iPhone 12 Back Glass Replacement
Complete guide to iPhone 12 back glass replacement. Cost estimates, difficulty level, time required, and environmental impact.
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💰 Cost Breakdown
💡 Tip: Costs vary by location and repair shop. Authorized service centers typically charge more than independent repair shops.
🔧 Repair Overview
Back Glass Replacement is one of the most common repairs for iPhone 12. This repair involves replacing the damaged housing component with a new or refurbished part. The process typically takes 1-3 hours and requires difficult skill level.
What You'll Need
- Replacement housing part (OEM or aftermarket)
- Precision screwdriver set (Phillips #000 or pentalobe)
- Opening tools (plastic spudger, suction cup)
- Adhesive strips or glue
- Clean workspace with good lighting
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Laser Marking
Put the back glass of iPhone 12 under the focus positioning probe of the laser marking machine. After positioning, mark the back glass area except for the camera and wireless charging area. We haven't marked the wireless charging area to avoid damage.
Step 2: Back Glass Separation
A new member, Glass Breaking Pen, is coming to our back glass refurbishing tools family. Break the back glass with Glass Breaking Pen and remove the shards with Pry Bar.
When breaking the wireless charging area, you can see that the magnets are glued to the glass. Hence the back glass fix solution of iPhone 11 is not suitable for iPhone 12.
If we stick to our old method, all magnets will fall off and become separate. The subsequent recovering process will be harder. In addition, we can’t mark the wireless charging area directly with a laser to avoid damage.
Step 3: Back Glass Separation
We should remove the wireless charging coil and then mark. The magnet array and shield can be easily removed after marking.
Step 4: Back Glass Separation
Then we remove the glass around the camera. Please do not touch the camera lens.
After the glass is completely removed, mark the back again to remove residual adhesive.
Step 5: Back Glass Gluing
Clamp a new back glass with enlarged camera holes down to the middle frame first to see if it fits.
Apply some adhesive evenly on the middle frame. Put the back glass in position and press it gently against the middle frame.
Step 6: Back Glass Gluing
Press the back glass further against the middle frame with Press Clamp.
The adhesive has set after 10 minutes. Take the back cover out. Check if the gap is too large, if there is adhesive overflow, and if the fit is smooth.
Step 7: Back Glass Gluing
After the back glass gluing is finished, we install the magnet array and shield. Apply some B-7000 Adhesive on the magnet circle to adhere the magnet array to the back.
Please make sure that the opening of the magnet array is placed in the right position as in the picture.
Stick the magnet that we accidentally cut out back on and glue the alignment magnet.
Last but not least, assemble the phone and test the MagSafe function. The MagSafe function is normal.
📖 Repair guide provided by iFixit - The free repair manual. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.
iFixit Difficulty: Very difficult | Time: NaNh NaNm
DIY vs Professional Repair
✋ DIY Repair
- ✅ Lower cost (parts only: $42-$108)
- ✅ Learn new skills
- ❌ Risk of further damage
- ❌ No warranty
- ❌ Requires tools and time
🔧 Professional Repair
- ✅ Expert installation
- ✅ Warranty included
- ✅ Faster turnaround
- ❌ Higher cost ($70-$180)
- ❌ Need to find reputable shop
Environmental Impact
By choosing to repair your iPhone 12 instead of replacing it, you're preventing approximately 54 kg of CO₂ emissions. Manufacturing a new iPhone 12 generates 60 kg of CO₂, while this repair only produces about 6 kg of CO₂. That's a 90% reduction in carbon emissions!
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