today i am going to show you how to replacea cracked camera lens on an iphone 7, and 7 plus. the process is the same for both phone models,and you don't even have to open up your phone. only attempt this project if your crackedcamera lens is keeping you from using your camera.
quote for apple, several things can go wrong during this repair,which ill explain as i go, and you really don't want to risk anything unless you havenothing left to lose. now that we have that out of the way, letsget started. [intro]
i am using a bonafide hardware glass cameralens replacement for this project. ill link these down in the video description. they are pretty inexpensive and you can findthem on amazon. bonafide hardware sells two versions of thislens. one with a frame, that is way harder to install,and then this 'glass only' version, which is what we are going to use today. it is incredibly small, but it is precisioncut for the iphone 7. now we start one of the hardest parts of thisproject. removing the old cracked glass.
heat is going to be your best friend duringthis process. if you have hair, you can use your blow dryer. as for me, i am going to use a heat gun, illwarm up the lens until it is just barely too hot to touch with my finger. as you are pulling the glass chunks out fromthe little circle make sure nothing falls into the camera itself. the camera, that you see underneath this brokenlens, is very fragile in more ways than one. first, it can scratch very very easily. which means if any of the glass chunks brushup against the actual camera, you'll lose
your focus ability. also, there are moving parts inside the camerathat are a part of the optical image stabilization, and these moving parts can get jammed up byglass dust. so you want to keep the inside as free fromdust and glass bits as possible. i like to use a sturdy sharp razor blade toremove the glass chunks, but you can also use a pair of metal tweezers. you'll probably want to warm up the lens aboutevery 30 seconds or so, since it does cool down pretty fast. the adhesive gets tough when it cools down.
you can hold the phone vertically to helpkeep the glass and adhesive from falling inside; using gravity to your advantage. you do want to clean off that entire innerridge. because if there are any dust or adhesive'pressure points' left when you install the new lens, the new glass will be more proneto breaking. you want that surface as flat as possible. now we have that inner ledge pretty well cleanedup. this looks big on your screen right now. but in real life it is incredibly small.
this is like a repair project for ants. you can see how the camera moves around insidethe frame. this is part of the mechanical stabilizationi was talking about earlier. thumbs up for apple finally implementing ois. also, at this point, the camera can stilltake clear pictures and focus just fine even without a glass lens in place. now to install this lens ill need some clearsilicone. this can be purchased at literally any hardwarestore, and it is dirt cheap. ill include some in the video descriptionas well though.
this clear sealant is made for aquariums,sinks, tubs, and anything that might come in contact with water. so technically, your iphone 7 will still keepits water resistance with the new lens installed. but i still recommend avoiding water eitherway. this adhesive is also rubbery, so it willallow the lens to fluctuate with any temperature changes and not crack. i am going to take a wooden toothpick andgently 'dab' some of the rubber sealant all around that inside shelf of the lens frame. go slow.
don't let any stray silicon strands drapelike a spider web over the camera unit. it'll be a nightmare to clean up inside ofthat hole. so go slow and be careful. this stuff doesn't dry very fast, so you haveplenty of time to make sure the silicon is evenly spread around the edge. now, the bonafide hardware lens replacementfor the iphone 7 has two sides to it. one side is glossy, and the other side ismore of a matte finish. you want the glossy side facing outwards. the camera will still function if you getthe direction wrong, its just more aesthetically
pleasing if you get the shiny side facingout. im going to remove the plastic cover overthe matte side, and then gently set the lens down into the hole we cleared and alreadyadded silicon to, and ill press it into place. firmly, but gently, keep in mind that it isstill glass. as long as there is no glass dust or bitsof hard adhesive under the new lens it shouldn't crack under pressure. the bonafide hardware glass is just as thickas the original. if your lens did not come with the protectiveplastic shields, just make sure it is clean on the underside before you install it.
it takes about 45 minutes for the siliconto get super tacky, and a full 24 hours to fully cure, or dry. so hold it in place with your finger for abouta minute or two before wiping off the exes silicon. silicon is very easy to clean up when it iswet. it just wipes away. unlike super glue. which would be a royal mess. make sure the lens is flat inside its littleframe.
and try not to disturb it for at least 2 hours,or better, leave it alone over night. my focus ability is still intact after replacingthe lens, it would be difficult to tell that the lens was ever cracked in the first place. its kinda fun that you can fix your iphonecamera lens with some fish tank sealant, a tooth pick, and some replacement glass. speaking of which, i have a spare lens justto show that the bonafide lens is indeed real glass, and here is both lenses side by side. on the left side is an original piece of appleiphone glass, and on the right side is the bonafide hardware glass.
both are the same thickness, and pretty inexpensive. it might be smart to buy 2 lenses just incase something goes wrong with the install. hopefully this video was helpful! you can always find my behind the scenes stuffposted on twitter and instagram. lets see who's still awake and made it tothe end of the video... tell me what you had for breakfast in thecomments. i had a bowl of chocolate cheerios with ascope of protein in it... which actually now sounds kinda weird nowthat i say it out loud. i do read all the comments!
even if i cant respond to every single oneof them. thanks for watching! ill see you around.
