Samsung Galaxy S21 Back Cover Replacement

Written By: Alex Diaz-Kokaisl

Comments: 3

Samsung Galaxy S21 Back Cover Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

1 - 2 hours

Introduction

Use this guide to remove or replace the back cover in your Samsung Galaxy S21.

Before you begin, refer to the Samsung Self-Repair document for safety information.

Note: Retaining water resistance after the repair will depend on how well you reapply the adhesive, but your device will lose its IP (Ingress Protection) rating.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Completely power off your phone before you begin.
Heat an iOpener and apply it to the back cover's bottom edge for two minutes.
A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the phone—the display, internal battery, and plastic back cover are both susceptible to heat damage.

Step 2

Apply a suction cup to the back of the phone, as close to the center of the bottom edge as possible.
Pull up on the suction cup with strong, steady force to create a gap between the back cover and the frame.
Depending on the age of your phone, this may be difficult. If you're having trouble, apply more heat to the edge and try again.
Insert an opening pick into the gap.
Only insert the pick up to 5 mm, as you may damage internal components if you go further.

Step 3

Slide the pick back and forth along the bottom edge to slice through the adhesive.
Leave the pick in to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 4

Apply a heated iOpener to the back cover's left edge for two minutes.

Step 5

Apply a suction cup to the back of the phone, as close to the center of the left edge as possible.
Pull up on the suction cup with strong, steady force to create a gap between the back cover and the frame.
Insert an opening pick into the gap.
Only insert the pick up to 5 mm, as you may damage internal components if you go further.

Step 6

Slide an opening pick along the left edge towards the bottom left corner to cut the adhesive.
Don't cut past where the camera shell meets the back cover, as you risk cracking the plastic.
Leave the pick in to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 7

Apply a heated iOpener to the back cover's right edge for two minutes.

Step 8

Apply a suction cup to the back of the phone, as close to the center of the right edge as possible.
Pull up on the suction cup with strong, steady force to create a gap between the back cover and the frame.
Insert an opening pick into the gap.
Only insert the pick up to 3 mm, as you may damage the secondary interconnect cable, which runs parallel to the right edge.

Step 9

Slide an opening pick back and forth along the back cover's right edge to cut the adhesive.
Leave the pick in to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 10

Rotate the right-edge opening pick around the top-right corner of the phone.
Only insert the pick up to 5 mm, as you may damage internal components if you go further.
This procedure can be applied to each corner, except the top-left where the rear-facing camera is located.

Step 11

Slide the top-most opening pick as close to the camera shell as possible.
Repeat for the left-edge pick.

Step 12

Heat an iOpener and apply it to the camera shell for two minutes.
As you wait for the adhesive to loosen, note the following:
There's additional adhesive to the right of the camera that you need to cut through.
There's a plate on the back cover surrounding the phone's flash that the pick can get stuck on:
Angle the pick downward to avoid any damage.

Step 13

Rotate the back cover counterclockwise to create a gap between the camera shell and the frame.
Only insert the pick up to 5 mm to avoid scratching the camera.
Insert an opening pick in the gap.
If this method doesn't work, move to the next step for an alternative method; otherwise, skip the next step.

The whole topic of the camera shell and adhesive is confusing. It's not immediately clear if the camera bezel is a separate piece. I suggest redoing this section a bit and combining it with the alternate method (which really isn't an alternate at all). The square of adhesive in the flash area needs to be called out in the same step as the camera shell/bezel. This topic is simpler than it appears in this manual. I expected all sorts of adhesive to be on the camera frame when I got the cover off, but that wasn't the case. Make sure to indicate the camera shell/bezel is integrated with the case.

Don Riggs -

Hi Don.

Thank you for the feedback! I have consolidated some of the steps to make it simpler.

Alex Diaz-Kokaisl -

Step 14

Slide an opening pick between the camera shell and the frame to cut the adhesive.
There's a significant amount of adhesive securing the frame to the camera shell, so multiple rounds of heating may be needed.

Step 15

Line up the opening pick's tip with your phone's flash
Insert the pick slowly, making sure to avoid the flash's plate.
The plate's resistance can feel similar to adhesive. Angle the pick downward to keep the pick from sliding into the plate.
Slice the adhesive to the right of the camera.

Step 16

Remove the back cover.
If your back cover is still sticking to the frame, slide the pick around the edges of the phone until the back cover completely separates.
During reassembly:
This is a good point to power on your phone and test all functions before sealing it up. Be sure to power your phone back down completely before you continue working.
Remove any adhesive chunks with a pair of tweezers or your fingers. Apply heat if you're having trouble separating the adhesive.
If you're using Samsung custom-cut adhesives, follow this guide.
If you're using double-sided tape, follow this guide.

Do NOT clean the inside of the back cover with alcohol. I was trying to wipe away some adhesive residue (not even necessary, just get the chunks out), and I got the alcohol on this delicate gasket that's around the clear plastic lens covers in back cover. I wish they had made these windows glass, because they are junk (another topic). The alcohol caused about 1/3 of the gasket to disintegrate immediately. This didn't make me happy, because I didn't want to wait for a new gasket (if they are even available). I improvised, but I hope no more of the gasket flakes off and gets on the camera lenses.

Don Riggs -

Conclusion

Compare your new replacement part to the original part—be sure to transfer remaining components and remove adhesive backings from the new part before installing.

To reassemble your device, follow the instructions in reverse order and perform the opposite actions, e.g., "reattach" instead of "removing." Skip steps that use heating and prying, and pay close attention to the 📌 bullets as you work through the steps.

After you've completed the repair, download the Samsung Members App from the Galaxy Store or the Play Store, and Samsung Self-Repair document (beginning page 10) to make sure your device is fully functional.

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

Alex Diaz-Kokaisl

Member since: 16/01/22

117875 Reputation

Samsung Galaxy S21 Back Cover Replacement

Introduction

Tools

Parts

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