Google Pixel 4a 5G Battery Replacement

Written By: Sam Omiotek

Comments: 23

Difficulty

Moderate

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.

Follow this guide to replace the battery on a Google Pixel 4a 5G.

For your safety, discharge your battery below 25% before disassembling your phone. This reduces the risk of a dangerous thermal event if the battery is accidentally damaged during the repair. If your battery is swollen, take appropriate precautions.

The unreinforced display panel of the Pixel 4a 5G is fragile. Pay special attention to the warnings in the opening procedure if you are reusing the screen.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Insert a SIM eject tool, bit, or straightened paper clip into the SIM tray hole.
Press directly into the hole to eject the SIM card tray.
Remove the SIM card tray.

Step 2

You will need to pry the screen up to remove it from the phone. Read the following notes carefully before proceeding.
Take note of the two seams on the edge of your phone:
Screen seam: This seam separates the screen from the rest of the phone. This is where you have to pry.
Frame seam: This is where the plastic frame meets the back cover. It is held in place by screws. Do not pry at this seam.
Before you begin, note the following areas on the screen:
Screen flex cable: Do not insert the opening pick deeper than instructed or you risk damaging this cable.
Adhesive perimeter: Prying beyond this narrow perimeter without angling the pick will damage the OLED panel.

Step 3

Apply a heated iOpener to the right edge of the display for one minute to soften the adhesive.
A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the phone—the display and internal battery are both susceptible to heat damage.

Step 4

If your display is badly cracked, covering it with a layer of clear packing tape may allow the suction cup to adhere. Alternatively, very strong tape may be used instead of the suction cup. If all else fails, you can superglue the suction cup to the broken screen.
Place a suction cup as close to the right edge of the screen as possible.
Lift the suction cup with a strong steady force.
Insert the tip of an opening pick into the screen seam no more than 1 mm.

When "lifting" the suction cup, press down while pivoting the handle away from the front/edge, as if opening a door.

Soon-Hee -

For a very cracked screen, I placed clear packing tape on top of the screen to use the suction cup at all. Also had to suction cup and pry/pick at multiple sides of the screen. Small fragments of broken glass won't pry up, so had to use tweezers to pull at glass fragments to release them from the adhesive underneath.

Soon-Hee -

Step 5

This step shows how to insert your pick without damaging the OLED panel. Do this before slicing the adhesive.
With the pick 1 mm into the gap, pivot the pick upwards to a steep angle.
At a steep angle, carefully push the pick into the gap about 1/4 inch (6 mm). The pick should slide in below the OLED panel.
Stop if you feel the point of the pick hitting a ridge. The pick may be pressing against the edge of the OLED panel. Angle the pick and try again.

You don't exactly have to be utterly careful about damaging the panel. The glass+OLED screen as a whole is being replaced here. So it doesn't really matter if you accidentally damage the old OLED panel.

Soon-Hee - 26/08/23

If only the battery needs to be replaced, be sure to pay attention to the angle at which the pick is moved. Even the slightest deviation and the display is crap. I followed the instructions, but obviously I got to the display somewhere. Unfortunately the display now remains black and I have a flashing green bar at the top. So be careful.

RiKER “MANiAC -NI-” -

Step 6

Slide the pick along the right edge of the screen to cut the adhesive.
Do not insert the pick more than 1/4 inch (6 mm) or you may damage the screen's flex cable.
Leave the pick in the bottom-right corner to prevent the adhesive from re-sealing.

Step 7

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.
The screen adhesive is weak, so you should not need to re-apply heat. If the screen is hard to slice, apply heat to the difficult area for one minute and try again.
Insert another opening pick into the right edge of the phone at an angle where a gap has already formed to prevent damage to the OLED panel.
Slide the opening pick around the top of the phone to cut the adhesive.
Leave the pick inserted along the top edge to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

The replacement screen I purchased from iFixit Oceania in Sept 2022 included a new speaker mesh, already attached to the screen.

Chris -

The corners seems particularly tricky with the adhesive. Make sure to reapply heat in the corners. I cracked my screen while detaching the corners.

Patrick Nantel -

Step 8

Insert another opening pick into the top edge of your phone at an angle where a gap has already formed to prevent damage to the OLED panel.
Use the pick to slice around the top-left corner where the camera window is.
If the screen is hard to slice, apply heat to the difficult area for one minute and try again.
Leave the pick inserted along the left edge of your phone to prevent the adhesive from re-sealing.

Step 9

Slide the opening pick to cut the adhesive along the left edge of your phone.
If the screen is hard to slice, apply heat to the difficult area for one minute and try again.
Keep in mind that you are now slicing near the screen flex cable and digitizer.

Step 10

Slide the opening pick around the bottom-left corner and across the bottom of the display to cut the rest of the adhesive.
If the screen is hard to slice, apply heat to the difficult area for one minute and try again.
Keep in mind that you are now slicing near the screen flex cable and digitizer.

Step 11

Once you have cut around the perimeter of the phone, carefully lift the right edge of the screen, partially opening the phone like a book.
Do not remove the screen yet.
Use an opening pick to carefully cut through any remaining adhesive.

Step 12

Lift from the top edge and swing the screen over the bottom edge until you can rest it glass-side down.
Be careful not to put any stress on the attached ribbon cable.

Step 13

Use your fingernail or a pair of tweezers to carefully peel off the tape covering the screen connector.
If it is in good condition, you can re-use this tape during reassembly. Otherwise, replace it with a piece of Kapton tape.

The replacement screen I purchased from iFixit Oceania in Sept 2022 included a new piece of tape.

Chris -

Step 14

Insert the tip of a spudger into the opening of the plastic cover securing the screen flex cable.
Pry the plastic cover straight up until it pops out of place.
The plastic cover may spring into the air.
Remove the plastic cover.

Step 15

Use the tip of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the screen flex cable.
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.

Step 16

Remove the screen.
To install a new screen:
Check if your replacement screen has speaker mesh and top edge adhesive pre-installed.
If it does, you won't need the top edge adhesive.
If it doesn't, remove the larger clear liner from the top edge adhesive and apply it to the screen (not the frame). Make sure the larger cutout lines up with the speaker mesh.
Follow this guide to apply the custom-cut adhesive.
Use the third photo as a reference to position your adhesives.
During the boot-up process after reassembly, the screen will go through a calibration sequence. Don't touch the screen during this process, as it could result in improper touch calibration and create touch issues.

There are four adhesives provided in the current kit provided by ifixit. They have a blue and clear backing with a thin black strip, as shown on here. The adhesives instructions provided in this general guide are not very clear and I messed up my first one, which made the other three useless leading me to just buy a b-7000 adhesive instead. However, for anyone wanting to correctly use the ifixit adhesives, first line up the black strip on the edge of your phone where the screen will rest and peel off the first clear portion. Then peel off the blue portion and you will be left with a thin black adhesive strip. Do this for all four pieces in the configuration shown on the page linked above and then place your screen on, press down gently, then turn the phone screen down and place some books on to provide stronger contact between the adhesive and the new screen. Good luck!

Graduate Agriculture - 27/08/23

thanks a lot!

Zurdits -

Step 17

Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the nine 4.4 mm-long screws securing the back cover to the midframe.
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

I found 2 extra screws in mine. FYI. (From America)

L Daniel Wenger -

I also have 11x T3 in a US model. And the two at the bottom near the USB-C port are shorter by ~1mm than the others.

Erik Sorensen - 08/01/23

Step 18

Insert an opening pick into the seam between the midframe and the back cover, right above the SIM card slot.
Slide the opening pick along the right edge of your phone to release the plastic clips securing the back cover to the midframe.

Step 19

Continue sliding the opening pick along the top, left, and bottom edges of your phone until all of the plastic tabs securing the back cover to the midframe are released.

Step 20

Flip your phone over so the back cover is facing up.
Carefully swing the back cover up to an upright position.
Do not remove the back cover. It is still attached by two ribbon cables.
Rest the back cover against an object such as a cardboard box or soda can.

Be very gentle when removing the back panel, the ribon for the fingerprint broke and I had to wait 4 weeks to obtain it from China

clem -

Step 21

Use a T3 Torx screwdriver to remove the seven screws securing the motherboard bracket:
Four 4.0 mm-long screws
Three 2.1 mm-long screws

Hi. Thank you for the great Tuto! Do you know where can I find a replacement battery?

Nicolas AUCONIE -

Step 22

Remove the motherboard bracket.

Step 23

Use the tip of a spudger to disconnect the battery cable from the motherboard.

Keep in mind this cable when putting board back in place

Ivan Andrijic -

Step 24

Use the tip of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the fingerprint sensor cable.

Step 25

Use the tip of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the front sensor array cable.

Step 26

Remove the back cover.

Step 27

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the black tape covering the antenna flex cable between the loudspeaker and the battery.
Be careful not to puncture the battery with your tweezers.

Step 28

Flip the midframe over.
Use a pair of tweezers to remove the rectangular piece of copper foil closest to the edge of the phone.
If the copper foil remains intact, reuse it during reassembly. If not, replace it with a piece of Kapton tape.

Step 29

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the rectangular piece of copper foil closest to the center of the phone.
If the copper foil remains intact, reuse it during reassembly. If not, replace it with a piece of Kapton tape.

Step 30

Use the flat end of a spudger to lift up the battery adhesive pull tab so that you can reach it with your fingers.
Try to keep the adhesive strips flat and unwrinkled during this procedure; twisted or wrinkled strips will stick together and break instead of pulling out cleanly.
Slowly pull one battery adhesive tab away from the battery, towards the bottom of the phone.
Pull steadily, maintaining constant tension on the strip until it slips out from between the battery and the midframe. For best results, pull the strip at as low of an angle as possible.
The strip will stretch to many times its original length. Continue pulling and re-grab the strip near the battery if necessary.
If the battery adhesive tabs break during the removal process, use your fingers or blunt tweezers to retrieve the remaining length of adhesive, and continue pulling.

Step 31

Repeat the instructions in the previous step for the second stretch-release adhesive strip.
If any of the adhesive strips broke off underneath the battery and could not be retrieved, apply a few drops of 90% isopropyl alcohol into the opening of the affected tab and tilt the phone towards the top edge so that the alcohol flows toward the remaining adhesive. Wait one minute for the adhesive to soften, then proceed to the next step.

Step 32

Do not reuse the battery if it has been deformed or damaged, as doing so is a potential safety hazard. Replace it with a new battery.
Insert an opening pick into the battery well along one of the long edges of the battery.
Pry the battery upward to remove it from the battery well.
If the adhesive was successfully removed, the battery should come out very easily.
If the battery cannot be easily extracted due to unsuccessful removal of the stretch-release adhesive, apply 90% isopropyl alcohol as directed in the previous step.
Once you have allowed one minute for the alcohol to soften the adhesive, use an opening pick to pry up the battery from one of the long edges.
Do not bend the battery as you pull it out.

My 4a 5g had additional flex cable that appeared to be for the side grip sensors i had to remove.

Greg Besack -

Conclusion

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

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

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.

Author

Sam Omiotek

Member since: 25/02/19

72005 Reputation

8 comments

Hi Sam,

Do you know where to actually buy battery replacements for the 4a 5g? It doesn’t seem like it’s available just doing a Google search, and just wondering if you know something I don’t.

Thanks,

Sally

Sally Hoo -

Hi Sally,

Not right now, unfortunately. It’s likely a matter of time before they are available, but it’s difficult to predict exactly when—especially with impacted global supply chains. Keep an eye on iFixit and eBay, and check with any repair shops if you haven’t already.

Best of luck,

Sam

Sam Omiotek -

Hi! This guide worked excellently for removing my battery. But I was hoping you could give me a bit of advice.

I disassembled my phone because I got water in it, and I wanted it to dry more effectively. Because my battery is not damaged I was planning on putting it back in now, but your guide warns against this. Is that because there is no more adhesive? Or potentially something else that I could work around?

Thanks! -Ben

Ben Hilton -

Hi Ben!

We warn against reusing batteries because they are usually deformed during removal, which increases the chances of a "thermal event" happening in the future. If you were able to remove yours without deforming it at all, then you should be fine to reuse it.

That being said, with internal water exposure a battery replacement is almost always necessary. It depends on the level of contamination. If it were my phone, I would buy a new one. They are not too expensive.

Sam Omiotek -

Hi :)

I have an Ifixit essential toolkit. The guide is excellent but once i read step 22 it states that I need to use a T3 Torx in order to remove the motherboard. Unfortunately my IFIXT includes only Torx T4 and T5, so I was wondering whether i'll be able to unscrew it anyways using what I have or will I necessarily have to buy another kit?

thank you!

Marco

nanter88 - 26/07/22

The guide is much appreciated. I'll take better care of this new battery lol

I forgot to put the tab and tape back on the screen connector though, and I don't want to pull the screen back off, so I just have to live in constant fear of it coming out. FAFO.

Torrent Amador -

Nice guide!

Be very careful while removing the back plate because the fingerprint ribbon is very fragile!

Don't do the same mistake as me the adhesive for the battery are not the same size, be sure to place it correctly!

Thanks to the author

clem -

Where can I get this process done? I don't feel I can do it myself. Jim in PHX...

James D Cathey -