Step-by-step

1. 1

   Power off the phone completely

   1 min

   Press and hold the Power button, then tap Power Off on the screen. Do not attempt to charge or power on a water-damaged device.

2. 2

   Eject the SIM card tray

   1 min

   Insert a SIM eject tool into the small hole on the left edge of the phone. Push firmly until the tray pops out, then remove it.

3. 3

   Heat the back panel edges

   3 min

   Use a heat gun or hair dryer set to low heat to warm the outer edges of the back panel for two minutes. This softens the factory adhesive holding the cover.

4. 4

   Attach a suction cup to the back cover

   2 min

   Place a suction cup near the bottom edge of the plastic back cover and press down firmly to seal it.

5. 5

   Slice through the rear adhesive

   5 min

   Pull up on the suction cup to create a small gap, then insert a plastic opening pick. Slide the pick along all four edges to cut through the glue.

6. 6

   Remove the back cover

   2 min

   Gently lift the back panel off the phone body and set it aside on your clean workspace mat.

7. 7

   Unscrew the midframe housing

   5 min

   Use a Phillips #00 screwdriver to remove all visible screws securing the upper motherboard bracket and lower speaker assembly.

8. 8

   Pry off the protective midframe cover

   3 min

   Insert a spudger under the edge of the plastic midframe and carefully pop it loose from the perimeter clips.

9. 9

   Disconnect the battery flex cable

   1 min

   Use the flat end of a plastic spudger to snap the battery connector straight up from its motherboard socket to kill power.

10. 10

    Disconnect remaining flex cables

    3 min

    Unplug the display press-fit connector, lower interconnect cable, and antenna coax cables from the main circuit board.

11. 11

    Remove the main motherboard

    3 min

    Lift the motherboard out of the frame using a spudger, taking care not to snag any remaining cables or camera modules.

12. 12

    Remove the lower daughterboard

    2 min

    Pry up the small daughterboard at the bottom of the phone frame containing the USB-C charging port and microphone.

13. 13

    Clean corrosion with isopropyl alcohol

    10 min

    Submerge a soft brush in 99% isopropyl alcohol and gently scrub all visible liquid residue or white corrosion off both circuit boards.

14. 14

    Blow dry components with compressed air

    4 min

    Use short bursts of compressed air to blast away trapped alcohol and moisture from under chips and connector sockets.

15. 15

    Reinstall the circuit boards

    4 min

    Set the dry motherboard and lower daughterboard back into their frame recesses, aligning screw holes and locator pins.

16. 16

    Reconnect all flex cables and battery

    3 min

    Snap the display, interconnect, and antenna cables back into place, then reconnect the battery cable last.

17. 17

    Secure the midframe and back cover

    6 min

    Reinstall the plastic midframe shield, replace all Phillips screws, apply fresh adhesive strips, and press the back cover firmly shut.