How to fix a broken loud speaker in an iPhone 5s

November 16, 2014

If you have an iPhone 5s that doesn't produce any sound over the loud speaker, but still functions through the earpiece, it's possible that the loud speaker is either defective or blown. Other symptoms can include low volume or crackling audio. If you're experiencing any of these issues and you're out of warranty, a DIY iPhone repair isn't terribly hard and will save you a lot of cash compared to buying a new iPhone. So if you've got a steady hand and want to attempt the repair yourself, follow along and we'll walk you through where to get quality replacement parts and how to replace your loud speaker all on your own!

What you need to DIY replace an iPhone 5s loud speaker

You'll need some tools and parts in order to repair your iPhone 5s. If you're in the United States or Canada, we highly recommend checking out eTech Parts as we've had lots of good experiences with them and know their customer service is out of this world. All the links below will route you to the direct item on eTech's site.

Replacement iPhone 5s loud speaker - Buy now
Suction cup - Buy now
5-point security screwdriver - Buy now
Standard #000 Phillips screwdriver - Buy now
Spudger tool - Buy now
Razor blade - Buy Now
iSesamo Opening tool (not necessary but awesome for prying up cables and getting under adhesive) - Buy Now

1. Power off your iPhone 5s

Before performing any repair on any device, always remember to power it off. Simply hold down on the Power button until you see Slide to Power off. One you're sure your iPhone 5s is turned off, proceed to the next section.

2. Remove the two security screws on both sides of the dock connector

There are two security screws that secure the screen to the frame and they sit on each side of the dock connector. Use your 5-point security screwdriver to remove them. They are both the same size so it's okay if you mix them up.

3. Remove the display assembly

Place your suction cup slightly above the Home button assembly and secure it to the screen.
Holding the iPhone in place with one hand, gently pull upwards on the suction cup until you free the bottom of the screen but do NOT pull up all the way at this point as a cable running to the Touch ID sensor is still connected. You only want to separate the screen about an inch at this point.
Now that you have a clear view of the cables, use the pointed edge of your spudger tool in order to carefully remove the metal shield covering the Touch ID cable.
Make sure you don't lose the metal guard that covers the Touch ID connector.
Again, use the pointed edge of your spudger tool in order to disconnect Touch ID.
You can now safely swing the display up more in order to see where it is connected to the board.
Remove the four screws holding down the shield that covers the display cables. To do this, use your #000 screwdriver.
Once all four screws are removed, carefully remove the shield and set it aside.
Now use your spudger tool in order to remove the three cables shown in the image below. You'll need to remove the two off to the far right in order to reveal the third and final cable, which sits below them.
The display assembly should now be free from the body of the phone. Go ahead and set the display assembly aside.

Note: We used the suction cup method here but note that if you can't get a firm grip with a suction cup, you can use a razor blade or the iSesamo opening tool. Carefully work your way around the bottom of the phone between the frame and display assembly with a razor blade or the iSesamo Opening Tool until you can gently pry up using the flat end of your spudger tool. We recommend using plastic razor blades if you can find them since they won't cause damage to the finish of the iPhone's frame.

4. Disconnect the battery

Remove the two screws holding down the battery cable using your #000 Phillips screwdriver.
Gently lift the battery shield out of your iPhone 5s and carefully set it aside.
Use your spudger tool to carefully pry up the battery cable.

This is as far as you need to go. It isn't necessary to completely remove the battery, but it's always a good idea to disconnect it before replacing any components to prevent any shorts from happening if the Power button accidentally gets pushed during the course of a repair.

5. Replace the loud speaker assembly

Remove the three screws outlined in the photo below using your #000 Phillips screwdriver.
Use the flat end of your spudger tool to lift up the right hand portion of the loud speaker, as shown in the photo below. Just don't attempt to completely remove it.
Carefully use your fingers to maneuver the loud speaker out of your iPhone's housing, taking note of the caution areas in the photo below.
Replace the speaker assembly. Carefully examine the teeth on the bottom, as one slides underneath where Touch ID connects and the other underneath the bottom right of the logic board. Again, take care of the round cable and the groove its wire should fit in on the loud speaker.

6. Reconnect the battery

Reconnect the battery cable to the logic board.
Replace the battery shield and the two screws you removed earlier.

7. Replace the display assembly

Reconnect the three cables shown in the image below, starting with the cable to the far left, which sits underneath the other two.
Replace the display shield using the four screws and your #000 Phillips screwdriver.
Re-connect the Touch ID cable to the logic board. The easiest tool to help you do this is the pointed end of the spudger tool.
Replace the Touch ID shield that sits over the cable.
Carefully line up the top of the display into the top of the frame.
Snap down the display until it clicks into place.

If the display doesn't want to go back down, do NOT force it. Instead, be sure that the top is lined up correctly and that you aren't snagging any cables. There should be no resistance when snapping it back into place. If there is, you aren't lining it up correctly.

8. Replace the dock connector screws

Use your 5-point security screwdriver to replace the two dock connector screws that sit on either side of the dock.

9. Test the new loud speaker

In order to test the loud speaker, perform the following steps:

Place a call on speakerphone
Play music through the speakers
Plug in headphones and make sure transferring from the loud speaker to headphones works okay
Turn the volume all the way up to be sure you don't hear any distortion

If all of the above checks out okay, you're good to go!

More iPhone DIY repair