DIY iPhone Battery Replacement: How I Fixed My Phone At Home

Apple’southward
do-it-yourself repair program lets y’all fix some of its products yourself with official parts, but it’s always been possible to open up your iPhone and do a DIY gear up with third-party components.

I did exactly that, replacing the old bombardment of a used iPhone 6 to requite it a new lease on life. I was pleased to find the phone on eBay for only £75 (about $100 or AU$140). That’due south a huge saving over a new
iPhone thirteen Pro, but the battery had anile to the point where the software had to artificially throttle the performance to finish it from shutting down. Instead of casting off the telephone and getting heir-apparent’s remorse, I decided to purchase a replacement battery and tools from iFixit and accept a become at replacing the bombardment myself.

Information technology took a lilliputian over an hr, but I was able to safely swap out the bombardment, and the iPhone 6 was running perfectly again. I’m not giving step-by-step instructions hither — head to iFixit and grab a kit if that’due south what you’re after — but I do want to draw my experience, including how easy this was to do, and hopefully answer some of the questions you may accept if you also need a new battery.

If you have a more contempo model (an iPhone 12 or newer), and so make sure to first check Apple’s new repair options and see if you’d be able to put in a replacement with parts directly from the company.

Annotation that whatever maintenance you do on your own devices is entirely at your ain risk.

1. Why would y’all demand to replace an iPhone battery?

Batteries age over fourth dimension, and because that the iPhone half dozen was released over seven years ago, it’south no surprise that the i I bought wasn’t running in prime status. One time, the phone unexpectedly restarted while in utilise, and it flashed a warning that read, “This iPhone has experienced an unexpected shutdown because the battery was unable to evangelize the necessary acme power. Performance direction has been practical to assistance prevent this from happening over again.” Even the phone itself knew it had a bum battery.

In short, a telephone’s operation can be throttled if it tin can no longer cope with power demands. There is the option to turn throttling off, merely this volition event in more frequent crashes. Neither situation is ideal, and then a bombardment replacement seemed like a smart way forward for me, since it wasn’t my main telephone and I was willing to accept the risks.

2. How much does a replacement iPhone battery cost?

The problem with my state of affairs specifically was that I bought the telephone for then piffling in the commencement place that spending more coin on a battery replacement service negated some of those initial savings. Apple tree’s official replacement service costs £49 ($49), which is more than half what I paid for the iPhone 6 I bought. Equally I was in the middle of a coronavirus lockdown when I attempted this, I wasn’t able to get to an Apple shop to have it in, and sending it in through the mail would bring the total cost to around £56 (well-nigh $75 or AU$105).

iFixit, nevertheless, sells a DIY replacement pack for £35 (including postage stamp to my domicile in Scotland). It costs $30 in the US, and with shipping costs that comes to about $38. Information technology’s non a huge saving over Apple’due south official replacement, simply every little bit helps.

iii. What comes in the iFixit battery ready kit?

iFixit’southward kit comes with a third-party replacement battery that is
not
from Apple, since Apple does not sell its parts separately for phones older than the iPhone 12. Information technology also has all the tools needed to open the telephone and remove the old battery. The only additional matter I needed was a hair dryer to heat up and remove the mucilage.

four. Does replacing a bombardment void your phone warranty?

Opening up an iPhone will void the warranty, but if your battery is old enough to need replacing, odds are you’re already out of the 12-month warranty menstruum.

5. Is information technology prophylactic to replace your iPhone battery yourself?

This ane isn’t so straightforward to answer. iFixit’due south guide gives very detailed instructions on the steps involved, merely there were a couple of points that made me nervous. I step involved heating up the dorsum of the phone with a hair dryer in order to loosen the glue holding the old battery in place.

Specifically, information technology said to heat it to “slightly likewise warm to bear upon comfortably,” which I found a piddling vague. Specially since that section also warned that “overheating the iPhone may ignite the battery.” But how hot is too hot? What signs would I see if it was overheating? I couldn’t find this data, and every bit such wasn’t sure how close to overheating it I might be.

Shortly after, while trying to pry out the onetime bombardment, I accidentally ripped into what looked like the black wrapping around that battery. I was pretty sure that the battery itself wasn’t punctured — at that place was no smoke or hissing — only I’d have felt a lot more comfortable if I had “emergency” instructions on manus about what to do if the battery did ignite.

half-dozen. Can I replace my iPhone battery myself?

Up to a bespeak I found I could, yes, and I’m non normally “handy” in a DIY sense. iFixit’due south instructions were like shooting fish in a barrel to follow, and there were merely 7 internal screws to remove, which were easy to replace.

What I institute a petty disruptive was that iFixit’southward instructions on its spider web page end at the point where y’all remove the old bombardment. The only instruction in the conclusion was to follow the previous steps in reverse social club. Admittedly, that wasn’t particularly difficult to practice, merely I would have appreciated more than guidance at that point.

Some other outcome I ran into was that, during the removal of the screen, I croaky the screen protector that was in place. I noticed the hairline cracks and was worried that I’d damaged the display itself, merely thankfully that was unharmed.

7. Is it worth replacing an iPhone battery?

Information technology actually depends on the age and value of your phone. If, like me, you bought a inexpensive used iPhone and just desire to go it back up to speed, then it could be a great way to breathe new life into old tech without spending a fortune. Bear in listen, though, that this wasn’t going to exist my chief telephone, nor did I purchase it with my own money. For me, the risk was low and had I done it incorrect and ruined the phone, it wouldn’t take been a big problem. You’ll demand to consider whether you lot really can manage without it, and your tolerance for other risks.

If you’re using a more recent device, similar an iPhone 12, for example, I’d probably but have it directly to Apple tree. The savings y’all’ll get from doing it yourself aren’t then great as to justify the potential price of dissentious a more valuable phone.

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