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MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement

Archived Guide
This guide is retained solely for historical purposes. Use the updated version of the guide to perform your repair.

What you need

  1. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement, Remove the screws securing the lower case: step 1, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement, Remove the screws securing the lower case: step 1, image 2 of 2
    • Before starting this procedure, you must disable your Mac's Auto Boot feature. Auto Boot powers on your Mac when you open the lid, and may be accidentally triggered during disassembly. Use this guide or follow the abbreviated instructions below to disable Auto Boot.

    • Completely power off and unplug your MacBook Air before you start. Close the display and flip the entire laptop upside-down.

    • Use a P5 driver to remove the following screws:

    • Two 7.6 mm screws (with a 2.7mm collar)

    • Two 7.1 mm screws

    • Six 2.3 mm screws

  2. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement, Remove the lower case: step 2, image 1 of 1
    • Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.

    • Remove the lower case.

  3. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement, Disconnect the battery: step 3, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement, Disconnect the battery: step 3, image 2 of 2
    • Remove the plastic shield covering the battery PCB.

  4. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement, Disconnect the battery: step 4, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement, Disconnect the battery: step 4, image 2 of 2
    • Use a T3 torx driver to remove two 2.3mm screws from the battery PCB:

  5. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 5, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 5, image 2 of 2
    • Use a spudger to slide the battery connector parallel to the logic board and out of its socket on the logic board.

  6. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement, Disconnect the antenna bar: step 6, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement, Disconnect the antenna bar: step 6, image 2 of 2
    • Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the one 1.1 mm screw securing the antenna cable bracket.

    • Remove the antenna cable bracket.

  7. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 7, image 1 of 1
    • Insert the point of a spudger under one of the antenna cables close to the connector.

    • Pry straight up to disconnect the cable.

    • Repeat for the other antenna cable.

  8. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 8, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 8, image 2 of 2
    • Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the two 1.3 mm screws securing the display cable connector bracket.

    • Remove the display cable connector bracket.

  9. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 9, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 9, image 2 of 2
    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry up the display cable connector.

  10. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 10, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 10, image 2 of 2
    • You can skip this step if your replacement display assembly comes with these two brackets preinstalled.

    • Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the two 1.1 mm screws securing the flex cable brackets.

    • Remove the two brackets.

  11. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 11, image 1 of 1
    • Use a T5 Torx driver to remove the following screws:

    • Four 7.1 mm screws

    • Two 4.2 mm (Black) screws

  12. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement, Remove the antenna bar: step 12, image 1 of 3 MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement, Remove the antenna bar: step 12, image 2 of 3 MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement, Remove the antenna bar: step 12, image 3 of 3
    • Lift the antenna bar straight up and out of the case. Take care not to snag the antenna bar on any cables or connectors.

    • You may encounter resistance from the clips in the middle of the antenna bar holding it in the case. You may pull hard without damaging anything as long as you pull straight up, perpendicular to the case.

    • Remove the antenna bar.

  13. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement, Remove the display: step 13, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement, Remove the display: step 13, image 2 of 2
    • Use a T9 Torx driver to remove the six 4.7 mm screws securing the display hinges to the upper case.

  14. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 14, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 14, image 2 of 2
    • With the MacBook still screen-side down, carefully lift the upper case to open the MacBook as far as possible.

  15. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 15, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 15, image 2 of 2
    • Carefully rotate the upper case to a 90 degree angle with the display.

    • The hinges should not move in relation to the display, and should rotate out of the case slightly.

    • Keeping the display flat, tilt the upper approx 5-10 degrees to the left. Move the upper case to the right, the hinges should easily slide out of the upper case.

  16. MacBook Air 13" Retina Display 2020 Display Assembly Replacement: step 16, image 1 of 1
    • Display should now be separate from the upper case.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

2 other people completed this guide.

David Fear

Member since: 09/08/11

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2 Comments

Great guide! Did you encounter any tamper-proof seals? Anything that would make it obvious that the MacBook was disassembled?

Yann Landry - Reply

No tamper proof seals encountered. Didn’t find anything that would “make it obvious that the MacBook was disassembled”.

David Fear -

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