When your iPhone 6’s battery suddenly starts dying, it’s tempting to say the whole phone is done for. You might even take the opportunity to buy the next model. But that’s quite an investment for a simple and relatively cheap fix.
If your battery is truly the problem slowing down your iPhone 6 and racking up charging times, it is a waste to replace an entire phone. Especially if you’re not financially equipped for it.
You can choose to take your iPhone to Apple or a third party repair service if you can afford to pay someone else to do it. And if you can afford to be parted from your phone while it’s getting fixed.
Unfortunately though, there is always a wait time to get Apple to replace your battery. You also have to wait much longer for shipping time to get parts and supplies you need.
The cheapest option, and often he most time efficient, is to replace it yourself.
So how do you replace your iPhone 6 battery yourself and what are the main secrets to doing it successfully? Read on for everything you need to know.
When to Replace Your Aging iPhone 6 Battery
First, you should make sure it’s actually the battery that’s the problem. It seems an obvious piece of advice, but there are a slew of other problems that can appear to be due to an aging battery.
After you’ve had your iPhone for a while, you’ll notice the battery doesn’t hold a charge quite like it used to. In fact, it may seem as though your entire phone is slowing down.
iPhones with aging batteries often take significantly longer to charge than those with new batteries. While it was new a single battery charge will allow a lot more activity before needing a recharge.
However, after about 500 full charging sessions, the battery will begin to lose its capacity to hold longer charges. Your iPhone 6 may even intentionally lower functioning to prevent a total battery failure.
If you’re getting to this point, you need a new battery as soon as possible. The iPhone 6 battery can eventually end up holding only about 20% of its original capacity.
How You Can Check Your Battery for Aging and See If It Needs Replacing
Again, it’s a well-advised move to check and ensure that your battery is actually the problem. Luckily, there are ways to determine how well your battery is functioning.
Within your iPhone’s settings
While we already know the battery capacity begins to degrade after about 500 full charge cycles, your phone doesn’t keep track. Essentially, there’s no real way to get the exact number of full charge cycles you’ve gone through. However, you can check some basic battery information from your phone.
Pull up your settings menu and select “battery.” Now select the option “battery health.” It should now display what’s called ‘maximum capacity.’
Put simply, it’s the measure of your battery function from when it was brand new versus the current state.
Under maximum capacity, you will see ‘peak performance capability.’ This will let you know how your battery is functioning when under the highest demands. It’s worth noting that if it states peak performance management has been applied, your battery has already experienced some issue causing a shutdown or lessened capacity.
Use an app
There are plenty of apps that can help you determine if your battery is becoming aged. Apps like BatteryLife can make battery capacity more ‘readable’ for many people because they include visuals and extra information.
In essence, they provide you with the information you’ll get from your phone settings and a bit more.
Use your PC or Mac
This is an option that most users aren’t even aware is available. While it may seem counter-intuitive to use a computer for phone diagnostics, it’s actually a solid option. Often you get much more detailed and specific data than if using only phone settings or an app.
Whether you use a Mac or PC, you have software options for battery capacity data. They’ll display your battery capacity, charge, voltage, and more. You can also expand most or all of these data points to get more detailed information.
The trick you’ll love about using this method of diagnostics? Now that you know about the 500 full charge cycles issue, you finally have software that actually gives you a count of your approximate charge cycles used.
If You’re Not A Tech Expert, Can You Still Do It Yourself?
Replacing your iPhone 6 battery yourself doesn’t require expert level technical ability. It does, however, require the right tools and a good guide. In fact, many kits to replace various iPhones are available and often very affordable.
When you’re replacing an iPhone 6 battery, you do have an advantage over replacing batteries on newer models. The iPhone 6 doesn’t have adhesive as a sealant or near the battery area (aside from the easily removed holding strips) so it’s much easier to replace.
Plus, you have the advantage of not needing to use heat or soldering for any part of the process. This means that despite complicated inner hardware, you only need to worry about connectors and screws.
All in all, the process can be intimidating the first time. iPhones are more than a daily go to, they’re an investment too. Don’t worry. As long as you take proper care and use a qualified reference (or many), the process only becomes easier.
Best Replacement Kits for replacing an iPhone 6 / 6 Plus Battery Yourself
Now you need to purchase a battery replacement kit. Below are a selection of the best reviewed kits for iPhone 6. Remember you need to purchase a kit specifically for your model of iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus or iPhone 6s Plus. Each phone has different batteries and you need to make sure to purchase the correct one.
How to Replace iPhone 6 Battery – The Main Secrets You Need to Know!
There are some secrets to making an iPhone 6 battery replacement easier on yourself. Before you get into the actual process of replacing your battery, there are some background things to consider:
Get prepared
First, ensure you have all the equipment and hardware needed. There’s nothing quite like beginning an iPhone 6 battery change only to realize you’re missing a crucial component of the process.
Remember, there are kits to help ensure this doesn’t happen. That said, verify the contents of your kit before you begin to replace your iPhone 6 battery.
Next, you need to organize your work area, wherever that may be. Make sure it’s a clean, clear area. You don’t want to go to the work of replacing your battery only to leave dust or debris inside your phone. It’s also a good idea to get your supplies organized ahead of time.
To keep all those tiny screws together you can use a small container, magnet or magnetic mat, or even a strip of packing or scotch tape. Just remember to keep them separated as most will not be interchangeable with others.
Lastly, make sure your work area has good visibility. Ample lighting will be essential to see and keep track of tiny components. It’s also a good idea to make sure your surface isn’t one that small pieces will easily roll off of and get lost.
Bonus tip:
Always backup your phone before having any work done on it, or attempting any work on it yourself.
Now to get to the iPhone 6 battery replacement
- First, take a look at the bottom of your iPhone 6 near the lightning port. Here on the left and right of it, you’ll see two pentalobe screws. Gently remove these.
- If you’ve purchased a battery replacement kit you should have received a pentalobe screwdriver to use for this step.
- Now, you need to separate the screen from the rest of the iPhone. This step requires a lot of patience and a gentle hand. This can be done with either a thin flat object like a metal spudger, plastic flat tool, or a suction cup-like a tool. Which you use will often depend on what your kit (if you purchased one) includes. If you’re using a tool like the metal spudger to gently pry it apart, don’t insert the tool too far or fast.
- Open the phone from the bottom and display to about 90 degrees. Note: do not attempt to open it further than this as it can damage display cables.
- Now, you will see two small Phillips head screws that connect the battery to the connector, or bracket. Remove these and set them aside in a secure and separate place.
- Keep the two screws separate from each other as well, they are different sizes.
- The bracket or shield that you just removed the two screws from will come off next. After removing that, gently take off the small rectangular battery connector. Now, you will see the battery unobscured on the logic board.
- Use the thin plastic tool previously used to remove the battery from its place on the logic board. Now you need to remove the four screws attached to the display bracket. Keep these screws separate and well ordered.
- It’s worth noting that being careless in this regard can permanently damage your iPhone 6. Once the screws are out, remove the panel from the logic board.
- The next step is to disconnect the cable connectors:
- First, disconnect the front camera connector and sensor cable connector. The next cable you will disconnect is the home button connector.
- Next, disconnect the connector for the data display cable. Next, you will do the digitizer cable connector. When disconnecting this one, work on one side and then the next until it begins to pull up.
- Do not pull or push from the middle of the digitizer cable connector.
- Now, you can remove the back and the display panel. Next, gently and slowly remove the adhesive strips from the battery. They will expand but continue gently pulling until one is removed and then move onto the next. It’s best to take care with this step to avoid tearing the strips.
- You’re ready to remove the old battery now.
- Once removed, carefully place the new battery in its place and secure with the adhesive strips. Next, the process that you began with is replicated. Except for in reverse. Take care that you are not skipping steps or reassembling your iPhone in a different order, as this can lead to damage or poor assembly.
Conclusion
Replacing your iPhone 6 battery on your own is a gratifying process once you’ve completed it the first time. It’s important to remember that once you have replaced it, allow the battery to drain completely or (if you can’t bear being without it that long) to at least below 10 percent capacity. Then allow it to charge to full capacity without interruption (even though it may be difficult).
The other upside to replacing your iPhone 6 battery yourself is that once you’ve purchased the tools or kit required, it’s even easier and more convenient to replace it yourself again, or for a friend, should the need arise.
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Lee Sparling says
March 13, 2019 at 9:42 pmWent to Best Buy for battery replacement. They couldn’t get device to work with a new battery (tried two new batteries) and put old one back in and phone still works. They said some 6 and 6s devices will only work with the original battery and apparently mine is one of them. Could this be true? Or is it BS?
The Lucky Stiff says
March 20, 2019 at 3:48 amThis is not true. You can use an OEM battery.
Lee Sparling says
March 20, 2019 at 4:30 amThanks. That’s what Apple Support told me and I got the battery replaced at an Apple store.