iPhone 6s Plus Rear Case Replacement

Introduction

Use this guide to replace a bent or damaged rear case, or to swap out the rear case for cosmetic reasons. The rear case serves as the chassis for the entire phone, so replacing it involves removing all the iPhone's components.

You can also use this guide to replace the following parts:

IFC Bracket
Loudspeaker Mount
Microphone Mount
Front Panel Clips

What you need

Step 1 Pentalobe Screws

iPhone 6s Plus Rear Case Replacement, Pentalobe Screws: step 1, image 1 of 1

Before disassembling your iPhone, discharge the battery below 25%. A charged lithium-ion battery can catch fire and/or explode if accidentally punctured.
Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.
Remove the two 3.4 mm Pentalobe screws on either side of the Lightning port.

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Step 2 Anti-Clamp instructions

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iPhone 6s Plus Rear Case Replacement, Anti-Clamp instructions: step 2, image 2 of 3

iPhone 6s Plus Rear Case Replacement, Anti-Clamp instructions: step 2, image 3 of 3

Tool used on this step:

Anti-Clamp

$24.95

Buy

The next two steps demonstrate the Anti-Clamp, a tool we designed to make the opening procedure easier. If you aren't using the Anti-Clamp, skip down three steps for an alternate method.
For complete instructions on how to use the Anti-Clamp, check out this guide.
Pull the blue handle backwards to unlock the Anti-Clamp's arms.
Slide the arms over either the left or right edge of your iPhone.
Position the suction cups near the bottom edge of the iPhone just above the home button—one on the front, and one on the back.
Squeeze the cups together to apply suction to the desired area.
If you find that the surface of your iPhone is too slippery for the Anti-Clamp to hold onto, you can use tape to create a grippier surface.

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Step 3

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Pull the blue handle forwards to lock the arms.
Turn the handle clockwise 360 degrees or until the cups start to stretch.
Make sure the suction cups remain aligned with each other. If they begin to slip out of alignment, loosen the suction cups slightly and realign the arms.
Insert an opening pick under the screen when the Anti-Clamp creates a large enough gap.
If the Anti-Clamp doesn't create a sufficient gap, rotate the handle a quarter turn.
Don't crank more than a quarter turn at a time, and wait a few seconds between turns. Let the Anti-Clamp and time do the work for you.
Skip the next three steps.

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Step 4 Opening Procedure

iPhone 6s Plus Rear Case Replacement, Opening Procedure: step 4, image 1 of 1

Tool used on this step:

Anti-Clamp

$24.95

Buy

If you don't have an Anti-Clamp, follow the next three steps to use a suction handle.
Apply mild heat to the lower edge of the iPhone using an iOpener or hair dryer for about a minute.
Heat softens the adhesive securing the display, making it easier to open.

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Step 5

Opening the display on the 6s Plus separates a thin strip of adhesive around the perimeter of the display. If you prefer to replace the adhesive, have a set of new adhesive strips ready before you continue. It's possible to complete the repair without replacing the adhesive, and you probably won't notice any difference in functionality.
Apply a suction cup to the lower left corner of the display assembly.
If your display is badly cracked, covering it with a layer of clear packing tape may allow the suction cup to adhere. Alternatively, very strong tape may be used instead of the suction cup. If all else fails, you can superglue the suction cup to the broken screen.

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Step 6

Pull up on the suction cup with firm, constant pressure to create a slight gap between the front panel and rear case.
Pulling too hard may damage the display assembly. Apply just enough pressure to create a small gap between the display assembly and the rear case.

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Step 7

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The safest place to pry from is the notch in the front panel above the headphone jack.
While still maintaining pressure on the suction cup, insert the flat tip of a spudger into the gap, directly above the headphone jack.

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Step 8

Twist the spudger to widen the gap between the front panel and the rear case.

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Step 9

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While firmly pulling up on the suction cup, slide the edge of the spudger under the bottom left corner of the display.

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Step 10

Slide the tip of the spudger up the left side of the phone, between the front panel and the rear case.

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Step 11

Insert the flat tip of the spudger under the right edge of the display.
Slide the spudger up the right side.

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Step 12

Use a plastic opening tool to hold down the rear case while pulling up the suction cup to open the phone.
Do not remove the display completely, or you will damage the data cables connecting the display near the top edge of the iPhone.

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Step 13

Pull up on the small nub on the suction cup to remove it from the display.

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Step 14

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Gently grasp the display assembly and lift it up to open the phone, using the clips at the top of the front panel as a hinge.
Open the display to about a 90º angle, and lean it against something to keep it propped up while you're working on the phone.
Don't open the display more than 90º—it is still connected to the top of the phone by the display, digitizer, and front camera cables which can tear easily.
Add a rubber band to keep the display securely in place while you work. This prevents undue strain on the display cables.
In a pinch, you can use an unopened canned beverage to support the display.

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Step 15 Battery Connector

iPhone 6s Plus Rear Case Replacement, Battery Connector: step 15, image 1 of 1

Tool used on this step:

Magnetic Project Mat

$19.95

Buy

Remove two Phillips screws securing the battery connector bracket to the logic board, of the following lengths:
One 2.9 mm screw
One 2.3 mm screw
Throughout this guide, keep careful track of your screws so that each one goes back where it came from during reassembly. Installing a screw in the wrong place can cause permanent damage.

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Step 16

Remove the battery connector bracket.

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Step 17

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Use a spudger or a clean fingernail to disconnect the battery connector by prying it straight up off the logic board.

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Step 18

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Bend the connector back to ensure it doesn't make contact and power the iPhone on while you're working on it.

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Step 19 Display Assembly

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Remove the following Phillips screws:
Three 1.3 mm screws
One 1.6 mm screw
One 3.0 mm screw
During reassembly, it's critical to place this 3.0 mm screw in the top-right corner of the bracket. Placing it anywhere else may damage the logic board.

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Step 20

Remove the display cable bracket.

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Step 21

Be careful to only pry up on the connector itself and not the socket on the logic board.
Use a plastic opening tool to disconnect the front-facing camera and sensor cable connector.

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Step 22

Use a plastic opening tool to disconnect the digitizer cable by prying it straight up from its socket on the logic board.
When reconnecting the digitizer cable, do not press the center of the connector. Press one end of the connector, then press the opposite end. Pressing in the center of the connector can bend the component and cause digitizer damage.

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Step 23

Make sure the battery is disconnected before you disconnect or reconnect the cable in this step.
Disconnect the home button/fingerprint sensor cable by prying it straight up from its socket on the logic board.

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Step 24

Remove the display assembly.
During reassembly, pause here if you wish to replace the adhesive around the edges of the display.

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Step 25 iSight Camera

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Peel up any tape covering the iSight camera bracket screws.

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Step 26

Remove the following Phillips screws over the camera bracket:
One 1.9 mm screw
One 2.4 mm screw

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Step 27

Remove the iSight camera bracket.

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Step 28

Disconnect the iSight camera connector from its socket on the logic board.
Be sure to pry up only the connector and not the socket on the logic board.

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Step 29

Insert the flat end of the spudger between the iSight camera and rear casing.
Gently pry the camera out from its housing.

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Step 30

Remove the iSight camera.

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Step 31 SIM Tray

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iPhone 6s Plus Rear Case Replacement, SIM Tray: step 31, image 2 of 2

Insert a SIM eject tool into the hole in the SIM tray.
Press to eject the SIM tray.

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Step 32

Remove the SIM tray.
When reinserting the SIM tray, be sure to orient the tray such that the SIM eject hole is on the bottom.

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Step 33 Logic Board

iPhone 6s Plus Rear Case Replacement, Logic Board: step 33, image 1 of 1

Remove the single 1.4 mm Phillips screw holding the NFC bracket in place.

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Step 34

Remove the NFC bracket.

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Step 35

Remove the two 2.7 mm Phillips screws securing the audio control cable bracket to the logic board.

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Step 36

Remove the audio control cable bracket.

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Step 37

Disconnect the audio control cable by prying its connector straight up from its socket on the logic board.

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Step 38

Disconnect the cellular antenna cable by prying its connector straight up from its respective socket on the logic board.

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Step 39

Disconnect the Wi-Fi diversity antenna cable by prying its connector up from the logic board.

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Step 40

Disconnect the power button flex cable from its socket on the logic board.

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Step 41

Disconnect the antenna cable by prying it up from the logic board.

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Step 42

Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the Lightning connector flex cable from the logic board.

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Step 43

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Deroute the antenna cable from the two clips on the right edge of the logic board.

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Step 44

Tool used on this step:

Standoff Screwdriver for iPhones

$5.49

Buy

Remove the following screws:
One 1.3 mm Phillips screw
One 2.6 mm Phillips screw
One 2.2 mm standoff screw
Standoff screws are best removed using a standoff screwdriver or bit.
In a pinch, a small flathead screwdriver will do the job—but use extra caution to ensure it doesn't slip and damage surrounding components.

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Step 45

Remove the bracket.

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Step 46

Deroute the upper left cellular antenna cable from the first logic board clip by nudging it out from under the clip, towards the battery.

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Step 47

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Continue derouting the cellular antenna cable from the second and third logic board clips.
Use the pointed tip of a spudger to gently pry the cellular antenna cable from the middle logic board clip.
Don't try to remove it by pulling on the cable, as it will tear easily.
In order for the cable to reach its socket on the logic board, you must route it above the logic board and underneath the audio control flex cable, as shown in the first photo.

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Step 48

Remove the final 2.0 mm Phillips screw directly below the SIM card reader.

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Step 49

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Carefully raise—but do not remove—the logic board, lifting it from the bottom edge nearest the Lightning connector.

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Step 50

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Tip the logic board up to a vertical position to expose the single antenna connector on the underside, near the top edge of the board.
Do not attempt to fully remove the logic board yet, as the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna is still connected to the underside of the board.

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Step 51

Gently lay the logic board upside-down, with the top portion resting against the rear case of the iPhone.
Use the flat end of the spudger to disconnect the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna cable from its socket on the back of the logic board.

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Step 52

Remove the logic board.

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Step 53 Speaker Assembly

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Use the flat end of a spudger to peel the Lightning connector flex cable off the speaker.

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Step 54

Remove the following three Phillips screws from the Taptic Engine cable bracket:
Two 3.5 mm screws
One 2.7 mm screw
Remove the bracket.

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Step 55

Remove the five Phillips screws securing the speaker to the rear case:
Two 2.7 mm screws
One 2.5 mm screw
One 1.5 mm screw
One 1.7 mm screw

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Step 56

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Deroute the Wi-Fi diversity antenna cable from its rubber sleeve.
If the white water damage indicator sticker makes it difficult to deroute the antenna cable, gently peel the sticker back for better access.

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Step 57

Use a pair of tweezers to disconnect the Wi-Fi diversity antenna cable from the Lightning connector flex cable.

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Step 58

Remove the final 2.6 mm Phillips screw securing the speaker to the rear case.

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Step 59

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Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the speaker assembly out of its housing.
Remove the speaker assembly.

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Step 60 Lightning Connector and Headphone Jack

iPhone 6s Plus Rear Case Replacement, Lightning Connector and Headphone Jack: step 60, image 1 of 2

iPhone 6s Plus Rear Case Replacement, Lightning Connector and Headphone Jack: step 60, image 2 of 2

Use the point of a spudger to disconnect the Taptic Engine flex cable from the lower flex cable.

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Step 61

Remove the two Phillips screws securing the Taptic Engine to the rear case:
One 3.1 mm screw
One 2.1 mm screw
Remove the Taptic Engine.

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Step 62

Peel back the tape over the screw securing the Lightning connector flex cable to the lip of the phone.

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Step 63

Remove the following five Phillips screws:
One 2.9 mm screw
One 1.9 mm screw
One 1.5 mm screw
One 1.6 mm screw
One 1.3 mm screw set in the bottom edge of the rear case

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Step 64

Prepare an iOpener and lay it across the bottom of the phone to soften the adhesive holding the Lightning connector flex cable in place.
Wait about a minute for the adhesive to soften before removing the iOpener and continuing.

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Step 65

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Insert an opening pick under the Lightning connector flex cable and slowly slice through the adhesive holding the cable to the rear case.

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Step 66

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Continue sliding the opening pick underneath the flex cable.

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Step 67

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Use an opening pick to pry the left microphone off the edge of the rear case.

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Step 68

Insert the point of a spudger into the headphone jack and wiggle it slightly to loosen the headphone jack from the bottom edge of the case.

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Step 69

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Remove the Lightning connector assembly.
If your replacement part did not come with a headphone jack gasket, use tweezers to remove the gasket from the old part and transfer it to the replacement part.
Before re-installation, use a spudger to scour any remaining adhesive residue from the rear case. You can use high concentration isopropyl alcohol to help with the process.

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Step 70 Power Button Cable Assembly

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iPhone 6s Plus Rear Case Replacement, Power Button Cable Assembly: step 70, image 2 of 2

Remove the following four Phillips screws:
Three 2.0 mm screws holding the power button bracket in place
One 1.3 mm Phillips screw over the flash and microphone bracket

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Step 71

Remove the flash/microphone bracket.

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Step 72

Use the pointed end of a spudger to lift the flash out of its housing in the rear case.

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Step 73

Use the flat end of a spudger to peel the power button flex cable off the rear case.

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Step 74

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Insert the tip of a spudger underneath the microphone portion of the flex cable and gently pry it off of the rear case.

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Step 75

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Slide an opening pick underneath the power button flex cable to pry the cable off the rear case.

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Step 76

Remove the power button flex cable.

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Step 77 Power Button Cover

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iPhone 6s Plus Rear Case Replacement, Power Button Cover: step 77, image 2 of 2

Gently nudge the power button cover out of its slot in the rear case.

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Step 78

Remove the button cover.

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Step 79 Rear Case

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Remove the following screws holding the cellular antenna in place:
One 2.7 mm Phillips screw
One 1.7 mm Phillips screw
One 1.3 mm Phillips screw

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Step 80

Remove the cellular antenna.

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Step 81

Remove the single 1.3 mm Phillips screw securing the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna to the rear case.

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Step 82

Remove the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna.

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Step 83

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Use a pair of tweezers to peel back the tips of the three battery adhesive strips along the bottom edge of the battery.

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Step 84

Gather all three tips of the battery adhesive strips in one hand.
Be sure to not wrinkle any of the strips during this procedure—they will become very difficult to deal with and will not straighten out again.

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Step 85

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Pull the adhesive strips straight out, keeping the strips flat and wide until they are completely removed. For best results, pull the strips at a 60º angle or less.
The strips will stretch to many times their original length. Continue pulling until you completely remove all three strips.
Hold down the battery with one hand as you're pulling, or the elastic strips will fling the battery from the phone once they're separated from the rear case.

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Step 86

Tool used on this step:

Plastic Cards

$2.99

Buy

If you successfully removed all three adhesive strips, move on to the next step. Otherwise, you will need to pry the battery from the rear case.
Prepare an iOpener and apply it to the back of the rear case, directly over the battery. Alternatively, you can apply heat using a heat gun or hair dryer.
After about a minute, flip the phone over and use a plastic card to tear through any remaining adhesive.