Opening Procedure

Escrito Por: Dominik Schnabelrauch

Comentários: 17

Dificuldade

Moderate

Passos

Tempo necessário

20 - 30 minutes

Introdução

Use this guide to open your Apple Watch Series 7 for repairs.

Note: The opening procedure for the 41 mm and the 45 mm Apple Watch series 7 is the same. You can use this guide for both models.

This guide shows the procedure on the cellular/LTE version of the watch, but the GPS-only version is similar.

You’ll need replacement adhesive to reattach components when reassembling the device.

Ferramentas

Passo 1

Before starting repairs, take your watch off the charger and power it down.
If your touchscreen is broken and you can't power off the watch, use this alternate method to power it down.

Passo 2

Because the gap between the screen and watch body is so thin, an iFlex is needed to separate the two.
Protect your fingers by keeping them completely clear of the iFlex edge. If in doubt, protect your free hand with a heavy glove, such as a leather shop glove or gardening glove.
Be careful not to apply too much pressure, as this might cause the iFlex to slip and cut you, or damage the watch.
Wear eye protection. If the opening procedure is performed incorrectly or with too much pressure, the glass could crack, sending small glass shards flying.
Attach or remove the watch band as needed to provide more control as you make repairs.

Destroyed my watch screen using this method. See other comments in step 4. Do not recommend using a knife right where the data cable is.

Joe -

Passo 3

Prepare an iOpener and apply it to the screen for at least two minutes to loosen the adhesive underneath.
A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the watch—the display and internal battery are both susceptible to heat damage.
You may need to reheat the iOpener and repeat this procedure several times until the display adhesive softens.

Can confirm that if you want this to work, pop the iopener in for around 45seconds and then let it sit on the watch for 6 minutes, 2 minutes is just not enough.

Jeremiah Yoder -

Passo 4

Don't grip the iFlex or similar metal tools by the edges—they're very sharp. Consider wearing gloves to protect your hands.
Insert the iFlex at a downward angle between the bottom edge of the screen and frame.
The Apple Watch Series 7 display is equipped with a plastic bezel on its rear side. If you want to reuse your display, avoid using too much pressure with the iFlex or you may separate the bezel from the screen.

Tried this for almost an hour, and I could not lift the display off at all. Broke the screen and chipped pieces of the screen as well.

Excalibert89 -

me too, I broke the screen

twstanek@gmail.com -

Yeah prolly gonna suggest an actual spudger for this step, or to be more detailed. Kept reheating the IOpener every 10mins keeping the watch under it for 5mins etc and it never budged after 3 hours of fiddling. Eventually broke the fine edge of the blade and scratched the casing, now the blade can't catch the groove and $8 down the drain.

Jeremiah Yoder -

As experienced with the user above I tried heating it up with the IOpener 6x every 10 mins and it’s still tough to open. At first I left it a full 10 minutes to try and soften the adhesive. Then the advised 1 min and 30. it still won’t lift up. A spudger will definitely help but will prolly break it if pulled too much.

Neal Quioyo -

Four rounds with the iOpener I got it open... but then.... a cascade of errors...

At some point while opening I saw a flash of lines across the screen. Significant?

Cleaned adhesive off the case and screen for an hour with Q tips and alcohol... perfect...

The replacement adhesive was not like in the photo, the tab to peel it was on a different corner, not a good start, it was very hard to position maybe easier for a lefty. Since it was so difficult to position, the blue protective cover was gone by the time It was well positioned with a spudger so once it was ready to test, it was sealed and the question will always be, is a cable unseated or was the display damaged opening it as it failed, it's awake, display is dark, it vibrates and makes noises with find my, but...

So I tried to reopen it and check the cables and the glass popped off the OLED, the new adhesive which I worked so hard to ensure integrity for unfortunately gripped way too well. I'll have to destroy it to pull off the display. :(

David Neff -

No dice. Used the iOpener three times, then cut my finger open because there was no good place to hold the watch when the blade slipped. I give up.

Roxanne Harvey -

I tried it exactly this way of opening the display with the exact same tools as given here. starting with peeling on the short screen side with the fine blade. But then white lines appeared on my screen... Why? because exactly at that spot are the flat cables connecting the screen with the watch. Such a stupid recommendation from iFixit. It seems like they just copied the text over from another repair without validating it. now I broke not one but two watch displays because of that. I am very diappointed. I dont recommend doing this repair by yourself....

Marlon Repair -

I got it to work with a single heating of the iOpener. Heat the iOpener and set it on the watch as described for 90 seconds. Using the edge of the knife (I used an exacto knife), gently press the edge into seam between the glass and case, you'll see it sink in very slightly. Pull the edge out, move it down along the seam a couple millimeters, and then press it into the seam again. Keep working it down along the seem, slowly pressing the edge of the knife in and pulling back. After about a minute of this the edge of the glass started separating from the case, and I was able to negotiate the corner with the knife. I stuck a spudger underneath the raised edge and continued working around the screen edge until it was completely separated.

Levi Noecker -

Same issue as others. Using an exact at the position described cut the data cable to the screen and destroyed my watch. Will be requesting a refund.

Jeremy Harkin -

Just destroyed my watch. Followed the instructions exactly as described. The place where they tell you to put the knife is where the data cable is, now my watch just shows random lines. The screen was not even lifting off yet, I had just pushed the knife at that spot and pried up.

Joe -

Same here. I just destroyed my 45mm stainless steel Watch series 7 by following this guide. As soon as i inserted the blade not even a millimeter in the position shown in the pictures (bottom end of the display) is seem to have seperated important display data lines. There is not even a warning for this in the instructions. I could have used the watch perfectly fine for several more months, the battery was just at 75% capacity. Now i have to decide between trying to fix it with an expensive replacement display or buy a new watch! Not happy, will be contacting customer service asap.

noname -

Same from me, this instruction destroyed my 45 mm watch as well. The display is broken and the new Akku doesn't work, because the connector is broken.

Fritz -

Se avessi letto prima i commenti precedenti non avrei neanche tentato la sostituzione della batteria, in quanto in questo passaggio quasi sicuramente danneggerete lo schermo come ho fatto io e altri che hanno provato, in pratica anche se il vetro rimane intatto, gli strati che compongono lo schermo si scolleranno tra loro e non funzionerà più, inizialmente vedrete comparire delle righe gialle e questo significa già che lo schermo è già andato. Adesso non mi rimane che buttarlo perché spendere altri 150€ per lo schermo nuovo non ne vale la pena su un dispositivo così vecchio, inoltre ho la batteria e l'adesivo che avevo già acquistato e le politiche di reso ti fanno desistere da rispedirla indietro per una spesa così bassa quale la batteria. Quindi il mio consiglio principale è non tentate neanche di aprirlo e semmai proprio volete provarci, acquistate la batteria dopo aver portato a termine la rimozione della vecchia.

Gianluca Risso -

Exactly the same issue as the users above. If you insert a tool at the bottom edge as shown, you are very likely to damage a ribbon cable going to the screen, resulting in the screen malfunctioning (vertical white bands in my case), and your watch will be ruined. I think you're better off starting from the lower half of the left edge (near the speaker, the opposite side from the buttons). I wish I'd read these comments before trying my repair.

Ken -

Passo 5

Prying up the screen may take multiple attempts. If you're having trouble, apply more heat and try again.
With one hand, push down firmly on the watch's frame to secure it in place.
With your free hand, hold the iFlex and push the edges up to make it more rigid.
The iFlex should be slightly "U" shaped.
Pry up the screen enough for the iFlex to lay flat on its own.
The iFlex doesn't need to be inserted far, as it can easily damage the screen cables near the bottom right corner of the watch.
Leave the iFlex inserted under the screen.

Passo 6

Do not insert your opening pick more than 3 mm under the screen when separating the adhesive, as you risk damaging your watches internals.
Keep the iFlex flat to maintain a gap between the screen and frame while inserting an opening pick.
Insert an opening pick between the screen and iFlex.
Remove the iFlex.

Passo 7

Slide the opening pick around the bottom left corner and up the left edge.

Passo 8

Slide the opening pick around the corner and along the long edge on the opposite side of the watch crown to slice the display adhesive.

Passo 9

Slide the opening pick around the corner to slice the remaining adhesive on the short edge of the watch next to the watch crown.
Don't try to remove the display. It is still connected to the watch assembly.

Passo 10

Be careful not to strain the display cables when you fold the display to the side.
Lift the display and carefully pull it towards the watch crown.
Swing the display open to an upward position.

Hallo, ich habe leider beim Ausbau des Displays das Flexkabel beschädigt was zum Akku führt. Wie lässt sich dieses Kabel denn bitte tauschen? LG Thomas

Th Ba -