iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi Screen and Digitizer Replacement

I didn't find this to be as hard as I had built it up in my mind to be; HOWEVER, saying that I need to say years ago I was the local Nokia service center in my town. But many years ago right after they got rid of analog times. Yeah. A classic installer/repairer mistake when starting something they haven't fixed or installed before is picking up the instructions, flipping through them; maybe even reading a section that is new-then tossing the instructions over the shoulder. "I got this." This usually comes right before something major gets broke. And I can tell you when you try to do it yourself and then mess it up horribly then take it to the repair shop. Well we called that "I can do it myself" syndrome and charged extra to put back together what they brought in in the box. Now knowing all this - I can't stress this enough because I am stupid, stupid, stupid. COVER YOUR SCREEN IN CLEAR BOXING TAPE AND READ ALL THE INSTRUCTION BELOW THROUGH TO THE END BEFORE EVEN ATTEMPTING THIS FIX. Take my advise.

I didn't have an iOpener, so I used a wheat type heat bag. If you do this though, make sure you put a layer of plastic between your Mac and the bag, or you'll get condensation in places you don't want it.

I started out using the iOpener but switched to my wife's hairdryer. A heat gun or hair dryer proved to be much more convenient and is a time saviour. You can heat more and the glue becomes more fluid make the next steps with the opening picks much easier

I know this is obvious, but backup your iPad with iTunes before you start. I'd also turn off your passcode if you have one.

Ther first time you heat up the iOpener for this repair when its room temperature I had to heat it up for more than 30 seconds. I remember I had to heat it up for around 45 seconds. However, after that when you need to reheat it again during the repair 30 seconds will be enough.

I used the wheat bag in a sensor microwave heating up to 65-70 deg C (155 def F).

Get yourself a cherry pit bean bag the size of your iPad. Heat it, put the iPad on it for 3 to 5 minutes or so, reheat the cherry pit bean bag, again put your iPad on it. Then heat the iOpener and start working. The cherry pit bean bag will have to be reheated several times, but it will soften the adhesive so you have less problems with the iOpener

The heating can be done very effectively (and quickly) with 3d printer heated bed. Make sure the bed is clean. Set the temperature to 60c, (130f ) and put the ipad face down for +/- 10 minutes. Repeat as needed throughout the “gentle prying” stages.

The iOpener did not work at all for me.

I had to use a heat gun and bring the edges of the case up to ~200 degrees (used an infrared thermometer to measure) before the glue would weaken. This obviously superheated the metal frame, so I also had to wear gloves to handle the phone while prying the back off with the included picks.

Repair instructions worked like a charm. Had to be patient with the iOpener and getting the screen off. I tried repeatedly without success until shifting the suction cup a bit to the left side where perhaps the glue had loosened up a bit more.

The iOpener, in my opinion, is of no help. Many warnings to say “don’t warm it too much”, but the glue doesn’t melt if not warm enough. As a result, a complete waste of time and energy. In addition, too much liquid in it, so it doesn’t lay on the device on a sufficient surface. I took a hairdryer and it worked much much better.

I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method.

My experience. I was replacing the screen which had been cracked and a little shattered in some places. The iopener is pretty much useless, so was the suction cup. The suction cup would probably be more useful if I was doing something besides the screen. Also you probably want the clean the screen before using it so it can get good suction. I used a hair dryer on high for a couple of minutes at a time (someone on this tread suggested that). I used my exacto knife and a razor blade to get into the adhesive. First the exacto to get the initial cut, then the razor blade to go a little deeper. Could have probably just used the razor blade, but the exacto has a little more finesse. I got the razor blade in and a little under the glass then I used the picks to wedge in. I didn’t want to risk anything using the razor blade too much. Used tape to keep the shattered glass together.

My experience pt2

Fortunately the shattering was mostly on the edges and most of it had adhesive on the back so it stuck together. Just take your time and work your way around following the guide to get the screen off. Have some goof off or goo be gone to clean the frame when putting the new glass on or putting the existing one back. (someone suggested that also, very good idea). Be careful of the LCD (you should know that). The cable on my LCD was pretty tight, so I propped it up while taking the cable cover off and when I put it back on I did the same thing. I just put a bottle on the battery and leaned the back of the LCD on that while attaching the cables and putting the screws back on the cover. Also be careful with the home button and the bracket on the back of it. I had enough old adhesive on left on the bracket that it stuck back to the new glass fine. So far only 12 hours in, so we will see how that holds up when the kids get at it.

Another alternative if you do not have the iopener is to use a bed time hotwater bottle. Do not over fill it though. Just put enough hot water in to support the phone while you work around the adhesive.

I use both the hot water bottle and iopener together on Samsung's. It makes life easier

I followed the directions and heated my iOpener for 30 seconds in a 1000 watt microwave, and it came out at 160 degrees F, as verified by a infrared thermometer. This allowed me to separate the last bit of the back of my Samsung S8, which was already coming off due to a swollen battery (hence the reason for the repair).

I had to heat mine up for more than 30 seconds. After 30 seconds on high it was only warm. It had to keep trying different times and checking it until it got hot. I think the initial time that I put it in for was over a minute.

DO NOT USE IN NON ROTATING MICROWAVE! It will pop a hole. I had it in for 45 seconds the first time. It wasn't very hot inside and I saw it started to leak on the paper towel I put under it. Just a fair bit of advice. I think I will just stick with the heat gun. Loud but useful.

I heated mine up for 30 seconds, tested, then again for 30 seconds. It felt adequately hot. Leaving it on the left side, per the instruction, for a minute did not loosen the adhesive. I ended up pulling the suction cup hard enough to shadder the old screen. Moral of the story, I don't think it gets hot enough safely to have an affect.

I used a hot water bottle, works well as it covers the whole screen and stays hot for longer.

If I may suggest include your microwave wattage so people can get an idea on time for there own

I ended up using a hair dryer. That iOpener thing took forever.

30 seconds sure isn’t cutting it… 45 didn’t get the screen of my iPad air 2 to budge either… even after resting on the ipad for 4 minutes.

60 seconds in the microwave, the iOpener burst.

I’ll get a new one and try once more with heating it 45 seconds and repeat that for 30 minutes like others have said here. If that doesn’t work it’ll have to be the heat gun.

K

I can’t recommend the microwave. If the the iOpener becomes too hot, it bursts. Better put the opener in cooking water. Dry it and use it. Instead of an iOpener you can use hot/cool packs as well.

Trust the directions! I forgot and left it in the Microwave too long and after 1 minute I had Mt Vesuvius - the iOpener burst and spewed the goodies out. The problem is, the Digitizer can be damaged by a hot air gun, so I had to tough out and remove the glue the hard way. I made it … with lots of patience! Tough lesson.

I also used a hairdryer. I used it on the low setting and I cut a piece of carboard to protect the rest of the screen. The iFixit tool and method is vert tedious and very time consuming in comparison. With the hairdryer method you can literally have the display apart in a few minutes. Using your other hand nearby the area you are heating it should be very hot but not enough to burn your hand. You only have to heat metal part of case near glass edge. If you have a cellular model then you need to be very careful because the black antenna area is plastic. So less heat and work your way up in adding heat just enough to separate around the area but not so much you melt the plastic!

iOpener was the worst part of the kit. Followed directions for :30 in microwave and took 4 trips to the microwave to loosen adhesive on left side of home button. I thought I was figuring it out and it was working well… even set a timer to wait 10 minutes between heating it up. Was on the right side and was on my 12th heat up when it exploded in the microwave. My only tip is that if you set it clear side up, as soon as you see any bubbles or boiling in the liquid, STOP! If you put a pot holder over the iOpener and press slightly to make good surface contact, that seemed to help. I finished heating with a “Corn Sack” that held heat better than the provided iOpener.

Readers looking for temperature advice might check the comments of the previous instruction, as there are more there. I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method.

Get a heat gun.

I did this repair. I used a hair dryer, I think it works better: gets very hot fast.

Readers looking for temperature advice might check the comments of the previous instruction, as there are more there. I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method. I don’t know how much microwaves vary in heating consistency with these pads, but knowing how inconsistent the temperature of a bowl of plain rice gets in my microwave, I wasn’t interested in even trying to use it for this.

I used an electric griddle set to the lowest setting. It seemed to work very well.

I vote for the hair dryer. The other methods work too but if you aren’t having any luck, switch to the hair dryer. While holding the iPad in my hand, I found that I am aiming the dryer at my finger at the same time and it gauges how hot it is. I stop when my finger can’t take it - maybe five seconds up close. Repeat as needed like I did.

“Don't insert the opening pick any deeper than the black bezel on the side of the display. Inserting the pick too far may damage the LCD.”

Unfortunately, you only know you have inserted it too far when you have, and you start seeing little bubble veins form between the glass screen and the LCD.

The adhesive can be very stiff/hard, and if pushing through it can result in the pick plunging into the LCD when the adhesive finally gives way.

Take your time, use alot of heat, and if you need to try and push the pick in, try and do so in a slicing motion along the edge, use the wide edge, or hold the pick so that your finger will hit the edge of the screen before the pick tip will pass the bezel.

Adhesive strips are only 1mm wide on sides. Up to 5mm wide top and bottom. I used the Isclack. Screen seemed ok bending without breaking. Worth looking for a photo of the replacement adhesive strips so you know what you have to separate. Be extra careful at the lower right corner where the cables are.

This is a failure of a guide as it doesn’t tell you to insert at a downward angle so you don’t potrude into the LCD… Now I have to spend more money to replace the screen as I pushed adhesive between the LCD and the screen even though I went no farther than a millimeter short of the screen...

can you open the right side if the left is too cracked to use a suction cup on?

This guide needs amending urgently.

You MUST NOT put the pick or whatever you are using more than 2mm under the sides of the screen, or you will cut through the adhesive tape securing the backlight assembly to the LCD glass.

This will push adhesive into the viewable area of the LCD and cause the backlight assembly to no longer be secured against the LCD fully.

I now need a new screen.

This line below from the guide is absolutely INCORRECT and will ruin your expensive display:

”Don't insert the opening pick any deeper than the black bezel on the side of the display.”

The black bezel is 5mm to 6mm wide; you MUST NOT insert anything to that depth or you will destroy your display. 2mm maximum!

If your iPad is cold, consider leaving the iOpener on for longer than 5 minutes. The aluminum housing is a very large thermally dissipating mass and will quickly cool off the glass and make you have to start over and wait the 10 minutes to reheat. There’s a very slim window in which you’re able to insert the pick into the glass adhesive before it solidifies once again. I’ve been fighting with it for like 20 minutes following these instructions and it’s not working. You really need to leave it for longer than just 5 minutes to get the back housing hot too.

I have found that wedging a blue pry tool in between the frame and the glass can give you a better edge enough to slide the pick in.

What you need to do is move the display inboard up to the edge area of battery! That will relieve all the stress on the cables. Simply holding it straight up is not enough, especially later when you go back to reconnect the cables and the bracket over the connectors.

Your bracket may look different to this. Mine had a black covering on the long edge being held between the fingers in this illustration. Same screws, same position, just a different color.

Is it the end of the world if the bracket is not reinstalled, will the device function normally or will it eventually have issues with the connectors coming loose following shock?

When i was starting to disconnect the lcd to the board i hit the black film and it lit and now even the new display wont display anything how to fix it? The black film near the lcd connector.

Ich habe eine Bücherstütze benutzt um das Display in senkrechter Position zu halten, während ich die vier Schräubchen gelöst habe.. So zieht man nicht so an den Flexkabeln….!

What is the proper way to reinstall the home button bracket?

This is an important step that’s missed by a lot of people resulting in negative reviews on replacement screens. Screen suppliers never mention this step or people would not buy from them. Save yourself a headache and time and buy a screen-digitizer with the sleep/wake sensor already soldered.

Is there any reason to replace this if you won’t use it? If I don’t move over the old sensor, will it still work? I’ve never soldered something this small and expensive before.