Apple is working on iOS update that makes screen repair on iPhone 13 possible

Apple will ensure that phone screens of the iPhone 13 can still be replaced without Face ID breaking. The company is doing that with a software update, although repairs are likely to remain difficult.

Apple will make the change in a future update of iOS, the company told The Verge. The company does not say in which iOS version that will happen or when it will be released. With the update, Apple is reversing policies it introduced with the iPhone 13. Repairmen such as Phone Repair Guru discovered that it was not possible to replace the iPhone 13’s screen with another iPhone screen without Face ID breaking. After switching, it was no longer possible to unlock the phone with the face, as the display module seems to be linked to the unique device. iFixit testers also discovered that problem. The site concluded that the issue could only be resolved with a software update.

Apple only tells The Verge that it will release such a software update. Now repairers must replace the microcontroller in the display module in addition to the display. The latter seems very specialized and complicated work that also requires special tools. In practice, there are few independent repairers who can replace a screen on the iPhone 13.

Update: The article initially stated that it was also necessary to replace the microcontroller after the software update, but the software makes that superfluous. That has been adjusted.