Chosen Solution
I’m trying to replace the battery in a family member’s 2016 iphone SE. I bought the ifixit kit including the tools, which included a suction cup to grip onto the screen, allowing opening the phone after removing the two pentalobe tools. (It didn’t include the iclack pliers that have two suction cups). However, I find there is no way to open the phone with the suction cup. It doesn’t stick onto the screen firmly enough. The screen is clean and not broken. I have tried using the suction cup both dry and moistened and it doesn’t make any difference. The cup just pops off. The screen had a protective film (aftermarket screen protector) that has now been removed, so maybe that left some kind of lubrication layer? I guess I could try cleaning the screen with Windex, though there is no obvious residue on it at the moment. I just thought of the Windex approach while writing this, so maybe it is the obvious thing to try, but I thought I would ask whether anyone else has encountered this issue and has any other suggestions. Thanks.
I remember seeing this somewhere in an iFixit guide, but if a suction cup is not working, you can also try fashioning a handle from tape Stronger taper is better, but SE screen, pops open rather easily since there is no adhesive holding it closed, so even packing tape might do the job. I would also caution against using Windex. It contains ammonia which can damage some of the coatings on many electronic displays. Typically I use a screen cleaner specifically for electronic devices or just a microfiber cloth.https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/ig…
