MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2012 Display Replacement

Written By: Andrew Optimus Goldberg (and 3 other contributors)

Comments: 81 Favorites: 63 Completions: 113

FEATURED GUIDE Dif culty Moderate

Steps 20

Time Required 30 minutes1 hour

Sections 4

Flags 1

Tools Buy these tools Parts Buy these parts

Phillips #00 Screwdriver T8 Torx Screwdriver

MacBook Pro 13" Unibody (Mid 2012) Display
Spudger Assembly Buy
$299.95

Introduction
Use this guide to replace a broken display assembly.

Step 1 Lower Case

Remove the following ten screws:

Three 14.4 mm Phillips #00 screws

Three 3.5 mm Phillips #00 screws

Four 3.5 mm shouldered Phillips #00 screws

24 comments
Step 2

Use your ngers to pry the lower case away from

the body of the MacBook near the vent.

Remove the lower case.

One comment

Step 3 Battery Connection

Use the edge of a spudger to pry the battery

connector upwards from its socket on the logic
board.

It is useful to pry upward on both short sides of the

connector to "walk" it out of its socket. Be careful
with the corners of the connectors, they can be
easily broken off.

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Step 4

Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket

on the logic board so it does not accidentally
connect itself while you work.

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Step 5 AirPort/Bluetooth Assembly

Use the at end of a spudger to pry the

AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable connector up from
its socket on the logic board.

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Step 6

Carefully pull the camera cable out of its socket on

the logic board.

Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board.

Pulling it upward may damage the logic board or
the cable itself.

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Step 7

Carefully move the AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable

out of the way as you peel the camera cable off the
adhesive securing it to the subwoofer and the
AirPort/Bluetooth bracket.

De-route the camera cable out from under the

retaining nger molded into the AirPort/Bluetooth
bracket.

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Step 8

Use the tip of a spudger to pry the antenna

connector closest to the logic board up from its
socket on the AirPort/Bluetooth board.

De-route the antenna cable from under the nger

molded into the AirPort/Bluetooth bracket.

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Step 9

Using the method described in the last step,

disconnect the remaining three antenna
connectors.

De-route their cables from the slots cut in the

AirPort/Bluetooth bracket.

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Step 10

Remove the following ve screws:

Two 10.3 mm Phillips screws

Two 3.1 mm Phillips screws

One 5 mm Phillips screw

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Step 11

Pull the AirPort/Bluetooth assembly and the

Subwoofer upward near the center of the side of
the optical drive until they clear each other.

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Step 12

Remove the AirPort/Bluetooth assembly, minding

the fragile antenna contact near the corner of the
upper case.

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Step 13 Display

Remove two of the three 6 mm T8 Torx screws

securing the right side of the display to the upper
case.

We purposely have you leave one screw attaching

the display to the upper case to aid in future steps.

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Step 14

Grab the plastic pull tab secured to the display data

cable lock and rotate it toward the DC-In side of the
computer.

Pull the display data cable straight out of its socket

on the logic board.

Do not lift up on the display data cable, as its socket

is very fragile. Pull the cable parallel to the face of
the logic board.

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Step 15

Remove the following two screws:

One 8.6 mm Phillips screw

One 5.5 mm Phillips screw

Remove the display data cable retainer from the

upper case.

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Step 16

Remove the piece of foam tape covering the display

screws near the MagSafe DC-In board.

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Step 17

Remove two of the three 6 mm T8 Torx screws

securing the left side of the display to the upper
case.

We purposely have you leave one screw attaching

the display to the upper case to aid in future steps.

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Step 18

Open your MacBook Pro so the display is

perpendicular to the upper case.

Place your opened MacBook Pro on a table as

pictured.

While holding the display and upper case together

with your left hand, remove the remaining T8 Torx
screw from the lower display bracket.

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Step 19

Be sure to hold the display and upper case together

with your left hand. Failure to do so may cause the
freed display/upper case to fall, potentially
damaging each component.

Remove the last remaining T8 Torx screw securing

the display to the upper case.

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Step 20 Edit

Grab the upper case with your right hand and

rotate it slightly toward the top of the display so
the upper display bracket clears the edge of the
upper case.

Rotate the display slightly away from the upper

case.

Lift the display up and away from the upper case,

minding any brackets or cables that may get caught.

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CONCLUSION

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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Andrew Optimus Goldberg Badges: 43 iFixit

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15 COMMENTS Add a comment

Just wanted to say thanks for the website, and easy to follow instructions! I just successfully replaced my girlfriends Macbook Pro screen
today:)
Glenn - 11/10/2014

This display assembly will t into an 13 in - Early 2011 macbook pro?

 Kike Sr - 05/20/2015

I have a mid 2012 13" Macbook pro. This is a non retina computer but would it be possible to change it to a Retina Display using this guide and
would my Mac recognize the new screen?
(I have plenty of memory and the graphic card can de nitely handle it too)
Thanks
AdrienV - 10/25/2015

I doubt it would work, But be my guest to try it. (and post a guide on how to do it)
Edward Stallard - 04/17/2016

Did you ever try swapping for a retina? Very Curious!

Netguard Monitor - 10/07/2016

yes
Albert Einstien - 11/12/2016

Is the macbook pro 13" 2011 display 661-5868 compatible with macbook pro 12" 2012 661-6594. Can I use a 2011 display on my mbp 2012?
They look the same. Thank you
anro - 11/18/2015

Does this include the aluminum backing, not just the LCD?
Robert Coogan - 04/22/2016

Yeah! I did it. I had to use two different guides todo thelcd screen.but my MacBook is clear and no giant black crack. The mid 2012 "glass". Is
plastic...just saying.
cris99502 - 09/25/2016

Can you give us a link to the two other guides?

Lukas Speck - 09/29/2016

Do you think a higher resolution screen from a newer Mac would be compatible with the Mid 2012 MBP?
Also, the plastic part that the screen rotates on has some bad cracks, is there a replacement guide for that?
Anrothan - 11/07/2016

asdf http://google.com/newts
Albert Einstien - 11/12/2016

Hi Albert,
Can you please, nish your toughts? Have you any success with changing the low-res display with retina or hi-res? Talking about mac book
pro 13" mid2012.
I would appreciate very much if you post where you nd the display and which one!
vs ivanovic - 11/16/2016

Your link doesn't work anymore. What was it about? Did you manage to install a higher resolution display on this model?
ddnava96 - June 2

After doing this, my battery is not available anymore.

I have tried SMC reset to have it back, but it didn't work.
Idk what should I do.
Also, my MacBook is considerably slow now.
Amirsalar - July 23, 2017

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