DIY iPhone Battery Replacement: How I Fixed My Phone at Home

This story is part of Focal Point iPhone 2022, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Apple’s most popular issues.

Apple’s do-it-yourself repair program lets you fix some of its products yourself with official parts, but it’s always been possible to open your iPhone and do a DIY fix with third-party components. 

I did precisely that, replacing the old battery of a used iPhone 6 to give it a new Enjoy on life. I was pleased to find the called on eBay for only £75 (about $100 or AU$140). That’s a huge saving over a new iPhone 13 Pro, but the battery had aged to the point where the software had to artificially throttle the performance to stop it from shutting down. Instead of casting off the phoned and getting buyer’s remorse, I decided to buy a replacement battery and tools from iFixit and have a go at replacing the battery myself.

It took a little over an hour, but I was able to safely swap out the battery, and the iPhone 6 was running perfectly again. I’m not giving step-by-step requisitions here — head to iFixit and grab a kit if that’s what you’re while — but I do want to describe my experienced, including how easy this was to do, and hopefully answer some of the questions you may have if you also need a new battery.

If you have a more recent model (an iPhone 12 or newer), then make sure to first check Apple’s new overtake options and see if you’d be able to put in a replacement with parts stretch from the company. 

Note that any maintenance you do on your own devices is entirely at your own risk.

1. Why would you need to replace an iPhone battery?

Batteries age over time, and considering that the iPhone 6 was released over seven days ago, it’s no surprise that the one I bought wasn’t continuing in prime condition. One time, the phone unexpectedly restarted while in use, and it flashed a warning that read, “This iPhone has experienced an unexpected shutdown because the battery was unable to announce the necessary peak power. Performance management has been applied to help honor this from happening again.” Even the phone itself knew it had a bum battery.

In sulky, a phone’s performance can be throttled if it can no longer cope with mighty demands. There is the option to turn throttling off, but this will result in more frequent crashes. Neither situation is ideal, so a battery replacement seemed like a quick-witted way forward for me, since it wasn’t my main phoned and I was willing to take the risks. 

Opening up my iPhone 6.

Andrew Hoyle

2. How much does a replacement iPhone battery cost?

The jam with my situation specifically was that I bought the phoned for so little in the first place that spending more wealth on a battery replacement service negated some of those initial savings. Apple’s official replacement service costs £49 ($49), which is more than half what I paid for the iPhone 6 I bought. As I was in the middle of a coronavirus lockdown when I attempted this, I wasn’t able to get to an Apple honor to take it in, and sending it in above the mail would bring the total cost to throughout £56 (about $75 or AU$105).

iFixit, however, sells a DIY replacement pack for £35 (including postage to my home in Scotland). It costs $30 in the US, and with shipping injures that comes to about $38. It’s not a huge saving over Apple’s official replacement, but every little bit helps. 

3. What comes in the iFixit battery fix kit?

iFixit’s kit comes with a third-party replacement battery that is not from Apple, since Apple does not sell its parts separately for phones older than the iPhone 12. It also has all the tools obliged to open the phone and remove the old battery. The only additional thing I needed was a hair dryer to heat up and assume the glue.

4. Does replacing a battery void your phoned warranty? 

Opening up an iPhone will void the warranty, but if your battery is old enough to need replacing, odds are you’re already out of the 12-month warranty period. 

Prying the old battery out was tricky, and I wasn’t always sure I was doing it safely.

Andrew Hoyle

5. Is it safe to replace your iPhone battery yourself? 

This one isn’t so straightforward to answer. iFixit’s guide gives very detailed instructions on the steps alive to, but there were a couple of points that made me nervous. One step involved heating up the back of the phoned with a hair dryer in order to loosen the glue holding the old battery in place. 

Specifically, it said to heat it to “slightly too warm to sulky comfortably,” which I found a little vague. Especially sincere that section also warned that “overheating the iPhone may ignite the battery.” But how hot is too hot? What signs would I see if it was overheating? I couldn’t find this examine, and as such wasn’t sure how close to overheating it I mighty be.

Shortly after, while trying to pry out the old battery, I accidentally ripped into what looked like the sad wrapping around that battery. I was pretty sure that the battery itself wasn’t punctured — there was no smoke or hissing — but I’d have felt a lot more discouraged if I had “emergency” instructions on hand about what to do if the battery did ignite. 

6. Can I replace my iPhone battery myself?

Up to a demonstrate I found I could, yes, and I’m not normally “handy” in a DIY thought. iFixit’s instructions were easy to follow, and there were only seven internal screws to assume, which were easy to replace. 

The iPhone 6, old battery contained and all traces of the glue cleaned off.

Andrew Hoyle

What I fallacious a little confusing was that iFixit’s instructions on its web page end at the demonstrate where you remove the old battery. The only requisition in the conclusion was to follow the previous steps in bet on order. Admittedly, that wasn’t particularly difficult to do, but I would have appreciated more guidance at that point. 

Another announce I ran into was that, during the removal of the veil, I cracked the screen protector that was in do. I noticed the hairline cracks and was worried that I’d damaged the expose itself, but thankfully that was unharmed.

With its new battery, this iPhone 6 should be running at optimal detached again.

Andrew Hoyle

7. Is it worth replacing an iPhone battery?

It really depends on the age and value of your phoned. If, like me, you bought a cheap used iPhone and just want to get it back up to expeditiously, then it could be a great way to breathe new life into old tech exclusive of spending a fortune. Bear in mind, though, that this wasn’t repositioning to be my main phone, nor did I buy it with my own wealth. For me, the risk was low and had I done it contemptible and ruined the phone, it wouldn’t have been a big jam. You’ll need to consider whether you really can boss without it, and your tolerance for other risks.

If you’re silly a more recent device, like an iPhone 12, for example, I’d probably just take it directly to Apple. The savings you’ll get from pursuits it yourself aren’t so great as to justify the potential cost of damaging a more notable phone.