iPad Repair by Apple Certified Mac Technician

How to replace the glass on an old iPad

As of this writing, Apple Certified Macintosh Technician training doesn’t require iPad or iPod repair. As such, iPad repair knowledge isn’t readily available to the public and falls into the category of “catch as catch can” with technicians training each other. Apple trains assorted Geniuses at its retail locations and often sends broken iPads to Austin, Texas for repair.

For the brave of heart, here’s how to replace the glass on a first- and second-generation iPad, as demonstrated by Rory Pierce. This isn’t a simple procedure, so don’t hesitate to take your iPad into the store if you have any doubts about performing the repair. Wear safety goggles to protect against any airborne pieces of glass from the shattered screen.

iPad unglued

Place your iPad vertically in front of you. You’re going to be heating and cutting through a fair amount of glue, so begin warming the right side of the iPad with a heat gun at a low setting for 10 to 20 seconds. “Keep the heat gun on it, but not completely or the bezel will melt,” Pierce warned me as he distributed the heat along the right side of the iPad. From here, take a disposable steel razor and begin working it between the glass and the frame.

Once the razor is in place, work your way up the frame, gently prying up the broken glass as you go. Take care to avoid using the razor around the upper right-hand corner of the iPad, as this region contains cabling you don’t want to cut.

Begin heating the glue around the top and cutting it with the razor. Be careful with the razor around the lower left-hand corner of the iPad, as this tends to be where the AirPort and Bluetooth cables are located.

This is also the point where things might become a little scary. As the broken glass is being pried and stressed in the removal process, there’s a good chance that it will begin to splinter and break. Take care not to cut the iPad camera cabling when your razor’s in that area.

The left side of the iPad is a bit easier to cut through. You don’t have to worry about cables that could be sliced along the path. If you happen to accidentally hit the power switch and turn the iPad on, don’t worry.