Senior technical writer, photographer, and tinkerer at iFixit HQ in San Luis Obispo, California.
Like many folks here, I’ve been fixing things most of my life—cars, computers, time machines. (Wait, sorry—that last thing happens later.)
I joined iFixit in 2013 as a technical writer, working mainly on repair guides and teardowns. I later co-wrote a lot of the instructions for iFixit’s university technical writing project, and helped coach a few thousand engineering students from over 50 universities through their technical writing coursework. I’ve enjoyed being a guest lecturer and attending academic conferences on technical writing, and helped teach a few of iFixit’s in-house workshops for technical writing instructors.
If working at iFixit sounds awesome, that’s because frequently, it is—I’m grateful to have been at the right place and time to collaborate on some world-class projects with this team. Because of iFixit, I’ve helped Greenpeace create its guide to greener electronics, consulted on repairability for some of the world’s top hardware engineers, and written repair guides for Patagonia.
My wife Zan, seen here in a rare photograph that I’m allowed to share with the internet.
I’m naturally an introvert and prefer to stay behind the camera rather than in front of it, but sometimes accidents happen. My talking head has appeared on a few broadcast programs and podcasts, like that time we tore down a Magic Leap One. I’ve also appeared briefly in at least one VICE documentary, wherein I badly needed a haircut and hadn’t slept since two dinners ago.
VICE News chased us to Australia for our teardown of the iPhone X.
I do enjoy anonymously sharing my photos though, and they frequently pop up in the tech press. That’s one of the really fun aspects of this job—you never know when your work might help a technology journalist explain a battery problem, solve a waterproofing mystery, or break down a new laptop design.
In my free time I enjoy scuba diving and formulating trenchant ripostes that would have come in really handy when I needed them yesterday.
@trentb28922 Ouch! That’s not normal. Is your phone’s frame bent? Are you having to use a lot of force when you install the display?
@webcoder It’s similar to the 2017 design. I’m not sure how you’d replace the battery in either model without removing the board first, since the battery cables are routed underneath the board.
The glue is the only thing safely securing the battery with this design. If you only ever plan to leave the laptop sitting flat on a desk its entire life, then sure, no adhesive needed—but otherwise, for safety reasons, it should be firmly stuck down.
Plastic liners—yellow or otherwise—should definitely be peeled off and discarded before installing any new parts. You done good. ;)
@land08033 If you’re referring to these, it looks like they were added to the kit more recently, after the guide was published. None of them are necessary for the iPhone to function, but if installed correctly they may help maintain a higher level of dust and/or water resistance after the repair. Thanks for your comment!
Boy that’s a tough one :( It’s among the most problematic of all components to replace, because the fingerprint sensor is cryptographically paired to the logic board. The best option might be to get in touch with a skilled microsolderer and ask if they can take a look at the cable and try to repair the traces. Apart from that, the only options I’m aware of would be to pay Apple whatever they demand for a repair (no idea, but most likely a lot), or replace both the sensor and the entire logic board with another set that is already paired and undamaged. Wish I could be more help. Good luck!
You can always use Assistive Touch (virtual/on-screen home button). Outside of Apple, replacing the physical sensor/button will restore your button “click” function, but not Touch ID.
@hu1 Disconnect the battery and then disconnect the cable in this step. Make sure the socket underneath is clean and none of the pins are bent. Reconnect carefully, making sure it’s fully seated. Reconnect your battery and test the home button again. If it still doesn’t work, something was damaged and you’ll need to do some additional troubleshooting—visit our Answers forum for help. Good luck.
Try charging the new battery for 30 minutes before you give up on it. If it’s still dead, try the old battery again (assuming it still worked when you removed it). If it’s still unresponsive after that, it’s likely something besides the battery was damaged. Good luck!
This teardown is over two years old, so it’s possible the design has been improved. Did you have to break a bunch of plastic welds? Have you tried reassembling it? Our experience was a solid zero, but I’d be happy to hear if yours was better. As for parts, your guess is as good as mine. If all else fails, maybe a broken/for parts/salvage unit from eBay.
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