People who have used slightly older MacBooks will probably fondly remember the glowing Apple logo on the laptop. It was a cool feature that also added certain aesthetic value to the whole design of the MacBook.
Unfortunately for newer owners, Apple decided to drop this design, the only possible reasons Apple could have done this is to save space, weight, battery, and cost.
That said the mod we are going to be talking about is not insanely expensive, and after some basic battery tests, does not seem to affect the overall battery performance at all.
So until Apple decides to change this, installing a mod or getting it done is right now the only way to make the Apple logo glow.
How To Make The Apple Logo Glow
So for those who are ready to do a bit of hard work or in turn spend a bit more to get it done, the solution to getting the Apple logo to glow comes in the form of an LED modification kit, which is sold by a few third party suppliers.
Get the best possible quality you can find in order to avoid unnecessary hassles later.
These LED light kits generally use an exposed type of conductor fixed onto the back of the phone screen to skim some of the power coming to the main screen. This power will be used to light up the LED modification we will be installing in the location of the Apple logo.
And for those that are worried about losing lots of battery power towards lighting the logo, there is no need for alarm as the LED's in the mod kit we will be installing take a very tiny amount of power to light up, you will barely even notice a difference.
What To Know Before Installing The LED Light Kit To Make Apple Logo Glow
Before one begins to attempt this, there are a few things concerning safety and risks involved to keep in mind that we will be listing below.
- When you begin this process, you will be taking apart the pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) that goes all around the screen that keeps the screen water and dust resistant for models from the iPhone 7 onwards.
- The adhesive that keeps the battery in place will also come apart, this means you run the risk of the battery moving around a bit once everything is back together.
- In order to minimize the micro damage that can be caused to the components inside the phone due to static electrical current, it is important to ground oneself properly before beginning to work on your phone.
- The internal screws and threading is super tiny, so take care when replacing the screws, do not tighten them too much as this could damage the threading. And make sure there are no loose screws left as they can fall out and cause damage later.
- It is important to note that if you perform this mod, It will make the Apple warranty completely void. And you also may run the risk of being rejected at service centers too.
Even though this looks really cool, before you rush into something like this, know the risks that you are about to take and be careful while you work.
Step by Step Guide To Installing LED Kit On iPhone For Glowing Apple Logo
The procedure that will be listed below can be performed only on the following models of the iPhone.
iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 Plus
Currently, there are no mod kits easily available for newer iPhones like the iPhone 8 and so on.
Although these models can be modified, note they are notably harder to do, not to mention riskier as these newer models are built of glass and metal which is glued together tightly to form the water resistant seal.
That said, it is not advisable to perform such a task on a new and expensive phone, doing it on an older phone is a much better idea.
- To begin, locate the two screws at the bottom of the phone on either side of the lightning port and remove them.
- Next, with the help of a metal prying tool, insert it into the slight gap between the screen and the back frame of the iPhone. A suction cup can be used for assistance if needed.
- Once you have carefully pried the screen and back panel slightly apart, slowly lift the screen on its left side and place it gently on the right, like you are opening a very delicate book.
Be careful while doing this as the screen is connected to the other parts using a ribbon cable, so tugging hard on it might cause disconnections at the joints.
- For the next step, you will need the right sized screwdriver from a precision kit. It some kits will be labeled as Y triple zero (Y000). Once you have got the right screwdriver, open the screws that hold the battery connector in place.
- When all the screws are out, take the metal plate out and keep it aside safely with all the screws. Next, disconnect the battery connector.
- Once disconnected, you will have to remove the battery from its slot. To do this you will have to slowly pull on the tabs that are provided. But be extremely gentle while doing this as the tabs are quite delicate. Pull with an even amount of force.
- When you have finished taking out the battery, you should be able to see the back of the Apple logo, which should look like an odd shaped piece of metal.
- This is sealed to the phone with glue in order to waterproof it. Use the prying tool to slowly get under that piece of metal that forms the Apple logo on the reverse side.
- Once you have removed the old Apple logo, remove the glue protection from the new LED logo and then carefully place it exactly where the old logo was, it should ideally be sitting completely flush.
- Once this is fixed in place firmly, your phone although not waterproof anymore will remain quite dust free.
- Next, take the LED circuit kit and place it over the logo. Proceed to bend carefully the part where all the electrical parts are located, bend it enough so that both the strip connector and battery connector line up.
- When the connectors are lined up, slowly place the battery over the LED kit and connect it to the motherboard of the phone on top of the LED kits connector.
- Once all the connectors are in place and connected. Put back the metal plate that was holding everything in its place.
- Also, don’t be alarmed if the LEDs on the logo start to glow, they may work even though your iPhone has still not been powered on.
- When the metal plate is secured properly, slowly fold the screen back over onto the motherboard, carefully apply light pressure from the top edges and move along the rest of the frame, coming down from the sides towards the bottom, this should cause the phone to clamp both sides together.
- And finally, replace the two screws that were removed from the bottom near the lightning port.
- Once the screws are in place, power on your iPhone, when booted the LED logo should start to glow nice and bright. It should also respond to your finger touches, this will cycle through the various patterns and themes, and also turn it on and off with a long press.
This whole procedure should take you about 20 minutes to half an hour, it is definitely worth the slight struggle. And if you have never opened an iPhone before, proceed with care and read above to know all the risks involved.
The link to buy the LED modification kit on Amazon is given below.
How To Make The Apple Logo On MacBooks Glow
Those who have been long time users of MacBooks and had one before 2017 will remember that those older MacBooks Apple logo used to glow. Back then the LED which used to provide light to the screen was allowed to shine through the Apple logo to make it glow.
Apple for some reason or the other removed this feature from their newer MacBook models. This change most likely happened to reduce thickness and also because it actually had no functional purpose. That said, it still was a pretty cool feature to have and I do wish they bring it back.
Unfortunately, there are no LED modification kits like the one we just installed available for MacBooks and newer models of the iPhone that would cause the logo to glow, not to mention it’s a whole lot harder to open up the casing of MacBooks.
For now, we can only hope that Apple brings it back someday.
Can you Make iPads Apple Logo Glow?
Older iPads unlike their MacBook cousins never had had the glowing Apple logo to begin with, and unfortunately, there are no LED modification kits like the ones for the iPhone available for the iPad either.
So like the current MacBooks, if you want a glowing Apple logo on either one of them, you will just have to wait for Apple to put in the feature as of now.
