Is it feasible to repair the screen of an iPad 9.7" by myself?

Question

I have an early 2018 iPad 9.7" (not the pro version). Here is what it looks like currently: https://i.sstatic.net/cRlpY.jpg. The touch screen still works, so I think it's just the glass surface that's broken.

I tried googling and going on ifixit.com to find resources on how to replace the screen, but it seems everything that's available is for the iPad pro 9.7", so I'm not sure if that's applicable for me. I tried Googling as well, and it's the same issue.

Has anyone attempted a glass screen replacement by themself before? I'm not great with my hands, but at the same time, I'm not sure if I have anything to lose by trying. The iPad is out of warranty, and cost of repair at Apple or a 3rd party would probably be more expensive than the iPad.

Answer 1

It is not easy at all. Bloody everything is glued! So you have to carefully use a hair dryer (or ideally a heat gun) and apply the right pressure to remove such glued items. Too much heat or pressure or the wrong tool, and you end up with another damaged part.

I have tried to repair an old iPad 2 whose battery needed replacement. In the process of opening the iPad, I accidently broke the screen ribbon cable! So now I had to repair two things.

Identifying the right part to buy needs research. Finding a compatible part (not original, as Apple doesn't supply it outside its authorised service centers) is a pain too, but with a little diligence on chinese ecommerce sites (like aliexpress.com) you can get it. (Ofcourse, you have to trust God and the chinese seller to not cheat you and ship you all the right working part along with the necessary tools).

This is not to discourage you in any manner - I just want to inform you to be ready to spend some time and be very careful while dismantling and reassembling the parts. It can be done but you may make mistakes as you learn to repair it. Watch many repair videos carefully and fully on Youtube (and other sites) before attempting it.

It is really sad that Apple lobbies against Right to Repair legislations in the US, and abroad when such things can really benefit us consumers, and only make a negligible impact on Apple's profit margin while also increasing its brand value.

Answer 2

No. Buy 4 broken iPads of that era for scrap value and work on those. You will know when you’re ready to work on a live iPad once you can tear down other ones without causing more physical damage to them.

• just getting the glass off without breaking the display cables is quite a feat let alone getting it all glued back together again.
• Work on a tear down without breaking anything https://www.ifixit.com/Device/iPad_6 and pay a pro to work on your device is my overall advice

Repetition is what makes a good repair person, and careful research and the best tools. If you bend the frame of a phone or iPad or don’t know it’s bent, you will struggle with the tight tolerances. Sourcing parts is also a challenge.

I strongly encourage people that are interested to try their hand at tear downs if you ensure you don’t start a fire from the lithium batteries and will responsibly recycle the parts afterwards with Apple or another reputable vendor. (Tear down meaning the goal is education and you know it will never work again.)