The batteries in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus use a special type of adhesive that can be loosened using a low-voltage electrical current. This process, described as “revolutionary” by repair experts like iFixit, involves applying an electrical current to debond the adhesive, allowing the battery to be easily removed.
To do this, you need to:
1. Attach alligator clips to a 9V battery (or higher, up to 30V as per Apple’s specifications).
2. Connect the red/positive clip to the silver tab on the iPhone’s battery.
3. Connect the black/negative clip to the lower-right grounding screw on the iPhone’s bottom speaker module.
4. After approximately 90 seconds, the adhesive will debond, and the battery can be removed.
The adhesive used in these batteries is a layered structure with epoxy laced with an electrically conductive liquid. When an electrical current is applied, an electrochemical reaction forces the adhesive surface touching the negative side to disengage completely, breaking the ionic bonds that form the adhesion. This process ensures that the adhesive remains on the frame rather than the battery, making the removal and replacement process cleaner and more efficient.
