iPhone 3GS Mute Button Replacement

You got to make sure you have gloves.

You got to put on gloves.

You might also want to have a little tweezer which comes in very handy when reassembling the phone

Do seriously consider ESD when getting to the internals. External connectors have ESD protection circuits, but these will not help if you touch the internals!

I highly recommend using a slew of refrigerator magnets to hold the screws for each step. I also used post its to label each step, making reassembly a snap.

In the end, I was able to successfully replace the jack, but they weren't kidding when they said it was difficult.

Duck Tape also works. :)

How should i say, do this step really really slow and with patience.

P.S. Ducktape fix nearly everything

Be very very careful with this step. The back of connector 4 (barely visible in the Step 2 photo) was stuck just enough to the back of the display unit to shear the connecter cable right in two when I separated the phone. Ack!

Be really careful at this point not too pull too hard when you're trying to get the screen out - I did, the screen came out suddenly and I pulled all the connectors off :/

put your fingers at power button end of phone, resting on edge of glass/bezel you can use them as lever so when you pull on suction at other end you don't need to apply much pressure and the cables underneath aren't ripped off

As a help to doing this step, put your thumb/fingers around the phone around the middle so it's cradled in your hand. Keep your fingers wrapped around and resting gently on the top of the screen with your thumb and the first few fingers. See how his thumb is sitting on the edge like that, but ready to 'catch' the screen when it comes up? Do that with your thumb and the tips of your fingers on the other side.

Now carefully use the suction cup to 'walk/rock' the screen out with a left-to-right while pulling up motions. With your fingers gently clamped around the phone and providing a little pressure on the edges overlapping the screen when the screen comes out, they'll catch the screen before you pull it up too far and yank the cables out.

I was very careful, but not careful enough removing the display with a suction cup, and Everything came unplugged in an instant. CAUTION: Pull with the suction cup near the round button, AND ALSO have someone else support the other end of the display so that only the end of the display with the round button comes out. I was very lucky.

I put on a piece of duct tape on the Iphone where the Sim tray is. Keeps the display assembly in place preventing cable damage.

I used some insulation tape to wrap around the top of the phone so this was secure to prevent yanking the whole screen off. This was very effective as my screen was pretty jammed into the case so need extra leverage using the metal ring on the screen sucker

I had no grip at all on the suction cup with my fingers. Problem solved by inserting the screw driver in the s-cup, which gave just the right leverage to control pulling loose the display assembly.

When you get back to this step as you are reassembling it, it's tempting to test that you've got all the cables plugged in properly by switching the phone on and testing it. However the Home button will not work until the front panel is back in position, because the electrical connection is done by a pair of touch contacts which only work when the phone is assembled.

When the instructions say "Rotate the display assembly up until it is at an angle of approximately 45 degrees." they really mean "TILT THE HOME BUTTON END OF display assembly up until it is at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Looking at the picture makes this step brain dead simple, but if you were using another iPhone to read the directions it would be easy to miss.

What part is 1? My seems to keep dropping out and the ear speaker is not working. Is this what it is?

What are the flex cables #1, #2 and #3 for? There's a lot of questions about this, but no answers?!

SOMEONE has to know!?

Quote from Turbo Fredriksson:

What are the flex cables #1, #2 and #3 for?

Aparently #3 is 'Earpiece & Proximity Sensor'.

Quote from Turbo Fredriksson:

Aparently #3 is 'Earpiece & Proximity Sensor'.

Found the thread: What Ribbon "1" and "2" and "3" do?

1. Ribbon #1: Runs the LCD

2. Ribbon #2: Runs the digitizer

3. Ribbon #3: Earspeaker and various sensors on the iPhone face

Note that The connectors have a rubber-like Top surface. Make surre The spudger is inserted underneath that rubber piece. To disconnect, The connector ha to lifted upwards from the PC-Board (i.e. Orthogonally from the electronics board, as opposed to being moved sideways). holds true for all of those connectors, except for the one with the flip-tab.

I had more joy using a home-made spudger from a bamboo skewer. Being thinner, it can release the connectors from the end rather than a side or corner. (I also tried all the different spudgers made by Menda Tools.)

I already gave up on this step:-)

At step 5 my ribbon crumbled. I had nothing left to replace. I now have a dead spot on the screen.

On my 3G, the piece that flips up on the #3 connector was black and the connector itself was white, seemingly opposite of the pictures. I mistakenly tried to pry up the wrong piece, but fortunately didn't do too much damage before I realized this. My phone was replaced on warranty in February so this must be the case in some newer 3G's.

Quote from lolsen4:

On my 3G, the piece that flips up on the #3 connector was black and the connector itself was white, seemingly opposite of the pictures. I mistakenly tried to pry up the wrong piece, but fortunately didn't do too much damage before I realized this. My phone was replaced on warranty in February so this must be the case in some newer 3G's.

Thanks for the heads-up. I added a note so that people are aware that the colors may be reversed.

That flip tab on the #3 connector split in half and came off completely. Be careful. And if anyone knows where to buy a replacement flip tab, that'd be cool too :)

I should also note that I used a little flat head screwdriver when lifting the flip tab and the narrow pressure point is what cause it to split. Should of used a spudger.

I bought my black iPhone a full housing white cover off ebay. No phone shops seem to be able to change it for me.

If I follow this guide, will I be able to pull my phone apart, change the covers and put it back together?

That is, once I pull the phone apart, will it work properly once I put it back together again?

Quote from kristymic:

I bought my black iPhone a full housing white cover off ebay. No phone shops seem to be able to change it for me.

If I follow this guide, will I be able to pull my phone apart, change the covers and put it back together?

That is, once I pull the phone apart, will it work properly once I put it back together again?

Yes, if you take care and follow the instructions to the letter.

How on earth do I get the black ribbon cable back into its connector???

Quote from Cor Berkelaar:

How on earth do I get the black ribbon cable back into its connector???

Cor, You have to slide the little bar on the connector away from the body of the connector before you can insert the ribbon cable into it. I know it's tight quarters, but even my meat hooks were able to finally get it inserted. The 'trick' is that once you have inserted the cable into the body of the connector, quickly slide the bar back toward the body as this will lock the cable into the connector. I hope this is helpful.

David

Is there a way of replacing the connector?

i have torn the top of the connector......... would that be the reason that the iPhone would not start even though the ribbon is in the connector and fastened secured with the white plastic tab is down.

I HAVE DONE IT GUYS SO THANK YOU.

Quote from Vishal Vaidya:

Is there a way of replacing the connector? i have torn the top of the connector......... would that be the reason that the iPhone would not start even though the ribbon is in the connector and fastened secured with the white plastic tab is down.

Quote from Vishal Vaidya:

Is there a way of replacing the connector?

You could replace it. That's what I'll have to do. Luckily my brother is great with soldering surface mounted components.

But if you had to ask if it can be replaced, you don't have knowledge to do it yourself! It's VERY difficult! Look among your friends or the 'Net. I found quite a lot of forums where they talk about the difficulty on replacing SMD's. Just mail one of them that seem to know what they're doin'...

Quote from cliffcurtis:

if anyone knows where to buy a replacement flip tab, that'd be cool too :)

http://www.earth2k.com/fpc-ribbon/

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...

I'm currently waiting for mine... :)

[quote|I'm currently waiting for mine... :)[/quote]

And my younger brother managed to replace it with only a couple of minutes whining about it's size :).

Works just fine now (exept that I can't seem to turn the darn thing off, even though I've also replaced the button harness!)

I have torn the top of the connector too and the iPhone is not starting.. Was that the reason? Did it work after replacing the connector?

Quote from Vishal Vaidya:

Is there a way of replacing the connector? i have torn the top of the connector......... would that be the reason that the iPhone would not start even though the ribbon is in the connector and fastened secured with the white plastic tab is down.

Quote from lolsen4:

On my 3G, the piece that flips up on the #3 connector was black and the connector itself was white, seemingly opposite of the pictures. I mistakenly tried to pry up the wrong piece, but fortunately didn't do too much damage before I realized this. My phone was replaced on warranty in February so this must be the case in some newer 3G's.

Maybe it adds Value to the explanation to say that the piece that needs to be flipped up is located on the opposite side of where the ribbon cable exits the connector. It needs to flip upwards towards the ribbon cable.

My confusion was to identify which connector I have in my phone, since everything in there is so tiny that it is hard to identify which is which. Maybe a zoom-in on the connector with the tab flipped up would be a good addition to the instructions also.

I accidentally lost the black plastic tab (mine was black) when I was removing the ribbon cable. I managed to get the ribbon cable back into the white connector and the phone seems to be working fine. Is this going to be a problem?

Note: You cannot slide the black ribbon connector back into place unless the lock is flipped open (up)--see the instructions on replacing a broken screen for images)

The tab (black in my case) is the thin horizontal plastic piece opposite where the ribbon is inserted. Use the spudger in the center, approaching from the bottom side of the phone, and it flips up easily.

Be VERY careful when working with ribbon 3. I thought I was but when I got the phone back together the earpiece didn't work. While doing research to find out why, I discovered that ribbon 3 is very delicate and easy to damage. I'm now waiting for a new one... if I can't fix it, I'll have to get a new phone since I can't see myself hearing only via Bluetooth or speakerphone.

When re-inserting the #3 connector how much force does it take to get the connector fully inserted? How can I tell whether it is fully inserted?

Be very careful, in some cases the ribbon damages. After this damage the proximity sensor won't work anymore.

I think that this is where the problem is. I must have one of the unique (Chinese) versions and while trying to lift up, I should have been sliding back. It is too difficult to see. Mine broke off and crumbled and now the screen has a dead spot.

That step also had me thinking & reading for quite a while. Maybe a close-up picture of the connector might be helpful, seems that a lot of people screw up badly here.

My American 3GS white connector did not flip open. It split into 3 little pieces of white plastic when I tried lifting it with the spudger. The plastic seemed very brittle; the phone is 4 years old. Amazingly to me, I was able to slide the flex tail back in to position and it made all the necessary electrical contacts (at least for the time being). Wi-fi cable #6 was not properly seated after first assembly, but everything is working now! Thank for the help.

Dennis Smith

I strongly recommend that you review Step 7 of the 3GS 'Display,' 'Front Panel' or 'Front Panel Assembly' guide. As of this date (June 2015), only those three guides include a photo of a mock-up of Connector 3 that will provide you with detail that will help you avoid damaging that fragile connector.

Can you take the SIM card out before you start the procedure?

This is the hardest step of all :)

Note! Be EXTRA careful with this cable #4. Twist and brakes easily!

What if I have one of those thin film screen protectors applied, would the suction cup peel it right off instead of lifting the screen up?

I agree with the others that cable 6 and 7 are very fragile and can be difficult to reattach. I was able to get #7 back on but #6 just wouldn't attach. I put too much pressure on it so now I have a cell phone without WiFi or GPS. I would rate the repairability of this phone lower than it is because of the 50-50 chance of flattening these connectors. My 3GS is now effectively an iPod, but with a new battery.

One of the two full thread screws holds a small retention clip not shown in this diagram to keep the camera in place (3G model). Remove this clip when removing the screws.

Please note that iFixit supplied screwdriver is way too big for these tiny screws, you'll need a smaller one like the ones used to repair wrist watches!

The good side is that iFixit's screwdriver is magnetized, a bonus when working with such small parts.

while re assembling i couldnt for the life of me figure out where the metal plate thing off the camera went until i saw the gap for it (i had spent about half an hour trying to put it in)

My Camera is not working anymore =( going to open my iphone once again...

I found that after putting the battery in place and reattaching the logic board with the screws I had to press down a little bit to get the screws to reach because the battery contacts kept the logic board from settling in this tension gives positive contact between board and battery.

I am unable to remove the screw that holds the camera in place. I'm afraid I am stripping the screw head. Any advice?

My battery had swollen - so much so that the back cover was bulged. So when I was removing screws, I was really careful and did every-other-one first on one side, and then the other, then back to the first side, etc. Even in doing that, one of the screws went flying...somewhere...I never did find it, but it hasn't seemed to effect anything. And when I do find it I know I can get back in my phone to put it back.

I didn't have a removable screw in the bottom right with a metal strip, there was a fastening in there without a Philips type depression, but the camera came out with the board. Not sure if the last person in here before me broke something, as there was an aftermarket battery in the phone with no adhesive. However the camera works after putting it all back together

After removing the 2.3 mm Phillips #00 screw attached to the camera a small retaining clip may be present.

Take note of its position and orientation for later reinstallation.

As mentioned, some 3g phones there is a small metal clip holding down the camera (held in place by the screw there). Be sure it doesn't fly out or fall into the phone workings. Fine point tweezers would help here, to take it out and to put back in place during re-assembly.

3G and 3GS camera enclosure: As I was transplanting a 3G cover onto a 3GS, I realized as I was trying to re-assemble the camera that it would not fit: the 3GS camera does not fit in the 3G enclosure. Luckily, you can remove just the camera enclosure from the 3GS and transplant it to the 3G. It's dirty, I broke the ring, I transplanted some of the double face tape... but in the end it worked.

There were many places where I wished there were clearer instructions on putting it back together; this was a big one. It was very difficult to get the camera back in place. I heard a snap when mine went into place.

Even after the eight screws are remove, the board won't lift up easily. That is because the golden clip nearby the "do not remove sticker". In the picture above, it simply jumped out for no reason, while I had to use a tweezer to make it out...

When removing the logic board, a slight push towards the top of the phone, will "unclip" the bottom edge of the logic board near the "Do Not Remove" screw.

When reinserting the logic board, there is a tab in the top edge of the rear shell case that the edge of the logic board goes under. It is the edge closest to the camera.

Without this "comfortable" fit, you won't be able to get the SIM in.

The camera itself also has an element of "comfortable" Fit.

Be careful when putting the circuit board back in also... the golden grounding tab is very easy to break...

If the “Do not remove”-sticker is damaged it’s a warranty thing I suppose? It doesn’t have any function, does it?

When reversing directions for reassembly, the logic board needs to be clipped into the clips on the side.

Quote from Lenore:

When reversing directions for reassembly, the logic board needs to be clipped into the clips on the side.

++

Although I would say "needs to be slipped under the clips on the side". The most obvious clip is next to the camera, facing south (if the camera is in the NE corner). There is a corresponding clip on the opposite side of the north end the logic board, facing east (a bit east of the #6 ribbon cable).

It's still possible to get all the screws back in with the logic board above the clips (trust me), but it's a serious barnus because the SIM card holder won't fit back in and the camera will be pointing a bit askew ... and you'll have to pull all the screws back out and figure out what you did wrong (and why you had a naggling suspicion the logic board wasn't placed quite right).

I would recommend sliding in the SIM card tray *before* putting any screws back, just to make sure.

Slipping the SIM card in first is a helpful suggestion.

My motherboard actually was not quite lined-up as mentioned, and so after the SIM didn't fit, I was able to pull and reposition the motherboard properly before proceeding.

Quote from johnhart:

++

Although I would say "needs to be slipped under the clips on the side". The most obvious clip is next to the camera, facing south (if the camera is in the NE corner). There is a corresponding clip on the opposite side of the north end the logic board, facing east (a bit east of the #6 ribbon cable).

It's still possible to get all the screws back in with the logic board above the clips (trust me), but it's a serious barnus because the SIM card holder won't fit back in and the camera will be pointing a bit askew ... and you'll have to pull all the screws back out and figure out what you did wrong (and why you had a naggling suspicion the logic board wasn't placed quite right).

I would recommend sliding in the SIM card tray *before* putting any screws back, just to make sure.

When putting it back together, it helps with alignment to put in the SIM Card tray. This beats having all your screws back in and finding out it's misaligned. Put the logic board 5/6 the way in, and insert the SIM Card tray like normal. Allow it to guide your logic board into the proper place.

When re-installing the mother board ensure that all of the previoulsly diconnected connector cables are out of the way and do not become trapped by the motherboard.

Definitely watch out to have all your connectors above the board. I managed to get my #5 connector trapped under it. Still hope wasn't damaged, we'll see in a few minutes :)

check also that the golden cicuit is opened when the sim card tray is inserted. this circuitry controls the presence of the sim card tray.

The glue is very strong under the battery and you may end up snapping a few spudgers in the process so make sure you have a few spare for moving onto other steps. A screwdriver is to hard and will end up damaging the battery.

Splendid job. it was like a walk. perfect Instructions.

A tip: to handle the screws, very small, I used a pair of tweezers for eyebrows wrapped in double sided adhesive tape.

Thanks. Alessandro

Well, I took the chance and the LCD broke on this step. Called iFixit and they advised, "Oh well". $60 well spent during these trying times. Hey, I have a great little screwdriver.

How could the LCD break on this step? It was removed and set aside many steps ago.

it is said on step 18 "Carefully peel up the orange ribbon cable from the rear panel"

but when you reassemble the iPhone, how do you glue the ribbon on your new panel?

I successfully completed these steps to dry out a wet phone. While everything inside was dry as a bone, I never did remove the battery since the adhesive was so strong.

I found the spudger far too weak to even attempt the removal of the battery. Instead, I used a folding bone (something I've had for years that's used for making perfect folds in heavy printmaking paper) however, I was still bending the battery far more than I was comfortable with. Since my mission was not to mess with or replace the battery anyways I just left it alone.

Excellent directions!

Installed and the phone is working... You'd think Apple didn't want us to be able to replace the battery. Good directions.

I did not need to remove the battery. The power button, headphone jack, volume rocker, and vibrate switch were all accessible with the battery still in place.

I've done all the steps and phone switches on and works just fine with the one exception that I do have a signal! Is it possible I've damaged the aerial in the process? The strange thing is that on checking the networks I can see T-Mobile, but not 02, so implies something is working. All very odd. Currently my iPhone has become an iPod! Erkk

Any tips?

You most likely forgot to re-atatch the antenna. It is one of the connecters you unhooked after the first 3...its located in the top left of the case..Its a circular connecter.

Quote from John:

I've done all the steps and phone switches on and works just fine with the one exception that I do have a signal! Is it possible I've damaged the aerial in the process? The strange thing is that on checking the networks I can see T-Mobile, but not 02, so implies something is working. All very odd. Currently my iPhone has become an iPod! Erkk

Any tips?

Sorry...Its the connecter on the bottom left..Rectangular shaped

Quote from John:

I've done all the steps and phone switches on and works just fine with the one exception that I do have a signal! Is it possible I've damaged the aerial in the process? The strange thing is that on checking the networks I can see T-Mobile, but not 02, so implies something is working. All very odd. Currently my iPhone has become an iPod! Erkk

Any tips?

I put back together my iPhone and put it in a new shell but I just finished and the power button won't work what could i have done wrong?

Quote from thomas manning:

I put back together my iPhone and put it in a new shell but I just finished and the power button won't work what could i have done wrong?

oh also the vibrate button won't work any ideas there?

I managed to replace the mute button without removing the on/off button :o)

Great tutorial guys, I must admit it's not easy, due to tiny parts and screws, but you can do it!

Great!

Was able to peel the ribbons without removing the battery. Worked great with a 3G. Thanks

Instructions and notes made this fairly easy to do. I had one scary moment where my screen would not turn on but a Hard Reset on the phone fixed it.

any help welcome,just changed the battery on the wife's iPhone after it took a little swim,it wouldn't charge after drying out and i thought a new battery would be the answer,phone switches on ok and everything works except it won't charge on any of our proven chargers.guess something on the main board's knackered. if you have any ideas i would be a very happy chap.

Be careful when trying to pry the battery from the side, as the spudger will break.

There are no delicate parts below the battery so you can push the spudger under the battery without damaging anything. Just be careful at the top of the phone that you don't damage the orange ribbon cable.

Just a little tip I thought I might add. I would recommend having a digital camera handy to taking snap shots before proceeding with each step, so that you can see exactly how it originally looked at each stage. Once you've gotten to the battery section, just pop the card from the camera into a computer or applicable device and you now have a simple guide for reassembly that is specific to your device.

Also, it may be prudent to take a picture of the screws laid out in a tray along side the phone in the same positions they came out of.

Agree with others - spooger will almost certainly break if you try to pry it out using just that and you can't pull hard enough on the plastic tab. Even on my 2 year old phone, the glue was still *quite* good at holding the battery in.

I used an equally small flat-blade screwdriver and gently walked around the battery lifting against the bottom plastic and the edge of the phone being careful NEVER to touch any of the flat-cable wires. While you can pry against the bottom since there is nothing under it (just double-check since there are some wires running along the side of the phone and the pressure you need to remove the battery would damage the wires if you pryed on them), you need to be careful against the edge of the phone. It's cheap plastic. You can pry against it, but I dared not use more force than enough to start hearing the adhesive start to rip/creak loose. SLOWLY walking around the battery at safe pry points several times finally loosened it enough that I could pull it out. GO SLOW.

Make sure no unplugged cabel is under the circute board when inserting the board again.

This happens easily since the cable tend to spring back.

Since I didn't have a hair dryer (never needed one) I used a 500W construction lamp... Those things get very hot. The battery came free relatively easy.

Had to use pliers to slowly pull the battery free by it's tab. When you reverse the steps to reassemble the phone - make sure to get all 6 (or 7 for the 3GS) cables plugged back in. I forgot connector 5 and had to take the phone back apart. Then realized the next day I also had missed connector 6 (wifi). So because I reassembled too quickly the first time - I got to do all the steps 3 times! But phone works perfectly now with a new battery.

Actually broke the plastic spludger trying to get the battery off. Considered it the hardest part of the tutorial. I kept looking at it to see if I hadn't ruined something.Asides from this, reassembling was fairly quick although there was no sliding back of the logic board for me on a 3G. Turned it back on, tested sound, microphone and wifi. All seems good. Thanks alot for all the help guys.

I've made all the disassembling process with no problems, but when I put the logic board back the battery starts getting hot and hotter. Any suggestions??

When I put the new battery in, it was a smidge too far toward the bottom. As a result the logic board didn't quite fit back into place and I was unable to put two screws back in. However, the repair seems successful and my phone is working now. Additional guidance on installing the battery would help.

So, I replaced the battery, but now, when I charge the phone, it shuts down and restarts. It also shuts down with use. Hmmm. What is it? Is it the "Do not remove tape"? Or som eother connector?

I replaced the battery and it works great...battery wise...however my home button and power button do not work. I can turn the phone on by plugging it in and then out again only. HELP PLEASE?!?!?!

The new battery that I have had air pocket in it. It kinda bloated. The logic board would not fit back perfectly because of the bloated battery.

So using a sharp cutter, I cut a bit hole. Pssssttt... the air came out. Watch out for the chemical smell. Using a good tape, tape back the hole. Double did that to make sure.

Don't know whether I supposed to do that or not, but sending back the battery to ifixit was not an option as I live on the other side of the planet.

Be carefull to put the mute button in the same position as its interruptor (located in the ribbon cable), in order these parts assemble together neatly.

By the way, my mute button is a little short (non Apple genuine part ??) and do not exit correctly through the hole of the back of my 3GS: it is difficult to move the mute button up and down :(

When removing mute switch I found a little square of a felt-like material which I assumed was fluff and nearly threw away! I found the following info on the macrumors forum posted by "ergohack" and it was incredibly helpful - thank you ergohack:-

I took the thing apart, and found that there is a small felt wear-pad in between the exterior part of the switch and the switch itself. There is a small socket in the exterior part, which the interior part of the switch sits in. The wear pad is supposed to be beside this socket, but it had actually gotten itself lodged inside the socket, causing the switch to be unable to go all the way off.

You can tell where this piece is supposed to go because you will see a small edge, (on the inside of the exterior part of the switch) and a thin grey wear line, and the space in-between fits the felt pad perfectly.

You need to actually glue the piece back where it belongs. Superglue should work, I used some fake eyelash glue, that seems to be doing fine.

Hope that helps.