The Transparent iPhone Air Mod Is My New Favorite (and Most Complicated) Yet

The iPhone Air already has one of the best internal designs Apple has ever made. So naturally, I had to make it transparent. But this time, it was not as simple as usual. The new curved camera plateau changed everything.

Most iPhones have a flat inner surface that makes it easy to scrape off the paint. The iPhone Air’s glass curves upward around the camera area, which makes it much harder to work with. That meant I needed to try some new methods to pull this off.

Like with every transparent mod, I started by unscrewing and opening it up to figure out how to clean the back glass completely. Right away, I noticed a large dip near the camera and a weird silicone texture underneath. Things were about to get interesting.

Removing the Hardware and Finding Some Surprises

First thing to do is to take out everything that could melt, snap, or burn. That includes the wireless charging coil, MagSafe magnets, metal plates, flash, and rear microphone.

Then I started by heating the back glass to loosen the adhesive, then added some isopropyl alcohol to help the thermal pad lift up. As I peeled it back, the wireless charging coil started coming off with it, which I didn’t expect. While removing it, I noticed something new, the magnets underneath are much thicker than in previous iPhones, and I don’t think anyone has mentioned that yet.

Heat, Magnets, and Slight of Hand

To remove the magnets cleanly, I used a heat gun, a MagSafe puck, a piece of paper, and some gloves. The heat loosens the adhesive, the puck gives something to pull on, and the paper prevents damage to the magnets when detaching them.

With a bit of sleight of hand, I got the entire magnet ring off in one piece. That alone felt like a win.

Then it was time for cleanup. Scraping off adhesive and leftover paint was easier than usual this year, probably thanks to the heat plate.

The Camera Plateau Problem

Now came the hardest part. The curved camera plateau. I could have left the paint on, but most of the internal parts sit right underneath that bump. To make them visible, I had to remove it. Underneath the silicone coating, which felt similar to what you find inside AirPods, I started heating and peeling everything off. It came off easier than expected.

Next, I tried gallium, the same liquid metal I used in the iPhone 16 Pro mod. When it works, it breaks down aluminum instantly. Unfortunately, this time nothing happened. The backplate on the iPhone Air is not aluminum, which means the gallium could not do anything. So I had to go back to the classic method. Lots of heat and patience.

After some careful prying and a bit of smoke, the backplate finally lifted off.

Scraping Curved Glass the Hard Way

Scraping flat glass is one thing. Scraping curved glass is a whole new level of anxiety. One wrong move and the entire piece can crack.

For the flat areas, I used a paint scraper with heat. For the curved part, I tried melting the paint using a soldering iron. It was not perfect, but it helped with the corners. After that, I went back to using the blade to finish the rest.

Once everything was clean, I wiped the glass down with isopropyl alcohol. It looked completely clear. You could see every detail inside. Or, as I joked in the video, “We’ve got John Cena on the table because you can’t see him.”

Reassembly and the Moment of Truth

Now for the part that usually gives me the most stress: putting it all back together.

I glued the camera lens housing and flash back in place, folded the graphite sheet on the wireless charging coil, and carefully reinstalled the magnet ring using two MagSafe pucks to keep it aligned. This year’s larger magnets made that a little tricky, but it worked.

For the first time, I also added the bottom MagSafe magnets. I am still not sure if they make it look better or worse, but it definitely looks unique.

Once everything was in place and cleaned up, the result was unbelievable.

The Transparent iPhone Air Is a Beauty

This might be my favorite transparent mod yet. Everything works perfectly, including MagSafe charging, the flash, and the camera. The flash even lights up the entire phone now because the glass is completely clear.

If you say this looks bad, you are lying to yourself. This is easily the cleanest transparent iPhone I have ever made.

Final Thoughts

Every year, Apple makes the inside of the iPhone more beautiful, and every year, I find a way to make it visible. The iPhone Air was harder than expected, but the result was totally worth it.

And remember, if you ever try this yourself, do not melt your magnets, or your patience. Projects like this take a bit of trial and error, but that’s half the fun of modding.

See you in the next article!