Featured
Featured Guide
Difficulty
Moderate
Steps
14
Time Required
15 - 45 minutes
Sections
3
- Lower Case
- 2 steps
- Battery Disconnection
- 1 step
- Trackpad
- 11 steps
Flags
1
Featured Guide
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BackMacBook Air 13" Retina Late 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 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 7.3 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 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 7.3 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 off the lower case.
- 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 off the lower case.
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
- Use the flat end of a spudger to pry up and unlatch the metal locking arm on the battery connector.
- Make sure the metal arm is completely free of the locking tab before lifting the battery connector. The metal locking arm should easily unlatch.
- Lift straight up on the metal locking arm to pull the battery connector out of its socket on the logic board.
- During reassembly, press the battery connector straight down into its socket, making sure it sits flush within the socket.
Use the flat end of a spudger to pry up and unlatch the metal locking arm on the battery connector.
Make sure the metal arm is completely free of the locking tab before lifting the battery connector. The metal locking arm should easily unlatch.
Lift straight up on the metal locking arm to pull the battery connector out of its socket on the logic board.
During reassembly, press the battery connector straight down into its socket, making sure it sits flush within the socket.
Step 4
Remove the trackpad cable cover
- Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the two 1.4 mm screws securing the trackpad cable cover.
- If your T3 bit feels a bit too loose, you may need to use a T4.
Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the two 1.4 mm screws securing the trackpad cable cover.
If your T3 bit feels a bit too loose, you may need to use a T4.
Step 5
- Remove the trackpad cable cover.
Remove the trackpad cable cover.
Step 6
Disconnect the trackpad cable
- Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the trackpad cable connector up and out of its socket.
Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the trackpad cable connector up and out of its socket.
Step 7
- Carefully peel the trackpad cable off of the battery.
- The trackpad cable is secured to the battery with some light adhesive.
Carefully peel the trackpad cable off of the battery.
The trackpad cable is secured to the battery with some light adhesive.
Step 8
Disconnect the trackpad cable
- Use a pair of tweezers to peel back the tape covering the trackpad cable connector.
Use a pair of tweezers to peel back the tape covering the trackpad cable connector.
Step 9
- Use the pointed end of a spudger to lift up the small locking flap on the trackpad cable’s ZIF connector.
Use the pointed end of a spudger to lift up the small locking flap on the trackpad cable’s ZIF connector.
Step 10
- Slide the cable out of its connector.
- If possible, grip the cable by the tape, not by the cable itself.
Slide the cable out of its connector.
If possible, grip the cable by the tape, not by the cable itself.
Step 11
Remove the trackpad screws
- Use a T5 Torx driver to remove the nine screws securing the trackpad:
- Eight fully-coated 3.1 mm screws
- One partially-coated 3.1 mm screw
Use a T5 Torx driver to remove the nine screws securing the trackpad:
Eight fully-coated 3.1 mm screws
One partially-coated 3.1 mm screw
Step 12
Remove the trackpad
- While keeping the laptop screen-side down, carefully open the laptop. The trackpad will stay sitting on the display.
- As you lift, make sure the trackpad cable threads through the opening on the case.
While keeping the laptop screen-side down, carefully open the laptop. The trackpad will stay sitting on the display.
As you lift, make sure the trackpad cable threads through the opening on the case.
Step 13
- As you remove the trackpad assembly, be careful not to lose the five small metal washers resting on the screw posts. (They will fly off and get lost with very little provocation.)
- Remove the trackpad.
- Take extra care to not scratch the display.
As you remove the trackpad assembly, be careful not to lose the five small metal washers resting on the screw posts. (They will fly off and get lost with very little provocation.)
Remove the trackpad.
Take extra care to not scratch the display.
Step 14
Remove the trackpad cable
- If your replacement trackpad comes with a trackpad cable preinstalled, this step isn’t necessary.
- Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the small locking flap on the trackpad’s ZIF connector.
- Slide the trackpad cable straight out of the ZIF connector.
If your replacement trackpad comes with a trackpad cable preinstalled, this step isn’t necessary.
Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the small locking flap on the trackpad’s ZIF connector.
Slide the trackpad cable straight out of the ZIF connector.
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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Author
with 1 other contributor
Carsten Frauenheim
Member since: 03/10/2020
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Tanmaya Mishra - Jun 10, 2021
Reply
Hi! So I successfully replaced my trackpad (the center screw got stripped so I had to use the superglue technique and threw it away), and the trackpad works perfectly well but without haptics. My replacement didn’t come with a new cable so used the old one after cleaning of the end (it had some blackening on the portion connected to the trackpad). Is my trackpad a bad unit or should I try replacing the cable first?
Carsten Frauenheim - Jun 10, 2021
Hi! Considering the blackening on the old cable, I’d recommend thoroughly cleaning its contacts with high concentration (90%+) isopropyl alcohol and a Q-tip. Let it dry before reinstalling it. If that cleaning doesn’t help, replace the old cable before considering your replacement trackpad a bad unit. Good luck on your repair!
Tanmaya Mishra - Jun 14, 2021
Hi Carsten! I tried cleaning it but didn’t work. Picked up a new cable from here, and now works flawlessly. Highly recommend anyone reading this to just buy a replacement cable too when you do the repair to rule out a faulty part. Thanks!
ifixsmartphone - Dec 4, 2021
Reply
Hi, I replaced trackpad following the guide and trackpad seems to work but very slow and lagging. and when I log in, mac is showing message waiting for bluetooth trackpad to be discovered. Could this be cable issue?
Zac Lew - Aug 23, 2022
Reply
Hi team,
I follow this guide to replace my trackpad and now strangely my “a” and “d” keys no longer work on my keyboard. Any thoughts on how this could have happened?
Cheers
