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Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

14

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

4

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery Disconnection
  • 2 steps
  • Antenna Bar
  • 7 steps
  • Display
  • 3 steps

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  • BackMacBook Air 13" Retina Early 2020

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Remove the screws securing the lower case
  • Before starting this procedure, you should disable your Mac’s Auto Boot feature. Auto Boot powers on your Mac when you open the lid, and may be accidentally triggered during disassembly. Use this guide to disable Auto Boot.
  • If your MacBook is running Big Sur v11.1 or later, disabling Auto Boot may not work. You can proceed normally, but make sure to disconnect the battery as soon as you’re inside.
  • Completely power off and unplug your MacBook Air before you start. Close the display and flip the entire laptop upside-down.
  • Use a P5 driver to remove the following screws:
  • Two 7.9 mm screws
  • Two 7.1 mm screws
  • Six 2.6 mm screws
  • Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your MacBook.

Before starting this procedure, you should disable your Mac’s Auto Boot feature. Auto Boot powers on your Mac when you open the lid, and may be accidentally triggered during disassembly. Use this guide to disable Auto Boot.

If your MacBook is running Big Sur v11.1 or later, disabling Auto Boot may not work. You can proceed normally, but make sure to disconnect the battery as soon as you’re inside.

Completely power off and unplug your MacBook Air before you start. Close the display and flip the entire laptop upside-down.

Use a P5 driver to remove the following screws:

Two 7.9 mm screws

Two 7.1 mm screws

Six 2.6 mm screws

Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your MacBook.

1024

Step 2

              Remove the lower case
  • Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.
  • Remove the lower case.
  • To reinstall the lower case:
  • Set it in place and press firmly to engage the two hidden clips underneath. You should feel and hear them snap into place.

Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.

Remove the lower case.

To reinstall the lower case:

Set it in place and press firmly to engage the two hidden clips underneath. You should feel and hear them snap into place.

Step 3

              Disconnect the battery
  • Peel back the tape covering the battery connector enough to reveal the connector underneath.

Peel back the tape covering the battery connector enough to reveal the connector underneath.

Step 4

  • Use a spudger to slide the battery connector parallel to the logic board and out of its socket on the logic board.

Use a spudger to slide the battery connector parallel to the logic board and out of its socket on the logic board.

Step 5

              Disconnect the antenna bar
  • Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the 1.4 mm screw securing the antenna cable cover.
  • Remove the antenna cable cover.
  • When replacing the antenna cable cover, make sure the keyed side goes towards the hinge edge of the MacBook Air.

Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the 1.4 mm screw securing the antenna cable cover.

Remove the antenna cable cover.

When replacing the antenna cable cover, make sure the keyed side goes towards the hinge edge of the MacBook Air.

Step 6

  • Use a pair of tweezers to grip the antenna connector close to its base.
  • Pull straight up to disconnect the cable.
  • Repeat for the second antenna cable.

Use a pair of tweezers to grip the antenna connector close to its base.

Pull straight up to disconnect the cable.

Repeat for the second antenna cable.

Step 7

  • Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the two 1.5 mm screws securing the display cable connector cover.
  • Remove the display cable connector cover.

Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the two 1.5 mm screws securing the display cable connector cover.

Remove the display cable connector cover.

Step 8

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the display cable connector straight off of the antenna board to disconnect it.
  • To re-attach press connectors like this one, carefully align and press down on one side until it clicks into place, then repeat on the other side. Do not press down on the middle. If the connector is misaligned, the pins can bend, causing permanent damage.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the display cable connector straight off of the antenna board to disconnect it.

To re-attach press connectors like this one, carefully align and press down on one side until it clicks into place, then repeat on the other side. Do not press down on the middle. If the connector is misaligned, the pins can bend, causing permanent damage.

Step 9

  • Use a T5 Torx driver to remove the six screws securing the antenna bar:
  • Four 7.4 mm screws
  • Two 4.5 mm screws

Use a T5 Torx driver to remove the six screws securing the antenna bar:

Four 7.4 mm screws

Two 4.5 mm screws

Step 10

              Remove the antenna bar
  • Insert the pointed end of a spudger into the gap between the antenna bar and display hinge.
  • Pivot the spudger against the hinge to pry up the end of the antenna bar.
  • Repeat for the other end of the antenna bar.

Insert the pointed end of a spudger into the gap between the antenna bar and display hinge.

Pivot the spudger against the hinge to pry up the end of the antenna bar.

Repeat for the other end of the antenna bar.

Step 11

  • Use your fingers to pry the antenna bar straight up and away from the case.
  • The antenna bar is secured with some light adhesive and may require some force to dislodge.
  • Thread the antenna board through the opening in the middle of the antenna bar.
  • Be careful to not put any strain on the antenna bar’s ribbon cables.
  • Remove the antenna bar.
  • During reassembly, ensure that the display cable doesn’t become trapped underneath the antenna bar.

Use your fingers to pry the antenna bar straight up and away from the case.

The antenna bar is secured with some light adhesive and may require some force to dislodge.

Thread the antenna board through the opening in the middle of the antenna bar.

Be careful to not put any strain on the antenna bar’s ribbon cables.

Remove the antenna bar.

During reassembly, ensure that the display cable doesn’t become trapped underneath the antenna bar.

Step 12

              Remove the hinge screws
  • Use a T8 Torx driver to remove the three 4.9 mm screws from each hinge (six screws total).

Use a T8 Torx driver to remove the three 4.9 mm screws from each hinge (six screws total).

Step 13

              Fully open the MacBook
  • With the MacBook still screen-side down, carefully lift the upper case to open the MacBook as far as possible.

With the MacBook still screen-side down, carefully lift the upper case to open the MacBook as far as possible.

Step 14

              Remove the display
  • Lift the MacBook and carefully begin to close the display until it’s at a ~90 degree angle with the upper case.
  • The hinges should pull out of the case slightly as the display is moved towards the case.
  • Keeping the display at a 90 degree angle with the case, move the display straight down while holding the case still, so that the hinges slide out the bottom of the case.
  • Remove the display.

Lift the MacBook and carefully begin to close the display until it’s at a ~90 degree angle with the upper case.

The hinges should pull out of the case slightly as the display is moved towards the case.

Keeping the display at a 90 degree angle with the case, move the display straight down while holding the case still, so that the hinges slide out the bottom of the case.

Remove the display.

Compare your new replacement part to the original part—you may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before installing.

To reassemble your device, follow the above steps in reverse order.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our Answers community for troubleshooting help.

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                                                                                      26 other people completed this guide.

Author

                    Carsten Frauenheim

Member since: 03/10/2020

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Laurie McCall - Sep 30, 2021

Reply

Thank you so much for this awesome walkthrough! I can’t believe how much I saved doing this myself. Works beautifully! If I could only suggest a more comprehensive “reassembly” page. There are a couple of missteps I made (eg. trying to install the antenna bar and accidentally leaving the display cable connector under it) that would have helped. In any event, thank you so much!

Carsten Frauenheim - Sep 30, 2021

Thanks for the tip! I’ve added a reminder to that step.

greg - Oct 19, 2021

Reply

when starting the process of installation, make sure that at least the inside hinge screw is installed and mostly tightened. once the antenna is installed, there is almost no room for that screw to be inserted without a tight scrape against the end of the antenna. a very tight fit. i sometimes only install one hinge screw, usually the center ones, and then align the lid before adding the others and tightening everything up. in this case, would save you some concern to address this beforehand.

Aung Min - Jan 24, 2022

Reply

Is that instruction can be used for Macbookpro 2010 with touch bar?

maccentric - Sep 23, 2022

Definitely not. Also, there is no such thing, perhaps you meant 2020? Also no.