Google Pixel 2 Battery Replacement

Written By: Adam O'Camb

Comments: 110

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

1 - 2 hours

Introduction

This repair guide was authored by the iFixit staff and hasn’t been endorsed by Google. Learn more about our repair guides here.

Use this guide to replace the worn-out battery in your Google Pixel 2.

Before disassembling your phone, discharge the battery below 25%. A charged lithium-ion battery can catch fire and/or explode if accidentally punctured. If your battery is swollen, take appropriate precautions.

Warning: Because of the strong adhesive securing the display, minimal clearance for inserting your tools, and high heat required, there is a good chance of accidentally damaging your display during this procedure. Unless you plan to replace your display in conjunction with this repair, work very carefully and be prepared to replace the display, should it not work upon reassembly. Follow the instructions carefully and observe all warnings to increase your odds of success.

The battery is held in place by very strong adhesive. You will need to use high concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol in order to loosen the battery from the phone.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

If your display glass is cracked, keep further breakage contained and prevent bodily harm during your repair by taping the glass. This also makes a smooth surface allowing the suction cup to bond.
Apply a suction cup as close to the volume button edge of the phone as you can while avoiding the curved edge.
The suction cup will not make a good seal on the curved portion of the glass.

My screen is severly cracked. I would recommend clear packaging tape as it is wide enough to accomodate the suction cup. Thinner cellophane tape won’t seal properly.

John Tippitt - 18/08/20

Does the Google Pixel 2 have be powered off before removing the digitizer screen? Its not mentioned in this article...

Will the phone be damaged if the power is still on when disconnecting the broken screen?

Alex -

Replacing the battery in my Pixel 2 was successful because I read the comments. They are invaluable in this endeavor.

David Castro -

Suggest procedure revision:

Step 1: Read all steps and associated comments before proceeding.

Step 2: Ensure they supplied you with the right F$%^ING TOOLS in the kit before proceeding.

I'm F$%^ED because any store around me that might have this T4 Torx bit is already closed and my screen is already off. My kit came with a T2 Torx bit which is not used anywhere in this entire process.

Jens Davidsen -

I bought one of the kits and it had everything needed to change the battery except the alcohol, including spudgers, screwdriver, torx (2 sizes), tweezer, alcohol dispenser, glue strips and die-cut glue card that fit the phone case perfectly. I followed these instructions and read the comments. Applied alcohol and patience, took my time and got the job done without any damage to the phone. Thank you ifixit!

Jeffrey Price -

Step 2

Pull up on the suction cup with firm, constant pressure and insert an opening pick between the front panel and rear case.
Do not insert the pick deeper than 1.5 mm, or you risk damaging the OLED panel.
This requires a significant amount of force and patience. If you have trouble, rock the suction cup and screen to weaken the adhesive, or apply heat with an iOpener, heat gun, or hair dryer.
The display panel is fragile. If you plan to re-use your display, take care to insert your tool only as far as necessary to separate the adhesive. Inserting the tool any further can damage the OLED panel under the glass.

They cannot emphasize enough how careful you need to be when separating the screen. The iOpener does not work well enough to prevent breakage (opinion). I spent a majority of the hour and forty five minutes replacing my battery on removing the screen, i.e. reheating the iOpener, warming the device, slowly, with multiple passes, separating the adhesive. Use a heat gun or blow dryer.

Devin McMillen - 10/10/19

How many passes do I need? I do have a heatgun but I’m afraid to discolor or damage the screen. Anyone know the best temp before stopping to seperate the screen?

Sen Lin - 05/12/19

try the alcohol as instructed instead of heat. “Do not heat your phone. If needed, you can use a dropper or syringe to inject isopropyl alcohol (90+%) around the edges of the back cover to weaken the adhesive. “

Rogerio Sa - 15/01/20

Make sure to remove the adhesive under the top and bottom speakers to make it much easier to remove the screen.

Chibi Chica - 09/08/20

Isopropyl alcohol works well to loosen the adhesive. However - GO SLOW. Slide the pick a bit, then apply some isopropyl alcohol into the gap where you’re sliding toward. Wait a moment, then slide a bit more. Move very slowly, particularly around the corners!

Raquel Smith - 12/08/20

Any idea on what to do when the suction cup pops off of the screen before there’s enough clearance to slide the pick in?

Douglas Leenhouts - 15/08/20

I used a hairdryer to weaken the adhesive. If you place your finger in the path of the hairdryer you’ll have a good idea of when too much heat has been applied (when your skin becomes unhappy at the temperature). BE VERY GENTLE. I cracked my screen because I didn’t weaken the adhesive enough. I also chipped(dog eared) the corner of the OLED screen underneath with one of the plastic tools. Don’t stick it in too far. As the guide says, use the flat edge or the pick to help control this.

Alex Lawson - 21/09/20

I did the 90% alcohol and the iOpener. Took a while but finally got the screen off. As others have mentioned, there is lots of adhesive around the top and bottom speaker openings. I ended up reaching in with a small brush and more alcohol to get it. I used a tooth pick to break the final adhesive.

I also had a set of dental tools and a set of magnifying goggles (I’m a model railroader) which helped greatly.

John Reagan - 14/03/21

Like others have said, THIS STEP IS THE MOST DANGEROUS!!! You must be extremely gentle (no real force should be necessary to separate the screen from the glue) with the screen and take your time. (IMO if it takes you less than 30 mins to get the screen loose, your going too hard at it). Two suggestions from my successful battery replacement that I can give, use alcohol instead of heat (seems to work better with this phone) and start with a much thinner plastic tool that is also flexible (I used a metro card from the NYC MTA). This will allow you to get at the tiny gap without using any significant force and then get some alcohol into the gap by dripping it down the thin plastic tool. Honestly, IFIXIT should make a small thin rectangular card to use for this with lines around it for measurements…

Aleksandr Demidenko - 14/03/21

The first pry to get the pick inside the edge of the screen needs A LOT OF HEAT and a very firm pull, and just as someone else mentioned, the iOpener did not work well, instead, a regular hair dryer proved more beneficial in applying a controlled amount of heat until its almost too hot to touch. Then, once the pick is inside 99% isopropyl alcohol worked wonders, use a syringe or dropper to apple some at the edge, wait for about 15 seconds and move the pick centimetre by centimetre. Make sure to not insert it more than 2mm at the sides. I took more than an hour just to get the screen off.

A Sid -

As an experienced (1) screen remover, I’d recommend that if you don’t plan to change your screen, change your plans. You will be less disappointed that way. I managed to get mine for just over $10 with shipping and test it first (weak Battery). Pixel 3’s (Not 3a or XL) sure look a lot better now. They have removable backs. My pixel 1st gen was a cheap lesson. Looking for another cheap one to try alcohol on.

Scott Graham -

Used a hairdryer on medium heat (very warm but not burning hot), suction cup, and applied isopropyl alcohol into crack made when applying pressure. Rinse and repeat until loosened enough to get a pick in. Took many attempts. Don't try to force the pick in, as you could chip the edge of the thin glass of screen this way. The suction cup pressure and weakened adhesive should do the work. Once the pick gets it, you can work a little faster but did the same basic steps minus needing the suction cup anymore, working around the edges. Good lighting is a must to see the crack forming.

Arthur Kay - 18/12/22

I have to disagree with folks who said this is the longest step of the whole process...for me...the longest step was having to drive around and find a T4 Torx bit because this kit came with a T2 Torx which proved absolutely USELESS...

The screen came off very easily with the liberal application of 90% Isopropyl Alcohol. Took around 15min to get the screen off and I hardly had to use picks except for the top and bottom.

That Torx bit though... F$%^ED ME

Jens Davidsen -

Step 3

In the following steps, extra caution is required in certain areas to avoid damage to the phone:
Do not insert the pick more than 9 mm into the bottom edge of the phone. If the pick contacts the folded portion of the OLED panel it can damage the display.
Only make very shallow cuts in the upper left corner, prying deeply can damage the front-facing camera.
Inserting an opening tool deeper than 1.5 mm into the sides of the device, or 9 mm into the top and bottom can permanently damage the display.

This is inaccurate. The Pixel 2 phone’s back comes in two parts: a plastic main section and a glass back upper section. Only the glass section is required to be removed to replace the camera. Once the glass back is removed, the camera can easily be replaced without removing the motherboard, battery, or any other components. What is picture here looks like the original Google Pixel Phone.

hunter alden - 19/08/20

Firstly, I disagree with hunter’s comment above - my Pixel 2 looked identical to this when I had it opened up.

Secondly, the whole thing about 1.5mm at the sides - literally scared the cr*p out of me when I started this as it’s such a tiny margin - but what this doesn’t say is that you can see these limits on your phone - just turn the screen on and it’s where the display ends - the digitiser starts there and is a couple of mm deep - hence the need to be careful. You can also see it (though less obviously) when you have the screen off - the jet black part at the edge is where the adhesive is - just make sure you don’t push in past there. It’s not like you can’t make very gentle contact with the digitiser when clearing the adhesive - I believe it’s just any kind of real pressure which will render the screen useless.

Dave Watts - 17/10/20

I think it would be helpful to highlight the adhesive patches around the microphone/speaker areas and that you do need to project your pick in quite a distance to break this adhesive. I think simply creating a highlighted tracing of all of the adhesive areas would be helpful and pretty simple to do. It is shown to some extent, but in my opinion it could be more clear. In all of the prefaced concerns for digging too deep, I spent extra time and effort carefully prying upward and cracked my screen and OLED rendering my phone useless. Eventually I decided to probe more deeply toward the mic/speaker and broke things loose which allowed me to remove the screen easily.

Matt Escher - 22/02/21

Yes your right. I didn't e that and I disassembly the scree from it's digitiser layer. If i would know in advanced the adhesive borders it wouldn't happened.

Ronen Stolarski -

I took my time but a few times I slipped in more than I wanted. No harm. The bottom is the more tricky. The adhesive around the bottom opening goes right up against the ribbon cable for the screen. I got the edges unglued with alcohol & iOpener. I then gently pried the screen away and reached in with a small brush and more alcohol. I then used a toothpick to break the last pieces of adhesive.

John Reagan - 14/03/21

Besides the adhesive at the edges, there are 2 rectangular shaped adhesive patches at the top (around the speaker) and bottom (around the microphone). These are pretty thick, but can be easily chipped away with the pick. You start to see these as you gently lift the screen upwards with the suction cup and peer inside (use a flashlight). I did not need to use a heat gun or blow dryer. Just the pick and some isopropyl alcohol.

Hasan Akhter - 18/04/21

Use isopropyl alcohol with a syringe at the top and bottom speaker to weaken the adhesive, gently pull apart (about 2mm) and use a finer piece of plastic (like a milky file plastic sheet) to cut through the adhesive at the speakers, but still do not take the screen off completely yet! After extensively reading about failed attempts to get the screen off (instances where people damaged the OLED underneath) one thing is in common: few devices have little adhesive underneath the ribbon cable as well, which people failed to notice and while separating the screen and in turn, damaged the OLED because of the pull from the ribbon cable. Thanks to having this information beforehand I found the same issue in my phone after I separated the screen (not completely) from the frame, I used a piece of finer sheet of plastic to cut the adhesive holding the ribbon cable. You will have to be extremely patient and take your time.

A Sid -

Word of warning - it is incredibly easy to slip and damage the ribbon cable at the back of the screen (where it folds over on the left in the image)! I accidentally did this removing the screen on my phone and it killed the touch functionality.

Joshua -

i spent probably 3 hours on this step only last night, incredibly difficult. turned out that the OLED itself was glued to the midframe which made it extra hard (and ended up breaking the screen in the process. I did buy the phone refurbished so I don't think they are all glued this way but it is definitely worth knowing.

Sally Bascombe -

Using 91% isopropyl alcohol worked way better than applying heat. Was applying heat for 20 minutes with no luck to get the initial opening. IPA did the job in 2 minutes. I would be cautious with how much alcohol you are dropping. Do not be too generous as some have mentioned and just drop along the edges at incremental distances. The alcohol will dissolve the grey foam in the picture with X marks and flatten it. Not that big of a deal but if you are picky about not damaging anything in the process you should be careful about it.

Bhavesh P -

Step 4

In the following steps, use the flat of the opening pick, rather than a corner, to cut here. This will help prevent inserting the pick too deeply.
Slide the opening pick up the right side of the phone to separate the display adhesive.
Take extra care with the side bezels, which are only 1.5 mm deep.

Step 5

Slide the opening pick around the upper-right corner and along the top edge of the phone.
There's a mesh covering the earpiece speaker on the top edge of the screen. If you don’t have a replacement mesh, take care not to damage or lose this component.

Leaving one pick inserted at each corner will help prevent it from sticking back.

A Sid -

Step 6

Slide the pick around the upper-left corner of the phone and down the left edge of the phone.

Step 7

Slide the pick around the bottom-left corner and along the bottom of the phone. Keep pick at a slight angle away from the screen to avoid damage to the OLED corners.
Take extra care not to insert the opening pick more than 9 mm to avoid damaging the OLED panel.

Step 8

Reinsert the pick at the top edge of the phone and gently pry up the display.
If the display doesn't readily lift, do some extra prying to separate the last of the adhesive. The adhesive near the upper speaker is thicker than other places.
Don't try to fully separate the display yet, as a fragile ribbon cable still connects it to the phone's motherboard.

This for me was by far the hardest step. What this guide fails to say is just how much adhesive you’ll encounter - mine was heaving with the stuff - so I wouldn’t attempt this fix without the rubbing alcohol, and I would be prepared to spend 30 mins on this - the images above make it look like as soon as you can get the pick in and around the whole phone the display will come off - this wasn’t true on mine, and I put a small crack in the top of my screen as I applied a little pressure to lever the top - the edges were ok, but there was so much adhesive at the top and bottom - right down and around the speaker grills - that I used scissors to cut the remaining strands as I managed to lift the screen higher enough! Don’t be shy with the rubbing alcohol, it really helps - and you really need to feel all sides loosen properly before you attempt to lever - but if you’re patient, it’ll be ok.

Dave Watts - 17/10/20

agree, way more adhesive at top and bottom than guide implies. go really slow on sides with thin plastic but top and bottom speaker needs a bigger dig

Erik Sorensen -

Step 9

Carefully lay the display down on top of the rear case as shown, making sure not to crease or tear the display ribbon cable.
Remove the two 4.0 mm T5 Torx screws securing the display cable bracket.
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

I cannot imagine how much easier this project would be if they provided the bit for this screw and the others of the same size. The torx bit included in my kit is a 2mm - entirely useless here. Only other bits are Philips...also pretty useless...

Jens Davidsen -

Step 10

Remove the display cable bracket.

Step 11

Use the point of a spudger to lift the display cable connector up and out of its socket on the motherboard.
Avoid touching the motherboard with the tip of your spudger. The components surrounding the socket are fragile.
To re-attach press connectors like this one, carefully align and press down on one side until it clicks into place, then repeat on the other side. Do not press down on the middle. If the connector is misaligned, the pins can bend, causing permanent damage.
If any part of your screen doesn't respond to touch after your repair re-seat this connector, making sure it clicks fully into place and that there's no dust or other obstruction in the socket.
During reassembly, pause here and replace the adhesive around the edges of the display.

Wow, I think I damaged my motherboard on this step. It would be helpful if there was a warning in this step to avoid doing that! Now my pixel 2 is reduced to a cool paperweight with a static display.

Zach Laporte - 07/12/20

Yep, there’s a small surface mounted component below the connector that is super easy to dislodge from the circuit board. Shown in this YouTube video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BEpgqpI.... Unfortunately, the part is smaller than a grain of sand, so not really practical for the average fixer to put back on the board.

jlyonsmith - 09/03/21

I also knocked the tiny chip off of the board while removing the ribbon cable in this step. Use the spudger exactly how it’s shown in the photos.

John Ware - 25/03/21

A spudger is the wrong tool to remove the video connector. You cannot see where you are poking with that tool and I wound up dislodging one of the surface mounted devices hidden by the connector and ruining the phone. I also broke a ground path near the corner of the middle frame that is not mentioned in this repair procedure. Watch this YouTube before you begin disassembly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKULr67Z...

jamesdrobinson -

None of the tools provided in the repair kit seemed slim enough to fit the space required to pry this up. I ended up using a thin / flimsy plastic health care card to get under and pry up. It popped up with enough pressure.

Arthur Kay -

Step 12

Apply a heated iOpener to the proximity sensor on the top edge of the midframe for two minutes to soften its adhesive.

Isopropyl alcohol worked quickly for this

Raquel Smith - 12/08/20

Step 13

Slide the point of a spudger under the proximity sensor cable, starting from the side closest to the front-facing camera.
Gently lift the edge of the sensor cable until the sensor is perpendicular to the midframe.

This piece is actually glued down - heat and rubbing alcohol really helped as at first I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t get it to move.

Dave Watts - 17/10/20

Step 14

Peel back the small piece of tape covering the screw below the earpiece speaker. Peel back any tape covering other screws as well.
Remove the following screws securing the midframe:
Eleven 3.7 mm Phillips screws
One 4 mm T5 Torx screw
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

On my Pixel 2, I also had to peel back a small strip of conductive tape that was directly above (and the same kind as) the “screw below the earpiece speaker” mentioned above. It appears to be a ground strap to the assembly underneath.

Jonathan Dubovsky - 24/12/19

Me too! Please change the photo?

Andrew Hoeveler - 01/06/20

If you don't peel the mesh tape up, it will year. I'm not sure if it plays into the screen potentially not working, but it seems to be a ground for the midframe and the display ribbon has a ground contact to the

Wesley Krueger - 12/07/20

Many of the screws would not come out due to the original threadlocker on the threads. I found that if I just kept moving them around with a toothpick, I could get the out. I also had one of those telescoping magnetic bolt grabbers that pulled the screws out.

John Reagan - 14/03/21

Would be nice if they included the correct torx bit in the tool kit... mine came with a T2 Torx...pretty useless...managed to get the display ribbon cable free as those screws were surprisingly not super tight - got them with the included Philips bit...pretty F$%^ED right here

Jens Davidsen - 12/01/23

@JensDavidsen, I'm sorry to hear that the kit came with the wrong bit. We do everything we can to make sure that our tool kits are kitted correctly. I've gone ahead and forwarded your information over to CS so they can get this fixed for you. In the future, if you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out to us directly.

Kris Rodriguez -

You will also need to peel up the grounding tape below the front camera from the right. Be careful about not being too aggressive else you might lose adhesion while putting it back. I used some glue to ensure it would stick again during reassembly.

Bhavesh P -

What kind of glue did you use? I suspect that a) it could change the contact of the ribbon, therefore hindering conductivity and b) that the glue might change over time, e.g. break down and cause side-effects.

arne -

Step 15

Insert an opening tool into the notch in the midframe near the hold button.
Pry the midframe up enough to create a gap between it and the phone case. The midframe cannot yet be completely removed.

This is to pop a securing tab out it's place

Wesley Krueger - 09/07/20

On re-assembly make sure the securing tab, near the notch you use to open it, is inserted back under the frame again - this caused me to have to re-open my phone as my screen didn’t sit back down properly after I had put everything back together.

Dave Watts - 17/10/20

It is more effort than I anticipated. I really thought I was going to break it, but it was fine.

John Reagan - 14/03/21

Step 16

Lift the midframe up starting from the bottom edge.
When the midframe starts to make about a 45° with the rest of the phone, lift the midframe straight up and away from the phone.
As you lift the midfame, carefully guide the proximity sensor through the small slot in the midframe.

While not shown here in the photo, there is a short braided cable between the midframe and the motherboard near the front facing camera that prevents separating the midframe completely (ground?). Be careful not to damage this cable when completing the remaining steps or carefully remove before trying to separate the midframe completely.

ericdowens - 01/12/19

As ericdowens says above, there’s a small silver sliver of a connector (next to the front-facing camera). The guides on youtube said it was a grounding wire. This guide doesn’t mention it. Mine broke when I removed the midframe. No big deal. I stuck it back down with some tape when I put it all back together. Phone works fine.

Alex Lawson - 21/09/20

I had a heck of a time levering up the midframe. I had popped the side with the opening tool, but the other side was really stuck. I used some alcohol along the edge thinking there was some adhesive. Not sure. I eventually used a dental pick to pop it loose.

And when reinstalling, don’t forget to move the short braided cable back out of the way so you don’t trap it inside.

John Reagan - 14/03/21

STOP! Before you lift the midframe, the ground strap mentioned by ericdowens and Alex Lawson definitely will break if you don’t remove it from the midframe before lifting. I didn’t quite know what they were talking about, so thought I’d look for it as I was lifting the midframe, as I was sure if I was careful I’d spot it before it would break. I was very gentle, and I still broke it before realising what they were talking about. Look for some silver mesh tape on the midframe, near the forward-facing camera, same kind of tape as over the screw shown in Step 14. I’m going to try and carefully tape mine back together as Alex Lawson did, but it will be very fiddly, wish I hadn’t broken it in the first place!

Jamie Lamb -

I broke mine... then proceeded to pilfer about 2mm worth of the tape depicted in step 18 because it's a silvery adhesive.

Jens Davidsen -

Step 17

Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the battery connector.

This photo and tutorial doesn't show the shielding on the chips of the motherboard. And the glue…My pixel 2 had the volume button ribbon cable glued to the shielding. Carefully pry the cable off. Very carefully slide under it. Maybe use a little heat to soften the glue. You cannot just remove the motherboard with removing the ribbon cable for the volume buttons.

Austen - 08/03/21

Step 18

Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the charging assembly connector.

Removing the battery is not necessary to replace the motherboard, steps 19-21 can be omitted

Robert - 17/05/19

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the input! I’ve re-ordered the guide to remove the unnecessary steps.

Arthur Shi - 20/05/19

Thank you Robert

shady mohamed - 09/08/20

Step 19

Fill a plastic dropper or syringe with high concentration isopropyl alcohol and apply a few drops of alcohol under each corner of the battery. Give the alcohol a minute to weaken the battery adhesive.
Alternatively, apply a heated iOpener to the back of the phone over the battery for at least two minutes. Reheat and reapply the iOpener as needed until the battery adhesive is sufficiently weakened.

Step 20

Hold the charging assembly cable out of the way and insert an opening pick along the bottom edge of the battery.
Apply steady, even pressure to slowly lever the battery up and out of the phone.
Only pry from the center of the battery to avoid damaging the delicate ribbon cables beneath either side of the battery.
Try your best not to deform the battery during this process. Soft-shell lithium-ion batteries can leak dangerous chemicals, catch fire, or even explode if damaged. Do not use excessive force or pry at the battery with metal tools.
If you are having trouble, apply some more alcohol under the battery and try again.

This is another place where the amount of adhesive they’d used in the factory seemed understated - it took ages and plenty of heat and rubbing alcohol to get the battery out. Again, patience was needed - and I thought I might have messed it all up as I must have missed the “only pry from the centre” comment in the guide and went under the right and left bottom corners with a cotton bud and rubbing alcohol - I was lucky I think.

Dave Watts - 17/10/20

With the bottom of the phone resting against the iOpener, I used leverage with one of the plastic picks from the top and bottom of the batter and blue opening tool from the left side (below the volume rocker). It gripped it perfectly where I could pull it up a bit and slide the pick further underneath. Be careful of the volume ribbon cable (thin copper color at the top right of the battery) and what I assume to be an antenna cable. - a single thin black wire leading around the bottom left of the battery itself.

Avi Baron - 30/11/20

I think those cables to the left and right are for the “squeeze” sensors on the case.

I used lots of alcohol as other suggested. I got it out.

John Reagan - 14/03/21

Step 21

Remove the battery.
Do not reuse the battery after it has been removed, as doing so is a potential safety hazard. Replace it with a new battery.
To install a new battery:
Use a spudger to scrape away any remaining adhesive from the phone, and clean the glued areas with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth.
Secure the new battery with pre-cut adhesive or double-sided adhesive tape. In order to position it correctly, apply the new adhesive into the phone, not directly onto the battery. The adhesive should not touch any of the cables under the battery.
Press the battery firmly into place for 20-30 seconds.

Why I have to replace the battery if it doing well??!!

And is it necessary to remove the battery to reinstall the rear camera?

shady mohamed - 09/08/20

Lithium-ion batteries are susceptible to damage when they are bent or creased—the thin layers inside the battery may short, resulting in swelling and potential fire hazard.

You should be able to replace the rear camera without removing the battery. I will adjust the rear camera guide to reflect this.

Arthur Shi - 10/08/20

Re-assembly note -

Getting the battery to connect to the charging cable was a challenge for me. However, once it’s connected, if there’s any juice in the battery or if you want to be brave and plug it in, you can test to see if the phone is receiving power by trying to start it up and seeing if it vibrates. The combination of gently adjusting the charging cable, testing power, testing power with the phone plugged in got me to identify when the cable was attached properly.

Using my squishy finger worked better for re-attaching that cable than using the spudger.

This is a much better place to test for power than continuing reassembly and finding out it doesn’t work. If the phone cables are connected correctly and the battery has power (mine shipped with some charge in it), the phone will vibrate when you hold power.

Thomas - 19/11/20

Like Thomas, getting the battery cable back was a pain as my positioning of the new battery made the u-shaped cable slightly askew. I finally got it. I was afraid I was going to bend a pin but all good. And I also did the “press power and check for vibrate” trick. The battery (as I would later see) was 52% out of the box.

John Reagan - 14/03/21

Once you remove the battery, you may notice parallel lines of adhesives on both sides of the surface, where the battery was. No need to scrape away these lines. They should be still sticky and usable. Removing these would be a hassle. Just add a strip or two of the double sided adhesives in the middle where the battery was, before putting in your new battery.

Hasan Akhter - 18/04/21

after adding the battery, the turn on a vibrate trick does work, it vibrates, but then it never does again, and the display does not turn on:/ charging it for 10 min did nothing

Martin The Orange - 05/06/21

Thanks to Thomas, I did the turning on to know if it vibrated or not trick, and in my case, it did not. I had to plug out the battery connection and plug it in again with a finger and it was then when I heard a little “click” sound, and then the phone vibrated. You have to ensure that the battery side connector, sits right over the battery connection, before pressing it firmly.

A Sid -

Pro tip, plug in the battery before laying it down. Once the battery is in, you only have so much room to bend before it damages the cable or puts too much tension on the board.

Lance Garcia -

Be conservative with the alcohol as the adhesive is good enough to reuse. It would be a pain to scrape all that adhesive and apply the thin 2-sided tape.

Bhavesh P -

Is there a reason to replace the adhesive? The battery fits snugly in the cavity and seems to be held securely in place even without any adhesive applied. I decided to not apply new adhesive to make future repairs easier, but wondering if there will be negative consequences to this.

Jiri Bednar -

Conclusion

Compare your new replacement part to the original part—you may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before installing.

To reassemble your device, follow the above steps in reverse order.

After completing this guide, calibrate your newly-installed battery.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our Answers community for troubleshooting help.

Author

Adam O'Camb

Member since: 11/04/15

195421 Reputation

38 comments

The instructions say “No parts required” and yet I believe that for a battery replacement you might possibly require a new battery (and maybe a new screen in the case of a broken screen). Also you might suggest replacement adhesive and where to find that, too.

Leslie Gawne - 17/06/18

Hey. So I bought a new housing and a new screen for my Pixel 2. And I have a problem with that. After moving the parts to the new housing my vibromotor stopped working and bottom of the screen easily comes off. What should I do?

Rauf Salikhov - 07/09/18

Hi Rauf, it’s hard to say exactly what’s wrong, but as a start I would disconnect and reconnect the vibrator motor to make sure it’s connected correctly. As for the screen, make sure you carefully clean any old adhesive off the screen and case (use 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol for stubborn), and apply new adhesive to the screen before you replace it. That should help the display seat in the case and stay put.

Adam O'Camb - 12/09/18

I have a quick question, if we were to replace the screen adhesive with the Tesa 61395 tape, would the phone still remain water resistant to IP67? I am only worried it would not hold it as strong as the original adhesive

Tony Goh - 15/10/18

Hi Tony, Tesa tape creates a strong bond and should secure your screen just as well as the old adhesive. Unfortunately, the phone won’t be waterproof since you can’t create a continuous seal using the tape.

Adam O'Camb - 17/10/18

It wasn’t super clear to me that you have to cut through the material that surrounds the speakers top and bottom. Looks like I get to replace my screen now too :-(

Andrew Klaiber - 02/12/18

I did the whole process, after replacing the battery and putting eveyrthing together my screen never lit back up. I can feel the sceen being responsive to my touch but that’s it, it pitch black.

Hector Ramirez - 19/12/18

I’m having the same problem…. any thoughts?

Amrita Patnaik - 25/03/19

Did you ever resolve this issue? I’ve just done my battery / screen replacement and have the same thing. I can feel the phone restart from the vibration but the screen never lights up.

Erik Karlin - 09/08/19

Same issue here. Screen never worked again upon reassembly. Used iFixit toolkit and followed instructions closely.

Marcus Reid - 18/11/19

Hi, how do i reassemble the phone? Your guide stops at putting in the battery.

Jake Tecchio - 28/04/19

Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly except where otherwise noted. Follow the steps in reverse. Whenever special reassembly instructions are needed, you’ll see a reminder bullet (looks like a push pin)—such as in this step.

Jeff Suovanen - 29/04/19

I am thankful for the instructions, I would classify this as an “expert” level task.

While I successfully followed the instructions and did replace the battery, now I broke the screen somehow. On a side note, if somebody calls the phone it rings, so I know the battery works.

If you need to do these instructions, they are precise, but please know this is a time consuming task and frought with risk.

JJD - Back to 2 year old model phone.

JJ Donovan - 01/09/19

Hi, what size of tesa tape do you recommend? (can only buy tape on a roll from the EU store)

Howard Ching - 03/09/19

I’d recommend the 4 mm width for installing the battery. If you want tape for other repairs as well, the 1 mm width is probably more versatile as it can be used to secure smaller parts and fit along the edges of displays. You can lay multiple strips of the 1 mm tape next to each other to secure larger parts if needed.

Adam O'Camb - 04/09/19

DON’T DO THIS REPAIR unless you are planning on replacing the screen. Too many people have ended up with non-functional screens after performing this repair, turning a $50 repair into a $200 repair. For a phone of this age, it’s not worth the gamble.

Chris Kohanek - 21/09/19

I’m about to head to the store to purchase a new phone after unsuccessfully performing this upgrade. I highly recommend avoiding this repair unless you’re ready to get a new phone if things go south. The phone is working but the screen is not.

Andrew Jones - 18/12/19

Is it possible to reheat the adhesive to create a new waterproof bond or is that not recommended?

Drewby Troshak - 24/01/20

Terrible instructions. I followed them exactly and was very careful with the screen. I didn’t get the picks even .25 inches under the screen and it still broke just enough off a corner to kill the display. Screen doesn’t work at all anymore. Save your money and take the phone to a uBreakiFix place. They’ll do it for $80 with parts and labor, and if they break the screen, they’ll replace it. These instructions were horrible and a very poor description of what was required. Once I took my phone in, even with a new screen, the phone was stuck in a boot loop with the new battery. It worked again when I put the original battery back in. I have always heard good things about iFixIt, but this whole experience has changed my mind. Terrible directions and an incompatible battery. Definitely would not buy from them again.

Stephanie Crossland - 06/03/20

Using these instructions, I’ve fixed two Pixel 2’s that suffered from puffed batteries — both repairs went smoothly. Excellent instructions and guide. The two phones here had very slightly different internals than pictured like an extra piece of tape here and there but nothing troubling. Getting the residual screen edge adhesive off takes the majority of time!

I highly recommend getting the matching pre-cut “Google Pixel 2 Display Adhesive” sold here. I have Tesa tape but the pre-cut adhesive sheet is not only much easier to install (you can lay it in place with the sheet still in place, so it’s nearly drop-in!) but it’s a continuous seal so will help keep things sealed up tighter than me hand-fitting long strips of Tesa.

Jonathan Dubovsky - 02/06/20

Had the same experience you did. Changed my Pixel 2’s battery. Went smoothly. It works like new now. It took longer than expected, because I was extra careful. The tools were very useful and the adhesive sheet was a drop-in, I agree.

Hasan Akhter - 18/04/21

I would say that the guide is excellent, but the fix in it’s nature is hard because removing the screen is a delicate operation. You need to make sure you have plenty of patience. I would heavily advise against the fix if you don’t have rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol. I’d also read my comments on step 3 and 8 about how to judge the 1.5mm at the sides and the sheer amount of adhesive you may find you need to work your way through respectively. But outside of that, if you go slowly enough you should be fine. I’m not an electronics or DIY expert and my phone is back together successfully and it feels like having a new phone - once the battery was re-calibrated it’s lasting more than twice as long, maybe even 3 times as long between charges (phone was 3 yrs old).

Dave Watts - 17/10/20

Would there be any benefit to using the iopener to pre-warm the screen, vs a heatgun/hairdryer and or alcohol for the first step of removing the screen?

Michael Reid - 27/10/20

Hi Michael,

The main benefit is that you cannot overheat the screen with an iOpener. If you are careful, the heatgun/hairdryer approach can be a faster alternative.

Arthur Shi - 27/10/20

Could alcohol help with removing the screen?

Just got my new battery and a kit, now contemplating whether to try it or wait until i have nothing to lose if I break the screen…

Tatiana Moiseeva - 05/11/20

Using plenty of alcohol (I used denatured alcohol from Home Depot, with an eye dropper) was ESSENTIAL to loosen the adhesive and get the battery out! The iOpener heating pad on the back of the phone for 3 minutes or so also helped a bunch.

Gabriel Staples - 24/11/20

amazing guid :) really helped me out - now my phone charge doesn’t last for just 5 min

I would just advise to be extra careful when taking the battery out not to hurt the squeeze wires if you hurt one of them it won’t work.

Tzvi-Bar Schumert - 26/02/21

My P2’s battery died a few months ago (right before the P2 went out of Google support - I bought a P4a). The phone wouldnt’t work unless it was plugged into a charger. That actually got in the way with the upgrade as the P2 -> P4a transfer wanted me to connect the two phones via the USB-C cable. Of course, the moment I unlooked the P2 from the charger, it shut down.

Fast forward a few months, I drop my P4a and break the screen. No display and no touch. (and no insurance - never get it). So I buy yet another P4a and will wait for aftermarket screens to become available. In the meantime, I wanted to practice so I buy the P2 battery replacement and spend a whole Saturday doing the swap. The instructions were pretty good. However, I also had a set of dental picks and magnifying goggles. I’m a model railroader so I’m used to working with small tools.

It powered up just fine and is charging to 100% now. Thanks!

John Reagan - 14/03/21

I’d recommend against this repair if you’re not prepared to replace the screen as well. This guide isn’t kidding when they say there’s a good chance you’ll break your screen. My screen was in perfect condition before opening the phone, it’s now black and won’t light up at all. I’m now waiting on an ebay screen as ifixit seem to be out of Pixel screens at the moment.

Matt -

I am looking for a less elegant but simpler brute-force way to just cut the back and replace the battery, without getting near the screen. Most phones are carried in protective cases anyway. See this approach with CNC machine cut back of Surface Pro to replace SSD: Microsoft Surface Pro 3 SSD Replacement Dodgy Style

Andrzej Rusztowicz -

I see that it’s not possible in case of Pixel 2 because there are still a few ribbon cables between the battery and the back plate (see step 21). Also, the battery ribbon cable would have to be cut and patched because it plugs from the front, which would be inaccessible from the back. Sigh.

Andrzej Rusztowicz - 03/09/21

If your phone falls in water could it be fixed Google pixel 2 with a cracked screen

S S -

1st of all, You peeps are awesome. You've helped me replace a batter on an SP3 and now my trusty old Pixel 2. A $40 battery is far more appealing than a $1000+ new phone.

Question though: during the screen removal, the adhesive and foam around the opening for the speakers (seen in steps 3 &13) got a bit mangled. Should I just remove it completely, or can I purchase replacements?

Steven Kocher -

As a phone repair novice, I successfully replaced the battery on my phone following this guide/using the ifixit replacement kit. I read all comments, and watched the newpower99 video. It took about 4 hours taking my time and working slowly. Used plenty of 90% isopropyl alcohol with the dropper included in the repair kit. Used a hairdryer at medium temp (warm enough to be uncomfortable but not burn) for many steps requiring heat, such as removing screen. Also used a thin health care card as pry tool for removing display cable on step 11 as none of the tools provided in kit seemed thin enough to fit. The hardest part is to start getting the screen removed. I heated, used the suction cup, applied force, apply alcohol into crack. Rinse repeat until you loosen enough to get a pick under it. After working around all edges, there are rubbery gluey rectangles that act as clearance gaskets around the top and bottom speakers. these I used alcohol and the dull side of a small needle to work them off the screen.

Arthur Kay -

I wouldn't be intimidating if you are considering doing this repair. Just understand it will take time for a novice. For each step pause and review all guide resources available (this guide, newpower99 video, and step specific comments) to avoid any pitfalls.

Arthur Kay - 18/12/22

Of the 36 comments here, including this one, at least 8 mention the screen not working after completing the procedure. That is a pretty high failure rate, and I have not found here, or on line, any explanation other than that the person taking the phone apart broke it in the process. As careful as anyone reading this would be, I cannot believe that is the case, especially after having seen still working displays that were severely damaged.

My theory is that it is really easy to accidentally turn the phone on while assembling it, and a power surge blows a component on the screen as soon as it is attached. You would never know the phone was powered on without a screen being attached, and wouldn't see any sparks or lights to let you know what happened. The only way I have found to force the phone to power down with the buttons only, is to hold both the power and volume up buttons for about 30 seconds until you feel the vibration. When it doubt, it is probably a good idea to check that before attaching the screen.

George Hall -

This was pretty easy and enjoyable even, the screen is the hardest bit and yea it is super easy to damage it. Judging by the hair line cracks it's the force applied with the suction cup that did it in my case as I was really careful with the pick tool. No worries though, ordered a new screen, after 5 years probably good to have a fresh one free of scratches etc.

Brouse -

First time I repaired a phone and successfully fixed it using this guide and the repair kit. It was easier than I anticipated, but it was stressfull anyway ;-)

Note that the repair kit says that it contains everything for the repair, however you’ll need to source the alcohol and double sided tape seperately.

Hilbert -