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4-inch iPhone released in March 2016 with similar hardware specifications to the 6S. Available in Silver, Space Grey, Gold, or Rose Gold with 16/32/64/128 GB storage options. Model: A1662 and A1723

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suction cup won't stick on screen well enough to open phone

I'm trying to replace the battery in a family member's 2016 iphone SE. I bought the ifixit kit including the tools, which included a suction cup to grip onto the screen, allowing opening the phone after removing the two pentalobe tools. (It didn't include the iclack pliers that have two suction cups).

However, I find there is no way to open the phone with the suction cup. It doesn't stick onto the screen firmly enough. The screen is clean and not broken. I have tried using the suction cup both dry and moistened and it doesn't make any difference. The cup just pops off. The screen had a protective film (aftermarket screen protector) that has now been removed, so maybe that left some kind of lubrication layer? I guess I could try cleaning the screen with Windex, though there is no obvious residue on it at the moment.

I just thought of the Windex approach while writing this, so maybe it is the obvious thing to try, but I thought I would ask whether anyone else has encountered this issue and has any other suggestions. Thanks.

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I remember seeing this somewhere in an iFixit guide, but if a suction cup is not working, you can also try fashioning a handle from tape Stronger taper is better, but SE screen, pops open rather easily since there is no adhesive holding it closed, so even packing tape might do the job.

I would also caution against using Windex. It contains ammonia which can damage some of the coatings on many electronic displays. Typically I use a screen cleaner specifically for electronic devices or just a microfiber cloth.

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9 Comments:

Thanks! Particularly for the caution about Windex, which I will avoid. I have been afraid to put tape on the screen because of the likelihood of leaving residue that would be hard to remove. Has that been an issue? I will try to find some screen cleaner.

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@u26c2 Packing tape shouldn't leave a residue if that's what you end up using. I have used it myself more than once for iMac display installation/alignment and it leaves residue on the chassis of the iMac, but not the glass. Duct tape might, but I doubt you will need something that strong for an SE screen. Those should pop out fairly easily. You'll just need a small gap to get a spudger or something in so you can manually pop the rest of the clips out.

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Thanks, unfortunately I didn't have any luck with packing tape either. The screen is very slippery and the tape doesn't stick to it. It's almost like using a post-it. This was after wiping the screen down with water on a cotton pad and drying it off. I saw that the area around the home button (outside of the screen area itself) was part of the same surface, so I tried sticking down a bit of paper with hot-melt glue (I applied it to the paper and then pressed it down onto the phone) and that didn't stick either. The screen doesn't budge when I pull, but I wasn't able to pull with any force because the tape/paper/suction cup all peel right off. Unfortunately I don't have a vacuum cleaner here so I can't try more suction.

Since I can stick stuff to the area around the home button without gunking up the active part of the screen, I might try something aggressive like super glue, not worrying about leaving small marks when I clean it off afterwards. Does that sound sane?

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@u26c2 I'm not sure superglue would stick to glass. I would be more likely to think duct tape would be a better option, even if it mean having to clean the adhesive goo off afterwards. I've never known an SE to be so stubborn.

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Ah ok, this SE just seems very hard to stick to. I don't think the screen is stuck in especially firmly, it's just too slippery to get a grip on with tape, and the suction cup with the kit is not very good (not enough air/vacuum volume). Maybe my packing tape is old and its adhesive has lost its strength, hmm. I will keep trying, with duct tape if necessary. Thanks as always for all the help.

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