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Featured Guide

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

3

Time Required

                          2 - 5 minutes

Sections

1

  • Rear Panel
  • 3 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Video Overview

Step 1

              Rear Panel
  • Before you begin, discharge your iPhone battery below 25%. A charged lithium-ion battery can catch fire and/or explode if accidentally punctured.
  • Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.
  • Your iPhone 4 rear cover may have either two #000 Phillips screws or Apple’s 5-Point “Pentalobe” screws (second image). Check which screws you have, and ensure you also have the correct screwdriver in order to remove them.
  • Remove the two 3.6 mm Pentalobe or Phillips #000 screws next to the dock connector.
  • Be sure the driver is well seated when removing Pentalobe screws, they are very easy to strip.

Before you begin, discharge your iPhone battery below 25%. A charged lithium-ion battery can catch fire and/or explode if accidentally punctured.

Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.

Your iPhone 4 rear cover may have either two #000 Phillips screws or Apple’s 5-Point “Pentalobe” screws (second image). Check which screws you have, and ensure you also have the correct screwdriver in order to remove them.

Remove the two 3.6 mm Pentalobe or Phillips #000 screws next to the dock connector.

Be sure the driver is well seated when removing Pentalobe screws, they are very easy to strip.

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Step 2

  • Push the rear panel toward the top edge of the iPhone.
  • The panel will move about 2 mm.

Push the rear panel toward the top edge of the iPhone.

The panel will move about 2 mm.

Step 3

  • Pinch the rear panel with your fingers and lift it away from the iPhone. Alternatively, use a Small Suction Cup .
  • Be careful not to damage the plastic clips attached to the rear panel.
  • If you are installing a new rear panel, be sure to remove the plastic protective sticker from the inside of the camera lens and the sticker from the large black area near the lens.

Pinch the rear panel with your fingers and lift it away from the iPhone. Alternatively, use a Small Suction Cup .

Be careful not to damage the plastic clips attached to the rear panel.

If you are installing a new rear panel, be sure to remove the plastic protective sticker from the inside of the camera lens and the sticker from the large black area near the lens.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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Attached Documents

  • iphone4-screw-template.pdf
  • PDF - 568.33 kb
  • View
  • Rear_Panel_Screw_Template.pdf
  • PDF - 423.76 kb
  • View

iphone4-screw-template.pdf

PDF - 568.33 kb

Rear_Panel_Screw_Template.pdf

PDF - 423.76 kb

Author

                                      with 32 other contributors 


                    Walter Galan

682,038 Reputation

                                      1,203 Guides authored                  



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Michele - Jan 11, 2011

Reply

sorry, I do this without entering the silent mode.

What problems might have

rudisill49 - Mar 14, 2011

Reply

The replacement part for the iPhone 4 rear panel has two thin, clear overlays on the inside surface–a larger one that runs the full length, and a small one that only covers the lens. These should be removed prior to installation. Also, the first rear panel replacement I got from iFixit was not an exact fit and would not easily “click” into place. They replaced it for free and the second one clicked right in.

Chris - Apr 28, 2011

Reply

In the blog post about this item there is mention of removing the shielding, maybe this tutorial could go into detail about removing the shielding, with the appropriate, this will kill your iPhone warnings

rachelfinder - Jan 31, 2014

Reply

On step 3 when replacing the back panel with a new one, they aren’t kidding about removing ALL the protective slips. There’s THREE of them.

1), the obvious back slip that protects the new back.

2). the one inside the back protecting the side with the camera lens

3). the little square one OVER the lens itself.

First time I tried to reinstall my back, that tiny little square over the lens prohibited my ability to actually get the back on completely. My husband jammed it for me, but the screws still wouldn’t take. It’s amazing that these things are so precise that the tiny little film on the lens would make it that much tighter.

Anyways, hope that helps somebody. :)

patrickbeeson - Jan 24, 2015

Reply

Easiest repair I’ve ever done. Thanks y’all!