Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Midframe Replacement

Written By: Jarrett Corr

Comments: 15

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Midframe Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

20 - 30 minutes

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the midframe on your Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Insert a fingernail or plastic opening tool into the divot to the left of the rear-facing camera.
Gently pry and twist the flexible rear cover off the back of the phone.

Back is not flexible and will shatter

bobby moran -

Step 2

Insert a fingernail or plastic opening tool into the recess in the bottom right corner of the battery and lift upward.
Remove the battery.

Step 3

Remove the SIM card by first pushing the card slightly out of its housing, then pulling it the rest of the way.

Step 4

Remove the sixteen 4.0 mm Phillips #00 screws securing the midframe to the display assembly.
Grasp the cap of the S Pen and remove it from its slot in the midframe.

Step 5

Insert a plastic opening tool between the midframe and the display assembly.
Work the plastic opening tool around the perimeter of the phone to break the adhesive.
This adhesive is relatively weak, so no heat gun should be necessary.
Be careful to not separate the front glass panel from the rest of the display assembly, as it is still held together with adhesive.

I managed to kill my LCD with this step. Warrants caution.

Jason Lee - 23/10/16

It always will. The lcd is the thickness of a credit card and glued to glass

Chris - 17/01/17

I also cracked my screen with this method ,not to be outdone I bought another phone for the screen .this time I used a thin guitar pick which I ran along the edges and around the phone carefully , it took a while but eventually worked the screen loose ( the glue area is small but still strong as I learned the first time) any way when the screen is loose enough , make sure the tabs on the inside cover are also loose (using the pick) I was able to then pop out the screen and replaced the mobo I have a nice new phone now ! Bottom line is don't pry on the screen it will crack loosen it completely and it will pop out nicely . Good luck .

billyroypage - 04/03/17

"This adhesive is relatively weak, so no heat gun should be necessary." I don't agree with this statement. It's very hard to separate display from midframe.

nikitaex123 - 16/08/17

This is not hard to do, but it is dangerous. The author is correct, no heat gun is necessary but it's easier with a heat gun or low or a hair drier on high. Don't use a metal blade, only use a guitar pick or plastic spluge. Be patient and do resist any temptation to pry *deeper*. Just keep prying shallow and horizontally. You may have to go around the perimeter several times but you will succeed.

As soon as you rush, decide you have to pry harder or let a tool go a millimeter or two *deeper* that is what will kill your LCD.

Entirely doable if you are very cautious.

iredato - 19/08/17

I meant to add.. there are two ways to kill the LCD or possibly crack the glass. By going too deep in the seam. So stay shallow. But you can also damage the LCD by putting too much sideways horizontal stress on it too. So it helps to keep moderate pressure down on the top of the phone so that most of your prying sideways force goes towards deflecting the bezel outward and thereby dislodging the adhesive seal. So "pinch" the phone by holding the top and bottom between your fingers of one hand. Or set the phone on a flat surface and press down on the top (glass) of the phone moderately to try and keep the glass and LCD sandwich in place while you pry as gently as possible sideways and outward to dislodge that adhesive seal.

iredato - 19/08/17

I cracked LCD in this step.

Marco Polo - 05/01/18

ACHTUNG! Es ist für einen Laien quasi unmöglich, das Display in diesem Schritt NICHT zu zerstören! Ich dachte auch ich bin besonders schlau und vorsichtig, hatte auf YouTube viele Videos angeschaut. Aber man hebelt unweigerlich die Frontscheibe etwas aus dem Rahmen, um den Kleber zu lösen, und dann ist es schon geschehen. Aber nicht die Frontscheibe zerbricht, die ist sehr stabil, sondern das ganz fragile LCD Display darunter bricht. Ich rate dazu, das Smartphone in einer Profiwerkstatt zerlegen zu lassen. Ob die das machen weiß ich nicht, das müsste man erfragen.

ATTENTION: It is almost impossible for a layman not to destroy the display in this step! I also thought I was especially smart and careful, I had watched many videos on YouTube. But you inevitably lift the windshield a bit out of the frame to loosen the glue, and then it happened. But it's not the windshield that breaks, it's the fragile LCD display underneath that breaks. I advise to have the smartphone dismantled in a professional workshop. I don't know if they do that, you'd have to ask them.

rolfi24 - 10/10/18

Step 6

Use a plastic opening tool to loosen the clasps around the battery housing.

What replacement part do I need to replace those 4 metal connectors that connects to the battery to power it on? 2 of those metal connectors are broken

rottman199 - 30/08/18

Step 7

Push on the battery housing to separate the midframe from the display assembly.
You will have to apply a reasonable amount of pressure to separate the two parts.
If your new midframe does not come with a headphone jack assembly, you'll need to transfer the one from the old midframe into the new one. It can be pried loose with plastic opening tools, as it is held in place with several plastic pins.

If you want to break the LCD or if it is already broken, poke both your thumbs into the battery pocket as shown in the picture. This may snap off the back, but it will also crack the LCD. The better way is to put your right thumb into the top right corner of the battery well and your left thumb on the SC card slot, then hook your fingernails on the top corners and side edges of the rear housing and push gently to separate it from the midframe.

Remember, the LCD hinges at the top, the rear housing hinges at the bottom. Once you see how the charge port fits into the recess at the bottom of the rear housing, you will understand what I mean.

This Note 4 rear housing fits tighter than previous Samsungs such as the S3 & S4 where you can take out the screws and then pop off the rear housing easily with your fingernails. Be very careful around the touch button flex cables at the bottom or be prepared to replace that assembly. It is cheap, so you may want to go ahead and order that when you get an LCD assembly.

Sam - 15/04/15

Thank you, very helpful in my swap out of the assembly. I also had to remove the headphone assembly and reinstall it into my new mid-frame. I added a step 5 to this user guide with a new image of the part that must go into the replacement mid-frame.

Arthur Libertucci - 23/11/15

Thank you! I cracked the top of the screen and couldn’t separate them by following the picture.

Zachary Lawton - 29/12/20

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Author

Jarrett Corr

Member since: 09/01/15

1187 Reputation

2 comments

I have attempted twice to remove the hear housing without breaking the LCD. And i have been working on phones for 12 years. It will break every time this should not be attempted unless the LCD is already bad.

Ted Jonason - 12/04/16

its very helpful.much appreciated!

Amirul La Ahad - 26/02/17