iPhone 11 Pro Max Screen Replacement

Power off and remove the bottom screws

Back up and power the phone off. Remove the two P2 pentalobe screws on either side of the Lightning port. If the screen is cracked, cover it with packing tape first so glass doesn’t flake and the suction cup can grip.

Soften the adhesive

Warm the edges of the screen evenly for 2–3 minutes. The glass should feel hot but still comfortable to hold.

Cut the adhesive around the sides and top

Put the suction cup near the bottom edge and lift just enough for a hairline gap. Slide a pick in and cut along both long sides. Keep the pick shallow, a few millimeters at most, so you don’t catch the display cables or the front sensors.

The top edge is held by plastic clips, so don’t pry it. Slide the display a millimeter or two toward the bottom of the phone to release the clips, then cut across the top. Don’t lift the bottom edge more than about 5°.

Open the display like a book

The display stays attached by short cables along one long edge, and that edge acts as the hinge. Lift the free edge, open it to about 90° and lean it on something sturdy so the cables aren’t holding its weight.

Disconnect the battery, then the display

Remove the screws from the bracket over the battery connector and lift it off, then remove the screws from the bracket over the display connectors. Most of these are Y000 tri-point screws; keep them in order.

Unplug the battery cable first, then the display and touch cables, then the earpiece and front sensor cable.

Remove the display

Lift the display away and lay it face down on a clean, soft surface.

Move the earpiece and front sensor cable

On the back of the old display, remove the screws holding the earpiece speaker and lift it out. Warm the top of the display slightly, then peel up the thin front sensor cable that sits under it.

This cable carries the proximity sensor, the ambient light sensor and part of the Face ID system. If it tears or creases, Face ID stops working and Apple’s parts can’t be swapped from another phone, so go slowly. Move the cable and the speaker to the same spots on the new screen.

Check the back plate

Move any metal plate or bracket that’s on the old screen but missing from the new one, using the same screws.

Clean the frame

Peel the old adhesive off the frame with tweezers, pulling at a low angle, then wipe away what’s left with isopropyl alcohol. Only clean the outer edges of the display.

Lay down the new adhesive

Peel the films from the new screen. Line the adhesive up with the frame, pull the bottom liner while pressing it down, and run a spudger around the edge two or three times.

Connect the new display

Hold the new display beside the phone in the open position. Connect the front sensor and earpiece cable, then the display cables, and the battery last. Refit the brackets and their screws in the same holes they came from.

Power on briefly to check picture and touch before you seal it, then power off again.

Close, press and test

Peel the remaining liners, check for loose screws, lower the display and press all four corners at once, then along the edges until it clicks flush. Clamp it for several minutes and reinstall the two bottom screws.

Test touch across the whole screen, Face ID, the front camera, the earpiece and that the screen turns off when you hold it to your ear during a call. True Tone stays off on a new screen unless the original screen’s data is copied over with a screen programmer, and some models show a one-time notice that the display can’t be verified. Both are normal for any non-Apple screen.