How To Fix Iphone X Face Id Not Working After Screen Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

6

Time Required

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• How to Fix iPhone X Face ID Not Working After Screen Replacement
• 6 steps

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Introduction

Video Overview

Step 1

              Malfunction               

• The iPhone X shows an alert that says it is ‘unable to activate Face ID on this iPhone’.
• When trying to setup Face ID on the iPhone X, we get the message ‘Face ID is Not Available, try setting up Face ID later’.
• Also, according to the feedback from our client, Face ID on the phone is available after being dropped. However, Face ID is not available after replacing of the display assembly.
• Unavailable Face ID might be caused by improper operation when replacing the display assembly.

The iPhone X shows an alert that says it is ‘unable to activate Face ID on this iPhone’.

When trying to setup Face ID on the iPhone X, we get the message ‘Face ID is Not Available, try setting up Face ID later’.

Also, according to the feedback from our client, Face ID on the phone is available after being dropped. However, Face ID is not available after replacing of the display assembly.

Unavailable Face ID might be caused by improper operation when replacing the display assembly.

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Step 2

              Diagnose               

• Check the Infrared camera and dot projector module under Microscope. Nothing goes wrong.
• Let’s move to the Flood illuminator module on the earpiece speaker and front sensor assembly.
• We can see clearly that flex cable next to the Flood illuminator module is damaged.

Check the Infrared camera and dot projector module under Microscope. Nothing goes wrong.

Let’s move to the Flood illuminator module on the earpiece speaker and front sensor assembly.

We can see clearly that flex cable next to the Flood illuminator module is damaged.

Step 3

              Troubleshoot               

• Now, we need to separate the earpiece speaker from the assembly.
• Remove the ambient light sensor module flex cable afterwards.

Now, we need to separate the earpiece speaker from the assembly.

Remove the ambient light sensor module flex cable afterwards.

Step 4

              Troubleshoot               

• Turn the flex cable upside-down and secure it again. Remove the Flood illuminator module.
• Prepare a new flex cable. Apply some Paste Flux to the bonding pad and solder the detached Flood illuminator module.

Turn the flex cable upside-down and secure it again. Remove the Flood illuminator module.

Prepare a new flex cable. Apply some Paste Flux to the bonding pad and solder the detached Flood illuminator module.

Step 5

              Troubleshoot               

• Solder the detached ambient light sensor module flex cable.
• Now we need to solder the earpiece speaker back to flex cable and get it installed to the display assembly. Secure with screws afterwards.

Solder the detached ambient light sensor module flex cable.

Now we need to solder the earpiece speaker back to flex cable and get it installed to the display assembly. Secure with screws afterwards.

Step 6

              Test               

• Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Reset Face ID. Face ID can be setup successfully

Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Reset Face ID. Face ID can be setup successfully

To fully understand Face ID, you can also check Face ID Teardown here.

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                                                                                      15 other people completed this guide.                                             

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                                      with 2 other contributors 

                    Phryne                     

Member since: 11/17/2019

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brian - Jun 15, 2021

Reply

Why not just buy a new cable? They’re $10-$15 on eBay. Soldering seems like it’s take way more time and possibly even cost more money than just buying a new cable.

James Sassu - Jun 20, 2021

Face ID will no longer function if the original flex connectors are damaged or replace with new ones. Even if the flex connectors are properly soldered just as they were originall it will still fail. There is some marker in the cables which the module is checking for and if the cables are changed then the marker (most likely the serial number of the flex) will mismatch and fail to work. The same was true with Touch ID as well

Kasis Cheng - Sep 8, 2022

Reply

What brian said is correct, if the cable is changed it will not match.This full video looks more detailed(21) Troubleshooting iPhone X Problems of Floodlight Sensor, True Tone, and Face Recognition - YouTube，

pokoro - Sep 17, 2022

Reply

%#*!^@ I hope I didnt damage the face id cable during my battery change 😩 I sealed it up as well so it’ll be a pain to open it up again to double check

Lawrence - 4 days agoJan 19, 2023

Reply

Why my Face ID is not work what I we use to do it again