Ultimate Repair Hub · DIY Guide
iPhone Air Charge Port Replacement
This is one of the hardest repairs on the iPhone Air: most of the parts at the bottom of the phone, including the battery, have to come out to reach the USB-C port. Before you start, clean lint out of the port with a wooden toothpick and try another cable and charger.
- Difficulty
- ●●●●●Very difficult
- Time
- 2–3 hours
- Steps
- 7
- Opens from
- Screen and back glass
DIY guide — for informational purposes only. This is not a substitute for professional diagnosis, and repairs are performed at your own risk. Ultimate Wireless Solutions is an independent repair provider and is not affiliated with Apple Inc.
Tools
- Pentalobe screwdriver P2
- Tri-point screwdriver Y000
- Phillips screwdriver #000
- 9-volt battery with alligator leads
- Heat pad, iOpener or heat gun on low
- Suction cup and thin plastic opening picks
- Blunt tweezers
- Nylon spudger and ESD-safe tweezers
- Isopropyl alcohol (90%+) and lint-free wipes
- A USB-C cable (for lining up the new port)
- Safety glasses, and a metal can of sand for the old battery
Parts
- iPhone Air USB-C port assembly
- New iPhone Air battery (recommended once the battery is removed)
- Microphone adhesive
- Display or back glass adhesive
Take it apart
Remove the display
Follow our Air screen guide to remove the display first.
Open the back
Heat and cut the back glass as in our back glass guide. Remove the 6 tri-point and 8 Phillips screws, lift off the logic board and back glass covers, and unplug the battery cable first, then the back glass cable and the USB-C cable. Set the back glass aside.
Remove the Taptic Engine
Lift off the Taptic Engine cover and the small chin cover. Separate the Taptic Engine cable from the USB-C cable with a spudger, unplug the Taptic Engine and microphone cables, and lift the Taptic Engine out.
Remove the battery
Release the battery with the 9-volt method (two tabs) from our battery guide and lift it out.
Remove the USB-C port
Turn the phone screen-side up and remove the 2 long Phillips screws beside the port, keeping the driver low. Turn it back over, peel the port cable off the frame, release the adhesive and lift the port out.
Replace the port
Fit the new port
Clean old adhesive from the frame. Plug a USB-C cable into the port from the outside (not connected to power), set the new port in place and press it onto the cable so it lines up with the opening. Press the cable onto its adhesive spots and reinstall the port screws, then remove the cable.
Rebuild and test
Reinstall everything in reverse order, using a new battery, fresh microphone adhesive and fresh display adhesive. Test wired charging, data to a computer, the bottom speaker, microphones and vibration.
Not charging? Let us look first.
Most iPhone Air charging problems are lint or a bad cable. We’ll test it free at our Tustin store and replace the port the same day if needed.
Facts checked against Apple’s iPhone Air repair manual. These guides are for informational purposes and repairs are done at your own risk. Ultimate Wireless Solutions is an independent repair shop and is not affiliated with Apple Inc.