Phone · Apple · iPhone 12
Apple iPhone 12 Back Glass Repair
Back Glass Repair guide for the Apple iPhone 12
Before you begin
Tools
- Heat gun or hair dryer
- Suction cup tool
- Plastic prying tools
- Precision screwdriver set (P2 Pentalobe, Tri-point Y000, Phillips #000)
- Tweezers
- Spudger tool
- Thin metal prying blade
- Safety glasses
Parts / materials
- Replacement iPhone 12 Back Glass
- Custom cut back glass adhesive (or B-7000 glue)
- 99% Isopropyl alcohol
- Lint-free microfiber cloth
Safety
- Wear safety glasses to protect eyes from small flying glass fragments.
- Discharge battery below 25% to minimize thermal event risk if punctured.
- Use protective gloves when handling cracked or shattered glass edges.
Overview
Step-by-step
- 1
Power off the iPhone
1 minPress and hold the side button and volume down button, then slide to power off. Ensure the phone is completely shutdown before proceeding.
- 2
Remove bottom pentalobe screws
2 minUse a P2 Pentalobe screwdriver to remove the two 3.4 mm screws on either side of the Lightning port.
- 3
Heat the front display edge
2 minApply a heat gun or hair dryer around the edges of the display for two minutes to soften the screen adhesive.
- 4
Attach suction cup to screen
1 minPlace a suction cup near the bottom edge of the display, just above the Lightning port.
- 5
Separate display from frame
5 minPull up on the suction cup while inserting a plastic prying pick into the gap between the display and frame to slice the adhesive.
- 6
Open display assembly
2 minSwing the screen open from the right edge like a book. Rest the display upright against a stable object.
- 7
Disconnect the battery
3 minUnscrew the battery connector cover plate and use a plastic spudger to detach the battery press connector.
- 8
Disconnect screen cables
4 minRemove the display connector bracket screws and disconnect the display and digitizer cables from the logic board.
- 9
Heat the rear glass
5 minApply heat evenly across the back glass panel for 3-5 minutes to soften the factory structural adhesive.
- 10
Slice perimeter rear adhesive
8 minInsert a thin metal pry blade or pick under the edges of the shattered back glass, working carefully around the perimeter.
- 11
Pry glass from camera housing
10 minCarefully pry shattered glass away from around the raised dual-camera metal rings using fine-tip tweezers.
- 12
Remove glass over charging coil
10 minGently lift glass fragments away from the center MagSafe wireless charging coil without damaging the thin copper layers.
- 13
Scrape leftover frame adhesive
12 minUse a flat chisel tool or spudger to scrape away all remaining adhesive and glass dust from the metal frame channels.
- 14
Clean frame with alcohol
3 minWipe down the entire rear housing channel with 99% isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth to ensure a clean bonding surface.
- 15
Apply back glass adhesive
5 minApply a specialized precut adhesive strip or a thin bead of B-7000 glue around the internal rim of the metal frame.
- 16
Align new back glass
3 minPosition the new back glass panel over the frame, ensuring proper alignment around the camera bezel and edges.
- 17
Press back glass into place
2 minPress firmly along all edges of the back glass panel to seat it securely into the fresh adhesive.
- 18
Reconnect display and battery
6 minAttach the display cables, reconnect the battery, reinstall metal retention brackets, and close the front display.
After your Apple iPhone 12 back glass repair
Power the iPhone 12 back on and test the back glass repair function before you put every screw away. Check touch/display response, charging, cameras, buttons, and wireless as relevant to this repair. If something fails after closing the device, reopen carefully and reseat the connectors for this Apple iPhone 12 job before assuming the part is defective. Keep leftover adhesive and screws labeled in case you need a second pass.
Keep learning
Explore more Apple iPhone 12 repair context in the encyclopedia, or open related DIY guides.
