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

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

Apple’s do-it-yourself restore program enables you to repair a few of its merchandise your self with official components, nevertheless it’s at all times been potential to open your iPhone and do a DIY repair with third-party parts. 

I did precisely that, changing the outdated battery of a used iPhone 6 to present it a brand new lease on life. I was happy to seek out the telephone on eBay for less than £75 (about $100 or AU$140). That is an enormous saving over a brand new iPhone 13 Professional, however the battery had aged to the purpose the place the software program needed to artificially throttle the efficiency to cease it from shutting down. As a substitute of eliminating the telephone and getting purchaser’s regret, I determined to purchase a substitute battery and instruments from iFixit and have a go at changing the battery myself.

It took somewhat over an hour, however I was capable of safely swap out the battery, and the iPhone 6 was operating completely once more. I’m not giving step-by-step directions right here — head to iFixit and seize a equipment if that is what you are after — however I do need to describe my expertise, together with how straightforward this was to do, and hopefully reply a few of the questions you’ll have if you happen to additionally want a brand new battery.

When you’ve got a newer mannequin (an iPhone 12 or newer), then be sure to first examine Apple’s new restore choices and see if you happen to’d be capable of put in a substitute with components immediately from the corporate. 

Notice that any upkeep you do by yourself units is solely at your personal danger.

1. Why would it’s essential exchange an iPhone battery?

Batteries age over time, and contemplating that the iPhone 6 was launched over seven years in the past, it is no shock that the one I purchased wasn’t operating in prime situation. One time, the telephone unexpectedly restarted whereas in use, and it flashed a warning that learn, “This iPhone has skilled an sudden shutdown as a result of the battery was unable to ship the mandatory peak energy. Efficiency administration has been utilized to assist stop this from occurring once more.” Even the telephone itself knew it had a bum battery.

In brief, a telephone’s efficiency may be throttled if it might not address energy calls for. There may be the choice to show throttling off, however this may end in extra frequent crashes. Neither state of affairs is good, so a battery substitute appeared like a wise manner ahead for me, because it wasn’t my essential telephone and I was prepared to take the dangers. 

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Opening up my iPhone 6.


Andrew Hoyle/CNET

2. How a lot does a substitute iPhone battery value?

The issue with my state of affairs particularly was that I purchased the telephone for therefore little within the first place that spending more cash on a battery substitute service negated a few of these preliminary financial savings. Apple’s official substitute service prices £49 ($49), which is greater than half what I paid for the iPhone 6 I purchased. As I was in the course of a coronavirus lockdown when I tried this, I wasn’t capable of get to an Apple retailer to take it in, and sending it in by way of the mail would deliver the overall value to round £56 (about $75 or AU$105).

iFixit, nevertheless, sells a DIY substitute pack for £35 (together with postage to my house in Scotland). It prices $30 within the US, and with delivery prices that involves about $38. It is not an enormous saving over Apple’s official substitute, however each little bit helps. 

3. What comes within the iFixit battery repair equipment?

iFixit’s equipment comes with a third-party substitute battery that’s not from Apple, since Apple doesn’t promote its components individually for telephones older than the iPhone 12. It additionally has all of the instruments wanted to open the telephone and take away the outdated battery. The one further factor I wanted was a hair dryer to warmth up and take away the glue.

4. Does changing a battery void your telephone guarantee? 

Opening up an iPhone will void the guarantee, but when your battery is sufficiently old to want changing, odds are you are already out of the 12-month guarantee interval. 

Prying the outdated battery out was difficult, and I wasn’t at all times positive I was doing it safely.


Andrew Hoyle/CNET

5. Is it secure to switch your iPhone battery your self? 

This one is not so easy to reply. iFixit’s information provides very detailed directions on the steps concerned, however there have been a few factors that made me nervous. One step concerned heating up the again of the telephone with a hair dryer as a way to loosen the glue holding the outdated battery in place. 

Particularly, it stated to warmth it to “barely too heat to the touch comfortably,” which I discovered somewhat imprecise. Particularly since that part additionally warned that “overheating the iPhone could ignite the battery.” However how scorching is simply too scorching? What indicators would I see if it was overheating? I could not discover this info, and as such wasn’t positive how near overheating it I may be.

Shortly after, whereas making an attempt to pry out the outdated battery, I unintentionally ripped into what appeared just like the black wrapping round that battery. I was fairly positive that the battery itself wasn’t punctured — there was no smoke or hissing — however I’d have felt much more comfy if I had “emergency” directions available about what to do if the battery did ignite. 

6. Can I exchange my iPhone battery myself?

Up to a degree I discovered I may, sure, and I’m not usually “useful” in a DIY sense. iFixit’s directions have been straightforward to comply with, and there have been solely seven inside screws to take away, which have been straightforward to switch. 

The iPhone 6, outdated battery eliminated and all traces of the glue cleaned off.


Andrew Hoyle/CNET

What I discovered somewhat complicated was that iFixit’s directions on its net web page finish on the level the place you take away the outdated battery. The one instruction within the conclusion was to comply with the earlier steps in reverse order. Admittedly, that wasn’t significantly tough to do, however I would have appreciated extra steering at that time. 

One other concern I bumped into was that, throughout the elimination of the display, I cracked the display protector that was in place. I seen the hairline cracks and was nervous that I’d broken the show itself, however fortunately that was unhurt.

With its new battery, this iPhone 6 ought to be operating at optimum degree once more.


Andrew Hoyle/CNET

7. Is it price changing an iPhone battery?

It actually is dependent upon the age and worth of your telephone. If, like me, you purchased an affordable used iPhone and simply need to get it again on top of things, then it might be a good way to breathe new life into outdated tech with out spending a fortune. Keep in mind, although, that this wasn’t going to be my essential telephone, nor did I purchase it with my very own cash. For me, the danger was low and had I performed it unsuitable and ruined the telephone, it would not have been a giant drawback. You may want to contemplate whether or not you actually can handle with out it, and your tolerance for different dangers.

When you’re utilizing a newer gadget, like an iPhone 12, for instance, I’d in all probability simply take it on to Apple. The financial savings you may get from doing it your self aren’t so nice as to justify the potential value of damaging a extra invaluable telephone.


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