Samsung Galaxy S4 Bare Screen Replacement

Written By: Carsten Frauenheim
  • Comments: 25
Samsung Galaxy S4 Bare Screen Replacement

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

25

Time Required

30 minutes - 2 hours

Introduction

Use this guide to replace a broken, cracked, or defective bare LCD display (without frame) on your Samsung Galaxy S4.

This process is difficult and there is a high chance your old screen will be completely destroyed in the removal process.

For a simpler repair, purchase a replacement part with the display pre-installed onto the frame, and follow our Samsung Galaxy S4 display assembly replacement guide.

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    • Pry with a plastic opening tool, or your fingernail, in the divot to the left of the rear-facing camera, near the power button.

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    • Lift the rear case by the corner nearest the divot and remove it from the phone.

    Where is the divot? Please let me know that

    James -

    I purchased a blue plastic opening tool(AKA: Spudge) like the one used in the above Step 1 rear cover pic and found the divot and was able to take off the rear cover as per the “Step 2 “ instructions.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger, or your fingernail, to press the microSD card slightly deeper into its slot until you hear a click.

    • After the click, release the card and it will pop out of its slot.

    • Remove the microSD card.

    • For reassembly, push the microSD card into the slot until it clicks in place.

    I was able to remove the MicroSD Card as per the Step 3 MicroSD instructions with no problems.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

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    • Insert a plastic opening tool, or your finger, into the notch of the battery compartment and lift the battery upward.

    • Remove the battery from your phone.

    it worked for me

    John Donovan -

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    • Use a plastic opening tool, or your fingernail, to press the SIM card slightly deeper into its slot until you hear a click.

    • After the click, release the card and it will pop out of its slot.

    • Remove the SIM card.

    • During reassembly, push the SIM card into the slot until it clicks in place.

    Looks easy but doesn't work. No one has a plastic opening tool. Using fingernail, you can press SIM card into slot but it does not pop out so you can remove it.

    Laurie McWherter -

    I agree with the comment above

    I also don't have a plastic tool and my finger nail won't pop the card out.

    Grethe Montano. September 22

    Grethe Montano -

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    • Remove the nine 4.0 mm Phillips #00 screws securing the midframe to the display assembly.

    How much it will cost to replace a midframe

    kannan -

    How much cost will be on replace a midframe

    Hiren pedhadiya -

    I'm seeing midframes available on Ebay for around $10.

    Alex -

    I purchased a 1.5x40mm Phillips screw driver and was able to remove all 9 40mm screws from the midframe as per the Step 6 Midframe instructions.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

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    • The midframe is secured to the display assembly by several plastic clips behind the chrome bezel of the midframe. The next few steps will guide you through separating the clips to free the midframe.

    • Starting on the volume button side of the phone, insert your plastic opening tool between the chrome bezel around the display glass and the larger chrome border piece. Look for the seam between the two.

    • Slide the opening tool along the seam, separating the plastic clips as you go.

    • Be very gentle whilst prying, and pry only enough to separate the plastic clips—there are several thin points in the midframe bezel that may crack if you bend them too much.

    I used same tool as in the photo and i broke the display. I think you should use a very thin plastic tool, such as a credit card but even more thin and flexible.

    nicosoranno4gxo -

    I purchased a blue plastic opening tool(AKA: Spudger) and was able to remove the midframe from the display assembly as per the Step 7. I had to hold the cell phone firmly in my left hand while I gently forced the spudger between the chrome bezel and the midframe with my right hand and heard plastics clips separate and saw the midframe start to separate from the display assembly. Don’t be afraid to get that spudger in and just gently go down the side of the phone and you will hear the plastics clips detach and the midframe to separate more and more until you are able to separate them 100%. I started at the volume button side of the phone in Step 7 and ended at the power button side in Step 9.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

    This blue Case Opening tool has a less rigid edge that is kinder to trim than the hard black Spudger shown in later steps. I was glad to have the right tool on hand at this step. Use it as a wedge and slide it along the gap.

    Tom Huber -

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    • Continue prying around the corner of the phone.

    • Slide your opening tool along the seam between the midframe and display along the bottom of the device, releasing more of the plastic clips.

    I purchased a blue plastic opening tool(AKA: Spudger) and was able to remove the midframe from the display assembly as per the Step 7. I had to hold the cell phone firmly in my left hand while I gently forced the spudger between the chrome bezel and the midframe with my right hand and heard plastics clips separate and saw the midframe start to separate from the display assembly. Don’t be afraid to get that spudger in and just gently go down the side of the phone and you will hear the plastics clips detach and the midframe to separate more and more until you are able to separate them 100%. I started at the volume button side of the phone in Step 7 and ended at the power button side in Step 9.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

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    • Again, pry around the corner, to the power button side.

    • Slide the opening tool along the seam.

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    • Continue sliding the opening tool around the top of the phone, releasing the last of the clips and freeing the midframe from the display assembly.

    • At this point, you may want to run your plastic opening tool along the entire perimeter of the device again, to make sure you've released all of the plastic clips.

    On my phone, there was another clip holding the white midframe to the battery compartment, in the middle of the top edge of the battery compartment, near the battery contacts. If you don't release that before removing the midframe, it is easy to break.

    josephoswald -

    I purchased a blue plastic opening tool(AKA: Spudger) and was able to remove the midframe from the display assembly as per the Step 7. I had to hold the cell phone firmly in my left hand while I gently forced the spudger between the chrome bezel and the midframe with my right hand and heard plastics clips separate and saw the midframe start to separate from the display assembly. Don’t be afraid to get that spudger in and just gently go down the side of the phone and you will hear the plastics clips detach and the midframe to separate more and more until you are able to separate them 100%. I started at the volume button side of the phone in Step 7 and ended at the power button side in Step 9. In Step 10 just make sure all the plastic clips are separated from the midframe and the display assembly so you can pull them apart 100% without breaking them.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

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    • Remove the midframe from the display assembly.

    here i leave them a video i made doing the work

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85pOvI6O...

    enjoy

    Gabriel Barrandeguy -

    My Sprint S4 was slightly different then the one pictured above but I just completed this repair in under 10 minutes.. It would have been slightly quicker but fooling around with those little screws can be irritating if you have big hands.

    Michael Willis -

    Just did this on my S4. Instructions were extremely helpful, but I had to remove a screw (step 10.5?) to remove the upper display assembly bracket. Other than that, flawless! Thanks!

    JackieME -

    The 3rd image of the 11th step shows that when the midframe is removed, some parts come along with it (at the bottom part of it). What are these parts? should they be removed too and placed in the new midframe? Are they easy to remove?

    Chris -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the USB board connector.

    • Disconnect the front-facing camera cable connector.

    • Disconnect the earpiece speaker assembly cable connector.

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    • Disconnect the headphone jack assembly cable connector.

    • Disconnect the display/digitizer cable connector.

    • Disconnect the antenna cable connector.

    My model had an antenna connection next to the usb board connector in addition to the antenna connection near the display cable connector.

    Drew -

    That's point a, on the daughter board (where the USB is located is point b. You must connect it from a to b

    djweijers1997 -

    I could not get the screen connector to fit on with the motherboard assembly in place. I had to remove the motherboard assembly, attach the screen connector, and then carefully replace the motherboard assembly, with the screen connector still attached..

    Tom4G -

    Same as Tom4G above. When trying to connect the screen connector, it would not give me that nice clear snap indicating a positive connection. The phone powered up with no screen. So, I disconnected the other connectors again, lifted the motherboard out and connected the screen connector by pinching it with finger and thumb from both sides of the motherboard, this time getting a nice snap when it engaged.

    speedrzr -

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    • Remove the single 2.4 mm Phillips #00 screw from the motherboard assembly.

    As Sam Lionheart states at the end of this guide, some of these phones have an additional antenna on the opposite side of the phone. Be sure to detach it before removing the motherboard.

    mcr4u2 -

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    • Gently remove the motherboard.

    • Hold the motherboard by its edges to prevent ESD damage. Be careful not to snag it on any cables as you extract it from the display assembly.

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    • Use an opening tool to unclip the speaker assembly on the bottom of the phone.

    • Remove the speaker assembly.

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    • Use tweezers to lift and de-route the antenna cable from the edge of the case.

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    • Lift directly up on the antenna connection to remove it from the speaker daughter board.

    • Completely remove the antenna cable.

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    • Prepare an iOpener (or use a hair dryer or heat gun) and heat the screen side of the phone to loosen the display adhesive.

    • Leave the iOpener on the phone for at least two minutes to fully heat the screen and soften the adhesive holding it to the case.

    • You may need to reheat the iOpener and repeat this procedure several times until the display adhesive gets loose enough.

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    • Because the gap between the screen and phone frame is so thin, a Jimmy is needed to separate the two. Read the following warnings carefully before proceeding.

    • Even though the metal blade is mostly dull, be careful not to apply too much pressure, as this might cause the Jimmy to slip and cut you or damage the phone.

    • Wear eye protection. The glass may break, sending pieces flying.

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    • With the adhesive lose, insert the blade into the small gap between the frame and the screen, near the volume rocker.

    • Slowly slide the blade down the length of the phone towards the charge port to release the screen glass from the LCD.

    • The glass will most likely develop hairline fractures as you bend it during this step. Make sure you have proper eye protection.

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    • The next three steps involve removing extremely fragile components. Consider working on a surface that will be easy to clean up afterwards.

    • With the screen glass completely loosened around the edges, remove it from the phone.

    • The fragile LCD display underneath the glass has a tendency to shatter into small pieces. If in doubt, protect your hands with gloves.

    • Cover the LCD with tape to prevent the broken glass from spreading or falling out during removal.

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    • Carefully peel the cracked LCD away from the frame.

    • If necessary, push the Jimmy between the LCD and the frame to loosen it from the adhesive.

    • Remove the LCD.

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    • Grab the foil liner underneath the LCD and peel it away from the case.

    • You may need to reheat and reapply the iOpener to help loosen the adhesive.

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    • Use tweezers to remove all old adhesive from the phone case before installing the new display.

    • When you install the replacement display, feed the display cable through the hole on the rear of the case.

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.

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 Samsung Galaxy S4 Answers community for help.

Author

Carsten Frauenheim

Member since: 10/03/20

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