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Released September 20, Apple's largest and most expensive 2019 smartphone features a 6.5" OLED display, a triple-lens camera system, and greatly improved battery life. Successor to the iPhone XS Max.

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water damage speaker and face id not working now

So my mom dropped her phone in the sink (11 pro max) now the front earpiece speaker and face id doesn't work. She gave it to me since she got a new phone and I want to try and fix it but the product page with the earpiece speaker and sensor says that it wont restore face id functions. Is there anyway to fix this?

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Hi JWilly,

Okay, you're actually dealing with a couple of issues here that get rolled into one.

Apple has paired the earpiece speaker assembly (which includes the speaker, flood illuminator and ambient light sensor) to the logic board. What that means is that only Apple can replace that complete assembly, as they are the only ones who can do that pairing.

So in short if the sensors on the earpiece speaker assembly are damaged, there's no way to recover Face ID without taking it to Apple for repair.

That being said, there are certain repairs that can be done to that assembly. Most of them, unfortunately, require extremely specialized skills and equipment that is beyond the capability of most home repair people like you and me.

HOWEVER, it is possible to replace just the earpiece speaker by itself if you can do a very minimal amount of soldering. I've written a guide for the iPhone X that shows how to do it, while the exact steps to get to the speaker are slightly different on the 11 Pro Max, the principle is the same. Here's how.

Follow the Earpiece Speaker Assembly guide up through Step 22 and stop there.

iPhone 11 Pro Max Earpiece Speaker and Front Sensor Assembly Replacement - iFixit Repair Guide

Pull up the iPhone X Earpiece guide and skip to Step 25. The parts will be laid out a little different and there may be tape at different locations, but those should be easy enough to figure out with a little common sense.

iPhone X Earpiece Speaker Replacement Without Losing Face ID - iFixit Repair Guide

That will get your earpiece working again without risking making your Face ID situation worse. I'll have to leave it up to other experts here on what you may be able to do to get the flood illuminator and/or proximity sensor working again.

iPhone 11 Pro Max Earpiece Speaker and Front Sensor Assembly Image

Guide

iPhone 11 Pro Max Earpiece Speaker and Front Sensor Assembly Replacement

Difficulty:

Moderate

1 - 2 hours

iPhone X Earpiece Speaker Image

Guide

iPhone X Earpiece Speaker Replacement Without Losing Face ID

Difficulty:

Moderate

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To get the obvious out of the way first, make sure to power it off if it isn't already. Don't charge it either. If your mom still happens to have Apple Care on the phone, that is the route that needs to be taken next. However, if not, you need to get the phone apart and start cleaning with Isopropyl Alcohol 99%+ (available at electronics parts stores) to remove all traces of corrosion and water as soon as possible.

Here is what @jayeff posted on another water damage question and I fully believe it is VERY relevant here:

The impurities in the water causes corrosion and provides circuit paths for the electricity which were not in the phone's operating design and could damage the components. The corrosion starts immediately and is ongoing until it is completely cleaned away

First do not try to charge or to turn on your phone and then remove the battery as soon as possible from the phone to minimize any further damage.

Then you need to dis-assemble the rest of the phone and clean all the affected parts using Isopropyl Alcohol 99%+ (available at electronics parts stores) to remove all traces of corrosion and water. If possible do not use "rubbing alcohol" as in some cases this is only 70% IPA or less, can contain additives and is not as effective. If you do have to use it check the label to verify the amount of IPA. The higher the percentage of IPA the better

Here is a link the that describes the process. Electronics Water Damage

As always with electronics, especially surface mounted pcb be gentle when handling and especially when brushing away the corrosion. You do not want to remove any components from the board. Remove the shields that may be covering some components as the water may have got in under there. The ends of any flex cables and their connectors need to be cleaned as well

Hopefully after you have done all this the phone might possibly work correctly again.

Here is a link to a teardown video for your phone, that may help.

If this process seems too daunting, take your phone to a reputable, professional phone repair service, experienced in liquid damage repair and ask for a quote for a repair. If you decide to do this, do it sooner than later.

HERE is the link for all the guides for disassembling your mom's phone.

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JWilly will be eternally grateful.
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