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If the screen on your iPhone 5S is cracked and it's not under warranty you can live with it, get a new phone, or as I'm going to show you fix it.
Before beginning to repair, you'll need to gather the necessary replacement parts, and the tools.
The iPhones front panel and LCD are fused together.
So I recommend buying them both as a single unit.
You'll find them anywhere from 50 dollars to 150 dollars online.
Just be sure that you buy the right one for your phone, and read the reviews of the people who have installed them.
Not all replacement screens are made to the same tolerances as the original part.
I also suggest you buy a replacement screen with a front facing camera, ear piece, and sensor assembly already attached.
The home button, however, is another story.
Very few if any replacement screens come with the 5S's fingerprint scanning home button.
Before installing the new screen you'll need to transfer the button from your old screen, to the new one.
But we'll get to that in a minute.
As for tools you'll need a few thin prying tools, tweezers, a Philips triple zero **** driver, suction cup and a special pentalobe **** driver for removing the phones outer case screws.
Now I'll be placing the panel on an at&t iPhone 5s.
But you can use the same basic steps on phones from other carriers.
And with the exception of the steps relating to the home button on the iPhone 5 and 5c.
Lastly, noted that by following these instructions you do so at your own risk.
And remember to back up the data on your phone before starting.
With all the prep work finished we'll start the repair with ejecting the Sim card.
Next remove the two screws located along the bottom edge and gently lift up on the front panel using the suction cup.
And a prying tool if necessary.
Take care not to pull the panel too far.
Before completely removing the panel we'll need to disconnect several cables, starting with the one for the home button, which is covered by a small metal bracket.
To disconnect the other cables we'll need to remove a metal shield on the upper portion of the mother board.
Finally, we can detach the panels three remaining cables and completely remove it.
Before we can install out new panel we need to transfer the touch id enabled home button from the old panel to the new one.
So first, remove the single **** that secures the buttons cable, note the position of the small contact under the ****, it will need to be in the same position on the new panel.
Next, very gently fold the cable down so we can access the metal bracket underneath.
Now, remove the two screws attached to the bracket and the bracket itself.
Finally, comes the most delicate part of the process, very, very carefully pry the home button cable away from the front panel.
Followed by the home button itself.
You may need to apply a little heat to soften the adhesive as you remove these components.
You may also need to push up on the button from the front of the panel, just be gentle and go slowly.
With the home button removed, we can place it on our new panel, reattach the bracket and reposition the cable.
We're now ready to install the new display.
So reconnect the cables at the top of the panel.
And replace the metal shield.
Then reconnect the home button and reposition its metal bracket.
Lastly, press the new panel onto the frame and secure with the pentalobe screws.
As fixes go, this one isn't too tough, but it does take a lot of patience and attention to detail.
For more handy tips and tutorials, check out CNet's how to section and to see more teardown photos of the iPhone, iPad and other gadgets.
Go to techrepublic.com/crackingopen.
I'm Bill Detwiler.
Thanks for watching.
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