tabs is under the logic board, below the antenna connection. The second tab is below the connection for the Home button on the Lightning connector.
2. Use the tweezers to turn and remove the speaker.

1. The Lightning connector is glued to the back cover. To detach the glue, use a heat gun to heat the back cover and the connector.
2. Using the steel laboratory spatula, carefully disconnect the Lightning connector by inserting the steel spatula under various parts of the flexible flat cable.
3. Carefully remove the ribbon cable using your fingers or the tweezers.

1. The battery is attached to the back cover by two adhesive strips. One end of the two adhesive strips comes out below the battery and is folded up. Unfold the end to simplify the next step.
2. Carefully pull the black end of the adhesive strips at a very flat angle to detach the battery. You can also separate the two adhesive strips and then remove one after the other. Hold the battery and your device in place the whole time.The adhesive strips could tear. If that happens, you can heat your device with hot air and then use the spudger to carefully pry out the battery.
3. Once you’ve removed the adhesive strips, you can take out the battery.

1. Using the spudger, carefully disconnect the iSight camera’s connector from the logic board.
2. Remove the black sticker.
3. The camera is held in place by a rubber cover. The cover is hooked onto two metal tabs. Detach the cover from the two tabs and fold it over toward the edge of the back cover.
4. Remove the camera.

1. Remove the SIM card and SIM card tray from the enclosure.

1. Use the spudger to disconnect the flexible flat volume cable’s contact from the logic board.

1. The antenna contact is fastened with two Phillips screws. Remove these screws.
   1 x 1.1mm Phillips screw
   1 x 2.2mm Phillips screw
2. Remove the contact from the enclosure.

1. Remove the six screws that attach the logic board to the back cover.
   3 x 2.7 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 2.7 mm Phillips screw (not magnetic)
   2 x 2.1 mm Phillips screw
Please note: The bottom of the logic board is connected to an antenna cable.
2. Carefully lift the logic board and turn it 180° along its longitudinal axis, i.e. towards the volume rocker switch.
3. Disconnect the antenna contact from the logic board.
4. Remove the logic board from the back cover.
5. Take the washer out of the enclosure and put it with the screws.

1. Remove the three Phillips screws that hold the vibrator motor in place.
   1 x 2.3 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 1.5 mm Phillips screw (at 90° angle)
   1 x 1.5 mm Phillips screw
2. Remove the motor.

1. The volume cable is glued to the back cover. Heat the back cover with hot air to prevent damage and make it easier to detach the cable.
2. Using the steel laboratory spatula, carefully disconnect the flexible flat volume cable by gently inserting the spatula between the cable and the back cover.
3. Remove the three Phillips screws that hold the volume rocker switch and the mute button in place.
   1 x 1.5 mm Phillips screw (at 90° angle)
   1 x 1.3 mm Phillips screw (at 90° angle)
   1 x 1.6 mm Phillips screw (at 90° angle)
   You don’t remove the flexible flat volume cable from your device in this step.

1. The flash is also on the flexible flat volume cable. There’s a cover holding the flash in place. Unscrew the two Phillips screws holding the cover in place.
   2 x 1.4 mm Phillips screw
2. Use the tweezers to remove the cover from the back cover.

1. Unscrew the Phillips screw holding the standby button in place.
   1 x 1.8 mm Phillips screw (at 90° angle)
2. Remove the rubber flap holding the rear camera in place to make more room. The rubber flap has a rubber block on one side, which is clamped into an opening in the back cover. Carefully pull the flap to avoid tearing the block off of the flap.
3. Remove the black foam strip that’s stuck to the back of the standby button.
4. Remove the volume rocker switch and the mute button to make the following step easier.
5. One side of the standby button is attached to an axis on the back cover (blue arrow). To disconnect the button, you have to fold it out to an angle of at least 45°. Sometimes the flexible flat cable is still stuck to the back cover. Always be careful when detaching it to avoid damage.
6. Remove the flexible flat volume cable from the enclosure.

1. Remove the three buttons for the volume rocker switch, the mute button and the standby button. Start with the volume rocker switch.
2. Remove the mute button.
3. Remove the standby button from the enclosure.

1. The flexible flat antenna cable is glued to the back cover. Heat it with hot air so you can remove it more easily without damaging it.
2. Carefully detach it using the steel spatula. Gently insert the spatula between the flexible flat cable and the enclosure.
3. Once the flexible flat cable’s detached, you can remove it with a pair of tweezers.

1. In the iPhone SE’s back cover, there are four retaining brackets that also hold the display in the device. Each of the four retaining brackets is secured with two Phillips screws. Remove the eight screws to disconnect the brackets from the enclosure.
   8 x 1.1 mm Phillips screw

1. Some parts glued to the old back cover may not be included in the new replacement part. These parts include the lens for the flash, the lever for the SIM tray and the guides for the voice microphone, Lightning connector and speaker. Transfer these parts if the replacement part doesn’t have them. Because the small parts are glued on, hot air and careful use of the steel laboratory spatula can help you remove them.

1. Use the eight Phillips screws to fasten the four brackets in the iPhone SE’s back cover.
   8 x 1.1 mm Phillips screw

1. Put the flexible flat antenna cable in its original position in the back cover and press it on firmly with your fingers so the glue on the flexible flat antenna cable will stick to the back cover.

1. Insert the three buttons for the volume rocker switch, the mute button and the standby button into the enclosure.
2. Start with the standby button. Pay close attention to the position of the standby button. There’s a rocker switch on the button that has to face up, i.e. towards the open side of the back cover.
3. Install the mute button and then the volume rocker switch. Once again, pay close attention to the position. The mute button has an orange stripe. This stripe has to face up, i.e. towards the open side of the back cover.
4. The volume rocker switch has to be installed so the plus symbol is between the mute button and the minus symbol.

1. Position the standby button so it’s at an angle to the axis in the back cover.
2. Attach the standby button to the axis using the side shaped like a hook (blue arrow). The standby button has to be at least at a 45° angle to the outer wall.
3. Align the flexible flat cable in the back cover so the volume rocker switch and the mute button are facing the corresponding openings in the enclosure. This will make the following steps easier.
4. Put the flash in the appropriate opening in the back cover and position the ambient microphone. Then attach the black foam to the standby button.
5. Attach the black rubber flap to the enclosure again. You have to push the end with the rubber block into the opening in the back cover.
6. Use the Phillips screw to secure the standby button in the back cover.
   1 x 1.8 mm Phillips screw (at 90° angle)

1. Put the cover that holds the flash in place back where it was originally.
2. Fasten the cover with the two Phillips screws.
   2 x 1.4 mm Phillips screw

1. Use the three Phillips screws to attach the volume rocker switch and the mute button to the enclosure, and gently press on the flexible flat cable so it sticks to the back cover.
   1 x 1.5 mm Phillips screw (at 90° angle)
   1 x 1.3 mm Phillips screw (at 90° angle)
   1 x 1.6 mm Phillips screw (at 90° angle)

1. Put the vibrator motor in its original position.
2. Use the three Phillips screws to attach the motor to the back cover.
   1 x 2.3 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 1.5 mm Phillips screw (at 90° angle)
   1 x 1.5 mm Phillips screw

1. Put the washer back in.
2. Position the logic board so you can access the bottom of it.
3. Connect the antenna cable to the socket on the bottom of the logic board.
4. Put the logic board in the back cover.
5. Use the six screws to attach the logic board to the back cover as before.
   3 x 2.7 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 2.7 mm Phillips screw (not magnetic)
   2 x 2.1 mm Phillips screw

1. Put the antenna contact back in its position in the enclosure.
2. Fasten the contact with the two Phillips screws.
   1 x 1.1mm Phillips screw (at 90° angle)
   1 x 2.2mm Phillips screw

1. Connect the flexible flat volume cable’s plug contact to the logic board.

1. Reinsert the SIM card and SIM card tray into the enclosure.

1. Put the rear camera in the original position in the back cover.
2. Attach the camera with the rubber cover you removed before by hooking the cover onto the two metal tabs.
3. Put the black sticker back on.
4. Connect the camera to the logic board.

1. You need to put on two new adhesive strips to attach the battery to the back cover. The adhesive strips have to be positioned so the two tips end just before the flexible flat volume cable, and the strips are centered between the logic board and the outer wall opposite it.
2. Use your fingers to firmly press the adhesive strips onto the back cover so they won’t get stuck on the red film when you pull it off.
3. Remove the red protective film.
4. Position the battery so that it’s centered on the adhesive strips. You can also use the black end of the adhesive strips to orient yourself. The battery has to line up exactly with the white adhesive strips. Make sure there’s enough space between the battery and the logic board for the battery connection.
5. Fold over the black end in the middle.

1. Put the Lightning connector in its original position in the back cover.
2. Press on the flexible flat cable firmly so the glue will stick to the back cover better.
3. Make sure the microphone with the rubber sleeve, the Lightning connector and the headphone jack are fitted properly in the frame.

1. Put the speaker back where it was originally. Note that there are two tabs holding the speaker in the device. One of the two tabs is under the logic board, below the antenna connection. The second tab is below the connection for the Home button on the Lightning connector.Use the tweezers to turn the speaker and insert it.

• 1 × 3.0 mm Phillips
• 2 × 3.3 mm Phillips
• 2 × 1.3 mm Phillips
• 2 × 2.7 mm Phillips

1. Fasten the Lightning connector with the seven Phillips screws.

• Connector
• Antenna

1. Connect the antenna cable to the logic board.
2. Reconnect the Lightning connector to the logic board.

• Connector
• 2 × 1.5 mm Phillips

1. Connect the battery contact to the logic board.
2. Put the cover back on and screw it in place with the two Phillips screws.

• Front camera flex
• LCD
• Digitizer
• 1 × 1.4 mm Phillips
• 1 × 1.5 mm Phillips
• 2 × 1.1 mm Phillips

1. Reconnect the connectors. Connecting the display connector sometimes takes a few tries. Be very careful to avoid bending the connectors.
2. Start your iPhone as soon as the connectors are securely attached. Check the function of the LCD, touchscreen, proximity sensor, front camera and earpiece.
   If the display connectors aren’t connected properly, stripes will appear on the display or parts of the touchscreen won’t work.
3. Install the cover and screw it in place.

1. Insert the display into the enclosure at the upper edge where the connection cables are. The display has to click into place correctly.
2. Before you can connect your device to the display, you have to connect the Home button to the Lightning connector and secure them with the cover.
3. Carefully press on the display toward the Home button until it’s entirely in the frame. The display has to be flush with the frame.

• 2 × 3.8 mm Pentalobe

1. Now screw in the two pentalobe screws at the bottom of the enclosure.

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.