iFixit - Answers With Device "iPhone XS Max"

iPhone XS Max: Water damage issues after submersion

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 22:36:42 -0700

Yesterday i thought it would be a good idea to take some underwater ab pics with my waterproof phone. After being submerged for about 5 seconds the screen began to get a green hue, and then started flickering. Another few seconds later the whole phone went completely dead. I chucked it in a bowl of rice overnight and the next day it would turn on fine, but face ID wouldn’t work and the screen was still green and flickering. I then used a heat gun on it for a while, and then spent ages shaking it to try to get the water out. This time face id started working, and the green hue was gone but the phone still has a flicker. The haptic feedback is also really loud. Not sure if it has permanent logic board damage or if there’s still some water in there. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

UPDATE:

I let it dry for another day, and the next time i powered it on it was functioning as normal excepting the taptic engine. However, about an hour later, the screen suddenly went black with some dim lines flickering across it, and the phone restarted. It was then stuck in a boot loop of showing the apple logo for about ten seconds, then the screen going black and then shutting off. I held all three buttons to shut it off, and then removed the screen and logic board. It’s sitting in isopropyl alcohol for a while, hopefully that will clean it up. The only visible water damage was on the side of the taptics engine and the aluminium cover for the camera module, where you could see some marks from salt water. I couldn’t see anything on the logic board, but i fear the water could have gotten under the processor housing.

⟐ Commented March 28, 2026 at 22:36 MST

iPhone XS Max: How can I remove activation lock

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 08:46:24 -0700

removing activation lock without apple ID

⟐ Commented March 13, 2026 at 8:46 MST

iPhone XS Max: Battery Behaving Very Strangely

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:39:39 -0700

I recently charged my iPhone XS Max (had its battery swapped out a year ago) and it just remained stuck at the dead battery icon no matter how long it charged. So I swapped the battery with the original battery I kept after having replaced it. The phone then turned on but won’t charge beyond 1% with the battery health not showing and the phone dying soon after. How do I fix this? all help would be appreciated!

⟐ Commented March 06, 2026 at 6:39 MST

iPhone XS Max: Replaced battery and lightning cable with IFIXIT parts and rebooting

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 10:59:17 -0700

Hello, I replaced the battery and charging cable that I purchased from IFIXIT and now it reboots every 10 minutes.

Any suggestions on what to fix or do?

⟐ Commented February 27, 2026 at 10:59 MST

iPhone XS Max: Why are my phone calls sound like transformers

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:33:06 -0700

Can a phone be fixed by phone calls distorting

iPhone XS Max: Why is my Face ID showing not available

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:03:15 -0700

Why is my Face ID showing not available

⟐ Answered February 09, 2026 at 0:03 MST

iPhone XS Max: The bottom part of my screen isnt responding to touch.

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 05:09:03 -0700

The bottom part of my screen isnt responding to touch. I'm unable to get past the lock screen code to perform any resets. Help!

⟐ Answered January 22, 2026 at 5:09 MST

iPhone XS Max: Tye icloud Is locked to owner message is showing.

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 12:00:46 -0700

I Am changing the passcode of my iphone but it shows invalid passcode then I locked the phone and when I have turn on it it shows icloud is locked to owner message and I don't know my icloud id. Then I have flashed it but the problem still there. Please tell can you help me.

⟐ Answered January 21, 2026 at 12:00 MST

iPhone XS Max: Display lcd/hardoled/soft true tone

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:05:50 -0700

Hello, i know that hard oled and soft oled can restore true tone, but can you restore true tone on cheap lcd display? Or only specific displays are able to restore it?

Cause I have one lcd no matte how much I rewrite the data it won't restore, on a soft oled it worked successfully

⟐ Answered January 07, 2026 at 18:05 MST

iPhone XS Max: iPhone XS Max restarts if it doesn't charge

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 20:25:09 -0700

So my cellphone likes to restart itself when in use, if not while it's charging, and if it's not charging it will restart itself even when it's idle, but the strange thing is that if I don't leave my cellphone idle and don't charge it, it doesn't restart.

I have tried to replace the battery with a new battery but the problem is still the same.

Below I have the Crash Log, maybe there is further input or direction for me to improve my cellphone

{"bug_type":"210","timestamp":"2025-08-21 11:29:55.00 +0700","os_version":"iPhone OS 18.6 (22G86)","roots_installed":0,"incident_id":"5D9CB1A6-05FE-4569-9487-A1CEBFACDE52"}

{

"build" : "iPhone OS 18.6 (22G86)",

"product" : "iPhone11,6",

"socId" : "8020",

"socRevision" : "11",

"incident" : "5D9CB1A6-05FE-4569-9487-A1CEBFACDE52",

"crashReporterKey" : "d11c865c682881b8e1398612f166dd12f6e356ad",

"kernel" : "Darwin Kernel Version 24.6.0: Tue Jul 15 21:53:59 PDT 2025; root:xnu-11417.140.69~16\/RELEASE_ARM64_T8020",

"date" : "2025-08-21 11:29:55.51 +0700",

"panicString" : "panic(cpu 2 caller 0xfffffff0162817b8): "i2c0::_checkInterrupts error interrupt; last read status 10810100 int shadow 00890100 xfer 80000000 fifo 00000003 for device ad5860" @AppleS5L8940XI2C.cpp:503\nDebugger message: panic\nMemory ID: 0xff\nOS release type: User\nOS version: 22G86\nKernel version: Darwin Kernel Version 24.6.0: Tue Jul 15 21:53:59 PDT 2025; root:xnu-11417.140.69~16\/RELEASE_ARM64_T8020\nFileset Kernelcache UUID: 25DC6EAC2FB376C9F08CA4F8570B8CF1\nKernel UUID: F960EF84-B35E-3AF9-87AE-D6E399CE13BA\nBoot session UUID: 5D9CB1A6-05FE-4569-9487-A1CEBFACDE52\niBoot version: iBoot-11881.140.96\niBoot Stage 2 version: \nsecure boot?: YES\nroots installed: 0\nPaniclog version: 14\nKernelCache slide: 0x000000000cf9c000\nKernelCache base: 0xfffffff013fa0000\nKernel slide: 0x000000000cfa4000\nKernel text base: 0xfffffff013fa8000\nKernel text exec slide: 0x000000000ddd8000\nKernel text exec base:

please help me, i am very depressed :))
THANK YOUU !!!

⟐ Answer accepted January 05, 2026 at 20:25 MST

iPhone XS Max: Super difficult mobile phone activation error

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 21:00:20 -0700

The mobile phone restores the system, and re-activation shows that there is an activation error. I have tried all the methods that can be tried, including activation with the official software, and re-frashing the system shows that there is an activation error. Personally, I initially suspect that it is a motherboard problem.

⟐ Answered November 26, 2025 at 21:00 MST

iPhone XS Max: I phone unavailable as can’t unlock

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 20:45:36 -0700

Hi ,have enclosed photos ,can’t unlock as what I press doesn’t correspond to what appears on screen.The back looks pretty smashed up not sure if that’s not helping.

I have heard it may be possible to connect to a Mac and control it from ther ,is that possible or are there any other alternatives.

Hi ,have enclosed photos ,can’t unlock as what I press doesn’t correspond to what appears on screen.The back looks pretty smashed up not sure if that’s not helping.

I have heard it may be possible to connect to a Mac and control it from ther ,is that possible or are there any other alternatives.

Thanks for any help

⟐ Marked as duplicate September 29, 2025 at 20:45 MST

iPhone XS Max: Can’t get Home Screen So can’t unlock!

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 20:45:36 -0700

Hi ,new here so be gentle!photos show screen I’m faced with ,tried connecting it to a keyboard with usb to female,no luck!***

***

⟐ Marked as duplicate September 29, 2025 at 20:45 MST

iPhone XS Max: Got the phone a little wet and it doesn't charge

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 08:18:08 -0700

iPhone XS Max. The phone turns on to the Apple logo and keeps restarting continuously.

⟐ Answered September 14, 2025 at 8:18 MST

iPhone XS Max: 2 screws on bottom, 1 pentalobe and?

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 20:56:20 -0700

Hi yall.

What’s this second screw next to the pentalobe? Phone got water damage and I don’t know what this second screw is to open it. Looks pentagonal?

Hope images are clear enough.

Thank you,

⟐ Answered September 07, 2025 at 20:56 MST

iPhone XS Max: I Bought Second Hand iPhone While Was Disabled

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:27:17 -0700

I Bought Myself A Second Hand iPhone XS Max 2024 September 19 And It Was Disabled So I Don't Know How To Do It And I Can't Sell It Cause I Really Need It , I Was Thinking To Buy New Motherboard But It's To Expensive Please Help How To Unlock It.

⟐ Answered July 02, 2025 at 6:27 MST

iPhone XS Max: [ Solved] Panic Full i2c0 CheckBusStatus SCL is stuck low issue

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 13:24:58 -0700

So with my iPhone when plugged in to charge and turn off the screen, about 20-30 seconds later it won't be able to turn on anymore, force me to unplug the charger to make it power on and show apple logo, even plugging in lightning to 3.5mm adapter will make it suddenly shutdown. Does anyone here know if this panic full is related to hardware or software failure?

Solved: I replaced the charging port and it actually fixed that problem

⟐ Answered June 21, 2025 at 13:24 MST

iPhone XS Max: iPhone XS Max Boot Looping and touch screen non functional

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 07:50:45 -0700

Hello, I tried charging my iPhone XS Max yesterday and it wouldnt charge at all, it was stuck at the red battery screen (the one that shows when the battery is dead but the phone is plugged in and charging). I left it to charge overnight, but it still didnt charge up.

Today I decided to take it apart and put the original battery back in the phone as I had replaced it last year with a battery from amazon. After replacing it and letting it boot up I noticed that the touch screen was completely unresponsive but the phone wasn’t frozen. The phone was still opened at this point with the connecter shield screws not on, so i screwed everything back together and closed up the phone.

After closing the phone up it got stuck in a boot loop and it only exits the boot loops when the screen is removed. There is no damage on any part of the board or on the display. All help would be appreciated.

⟐ Commented June 21, 2025 at 7:50 MST

iPhone XS Max: iPhone wont turn on after fall

Sat, 17 May 2025 02:51:41 -0700

I dropped my iphone xs max and it suddenly went black. I tried hard reset but the screen wont turn on. Also tired plugging in the power connector but it started to get stuck in the reboot loop where the apple logo keeps appearing and disappearing with some green lines glitches. Tried also open up the phone and check the connectors, all seem to be fine, i even removed the motherboard to check things below it, nothing seemed wrong

Can someone tell me which component module might went wrong? And how can i fix this?

iPhone XS Max: Pink line in phone

Fri, 09 May 2025 15:59:19 -0700

There’s a pink straight lime on my screen from top to bottom

⟐ Answered May 09, 2025 at 15:59 MST