Screen replacement > Face ID functionality?
Hey there,
My girlfriend dropped her iPhone 11 the other day and the screen is badly cracked to the point where it literally cuts her fingers. So it needs a replacement ASAP. I have moderate experience with screen repairs on other phones and iPads, so I want to offer to replace it for her myself. Therefore I did some research online, and that's when I remembered Face ID has this hardware pairing security measure, so to speak. Meaning, as far as I understand, you can't just replace the screen and expect Face ID to function right away.
I've searched for some more information on the subject, and numerous sources tell me that Apple was going to update iOS to allow for third-party screen replacements without having to transplant any tiny hardware. Meaning you wouldn't have to micro solder or use microscopes and the like. However, I cannot find any recent information on this subject. All the sources I've found are from 2021 or earlier, so I'm not sure what the current status is and if Apple has pushed said update to the users yet. So basically I have these questions:
- Is it at all possible to DIY replace an iPhone 11 screen and have Face ID still working?
- If it is indeed possible, given she's got the most recent iOS version, is any sort of hardware transplant involving micro soldering and microscopes required?
- Are there any guides for these transplants and are they doable for a hobbyist like me, considering I've got all the right equipment and I'm willing to take a small risk?
- If I finish this repair, can I expect any sort of Important Display Message as seen in this video? - https://youtu.be/bLo0_p7Oxm8
- Additionally, is there any way to have True Tone still working after the repair? Preferably without a programming device as seen in the above mentioned video.
- and finally:
- Can I expect any other issues when replacing the screen with a, although of good quality, non-OEM part?
I'm sorry for asking this many questions right off the bat, but since it's my girlfriend I really want to make sure I have the skillset to be able to complete the repair before I even consider doing it. However, as I said, I'm willing to take a small risk of course since the OEM repair @ Apple is nearly 10x more expensive than this DIY solution.
Any help would be very very much appreciated!
Thank you and best regards,
Lucas
Update (02/08/2023)
Update: I attempted the repair a few days ago. Unfortunately (and utmost embarrassingly) I screwed up on the very first step of the repair when removing the pentalobe screws. It's really laughable but hear me out here. The first one went out fine, but the second one didn't. The phone had quite a lot of dirt and dust stuck into all the little crevices, including the speaker holes, charging port, and also the very very tiny pentalobe screw heads on the bottom of the phone. This made it so that my screwdriver didn't sink all the way into the screw head. Unfortunately, I did not notice this and I applied torque to the driver right away, stripping the second screw immediately. I tried to save it with rubber bands and super glue but to no avail. I really drove myself crazy for the next couple of hours since I had no idea if I was ever going to be able to get that screw out and replace the screen. I tried cutting a slot into the screw head with a dremel so that I could drive it out with a flathead screwdriver, but I then realized the screw head is way too tiny and inaccessible for that. The curved frame of the iPhone 11 protrudes more that the screw itself which makes it tough to reach. I tried it anyway, slipped and made a really nasty deep scratch into the frame. Bollocks.
I decided to put down the repair for the moment since I was really driving myself crazier and crazier by the minute over this stupid little screw. I took some time to consider all my options for completing this repair successfully in the end.
It was at that point that I found this great video by 911 Gadgets, explaining how to remove the screen of iPhone 8's and up without actually removing the pentalobe screw(s). This method is likely to break the screen if you're not careful, but since mine is broken already, I think I might as well give it a shot.
This Friday I am going to attempt the method explained in the above video, and see if I can get the phone opened and complete the repair in the end.
For installing the replacement screen, I plan to cut the metal bracket in which the screw end usually resides in half with some snips. This way, I can just rest the screen on the still-stripped screw so that the screen will not protrude from the frame of the phone. Then, I can install the second (non-stripped) screw after having reinstalled the screen. That way, I'll have the screen secured with a fresh strip of adhesive (which came with the screen) and 1 of 2 screws. I think that should be enough to keep it all together.
As for the deep scratch in the frame, I'm going to try to patch that up one way or another since it looks horrible. Not sure how well it's going to work out, but I guess I can give it a shot.
I will update again after Friday.
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