Introduction
This repair guide was authored by the iFixit staff and hasn’t been endorsed by Google. Learn more about our repair guides here.
Follow this guide to remove or replace the glass back cover for the Pixel 3. This procedure is necessary to access the Pixel’s internals.
You’ll need some double-sided tape (such as Tesa tape) in order to adhere the transferred components.
Tools
Parts
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Apply a suction cup to the heated bottom edge of the back cover.
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Lift on the suction cup with strong, steady force to create a gap.
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Insert an opening pick into the gap.
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Slice the adhesive along the bottom edge of the phone and around the right corner.
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Leave a pick in the bottom edge to prevent the adhesive from re-sealing.
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Continue heating and slicing through the rest of the phone perimeter. Leave a pick in each edge to prevent the adhesive from resealing.
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Once you have sliced around the perimeter of the phone, carefully lift the left edge of the back cover.
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Flip the back cover along its long axis and rest it so that the fingerprint sensor cable is not strained.
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Use the point of a spudger to slide the fingerprint connector bracket out from under the NFC coil.
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Remove the fingerprint connector bracket.
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Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the fingerprint connector from its socket.
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Follow these steps if you need to transfer the fingerprint sensor to your replacement back cover.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our Google Pixel 3 Answers community for troubleshooting help.
12 comments
My back cover would not come off by just using an iOpener. After getting a heat gun and applying the heat to the bottom corners I was able to get the adhesive weak enough to pry open.
Where I can buy a GENUINE back cover for my Pixel 3? Does anybody know?
FabianoD -
Where can I buy all the tools needed to repair my Pixel 3?
Older devices may require 2 or more minutes with a very hot iOpener. Also note, the photo shows the opener on the FRONT of the phone. The heat needs to be applied to the back of the device!
Rick Johnson -
I just realized that I was trying to pry apart the front of my Pixel 3… and have separated the class from the display. ??♂️ Even though the rest of the directions show the back, it would be nice for the first picture to also show the back, just to be safe.
JR Raith -
Agreed, I’ve done exactly the same and completely broken my display. I probably should’ve paid more attention to the initial steps before diving in but the step could do with a new picture for sure.
Daniel Fryer -
Thanks for the comments! I’ll add a note in the step warning people to make sure to pry the back cover, not the screen.
Arthur Shi -