Camera lens replacement procedure

No, no, no, no, no, you do NOT want to use iFixit's parts to replace a broken camera lens glass. As you've already figured out, the bezels are going to be very difficult to remove, and even harder to replace (I don't have a micro spot welder like Apple uses, do you?).

The thing is, there's no reason to mess with the bezels at all. The glass is just glued into the bezel, and can be pried out with the help of a bit of heat. Clean up the old shards, making sure none of them fall onto the actual camera lens, clean out the old adhesive, and stick down a replacement piece of glass and you're done. This is an example of the kind of replacement glass I'm talking about.

Back Camera Glass Lens for iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 Series with Adhesive - eBay

This video shows you pretty much everything you need to know to replace the glass.

iPhone 14 Camera lens Glass Replacement - YouTube

This is how most of us do this particular job, but if you really want to do it the "right" way, here's what you'd do.

iPhone 7 Plus Rear Camera Lens Glass Replacement - iFixit Repair Guide

This guide demonstrates removing the rear camera from the phone, then pushing the broken glass out from the inside. This makes it 100% sure you won't get any glass particles in the camera lens or inside the phone, but of course requires a LOT more work. Installing the new glass is the same no matter which method you choose.

Of course, with the iPhone 14, Apple actually made the back panel removable, so the process would be completely different for you; instead of removing the rear cameras, you simply remove the back cover, and there you go, you have direct access to the inside of the camera lenses! This guide shows you how to take that rear cover off.

iPhone 14 Rear Glass Replacement - iFixit Repair Guide

As you can see, the job on an iPhone 14 is going to be significantly easier than it is on any of the previous models, but it is still more work than just replacing the lens from the outside of the phone. Which method you choose is entirely up to you.

Good luck, and be sure to come back and let us know how it all turns out; what you learn will help the next person who comes along with the same problem.