THE HOW TO TEARDOWN APPLE IPHONE AND ANDROID CELL PHONES TO DISCONNECT OR REMOVE MICROPHONES, CAMERAS, WIFI AND BLUETOOTH

By having microphones and cameras in your cell phone, “cyber criminals” (including government organizations) can hack your data, wifi, or bluetooth to overhear, watch, and monitor you, or even interfere with your online and physical activity in a harassing or terroristic manner. Everyone is still familiar with wired headphones and microphones – use them. And always turn off location services for the entire cell phone and every app. You are best off to cancel your data plan (saving up to 90% of your monthly cell phone bill) and accessing the internet via ethernet connection to a computer (no wifi or other wireless technology such as bluetooth). This protects you from some wireless security vulnerabilities as well as excessive levels of cancer-causing radiation emitted by “smart” phones. If you intend to continue using data, wifi, or bluetooth with your cell phone, by removing microphones and cameras, as well as turning off location services, you still minimize much of your risk to hackers. Note, you must be willing to “teardown” / take apart your Apple iPhone or Android cell phone, and to do so requires specialized tools which can be purchased from “IFixIt.com” or at a “Micro Center” storefront.

How To Teardown Apple iPhones To Disconnect or Remove Microphones, Cameras, Wifi and Bluetooth:

• Remove the screen from your Apple iPhone with a “I Fix It” “putty knife” and plastic “picks”. You may need to heat the screen with a blow dryer to soften the glue for separation (typically only necessary with Android phones). Prop the screen to avoid stretching or bending the screen’s flex connector. 
• Remove the two or three metal coverings with the appropriate “I Fix It” screw driver attachment(s). Disconnect the battery “flex connector” to prevent electrocution or damage to your iPhone. Then disconnect the screen’s flex connector(s) if you want to avoid damaging this flex connector.
• Locate the two, three, or four microphones. There is one (or two) at the base to the side of the battery port, a “third” underneath one of the rear cameras, and perhaps a fourth at the top attached to the front-facing camera. Two or three of the microphones will be positioned covering a hole on the inside that is visible from the exterior frame of the iPhone (at the base and under the rear-facing camera) – this will help guide where to look on the inside of the iPhone. For one of the bottom microphones you will likely have to unscrew and remove the bottom speaker (which is connected via magnet rather than a flex connector) on one side. The microphone on this side may be covered over the top with black foam, but the gold of the microphone is still visible from the sides. Pry this microphone away from the frame (it is glued) with a “I Fix It” “putty knife”, “I Fix It” “needle-nose pliers”, or a razor blade, and cut the flex cord with scissors to remove this microphone. Then on the other side of the battery port there is a metal covering that is also attached via screw to the taptic engine (vibration) – unscrew and remove the metal cover and taptic engine (joined by one screw) using a “I Fix It” screw driver with the necessary attachment(s). Under the metal covering there is likely a a small piece of plastic/metal fitted into a round foam socket that is attached via flex connector. Pry this out gently with a “I Fix It” plastic flat-head and/or pointed tip tool to gain access to the other microphone at the base – this plastic/metal piece will hang loose until you reinsert into the round foam socket, so be careful not to damage this flex cord. Pry the microphone away from the frame and cut the flex cord with scissors to remove this microphone. Disconnect the rear-facing camera flex connector(s) from the motherboard, unscrew the fastening screws for the plate (if not already done) and camera(s), and pry the camera housing out using a “I Fix It” plastic flat-head and/or pointed tip. Then remove the microphone under the rear-facing camera by prying it gently with the “I Fix It” plastic pointed tip or “needle-nose” pliers and cut the flex connector with scissors. You can reinstall the rear-facing camera(s) or leave them removed, but reinstall the screws either way. Cover the remaining exposed flex connector ports with small pieces of electrical tape to prevent electric exposure or unintentional reconnecting of the flex connector(s) (if the cameras are not removed). Alternatively, you can cover over the cameras with pieces of electrical tape or purchase a case with covers. Remove the front-facing camera and attached top microphone by disconnecting the flex connector(s) for the front-facing camera from the motherboard with a “I Fix It” plastic flat-head and/or pointed tip. Be sure to check for additional flex connectors under each flex connector as they are sometimes stacked. Before removing the front-facing camera, you may first have to remove the top plastic speaker in order to pry out the front-facing camera – do this by removing the relevant screws with a “I Fix It” screw driver and necessary attachment(s), then use the plastic flat head and/or pointed tip to pry out the plastic speaker first, and then the front-facing camera. Cover the front-facing camera and sensor flex connector ports with small pieces of electrical tape, which allows your iPhone to function for basic calls, texts, and native applications that don’t need internet/data to function.
• Disconnect the wifi / bluetooth flex connector – cover port with a small piece of electrical tape.
• Disconnect the wifi antenna (if applicable) – cover port with a small piece of electrical tape.

Note, after removing the taptic engine and SIM card holster, you can remove the motherboard entirely by disconnecting all flex connectors to more easily pry out the top speaker and front-facing camera. This is not necessary. If you choose to do this, be sure to check under each flex connector to make sure there are no additional flex connectors stacked beneath that need to be disconnected before removing the motherboard. Also, although newer motherboards on iPhones are laid out similarly, you may need to look on “IFixIt.com” or comb through Google images to ensure you disconnect the appropriate flex connector(s) with regard to the wifi/bluetooth flex connector and antenna (if applicable) – search Google or other search engine with “iPhone # motherboard diagram schematic”. With some iPhones you can also disconnect the flex connector for the 5G and/or 4G chip to eliminate this excessive radiation. The 2G/3G chip is separate (usually located closer to the bottom of the motherboard), and allows your iPhone to still function for calls and texts. Of course you can turn off data to reduce radiation exposure and/or cancel your data plan, but regardless of which flex connectors you disconnect, it’s best to always turn off data, wifi, bluetooth, and airplay in the phone’s settings.

How To Teardown Android Phones To Disconnect or Remove Microphones, Cameras, Wifi and Bluetooth:

• Remove the rear exterior panel from the Android phone. Note, some Android phones (such as the Galaxy) will likely require you to remove the rear panel first, and then the screen as well in order to access the entire motherboard from both sides.
• Disconnect the battery flex connector.
• Disconnect the microphone flex connectors (if applicable) or physically remove the microphones (one at the base near the charging port and one near the rear camera, and perhaps one near the front-facing camera) by prying each from the motherboard with a “I Fix It” “putty knife” tool or razor blade (be careful to not let the tool or blade slip and scratch or damage the motherboard – if you do the phone will likely still function as normal, but you want to avoid unnecessary damage as much as possible). Cover the flex connector port or exposed area with a small piece of electrical tape.
• Disconnect the camera flex connectors (and remove all cameras if desired by removing the fastening screws – replace the screws when done). Cover the flex connector port with a small piece of electrical tape. Alternatively, you can cover over the cameras with pieces of electrical tape or purchase a case with covers.
• Disconnect the wifi antenna.
• Disconnect the wifi / bluetooth flex connector – cover port with a small piece of electrical tape.

By following these steps you can secure your “smart” phone / cell phone and will be protected from a majority of “online” “criminal” activity. Social media and other app companies, as well as “big brother” and organized criminals alike will no longer monitor your conversations or watch you through your phone’s camera(s). And if desired, you can eliminate some of the wireless security vulnerabilities and cancer-causing radiation emitted by your cell phone by canceling your data plan and disconnecting wifi / bluetooth from your phone, making it a “dumb” phone that serves you as a cell phone should.