FIXONICBefore you begin
Replacing the WiFi antenna can help solve problems with bad or no WiFi reception, slow internet access when connected via WiFi, and WiFi connection issues.
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iPhone X WiFi Antenna Replacement
Replacing the WiFi antenna can help solve...
Apple iPhone X
Difficult
1 - 3 hours
Guide 151650
Licensed iFixit integration
This attributed iFixit guide is displayed through Fixonic's recorded commercial API permission. iFixit remains the independent source and author of the procedure.
Repair step
Repair step
- Remove the SIM card tray from the iPhone.
Repair step
- Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.
- Remove the two 6.9 mm-long pentalobe screws at the bottom edge of the iPhone.
Mark your opening picks
Tape over any cracks
- Lay overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPhone's screen until the whole face is covered.
- If you can't get the suction cup to stick in the next few steps, fold a strong piece of tape (such as duct tape) into a handle and lift the screen with that instead.
Screen damage warning
- To avoid damaging your screen in the next step, note the following:
- There's a plastic bezel on the underside of the screen. Your opening pick will go underneath this bezel.
- There's a seam between the plastic bezel and the display panel. Don't insert your pick here or you'll damage the screen.
Anti-Clamp instructions
- 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—one on the front, and one on the back.
- Squeeze the cups together to apply suction to the desired area.
Repair step
- Pull the blue handle forward 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.
Repair step
- Heat an iOpener and thread it through the arms of the Anti-Clamp.
- Fold the iOpener so it lays on the bottom edge of the iPhone.
- Wait one minute to give the adhesive a chance to release and present an opening gap.
- Insert an opening pick under the screen and the plastic bezel, not the screen itself.
- Skip the next three steps.
Repair step
- Use a hairdryer or heat gun or prepare an iOpener and apply it to the lower edge of the iPhone for about a minute in order to soften up the adhesive underneath.
Repair step
Repair step
- Pull up on the suction cup with firm, constant pressure to create a slight gap between the screen and the frame.
- Insert an opening pick into the gap under the screen's plastic bezel, not the screen itself.
Repair step
- Slide the opening pick around the lower left corner and up the left edge of the iPhone, slicing through the adhesive holding the display in place.
Screen information
Repair step
Repair step
- Slide the opening pick around the top corner of the display, while gently pulling or wiggling the display down in the direction of the Lightning port.
- Slide the pick to the opposite corner and cut any remaining adhesive securing the display.
Repair step
Repair step
- Open the iPhone by swinging the display up from the left side, like the back cover of a book.
- Lean the display against something to keep it propped up while you're working on the phone.
Repair step
- Remove five Y000 screws securing the logic board connector bracket, of the following lengths:
- Three 1.1 mm screws
- One 3.1 mm screw
- One 3.7 mm screw
Repair step
- Remove the bracket.
Repair step
- Use the point of a spudger or a clean fingernail to pry the battery connector up from its socket on the logic board.
- Bend the connector slightly away from the logic board to prevent it from accidentally making contact with the socket and providing power to the phone during your repair.
Repair step
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Repair step
- Remove the seven screws securing the bracket below the Taptic Engine and speaker:
- Two Y000 1.9 mm screws
- One Y000 1.2 mm screw
- One Y000 1.6 mm screw
- One Phillips 2.4 mm screw
- One Phillips 1.7 mm screw
- One Phillips 1.5 mm screw
Repair step
Repair step
Repair step
- Remove the bracket.
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- Hold the speaker by its side edges and rock it side-to-side, separating the adhesive securing it to the bottom edge of the iPhone.
- Pull the speaker away from the bottom edge of the iPhone until the adhesive gasket separates.
Repair step
- Remove the speaker.
Replace the speaker gasket
- Use tweezers to peel off and remove all the old gasket from the frame and speaker.
- Use a microfiber cloth and isopropyl alcohol to clean all the gasket's adhesive residue from the frame and speaker.
- Before installing the speaker gasket, find its proper orientation on the bottom of the speaker—the large cutout on the gasket should go around the speaker grille mesh.
- Remove the larger, clear liner from the gasket and use tweezers to carefully put the gasket into place on the bottom of the speaker.
- Use your fingers or a spudger to firmly press the gasket into place to secure it with the adhesive.
- Remove the remaining liner and put the speaker into place, making sure the speaker connector doesn't get stuck underneath.
Repair step
Repair step
Repair step
- Remove the Taptic Engine.
Repair step
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- To increase your odds of success:
- Don't press down on the battery. Hold the iPhone firmly by its sides.
- Keep the strips flat and unwrinkled as you pull.
- Pull very slowly, giving the strip time to stretch and separate. It takes around 15-30 seconds of stretching to remove each strip.
- Pull at a low angle so the strip doesn't snag along the bottom edge of the battery.
- If a strip does break off underneath the battery and cannot be retrieved, move on to the other strips and then continue with the additional steps below.
Repair step
- Grab one of the outer battery adhesive tabs and slowly pull it away from the battery, toward the bottom of the iPhone.
- Pull steadily, maintaining constant tension on the strip until it slips out from between the battery and the rear case.
Repair step
- Repeat the previous step to remove the strip on the opposite side, leaving the center strip for last.
Repair step
Repair step
Repair step
- Pull and remove the final adhesive strip.
- If you removed all four adhesive strips successfully, skip the next step.
- Wait about one minute for the alcohol solution to weaken the adhesive. Use the flat end of a spudger to gently lift the battery.
Alternative method to unstick the battery from the case
- If any of the adhesive strips broke off and the battery remains stuck to the rear case, prepare an iOpener or use a hair dryer to heat the rear case directly behind the battery.
- Flip the iPhone back over and thread a strong piece of string (such as dental floss or a length of thin guitar string) underneath the battery.
- Wrap the ends of the string around a cloth (or wear gloves) to protect your fingers.
- Pull the string from side to side in a sawing motion all along the length of the battery to separate the adhesive. This can take some time since the adhesive is slow to deform, but with patience it will come free. Do not deform or damage the battery.
Repair step
- Grasp the battery from the bottom edge and remove it from the iPhone.
- Adhere the battery, disconnect it, and continue reassembling your device.
Repair step
Repair step
- Using the tip of a spudger, start at the connector and slide the spudger between the IR camera cable and the case to separate the cable from the case.
- Repeat for the front camera cable.
Repair step
Repair step
- Remove the front camera assembly.
Logic Board
- Disconnect the following cable connectors.
- The WiFi Antenna connector.
- The Wide-Angle Camera connector.
- The Power Button / Flash / Microphone connector.
- The Telephoto Camera connector.
- The Dock Flex connector.
- The Button / Wireless Charging connector.
- The Cellular Antenna connector.
WiFi Antenna Connector
Wide-Angle Camera Connector
Power Button / Flash / Microphone Connector
Telephoto Camera Connector
Dock Flex Connector
Button / Wireless Charging Connector
Cellular Antenna Connector
Repair step
- Remove the two Phillips mounting screws.
- One 2.7 mm Phillips screw.
- One 2.1 mm Phillips screw.
- Remove the 2.0 mm Phillips grounding screw.
- Remove the grounding tab.
Retract the SIM Eject Pin
- When the SIM card is ejected, a pin slides out from the frame and pushes on the eject lever in the SIM card carrier. The pin needs to be pushed back into the frame so it will not block the removal of the logic board.
Repair step
Repair step
- The logic board assembly is mounted on two posts going through the lower board and are secured to the upper board. In order to remove it, you must lift it evenly straight up to clear the stand-offs.
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Repair step
- Remove the WiFi antenna.