How do I replace the headphone/audio jack in the original iPad and the iPad 2?

If your iPad is no longer under its one-year warranty period, or Apple determines that the damage is not covered by warranty, Apple can replace a damaged audio jack for a price that generally is not cost-effective. In the US, for example, service costs between US$269-US$419 plus US$6.95 for shipping (sales tax will be added, too).

However, if you have effectively isolated the audio problems in your iPad to the audio jack, and you are technically inclined, self-replacement is entirely possible, albeit extremely difficult.

Identification Help

If you are not certain whether you have an original iPad or an iPad 2, these can be roughly identified by whether or not they have a camera (the iPad 2 models have both front and rear-facing cameras whereas the original iPad models do not have a camera at all).

These iPad models can be more precisely identified externally by a unique model number listed on the back of the tablet toward the bottom. Specifically, the original iPad (Wi-Fi) is model number A1219 and the original iPad (Wi-Fi/3G/A-GPS) is model number A1337, whereas the iPad 2 (Wi-Fi), iPad 2 (Wi-Fi/GSM/A-GPS), and iPad 2 (Wi-Fi/CDMA/A-GPS) have model numbers A1395, A1396, and A1397, respectively.

The iPad models also can be differentiated by the last three characters or four characters of the serial number with EveryiPad.com's Ultimate iLookup (the last three characters if it has an eleven character serial number and the last four characters if it has a twelve character serial number). Like the model number, the serial number is listed externally on the back of the tablet toward the bottom.

In addition to the last three or four characters of its serial number, EveryiPad.com's Ultimate iLookup feature can identify the iPad models by EMC number and order number (referred to as "Model" from within the iOS), as well.

iPad Headphone Jack Replacement Video

Before proceeding, please again note that this repair is extremely difficult -- it involves carefully prying the display loose and gingerly disconnecting thin and delicate cables. From hands-on evaluation, this is not a job for those who have not previously performed extensive repairs of small electronics, and as a result, hiring a professional is strongly recommended.

However, iFixit provides instructions for the original iPad; and for the iPad 2, this video from RepairsUniverse walks through the procedure:

From reviewing the instructions and watching the video, you should be able to determine whether or not you have the courage to replace the audio jack yourself or would prefer to hire a professional.

Site sponsor Mission Repair offers free hardware diagnosis and affordable iPad repair service by mail in addition to parts for those with previous experience replacing the audio jack in similar devices.