Have you ever wondered how people spend endless hours of their day being creative, binge-watching, and being productive on their iPads? In a way, it is still the battery sitting quietly beneath the slick screen. However, as you blithely recharge your battery, your streaming buffers, your apps lag, and your once fully magical trusty iPad becomes a little less magical. If you want to know how to replace an iPad battery yourself, keep reading. We will show you every step of the way, from prying open the cute casing, to carefully unplugging delicate connectors. From answering questions like “How do I replace my iPad battery?” “Will it still be working?” and “Is it safe?” to tell you what tools you’ll need, this guide has you covered. We will reassure you that by the end you’ll know precisely what to do to bring back to full glory all that you love about your iPad.
What Makes Battery Replacement Necessary?
Even the best batteries have a lifespan. After a few years, you will find you need to charge your iPad more and more, its battery life is not what it used to be. You could just shell fiat out for a new tablet but replacing your battery is a budget-friendly, environmentally-friendly solution. Then, if your device is acting up due to a dead or faulty battery, you will know how to swap it out yourself and get your device back up and running (without regular shutdowns).
Display Assembly
Replacing the battery on an iPad is no simple task. Starting with gently lifting up the display assembly, the gateway into the depths of the insides between your device.
One of the iPad’s around 14 metal clips also keeps the screen on, attaching it to the iPad’s body and giving it structural integrity. But if your iPad has broken glass, start by covering the whole glass surface with clear packing tape. This is your armor so be careful, you would not be hurt by the shards, because of this. This first step is like cracking a stubborn treasure chest, so think of it as precision, patience, and maybe a bit of luck to keep it from breaking further.
How to Separate the Display Safely
The travel detective’s go-to in a pinch is inserting a metal spudger (your trusty sidekick) between the iPad’s display and aluminum frame. Lifting top edge tabs, like you gently twist the tool, where the top edge tabs release themselves. Place a second spudger in here, taking hold of this position. Working slowly but surely, peel back the edges, slowly, slowly, but slicing through metal clips that cling to the display, hanging on for dear life.
What Lies Beneath the Display
Once you have pried the edges apart, the display remains tethered by three essential cables: ambient light sensor cable, digitizer cable, and display data cable. They have to be carefully released to each connector. Gently remove the thin retaining flaps by flipping them up like delicate switch gates, then lift the cables out so as not to do damage to the logic board beneath.
Logic Board
The logic board (the brain of your iPad) has to be removed before you can access the battery. Lifting the side button and speaker connectors of their sockets with a plastic tool like solving a puzzle. Gently remove the board by unscrewing the four Torx screws that hold it. Be careful not to screw up the incredible circuitry of the motherboard by prying too hard.
Speaker and Dock Connector
The journey is not over yet. To fully free the battery you have to detach the battery assembly and also the dock connector. These are the battery’s guardians, which must be de-routed gently from their cables and unscrewed before the relinquish. Remove the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas from their deep little sockets, slowly so as to not snap or break anything.
The Battery
The most challenging part of now is the battle with the adhesive. Of course, Apple’s batteries are notoriously glued down, but you will need to be patient lest you damage them. With the flat end of your spudger, pop up one side of the battery. Gently wiggle it along the edges, slowly releasing the hard glue that would not give up. It is the kind of thing that takes persistence, sort of like peeling off a sticker that just would not come off.
When you have created that gap, you can insert the spudger under the battery, and work this around the edges until the adhesive breaks free. With some hand to goodness and determination, you will eventually have enough clearance to pry the battery out. Pure satisfaction, a small victory, when you finally lift it free to ensure your iPad will live to fight another day.
Reassembly: Putting It All Back Together
Now that you have replaced the old battery, it is time to walk backward. Start by reconnecting the tiny cables at the end of the digitizer and display data cables. Each clip and screw has to go back exactly where it came from because this is a delicate operation so there is no room for error. Once everything is back in place, gently press the display assembly onto the aluminum body, all while making sure all 14 metal clips snap back into place. Everything makes sense and must fit properly.
Where Can You Find Replacement Batteries?
You might be wondering where you find a good battery for your iPad. There are official replacement services from Apple, but if you are up for a challenge, the service from trusted aftermarket battery suppliers will get the job done just as well. Before you run, however, make sure that what you’re running will work (various generations of iPads use different versions of their battery).
DIY battery replacement can look intimidating, but there are a few reasons it makes sense. First off, you save yourself some cash on repairs that are far more expensive than making a conversion would be. Secondly, you extend the life of your device in a sustainable choice for the environment. Another thing: It’s a victory for a tech-savvy person when he fixes his gadget, which tech freaks live for.
What If Something Goes Wrong?
If the screen cracks more, or if a connector breaks during the process, do not panic. There are spare parts for iPads and many online tutorials for how to repair an iPad. Whether you’re working with cracked displays or not, always wear safety glasses so your eyes are protected. Remind yourself, that you are your greatest ally when it comes to patience.
Absolutely. Replacing your iPad battery is rejuvenating your device. At peak performance, a fresh battery means you will enjoy your tablet whether you are using it for work, entertainment, or creativity. It’s hard work but it’s worth it. Now that you have got all the info you need to do this yourself, with this comprehensive guide, you’re ready!
