iPad 4 Wi-Fi LCD Replacement

You will need to heat the iOpener, an insulated bag that will move heat to the adhesive strips around the screen of your iPad, in your microwave.

Before starting, clean the microwave in order to remove any sort of dirt stuck to its bottom. Otherwise, the dirt could end up on the iOpener.

Put the iOpener into the microwave and heat it for exactly one minute on the highest power setting.

Do not under any circumstances overheat the iOpener and wait at least two minutes before microwaving it again.

If it has been a while since you heated the iOpener or if you've never done it before, it would be best to microwave it wrapped in a wet paper towel. This way, the contents of the bag won't burn up if you accidentally overheat the iOpener.

Take the iOpener out of the microwave, holding it carefully by one of its corners.

The bag will be quite hot once you take it out, so make sure you don't burn yourself.

It's recommended that you put on a pair of safety glasses, because you might have to work with broken glass. The glasses will protect you from stray shards.

If you have to remove a cracked screen, cover the glass in clear duct tape. This will minimize the mess and hold the screen together while you work.

Put the iOpener flat on the right edge of your iPad and smooth it out. This way you'll be sure that there's good contact between the iPad and the iOpener.

Leave the bag on the iPad for about 90 seconds and then try to open the front panel.

Check that the tool is placed in the right spot, because it can be difficult to see the separation between the glass and the bezel.

In the iPad's adhesive ring in the upper right corner of the iPad (about 5 cm from the top of the iPad), there is a small gap. Use this gap to your advantage.

Push the tip of a plastic opening tool into the gap between the plastic bezel and the front glass. Make sure to only insert the tip - enough to widen the crack.

You may have to use some force to push the tip in. Be careful and patient during this process and, if necessary, wiggle the plastic opening tool back and forward.

Slide a plastic guitar pick in the crack next to the opening tool, while keeping the tip of the plastic opening tool wedged between the front glass and the plastic bezel.

Take out the plastic opening tool and press the guitar pick further underneath the front glass (to a depth of a bout 0.5 inches).

Start working on removing the adhesive on the right side of the iPad. While you're doing this, reheat the iOpener and put it on the bottom edge of the iPad.

Leave the iOpener to heat the bottom edge of the iPad and begin working on releasing the adhesive from the right edge of the iPad.

Move the guitar pick downwards along the edge of the iPad, releasing the adhesive as you slide the pick.

You may have to use some force because the adhesive is very strong. Be careful while you do this.

If the tip of the guitar pick is visible underneath the front glass, pull the pick out somewhat. If the guitar pick is pushed this deep, it won't damage anything, but it may cover the LCD with the remains of the adhesive.

You may have to put the iOpener back on the right edge of the iPad during the releasing of the adhesive. This depends on how much time the iPad had to cool down while you were working on it.

If the guitar pick gets stuck in the adhesive, simply “roll" it along the side of the iPad and continue to release the adhesive.

Before you remove the first pick from the bottom corner of the iPad, push a second pick under the right edge of the front glass. This will stop the adhesive from re-adhering.

Microwave the iOpener again and put it on the top edge of the iPad.

Do the following steps with extreme caution.

Screws and a cable are keeping the Wi-Fi antenna attached to the bottom right edge of the back case of the iPad. Give the antenna's orientation, it's of utmost importance to do the next part carefully. Otherwise, you may render the antenna useless.

Remove the adhesive holding the antenna on the front panel. Be careful not to damage the delicate parts securing the antenna to the bottom of the iPad. Do the next steps with caution.

Release the adhesive at the bottom right corner of the iPad by sliding the guitar pick around it.

Do not move the pick further than that corner. You could seriously damage the Wi-Fi antenna if you do so.

Slide the guitar pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel. The Wi-Fi antenna is really close to the corner and if you released the adhesive in an incorrect way, it can be severely damaged.

Pull the pick out so that about 0.3 cm (1/8in) is still under the front glass. Do not remove the pick completely.

Move the tip of the pick along the bottom edge of the iPad and release the adhesive securing the Wi-Fi antenna.

Move past the Wi-Fi antenna - the pick should now be around 7.5 cm from the right edge of the iPad or next to the home button - and push the pick once again in, this time to its full depth.

Move the guitar pick to the right. Release the adhesive pressing the Wi-Fi antenna to the front glass.

Screws and a cable are securing the antenna to the bottom of the iPad. This action will detach the antenna from the front panel and ensure that the antenna doesn't get damaged once you remove the panel.

Continue moving the pick along the bottom of the iPad and releasing the adhesive. Pull the pick out enough to bypass the home button and then push it back in once you have passed the home button.

In case the adhesive has cooled too much, reheat the iOpener again and place it on the part of the adhesive you're working on.

Heat the iOpener one minute at a time and let it cool for at least two minutes after that.

Release the adhesive along the bottom edge completely.

Leave the pick pushed underneath the front glass close to the home button.

Microwave the iOpener again and place it on the left edge of the iPad to warm the adhesive there.

Move the pick along the top edge and pull it out a little only to bypass the front-facing camera bracket.

The adhesive in this part is very thick and you may have to use some force to release it. Be careful and work slowly. Otherwise, you may hurt yourself or damage your iPad.

In case the adhesive cools too much, put the iOpener on the top edge of the iPad and continue working. If the iOpener needs reheating, microwave it again.

In case the pick gets stuck in the adhesive, repeat Step 9 (roll the guitar pick).

Keep releasing the adhesive at the top edge of the iPad and move the pick around the top left corner.

If the adhesive doesn't need to be warmed up any longer, you can remove the iOpener to make the process easier. In case the adhesive is still sticky, leave the reheated iOpener on the left edge of the iPad.

Slide the pick along the iPad's left edge and release the adhesive.

The digitizer cable can be found about 5 cm from the bottom of the iPad. When you get to approximately 5.7 cm from the bottom, stop moving the guitar pick.

Release the adhesive along the bottom left edge with the guitar pick still underneath the iPad's bottom edge.

The bottom of the digitizer cable is located only about 2.5 cm from the bottom of the iPad. Be careful not to damage the cable.

With one of the guitar picks lift up the bottom right corner of the iPad and take it between your fingers.

Some of the adhesive along the edges of the iPad may be stuck back down again. If this happens, move the pick underneath the iPad's edge where the front glass is stuck and separate it from the adhesive.

Grab the iPad by the top and bottom right corners and rotate the front glass away from the iPad.

Some adhesive may be still stuck so use the pick to separate the remaining adhesive from the front panel.

A 2 mm Phillips screw is securing the LCD to the aluminum frame. Remove it.

The home button ribbon cable connector is concealing the bottom left screw. Slowly and carefully move the home button ribbon cable in order to remove the bottom left screw.

Lift the right edge of the LCD out of the iPad with a plastic opening tool or a spudger.

Rotate the LCD along its left edge. Place it on top of the front glass panel.

The ribbon cable is delicate and may break if you flex it too much, so be careful while moving the LCD.

Peel back the tape covering the LCD ribbon cable connector with the tip of a spudger.

Lift up the flap holding the LCD ribbon cable ZIF connector.

Take out the LCD ribbon from its socket on the logic board using your fingers or a pair of tweezers.

Remove the LCD from the front panel without touching the LCD's front.