Apple has its own Do-it-yourself programBut even if you don't use it, it's easy to replace your iPhone's battery yourself at home. By purchasing some affordable third-party components and a variety of tools, you can open up your iPhone and replace an old, worn-out battery or cracked screen, often for less than it would cost to have a professional do it for you.
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I did just that, replacing the old battery in my worn-out iPhone 6 and breathing new life into it. I was delighted when I found the phone on eBay in 2020 for just £75 (about $100 or AU$140). While that was a significant savings over a new iPhone 15 Pro, the battery had deteriorated to the point where the software had to artificially limit performance to prevent it from shutting down. Instead of throwing the phone away and regretting it, I decided to buy a replacement battery and tools from iFixit and attempt a battery swap myself.
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It took me a little over an hour, but I successfully replaced the battery and got my iPhone 6 working perfectly again. I won't provide step-by-step instructions here — you can head over to iFixit and get a kit if you need one — but I hope to share my experience, show you how easy the process was, and answer any questions you may have if you're in need of a new battery.
If you have a newer model (iPhone 12 or newer), you should first check out Apple's new repair options to see if you can get a replacement part directly from the company.
Please note that any maintenance you perform on your own device is at your own risk.
1. Why do I need to replace my iPhone battery?
Batteries degrade over time, and considering it's been almost a decade since the iPhone 6 was released, it's no wonder the iPhone I bought wasn't performing at its best. At one point, the phone suddenly rebooted while I was using it, and showed a warning that read, “This iPhone shut down unexpectedly because the battery couldn't deliver the required peak power. Performance management has been applied to prevent this issue from recurring.” The phone itself also knew that the battery was bad.
This means that the phone's performance may be throttled if it can no longer keep up with the power demands. There's an option to turn off throttling, but this results in more frequent crashes. Neither situation is ideal, but since it's not my primary phone and I was willing to take the risk, a battery swap seemed like the smart move for me.
2. How much does it cost to replace an iPhone battery?
The problem in my case is that I bought the phone so cheaply to begin with, that spending more on the battery replacement service wiped out some of the initial savings. Apple's replacement service costs £49 ($49), more than half the price of the iPhone 6 I bought. I attempted this during the coronavirus lockdown, so couldn't pop into an Apple store to drop it off, and would have had to mail it in, bringing the total cost to about £56 (about $75 or AU$105).
However, iFixit sells a DIY replacement pack for £35 (including shipping to my home in Scotland). It costs $30 in the US, which comes to about $38 with shipping. It's not a massive savings over Apple's replacement, but every little bit counts. It also means you'll still have the tools you need in case you want to do this again in the future. All you'll need to buy next time is a battery.
3. What's included in an iFixit Battery Repair Kit?
iFixit's kit comes with a replacement battery from a third party. do not have You don't need to buy any parts from Apple, as the company doesn't sell them separately for phones older than the iPhone 12. It also comes with all the tools you need to open up the phone and remove the old battery — the only other thing you'll need is a hair dryer to heat up and remove the adhesive.
4. Will replacing the battery void my phone's warranty?
Opening your iPhone will void your warranty, but if your battery is old enough that it needs replacing, it's likely that the 12-month warranty period has already expired.
5. Is it safe to replace my iPhone battery myself?
This question isn't easy to answer, and while iFixit's guide provides very detailed instructions on the steps required, there were a few things that left me uneasy. One step required me to heat the back of the phone with a hair dryer to loosen the adhesive holding the old battery in place.
Specifically, it said to “warm the device until it's uncomfortable to touch,” which I thought was a bit vague, especially since that section also warned that “overheating your iPhone can cause the battery to catch fire.” But how hot is too hot? What are the signs that it's overheating? I couldn't find this information, and it didn't tell me how close I was to overheating.
Shortly afterwards, while trying to pry open the old battery, I accidentally ripped through what appeared to be black wrapping the battery was wrapped around. I was certain the battery itself was not punctured, as there was no smoke or hissing noise. However, I would have felt more at ease if I had had “emergency” instructions handy on what to do if the battery caught fire.
6. Can I replace the iPhone battery myself?
I found that it's possible to a certain extent, but I'm not the greatest DIYer. iFixit's instructions were clear and there were only seven internal screws to remove, making the replacement easy.
What confused me was that the instructions on the iFixit website end with removing the old battery, and the only instruction at the end is to follow the previous steps in reverse. Admittedly, that wasn't particularly difficult, but I wish there had been more instructions at the time.
I did encounter one other issue in the process: when I removed the screen, the screen protector I had put on cracked. I noticed a hairline crack and was worried that I might have damaged the display itself, but thankfully it was unscathed.
7. Is it worth replacing my iPhone battery?
It depends on the age and value of your phone. If, like me, you just want to buy a cheap used iPhone and get it up to speed, it could be a great way to breathe new life into old tech without spending a fortune. Keep in mind, though, that this isn't going to be your main phone, and I didn't buy it with my own money. In my case, the risk was low. If I made a mistake and broke my phone, it wouldn't have been a big deal. You should consider whether you could really get by without your phone and what your tolerance for other risks is.
For example, if you have a newer device, like the iPhone 14 or 15, we recommend taking it to Apple in person. The amount of money you'll save by doing it yourself isn't great enough to justify the potential cost of damaging a more expensive phone.
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