Apple Watch Series 1 Vibration Motor Repair

Before starting repairs, take your watch off the charger and power it down.

If your touchscreen is broken and prevents powering off the watch, [https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/How+to+Power+Off+a+Broken+Apple+Watch/125834|use this alternate method to power it down].

Leave the iOpener on the watch for at least a minute to fully heat the screen and soften the adhesive holding it to the case.

You may need to reheat the iOpener, or move it around on the screen as sections cool, to heat the screen enough to pry it off.

Because the gap between the screen and watch body is so thin, a sharp blade is required to separate the two. '''Read the following warnings carefully before proceeding.'''

'''Protect your fingers''' by keeping them completely clear of the knife. If in doubt, protect your free hand with a heavy glove, such as a leather shop glove or gardening glove.

Be careful '''not to apply too much pressure,''' as this might cause the knife to slip and cut you, or damage the watch.

'''Wear [https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/Safety-Glasses/IF145-125?o=3|eye protection.|new_window=true]''' The knife or glass may break, sending pieces flying.

Using a curved blade minimizes the chance of scratching the case or cracking the glass. Only pry with the curved section of the blade, and not the tip or flat section.

Place the curved section of the blade in the gap between the glass and case on the lower edge of the watch face, and press firmly ''straight down'' into the gap.

Be very careful to maintain complete control over the knife—once the gap opens, if you're pressing too hard on the knife it may slip in and cut the battery.

This should wedge the gap open and cause the glass to lift slightly up from the case.

When the glass has lifted, gently rotate the knife down, opening the gap more by pushing the glass up.

Once you've opened the gap enough, insert the tip of an opening pick under the glass.

Slide the pick along the bottom edge to separate adhesive holding the screen to the case.

Be careful not to insert the opening pick too far. Only about 1/8" ( about 3 mm) is necessary, any deeper and you may damage cables.

Roll the opening pick up the side of the button side of the watch, gently pushing in to separate the adhesive and widening the gap as you go.

Remember not to push the pick in too far—it's easier to avoid this by rolling the pick, rather than dragging a tip along.

Work the pick around the top right corner, and roll it along the top edge of the screen.

Continue working the pick around the perimeter of the screen, rolling down along the left side to cut the last of the adhesive.

Leave the pick in place to keep the adhesive from resealing the screen in place.

While holding the first pick in place, use a second to check that all of the adhesive is separated around the entire perimeter of the screen.

There are two cables connecting the screen to the inside of the watch, near the top left corner. Be careful when prying or you may damage these cables.

Pry slightly up on the right side of the screen, to free it from any remaining adhesive.

Pry up on the left to free it as well—but '''do not attempt to remove the screen''' as it is still held in place by two cables.

If you can see the top layer of your Force Touch sensor among the display adhesive, it means the two layers of the sensor separated and you're going to need to replace or repair it.

iFixit screen and battery repair kits come with a replacement Force Touch sensor, so if you got one of those, don't fret.

The top layer of the sensor may be adhered to the back of the screen—if so, push it back down and separate it.

Lift the screen up and shift it to the left, minding the display data and digitizer cables.

Place the watch on an elevated surface, at least 1/2" or 1 cm tall—a small box or the edge of a book will work great. This will allow the screen to hang down vertically and give better access to the battery.

Be careful not to bump the screen or strain the cables while you work.

Use scissors to cut one of your opening picks to about the width of the battery. Try not to leave any sharp corners.

Insert the modified pick between the right side of the battery and the case.

Use constant, steady pressure to ''slowly'' pry the battery up, separating it from the adhesive securing it to the system board.

Be careful not to deform or puncture the battery.

On the larger (42 mm) models, it's possible to [https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/diYfGlClCsW1mXT2.full|accidentally pry at the system board|new_window=true] underneath the battery. Insert the pick only far enough to get underneath the battery, not the system board.

If needed, apply a little high concentration isopropyl alcohol (90% or greater) around and under the battery to help weaken the adhesive.

'''Do not''' attempt to remove the battery as it is still connected.

Rotate the battery counterclockwise to expose its connector.

Hold the battery up and out of the way, to expose the battery cable connector.

Use a plastic opening tool, prying against the bottom of the case to separate the battery cable connector from the watch's battery cable.

Remove the battery from the watch.

If the battery is visibly dented or deformed, it should be replaced. For best results, replace with a new battery whenever it is removed.