In this video, we will restore a heavily destroyed iPhone 13 Pro. This iPhone 13 Pro’s screen and back cover are severely damaged.

Next, we install a known-good display to test the phone. The phone can be turned on. Face ID is unable to activate. There is no modem firmware.

Both the front and back cameras are not working.

In the first place, we replace the front and back cameras. Apply protection tape on the TrueDepth camera assembly.

After replacement, the back camera works again but only with 2x zoom. The front camera returns to function well. The malfunctioning modem firmware and cameras are caused by the motherboard middle layers

The next step is to remove the motherboard. The motherboard looks complete and not damaged. Attach the motherboard to the holder. As always, remove foam and dissipation tape.

Heat the motherboard at 170 °C. Add heat with a hot air gun at 330 °C. Remove the logic board.

It can be seen that there are many missing pads. Then clean the bonding pads with soldering iron at 370 °C and solder wick.

Open the bitmap to view the missing pads. There is only one missing pad that needs to be repaired.

Then we scrape to show the circuits under the pads. Clean the bonding pads with PCB cleaner.

Apply some middle-temperature solder paste. Solder with a hot air gun. Apply some paste flux. Put the soldering lugs in position. Solder with hot air gun again. After soldering, clean the bonding pads with PCB cleaner.

Apply some solder mask. Solidify with a UV lamp for about 1 minute. Scrape away residue solder mask to show the pads.

Then we need to recombine the motherboard. Apply some low-temperature solder paste to the bonding pads.

Put the signal board on the 170 °C heating platform to heat. After the solder balls are formed, apply some paste flux. Align the logic board. Keep heating the motherboard.

Install the motherboard for testing once it cools. Face ID is still not working. The modem firmware is restored. The rear camera works fine.

Then we inspect the TrueDepth camera assembly. Grind the metal plate. Remove the dot projector module. The CMOS of the infrared camera is damaged, which is unrepairable at the moment.

Next, we replace a brand-new back cover. Move flex cables and parts on the original back cover to the new cover. Apply new waterproof adhesive. Connect the display and turn on the phone. Everything else on the phone also works fine. That's as far as today's restoration goes.

Microsoft Surface Pro 5 is one of the popular products from Microsoft. It's pretty common to face some problems and today we will show you how to fix a Surface Pro 5 that won’t turn on. In the first place, we connect a Type-C cable with BY-006S to supply power. Then connect BY-006S with the Surface. It can be seen that both the charging and power supply are working fine. The Microsoft logo shows for a little while but then the device turns off. We can judge that the problem is caused by the motherboard.

Next, we need to take out the motherboard for further testing. Set the hot air gun to 180 °C and airflow 2. 

Heat each edge of the display back and forth for about 10 seconds.

After that, insert a plastic card from the gap of the speaker. Slice through the edges of the display. If you feel resistance while slicing, heat the edges again with a hot air gun and then continue slicing.  Please don’t damage the display and touch cables while lifting the screen.

Disconnect the display and touch flex cables. With the heat sink out of the way, we still have to remove a couple of components before the motherboard is free. The motherboard is trapped under one speaker and a camera bezel.

As the motherboard is out, we connect it with the power cable. Also, connect the display. The problem remains the same. The current stays at 0.32 ampere and then drops.

The next step is to measure the working conditions of the motherboard. Display working means that the standby and boot voltages are good. After confirming the voltages are normal, we continue to measure some signals.
Open the drawing. Search VCCST PWPGD. Measure if U1001K receives that signal. 

Open the bitmap to search R2257.

Supply power to the motherboard. Measure the voltage of pin 2 R2257. The voltage is 0.99 which is normal.

Open the drawing to search PM PCH PWROK R. The signal is from U2203, generated from SLP S3 and PM PCH PWROK. Find U2203 on the bitmap.

Then we measure pin 4 of U2203. Measure the voltage of pin 2 R2229. The voltage is 0 which is abnormal.  The normal value should be 3.3 volts.

Next, we measure the input voltages of pin 1 PM PCH PWROK and pin 2 SLP S3 for U2203. Find pin 2 of R2261 that is connected to pin 1. Measure the voltage for pin 2 of R2261. The voltage is 3.3 which is normal. Keep measuring pin 2 of R2260. The voltage is 3.3 which is normal. We can conclude that U2203 is faulty.

Then we remove the chip with a hot air gun at 430°C. Replace it with an original U2203 chip.

Next, clean the motherboard with PCB cleaner.  Measure pin 4 of U2203. The voltage is 3.3 which is normal.

The next move is to connect the screen and plug in the power cable to test. The Surface turns on and the fault is cleared.

Microsoft Surface series was once considered unrepairable with a repairability score down to 1. Replacement of any part requires removal of the display assembly, which is expensive, stubbornly glued in place, and prone to shattering. What’s worse, the battery is also firmly glued in place, with its connector pinned under the motherboard, requiring near-total disassembly for service. REWA LAB recommends that you should be extremely careful while doing surface repairs. Without any proper guidance, amateurs are not advised to perform surface repairs, as it is quite possible the display or other parts might get damaged during operation.

One of the major appearance differences between iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro is that iPhone 13 Pro has a smaller notch. After the iPhone 13 Pro teardown, we find that the TrueDepth camera system of iPhone 13 Pro is less of the flood illuminator than iPhone 12 Pro. The missing flood illuminator is one of the reasons why the notch is smaller.

The front camera module of iPhone 13 Pro is also smaller than iPhone 12 Pro. The dot projector is moved to the middle with obvious outlook differences. We guess it may have something to do with the missing flood illuminator. The missing flood illuminator is probably integrated with the dot projector.

In this video of a repair case, REWA LAB will find out where the missing flood illuminator is and what influences the change of design by Apple will bring to Face ID repairs.

The Face ID of the iPhone 13 Pro is not available. Then we take apart the phone. Disconnect the battery and remove the display.

To avoid potential damage, apply high-temperature tape on the front camera module before repairing. Next, yank the motherboard, earpiece speaker and front camera module out.

In the first place, we connect the front camera module with the programmer. Then connect the phone to the computer. Click “Pearl Unbind”.

After unbinding, attach the front camera module to the holder. Carefully grind the metal plate with a grinding pen. Pry up the metal plate with a sculpture knife. Then cut the pin.

The next step is to remove the dot projector with hot air gun at 120 °C. It can be seen that the dot projector of iPhone 13 Pro is integrated with the flood illuminator. The CMOS of the infrared camera is put aside.

Then we remove the chip with hot air gun at 330 °C. Clean the bonding pads with soldering iron at 360°C. Keep cleaning the bonding pads with solder wick. Please do not damage the gold wire or smudge the CMOS during operations.Scrub the bonding pads with PCB cleaner.

Apply some paste flux to the bonding pads. Align the PCB board. Solder the board with hot air gun at 330°C

To facilitate subsequent IC soldering, we flatten the bonding pads. Then put the IC in position. Solder the chip with hot air gun at 330°C.

After that, we connect the flex cable with the programmer. Connect the phone with the computer. The new IC binds the phone successfully.

Next, we install the flex cable for testing. The settings of Face ID can be open and the flood illuminator works fine.

Then we need to assemble the front camera module. After alignment, apply some adhesive

Once the adhesive is set, install the front camera module. Connect the screen and battery. Turn on the phone. Face ID can be set up and works perfectly.

The flood illuminator of iPhone 13 Pro is integrated with the dot projector, which can make the notch smaller but brings new challenges for Face ID repairs. Compared to the old method of flex cable replacement and module transfer, the new way is more difficult and demanding for handwork. REWA LAB recommends non-professionals do not try this as it might damage the Face ID for good. We will keep you posted on the latest Face ID repair solutions for iPhone 13 series.

If your phone battery is in a low health condition, like 80%, it's time to replace a new one. Here are some tips for display replacement. We will bring you a case iPhone X as a reference. All you need is a repair kit and a new battery. The repair kit should be included as below: tweezers, screwdrivers, pry piece, suction cup, heating pad, spudger, battery adhesive, and waterproof adhesive.

Firstly, please long press the phone to turn it off. Then you can use a pentagon screwdriver to unscrew the screws at the bottom of the phone. Please pay attention to putting the screws aside well. You can place the screen face down on the pad for about 2-3 minutes after the heating pad is up to the temperature of 70—80°c. And fix the suction cup at the bottom of the phone, lift the screen gently, and insert a pry piece underneath. Gradually move around the edge of the display, separating the screen along the gap. The display assembly is still connected to the iPhone by cables, so don't try to remove it completely. Again, please pay attention to the position of the cable to avoid damage. The angle should not be greater than 90 degrees to prevent breaking the flex cable. The process of removing the cover is done.

Next, use a Tri-wing screwdriver to unscrew the screws on the shielding cover of the cable connector. You can use a spudger slightly to extricate the battery and the connector between the screen and motherboard. Now, continue to follow instructions step by step. Detach the earpiece speaker flex cable, and remove the old display assembly.

Then, please use tweezers to clean up the battery adhesive. It's suggested to detach the Taptic Engine and loudspeaker better to remove the adhesive at the bottom of the battery. Again, use a Tri-wing screwdriver to unscrew the screws on the speaker flex cable and detach the shielding cover.
 
After taking out the loudspeaker and Taptic Engine, let's continuously remove the battery adhesive. Because the adhesive at the bottom of the battery has been for a long time, it's hard to remove it. We need to drop some alcohol to help clean up. Drop the alcohol around the edge of the battery, and leave it to penetrate and evaporate. Use tweezers to make it lose, take out the old battery, and continue to remove the rest adhesive. Please keep removing the waterproof adhesive around the frame. And replace the Taptic Engine and loudspeaker. Remember to tighten the screws and replace it with the new battery.
 

Tear off the film of the battery adhesive, and make its glue adhere to the battery. Press it slightly, and tear off the film. Please put on the new battery, and press it slightly. Use a spudger to disengage the battery connector. Reassemble the display cable, touch cable, and continuously.
 
Please turn it on. Check the health condition of the battery. 
It shows the maximum capacity of the battery now is 100%. Please turn it off. Tear off the waterproof adhesive. Make it adhere to the phone body. Press lightly with tweezers to make it adhesive. Tear off the film. Reassemble the display cable and touch cable. Reassemble the earpiece speaker flex cable, and connect the battery. Install the shielding cover, and tighten the screws. Take off the waterproof adhesive around the frame. Buckle the phone screen.

Please turn it on again. Let's do some battery tests. 
First is the wired charging test. Next is the wireless charging test. It's working. Both are working.

The above guidance is about the battery replacement process. If you have any problems or advice, please leave us a comment below. 
 

Apple's iPhone 13 Pro is the first iPhone with 1TB of storage. The 1TB version costs $500 more than the 128GB version. That’s a lot of money for the general consumers. In this video, REWA LAB will show you how to upgrade 128 GB iPhone 13 Pro to 1TB. At the end of the video, we will share the cost and the pros & cons of the storage upgrade.

The capacity of the iPhone 13 Pro is 128 GB. ProRes capture of the 128 GB iPhone 13 Pro is supported for up to 30fps at 1080P.

Then we turn off the phone. Disconnect the battery and remove the display. Protect the front camera module with specialized tape.

Take the motherboard out. Peel off foam and dissipation tape on the motherboard. The NAND is right under the A15 tape. To avoid potential damage, apply high-temperature tape around the NAND.

Remove corner adhesive with hot air gun at 330 °C. After the corner adhesive is removed, heat the NAND with hot air gun at 420 °C. Pry up the NAND gently with a pry blade.The NAND of iPhone 13 series is not locked as the iPhone 12 series. The NAND can be replaced without writing the original data.

Get a 1TB NAND. The 1 TB NAND is much thicker than the 128 GB.

Apply some middle-temperature solder paste to the bonding pads. Clean the bonding pads with soldering iron at 380 °C. Keep cleaning the bonding pads with solder wick. Clean the adhesive on the bonding pads with hot air gun at 330 °C.

The next step is to clean the bonding pads with PCB Cleaner. Once the bonding pads are clean, we need to reball the 1TB NAND. Align the reballing stencil and apply some middle-temperature solder paste. Heat with hot air gun to form the solder balls.

Next, we need to solder the new NAND. Apply some paste flux to the bonding pads. Put the NAND in position. Solder with hot air gun at 380 °C.

Put back the foam and dissipation tape. Then install the motherboard and the display. Connect the phone with computer to flash. After flashing, we activate the iPhone. The storage has been successfully upgraded to 1 TB. ProRes capture is supported for up to 30fps at 4K.

If you want to upgrade your iPhone 13 Pro, a 1TB NAND costs around 100 USD. Excluding labor cost and others, the cost of storage upgrade can be much cheaper than a brand-new 1TB device. However, you will lose warranty for devices under coverage if you choose to upgrade storage. The value of the phone will decrease after storage upgrade. In addition, storage upgrade can have certain risks and is demanding for the repair technicians. Improper operations may lead to not turning on, running slow, etc..

Provided your budget is enough, we recommend that you choose the model that fits your storage needs. Please resort to a reputable repair service center if you want storage upgrade for your device.

With the diffused application of Face ID on iPhone X - 11 series, Face ID failure also appears at a high frequency. As our previous Face ID teardown video   has introduced, Face ID can be easily damaged and hardly repaired. If the problem is related to the flex cable, then it’s simple. However, based on statistics of REWA chip-level motherboard repair service , Face ID failure is caused by damage of the Flood illuminator/Dot Projector in most cases, which can not be repaired.

Today, we want to share a case about ‘move iPhone a little lower/higher when setting up Face ID’ and show you how our technicians find out the fault in 3 minutes with the help of REWA exclusive repair tricks on Face ID troubleshooting. Let’s get started!

Face ID Not Working Malfunction

The phone keeps sending messages: ‘move iPhone a little lower/higher’ during the setting up process of Face ID. It means that Face ID cannot be set up successfully on the phone.

Why is my face id not available troubleshooting

Now, let’s find out the fault step by step.

Step 1 Test The Flood Illuminator

Based on REWA exclusive repair tricks, let's start with the Flood Illuminator. There are two important Face ID parts whose behavior relies on the support of the Flood Illuminator. In our daily repair work, we can test the Proximity Sensor and the Ambient Light Sensor to confirm whether the Flood Illunmunator is working normally.

Let’s make a phone call to confirm whether the Proximity Sensor is working. During the phone call, cover the top of the screen with one hand. We can see that the screen turns black immediately. Judging by this, the Proximity Sensor is working normally. 

Next, test the Ambient Light Sensor. Set the screen brightness to the lowest and then hold the phone under a bright light. With the screen getting brighter, we can confirm that the Ambient Light Sensor is also working normally. Judging by this, the Face ID failure is not caused by Flood Illuminator. 

Step 2 Test The Front Camera Parts

Let’s move on to the next step of face id not working - test the front camera parts.

Open the camera app and swipe to Portrait Mode. The background is not blurred, which is abnormal.

Step 3 Observing The Dot Projector

At the Portrait Mode, there is no flashing red light from the Dot Projector. But the Dot Projector should emit flashing red light in normal status. We can confirm now that the Dot Projector has malfunctioned. This is the fault that causes the Face ID to set up failure. And the problem cannot be fixed.

Tips

The three parts ( infrared camera, flood illuminator and dot projector) are paired to the phone. Damage of any one of them can cause Face ID failure and such an issue is irreparable.

Right now, Face ID failure has become a common problem in our daily repair work. Whether the problem you are dealing with can be repaired or not is really an important thing for repair technicians. Don’t worry! REWA exclusive repair tricks on face id not working can be a great reference for repair technicians to find out faulty positions and improve repair efficiency.For details of this case, please check out the YouTube Video below.

Wanna learn basic knowledge about iPhone motherboard, master iPhone micro-soldering techniques, understand the work-flow of different iPhone circuits, master troubleshooting processes of different iPhone issues, and learn detailed screen/back glass refurbishing steps?

REWA Academy is a platform that provides repair technique learning, practical demonstration, and idea-sharing for practitioners in the electronic repair industry. 

Hot Air Guns are commonly used for desoldering/soldering in Face ID repair. However, the operation of a hot air gun is difficult and it can easily bring damage to components. And that’s why REWA LAB brings you this brand-new Heating Platform. Specially designed for Face ID repair, the heating platform can heat Face ID parts evenly and efficiently with simple operation.

Function

1. Supports motherboard Separation & lamination for iPhone X/XS/XS Max/11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max2. Preheats the Truedepth Camera System Module and Earpiece Flex Cable to repair Separate Front Camera & Infrared Camera Separate the glass on the Dot Projector Swap the Flood illuminator, Proximity sensor, and Ambient light sensor to a new flex cable 3. For iPhone 11 series USB Module repair(Featured Product - iFace Dot Projector Detector for Face ID Repair)Best choice repair tools for face ID not working

For more product demonstrations, click on the video below

Due to the vulnerability of the Face ID parts, it can be easily damaged when the phone is dropped or during screen replacement. And that’s what our blog is about today. iPhone X Face ID Not Available caused by broken flex cable of the Face ID parts. This is also a reminder. Please be careful in your daily use of the phone!

How Does Face ID Work

With user’s face closing to the screen, the proximity sensor starts the recognition process. The flood illuminater helps the TrueDepth camera system determine how much illumination will be needed for face recognition. 

The dot projector projects over 30,000 dots in a known pattern onto the user’s face. Those dots are then photographed by infrared camera for analysis.

A 3D map of user’s face are then completed. The 3D model is then compared against the stored template. The phone authenticates the identity and unlocks or authorizes a payment.

Step 1 Test

Press the power button to turn on the phone. The iPhone X shows an alert that says it is ‘unable to activate Face ID on this iPhone’.

Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Reset Face ID. When trying to set up Face ID on the iPhone X, we get the message 'Face ID is Not Available, try setting up Face ID later'.Judging by this, Face ID relevant circuit has probably malfunctioned. We need to check components on Face ID relevant circuit.

Step 2 Diagnose

Take apart the phone and disconnect the battery. We can see that the infrared camera module flex cable is broken. So the fault is probably caused by malfunction of the infrared camera.

Remove the Face ID parts. We can see clearly that the infrared camera module flex cable is broken.

Step 3 Troubleshoot

Fix the infrared camera module flex cable with High-temperature Tape. Then scrap off insulating varnish on the cable with the Sculpture Knife.

Notes: control the force applied when scrapping. The flex cable might be further damaged during the operation.As we all know, the Face ID parts cannot be replaced. So we need to treat the broken flex cable with jumper wiring.

Step 4 Jump-wiring

Continue to apply Paste Flux to the broken flex cable. Then heat with the Soldering Iron and tin the broken flex cable with solder paste. Once done, clean with PCB Cleaner.

Again, apply Paste Flux to the broken flex cable. Here we need the Enameled Copper Wire of 0.02mm in diameter. Heat up with the Soldering Iron and solder the two ends of the wire to the two pins of the broken cable.

Once done, cut off the excess wire with Sculpture Knife.Notes: keep the soldering iron tip away from pins of undamaged cables to prevent these pins from getting shorted.Once completed, check again to make sure that there is no shorted pin or pseudo soldering condition. Clean thoroughly with PCB Cleaner afterwards.

Step 6 Solidify

Once done, apply some UV Curable Solder Mask to the jumper wiring area for insulation protection.

Continue to solidify the flex cable under the UV Dryer Lamp. Stick High-temperature Tape/Solder Joint Sticker on the jumper wiring area to reinforce.

Step 7 Test

Next, let’s assemble the phone and test. Get the Face ID parts and the display assembly installed and the battery connected. Press the power button to turn on the phone. The phone turns on normally.

Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Reset Face ID. Face ID can be set up successfully. The screen can be unlocked automatically.

Tools & Parts Needed

Hot Air Gun Rework Station

Integrated Mobile Phone Repair Platform

iPhone Disassembling Tool Kits

Electron Microscope

You can also visit REWA YouTube Channel to check our video and learn how to fix iPhone X Face ID not available efficiently.

iPhone 12 has been released for a while. Many users claimed that Face ID sometimes is not working. So how to fix iPhone 12 Face ID not working issue? Let’s bring you detailed instructions.

If "Face ID is not available" appears on your screen, try restarting your device. In the event that there is an updated version, please update after backing up important data.

1. Check to ensure that the TrueDepth camera is not blocked by any object

Make sure the mobile phone case or screen protector does not block the TrueDepth camera on the iPhone or iPad. Also, check if there is any residue or dirt.

2. Make sure your face is not covered

Ensure the TrueDepth camera can fully scan your eyes, nose and mouth. If your mouth is blocked by an object such as a mask, the Face ID will not be used normally. On the condition that you wear a mask, the system will automatically ask you to enter your password.

3, Make sure you are facing the TrueDepth camera:

The Face ID can only be used properly on the iPhone when you are facing the in the right way. On the iPad, you can use the Face ID when the iPad is in any screen direction mode.

4. Reset the Face ID or add an alternative appearance

Go to "Settings" - "Face ID and Password". Enter the password and then tap "Set Up an Alternate Appearance".

In these cases, you need to manually enter your password:

Your face is covered by a mask or something else

The device just turned on or restarted;

The device is in a locked state for more than 48 hours;

Haven’t used the password to unlock the device in the past six days, and haven’t unlocked with Face ID in the past 4 hours;

The device received a remote lock order;

The facial matching attempt failed five times;

Press and hold any volume buttons and side buttons for 2 seconds to shut down / launch SOS emergency contact.

The above is the introduction to the iPhone 12 Face ID not working solution. Hope it can help everyone!

Today we will share a repair case on how to repair iPhone X Face ID not working.

The phone used to keep restarting. After testing, it was found that the earpiece flex cable was faulty. We replaced it with a new earpiece flex cable. The restarting problem was fixed but Face ID was not working and True Tone disappeared. This is because Face ID needs dot projector, infrared camera and floodlight illuminator to work together. The three parts are encrypted separately, so each part is indispensable. Both damage and replacement will result in the Face ID not working. The dot projector and infrared camera can be fixed if damaged. Because its data is bound to the motherboard, the floodlight illuminator on the earpiece flex cable can’t be repaired if damaged. Since the floodlight illuminator is in the earpiece flex cable, the data is hard to read.

If the Face ID is not working because the earpiece flex cable has been replaced or damaged, there is no way to repair it. But recently this type of problem has a solution and the original flex cable is no longer needed.

In the first place, we need to jailbreak the iPhone. Connect the phone with the computer. Open the software and click “Start”. The phone is in recovery mode automatically. Put the phone into DFU mode manually. The jailbreaking has succeeded.

Then connect the phone to J-BOX. Connect the J-BOX to the computer. Select “Face”. Begin reading data. We can see that the data of the distance sensor and ambient light sensor don’t  match the data on the motherboard. It can be confirmed that the earpiece flex cable has been replaced, which resulted in the Face ID not working.

Open the JCID Repair Assistant. Click “Detect” and unlock automatically.

Then we use V1S to write the data. Connect V1S and phone to the computer. Get a new JC earpiece flex cable. Attach the earpiece flex cable to V1S.

Open the JCID Repair Assistant again. Click “Connect” and start testing.

Click “Activate FPC”. Bind the flex cable to the phone.

Next, we only need to install the new flex cable with written data.
Disassemble the phone and disconnect the flex cables. Remove the display assembly and detach the earpiece flex cable. Install the new earpiece flex cable. Connect the display assembly. Assemble the phone. Turn on the phone to test. True Tone has been restored. Face ID can be set up and is working normally.