Samsung Galaxy S6 Midframe Assembly Replacement

Written By: Dante Mazzanti
  • Comments: 124
Samsung Galaxy S6 Midframe Assembly Replacement

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

15

Time Required

30 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the midframe assembly in your Samsung Galaxy S6. The midframe assembly contains the induction coil, power and volume buttons, camera lens, and speaker.

This guide involves removing the rear glass. Removing the rear glass destroys the adhesive holding it in place. Follow this guide to reinstall the rear glass.

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    • Insert a paper clip or SIM eject tool into the hole in the SIM card slot on the power button side of the phone.

    • Press to eject the SIM card tray.

    • Don't press too hard or you may damage the SIM card tray.

    It really needs to be stated at the outset that if doing this repair to replace the daughterboard, there is a high likelihood that the display will be destroyed (even if you don’t break the display, the foil backing on it will likely be destroyed rendering it unusable). The PDF version of this guide states this at the beginning, but this online version does not.

    David White -

    Done. Thanks for the tip!

    Minor editor -

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    • Remove the SIM card tray from the phone.

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    • We recommend that you clean your microwave before proceeding, as any nasty gunk on the bottom may end up stuck to the iOpener.

    • Place the iOpener in the center of the microwave.

    • For carousel microwaves: Make sure the plate spins freely. If your iOpener gets stuck, it may overheat and burn.

    I didn't find this to be as hard as I had built it up in my mind to be; HOWEVER, saying that I need to say years ago I was the local Nokia service center in my town. But many years ago right after they got rid of analog times. Yeah. A classic installer/repairer mistake when starting something they haven't fixed or installed before is picking up the instructions, flipping through them; maybe even reading a section that is new-then tossing the instructions over the shoulder. "I got this." This usually comes right before something major gets broke. And I can tell you when you try to do it yourself and then mess it up horribly then take it to the repair shop. Well we called that "I can do it myself" syndrome and charged extra to put back together what they brought in in the box. Now knowing all this - I can't stress this enough because I am stupid, stupid, stupid. COVER YOUR SCREEN IN CLEAR BOXING TAPE AND READ ALL THE INSTRUCTION BELOW THROUGH TO THE END BEFORE EVEN ATTEMPTING THIS FIX. Take my advise.

    windizy -

    I didn't have an iOpener, so I used a wheat type heat bag. If you do this though, make sure you put a layer of plastic between your Mac and the bag, or you'll get condensation in places you don't want it.

    Martin Gray -

    I started out using the iOpener but switched to my wife's hairdryer. A heat gun or hair dryer proved to be much more convenient and is a time saviour. You can heat more and the glue becomes more fluid make the next steps with the opening picks much easier

    Jan Van Puymbroeck -

    I know this is obvious, but backup your iPad with iTunes before you start. I'd also turn off your passcode if you have one.

    Laurie Higgins -

    Ther first time you heat up the iOpener for this repair when its room temperature I had to heat it up for more than 30 seconds. I remember I had to heat it up for around 45 seconds. However, after that when you need to reheat it again during the repair 30 seconds will be enough.

    Yousef Ghalib -

    I used the wheat bag in a sensor microwave heating up to 65-70 deg C (155 def F).

    ian cheong -

    Get yourself a cherry pit bean bag the size of your iPad. Heat it, put the iPad on it for 3 to 5 minutes or so, reheat the cherry pit bean bag, again put your iPad on it. Then heat the iOpener and start working. The cherry pit bean bag will have to be reheated several times, but it will soften the adhesive so you have less problems with the iOpener

    Tim Feyaerts -

    The heating can be done very effectively (and quickly) with 3d printer heated bed. Make sure the bed is clean. Set the temperature to 60c, (130f ) and put the ipad face down for +/- 10 minutes. Repeat as needed throughout the “gentle prying” stages.

    polleyphony -

    The iOpener did not work at all for me.

    I had to use a heat gun and bring the edges of the case up to ~200 degrees (used an infrared thermometer to measure) before the glue would weaken. This obviously superheated the metal frame, so I also had to wear gloves to handle the phone while prying the back off with the included picks.

    Mike Jeanette -

    Repair instructions worked like a charm. Had to be patient with the iOpener and getting the screen off. I tried repeatedly without success until shifting the suction cup a bit to the left side where perhaps the glue had loosened up a bit more.

    Kyle -

    The iOpener, in my opinion, is of no help. Many warnings to say “don’t warm it too much”, but the glue doesn’t melt if not warm enough. As a result, a complete waste of time and energy. In addition, too much liquid in it, so it doesn’t lay on the device on a sufficient surface. I took a hairdryer and it worked much much better.

    laurentvidu -

    I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method.

    breadandbits -

    My experience. I was replacing the screen which had been cracked and a little shattered in some places. The iopener is pretty much useless, so was the suction cup. The suction cup would probably be more useful if I was doing something besides the screen. Also you probably want the clean the screen before using it so it can get good suction. I used a hair dryer on high for a couple of minutes at a time (someone on this tread suggested that). I used my exacto knife and a razor blade to get into the adhesive. First the exacto to get the initial cut, then the razor blade to go a little deeper. Could have probably just used the razor blade, but the exacto has a little more finesse. I got the razor blade in and a little under the glass then I used the picks to wedge in. I didn’t want to risk anything using the razor blade too much. Used tape to keep the shattered glass together.

    trebor65 -

    My experience pt2

    Fortunately the shattering was mostly on the edges and most of it had adhesive on the back so it stuck together. Just take your time and work your way around following the guide to get the screen off. Have some goof off or goo be gone to clean the frame when putting the new glass on or putting the existing one back. (someone suggested that also, very good idea). Be careful of the LCD (you should know that). The cable on my LCD was pretty tight, so I propped it up while taking the cable cover off and when I put it back on I did the same thing. I just put a bottle on the battery and leaned the back of the LCD on that while attaching the cables and putting the screws back on the cover. Also be careful with the home button and the bracket on the back of it. I had enough old adhesive on left on the bracket that it stuck back to the new glass fine. So far only 12 hours in, so we will see how that holds up when the kids get at it.

    trebor65 -

    Another alternative if you do not have the iopener is to use a bed time hotwater bottle. Do not over fill it though. Just put enough hot water in to support the phone while you work around the adhesive.

    I use both the hot water bottle and iopener together on Samsung's. It makes life easier

    gazza667 -

    I followed the directions and heated my iOpener for 30 seconds in a 1000 watt microwave, and it came out at 160 degrees F, as verified by a infrared thermometer. This allowed me to separate the last bit of the back of my Samsung S8, which was already coming off due to a swollen battery (hence the reason for the repair).

    Dennis -

    Hallo,habe den Akku erfolgreich getauscht.Doch seitdem gibt es bei Telefonaten eine Rückkopplung für den anrufenden.Bei mir ist alles normal.Woran liegt das?Mfg

    Manu R -

    If you follow these instructions, you will crack your screen like I did. Heating the iOpener for 30 seconds, using it to melt glue, then waiting 10 minutes to reheat is useless. The iOpener can be used to maybe warm the glue on whatever side you aren’t working on. You need a hairdryer and/or a heat gun to melt the glue and separate the glass from the iPad.

    Anyone want to buy an old iPad with broken glass and a dead battery?

    mpulliam -

    Not everybody has a microwave. You should provide a target temperature for the iOpener and instructions for a conventional oven, or pot of warm water, or whatever. Although I will probably use a heat gun …

    Esmond Pitt -

    Three times heating opener and no luck. Tried pressing down gently on opener with a towel, and the opener broke. Wondering if I now replace table mats, fancy table cloth, etc. or will this stuff wash out.

    Not impressed so far. Maybe the hair dryer next.

    doug -

    I support the comments about the iOpener. Everyone has a hair drier, FHS, so get a cheap IR thermometer (£18) and blow heat until the area is 60+ deg C. Still takes w while, and getting the screen off is v scary, but just add more heat if you feel resistance.

    The rest of the kit is good, esp the magnetic screwdrivers.

    Richard O'Brien -

    No, everyone does not have a hairdryer. Some of us don’t even have hair. Thank goodness I already had an IR thermometer, though.

    nin10doh -

    #### WARNUNG WENN MINIMALSTER SPRUNG IM DISPLAY IST FUNKTIONERT DAS NICHT!!! ######

    Hatte einen winzigen, minimalen Sprung im Display. Ich dachte es könnte gehen, weil der Sprung “abgeschlossen” war. Er hat in einer Ecke ein winzige Glasteil rausgeschnitten. NEIN! Geht nicht. Habe alles mit viel Geduld dem iOpener und einem Föhn erhitzt. Es ist trotzdem sofort über das komplette Display zersprungen…

    T z -

    I’ve started with iOpener but changed very quickly to a heatgun. That was more efficient.

    Mizzoo, s.r.o. -

    I could not get the iOpener hot enough to melt the glue on my ipad 6. I heated for 45 seconds once and it was boiling and it still never worked. Thank goodness contributors mentioned using a hair dryer. Using an 1700w hair dryer on high did the trick to get the screen off. Still took some time and the case got pretty hot but be patient. It took twice as long and a lot more patience to get the battery out.

    Randal Haufler -

    I have an Ipad with touch screen issue, if i replace this part it should be Ok?

    janderson martin -

    WARNING - DO NOT MICROWAVE ON A METAL MICROWAVE RACK

    The metal microwave rack can heat up and melt through the iOpener cover letting the contents leak out.

    Not a big issue for me as I have a heat gun and used that instead.

    Run Up A Tree -

    I opened my iPad with the iOpener. Be patient! It may take quite a bit longer to it the iOpener in the microwave than it says in the guide. My microwave can only do 800W and I had to put the iOpener in several times (maybe a total of 90-120 seconds). I recommend that you have the transparent side up an watch the bag carefully. As long a the bag doesn't bloat up and the liquid doesn't start bubbling you should be fine. But I recommend to take the iO out from time to time to check it. (More comments in Step 6.)

    marcelflueeler -

    I gave upon the I opener and used a hairdryer. (Fixed an iPad 6)

    Tom Weber -

    iPad mini gen5. I used the iOpener. My microwave is 1200w with carousel. 30 sec got the iOpener to 155ºF. For the 2nd heating, after 10 minutes sitting, the temp was still around 125º so I only cooked it for 15 sec. Not enough increase so +5 sec more which me to 165-170ºF. This should be considered ballpark info because who knows the real output of the various microwaves and the quality of the IR tool used to determine temp.

    To successfully open my iPad mini I applied the iOpener twice to the left edge and twice to bottom. & once to R edge. Using the suction cup was difficult for me (I'm in my 70's so my hands don't work too well anymore). I had trouble holding the guitar pick and slipping them in (at an downward angle). In the end, sliding my thumbnail along the edge opened it very slightly and allowed the pick to get into the gap. I marked the ends of all my picks with a sharpie pen for the recommended 2mm insertion to avoid going in too deep. To get the screen open it took me approx 1 hour.

    jharrison -

    Can’t you just use a hair curler instead?

    Aspect22 -

    A hairdryer or heat gun works, if heating is kept around 100 deg C (212 deg F - boiling point of water). But… heating this way is cumbersome. Using a hotplate, set to 100 deg C, measured carefully with a fairly inexpensive IR gun, is simpler and easier, if you can afford the hotplate (I used an old pancake griddle with a thermostat knob). It works great for phones, setting them face down for 2 minutes, then picking them up with insulated gloves - cheap, wool gloves work fine. This may require repeated reheating to continue the display removal, but its much simpler.

    Because its almost impossible to repeatedly lay an iPad/tablet on the hot plate, I propose an alternative.

    Initially lay the larger iPad/tablet, face down, for 2 min, to heat all of the adhesive surrounding the display. Lift and begin the picking process describe in your removal steps. Then lay an iOpener on the hotplate for 2 min (already set to the exact, desired temp) to bring it to working temp for the remaining operations.

    Dan Smith -

    For iPads in particular, it makes sense to construct a simple, aluminum window frame, laid on a hotplate (see my comment above) that only touches the edges of the display, heating only the adhesive underneath. This prevents general heating of the entire device. Four strips of aluminum, placed together as a frame, would be the simplest and allow variations for all devices - envision it as a pinwheel of strips, radiating outward. Use it for any size device.

    Dan Smith -

    BTW, always read all comments at each step. New, and possibly useful, suggestions appear on occasion that can be crucial.

    Dan Smith -

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    • Heat the iOpener for thirty seconds.

    • Throughout the repair procedure, as the iOpener cools, reheat it in the microwave for an additional thirty seconds at a time.

    • Be careful not to overheat the iOpener during the repair. Overheating may cause the iOpener to burst. Do not attempt to heat over 100˚C (212˚F).

    • Never touch the iOpener if it appears swollen.

    • If the iOpener is still too hot in the middle to touch, continue using it while waiting for it to cool down some more before reheating. A properly heated iOpener should stay warm for up to 10 minutes.

    I had to heat mine up for more than 30 seconds. After 30 seconds on high it was only warm. It had to keep trying different times and checking it until it got hot. I think the initial time that I put it in for was over a minute.

    whale13 -

    DO NOT USE IN NON ROTATING MICROWAVE! It will pop a hole. I had it in for 45 seconds the first time. It wasn't very hot inside and I saw it started to leak on the paper towel I put under it. Just a fair bit of advice. I think I will just stick with the heat gun. Loud but useful.

    Alex Jackson -

    I heated mine up for 30 seconds, tested, then again for 30 seconds. It felt adequately hot. Leaving it on the left side, per the instruction, for a minute did not loosen the adhesive. I ended up pulling the suction cup hard enough to shadder the old screen. Moral of the story, I don't think it gets hot enough safely to have an affect.

    Travis Dixon -

    There is a clear problem here with the heating part using the iopener things....no details are given. Whoever is testing them needs to make it clear - What temperature does it need to be? And for which phone models, because they differ in what's needed. It's only £10-15 for a laser guided temp sensor unit, and the designers/repairers should have one of those already for doing these kinds of repairs. Explaining half a repair, is worse than not explaining at all :-(

    assortedrubbish -

    All phones/devices differ it’s unrealistic and unsafe to put a exact time/temperature needed to soften the adhesive. It’s really quite simple you warm the device evenly and in a controlled manner just enough to enable pry tools and picks to begin separating. Best tool in my opinion but again this is because I have experience is a hot plate and heat gun both of which are used at nearly the lowest settings and I can handle flat palming the plate for almost 10 seconds I leave the device to conduct heat until approx it’s about 110 at most 120 ish this will be plenty to soften all the adhesive if any problem areas I use heat gun while prying. Again you need go slowly and learn with a throw away phone

    Greg Latta -

    I used a hot water bottle, works well as it covers the whole screen and stays hot for longer.

    dave -

    If I may suggest include your microwave wattage so people can get an idea on time for there own

    Patrick Storey -

    I agree with this.

    Jarl Friis -

    I ended up using a hair dryer. That iOpener thing took forever.

    mark fitzgerald -

    30 seconds sure isn’t cutting it… 45 didn’t get the screen of my iPad air 2 to budge either… even after resting on the ipad for 4 minutes.

    60 seconds in the microwave, the iOpener burst.

    I’ll get a new one and try once more with heating it 45 seconds and repeat that for 30 minutes like others have said here. If that doesn’t work it’ll have to be the heat gun.

    K

    Karl Marble -

    I can’t recommend the microwave. If the the iOpener becomes too hot, it bursts. Better put the opener in cooking water. Dry it and use it. Instead of an iOpener you can use hot/cool packs as well.

    Bernhard Keim -

    Great idea with using the heat packs. I will try that next time. Thank you

    Collins -

    Trust the directions! I forgot and left it in the Microwave too long and after 1 minute I had Mt Vesuvius - the iOpener burst and spewed the goodies out. The problem is, the Digitizer can be damaged by a hot air gun, so I had to tough out and remove the glue the hard way. I made it … with lots of patience! Tough lesson.

    Larry Bennett -

    I also used a hairdryer. I used it on the low setting and I cut a piece of carboard to protect the rest of the screen. The iFixit tool and method is vert tedious and very time consuming in comparison. With the hairdryer method you can literally have the display apart in a few minutes. Using your other hand nearby the area you are heating it should be very hot but not enough to burn your hand. You only have to heat metal part of case near glass edge. If you have a cellular model then you need to be very careful because the black antenna area is plastic. So less heat and work your way up in adding heat just enough to separate around the area but not so much you melt the plastic!

    Fixrights -

    iOpener was the worst part of the kit. Followed directions for :30 in microwave and took 4 trips to the microwave to loosen adhesive on left side of home button. I thought I was figuring it out and it was working well… even set a timer to wait 10 minutes between heating it up. Was on the right side and was on my 12th heat up when it exploded in the microwave. My only tip is that if you set it clear side up, as soon as you see any bubbles or boiling in the liquid, STOP! If you put a pot holder over the iOpener and press slightly to make good surface contact, that seemed to help. I finished heating with a “Corn Sack” that held heat better than the provided iOpener.

    digital_only -

    Mon iopener n'a pas tenu une réparation. Je ne vous conseille pas ce produit

    Berard Romain -

    Bonjour,

    Nous sommes désolés que votre réparation ne se soit pas déroulée comme prévu. Il se peut que le produit était défectueux. Veuillez contacter notre service client support@ifixit.com (boutique américaine) ou eustore@ifixit.com (boutique européenne) en décrivant ce qui s’est passé.

    Claire Miesch -

    Readers looking for temperature advice might check the comments of the previous instruction, as there are more there. I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method.

    breadandbits -

    Thank you for posting some actual temperatures. I have a heat gun with a very fine self-temperature regulation setting capability.

    I will set it for 150-180 F, and use that to soften the adhesive.

    G Trieste -

    Get a heat gun.

    alesha adamson -

    I followed the directions and heated my iOpener for 30 seconds in a 1000 watt microwave, and it came out at 160 degrees F, as verified by a infrared thermometer. A second heating about 15 minutes later in the micro and it came out at 190 degrees F. Plenty hot enough to soften the adhesive for removing the back on my S8. Based on the comments above I think people just need to use more patience.

    Dennis -

    I used various time settings. It got very hot. It would soften the glue but not a whole lot. If my screen had been intact and I was replacing something that was not a digitizer, it may have worked. A broken screen makes the process significantly more difficult. I ended up breaking the home button cable. Good bye TouchID…

    cvela90 -

    After reading previous comments I didn't even use the i-opener. Used the heatgun ( hairdryer ) which works great for me. Maybe I was lucky as this is my first attempt at replacing a cellphone battery. Motoz 3

    Collins -

    It appeared 30 seconds were not enough, so I heated it more, by 5 seconds at a time until I got the right temperature about 70 degrees Celsius (measured with infrared pistol) to get the screen heated up to 60 C, the best for softening the glue. But the heat was quickly dissipating by the big aluminum back cover, so the best I got in 2 minutes of applying iOpener was around 45 C, which made the procedure difficult and having risk of breaking the screen. So I eventually abandoned iOpener and user a hot air gun with precise temperature setup. I set it to 90 C, which allowed me to open my iPad quickly and safely.

    Sergey Kofanov -

    I, too, ended up using a hot air gun. I’ve done earlier versions of iPad before but the adhesive used on this IPad 5 A1822 was particularly difficult to remove.

    Also, while the suction cup worked great when the glass is in tact, any cracks in the glass make the suction cup useless.

    manningrl -

    You need to remember here are different sizes of microwaves. I had the same issue.

    Heating on a smaller unit I used 45-60 seconds. That worked but was time comsuming

    William Draheim -

    Yeah, the iOpener didn't work for me either.... ended up using a hair dryer and that worked. The iOpener was too warm to soften the glue in my case.

    Andrés Vettori -

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    • Remove the iOpener from the microwave, holding it by one of the two flat ends to avoid the hot center.

    • The iOpener will be very hot, so be careful when handling it. Use an oven mitt if necessary.

    I did this repair. I used a hair dryer, I think it works better: gets very hot fast.

    Cobus de Beer -

    I did too, you get far more control and no expense on fancy equipment.

    Billinski -

    Readers looking for temperature advice might check the comments of the previous instruction, as there are more there. I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method. I don’t know how much microwaves vary in heating consistency with these pads, but knowing how inconsistent the temperature of a bowl of plain rice gets in my microwave, I wasn’t interested in even trying to use it for this.

    breadandbits -

    I used an electric griddle set to the lowest setting. It seemed to work very well.

    John -

    I vote for the hair dryer. The other methods work too but if you aren’t having any luck, switch to the hair dryer. While holding the iPad in my hand, I found that I am aiming the dryer at my finger at the same time and it gauges how hot it is. I stop when my finger can’t take it - maybe five seconds up close. Repeat as needed like I did.

    Robin -

    This thing melts when placed up side down in the microwave…

    Mark -

    If the maximum temperature for this iOpener is lower than the gadget glue minimum temperature, this device does not make sense.
    I think the maximum temperature for this iOpener is below 100⁰C and most gadget glue minimum temperature is higher than 100⁰C. So the iOpener is useless for many opening steps in repair guides. But who knows because temperature range is not specified for this iOpener.

    Jarl Friis -

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    • If you don't have a microwave, follow this step to heat your iOpener in boiling water.

    • Fill a pot or pan with enough water to fully submerge an iOpener.

    • Heat the water to a boil. Turn off the heat.

    • Place an iOpener into the hot water for 2-3 minutes. Make sure the iOpener is fully submerged in the water.

    • Use tongs to extract the heated iOpener from the hot water.

    • Thoroughly dry the iOpener with a towel.

    • The iOpener will be very hot, so be careful to hold it only by the end tabs.

    • Your iOpener is ready for use! If you need to reheat the iOpener, heat the water to a boil, turn off the heat, and place the iOpener in the water for 2-3 minutes.

    What do I do if I don’t have a iopener?

    alexdelarge103@gmail.com -

    Use a hair dryer

    Edited To the max -

    2 or 3 cups Rice in a sock, heat for about 2 minutes. But, I recommend the iopener.

    Robert Garcia -

    When boiling in water you can put the iopener in a ziplock to keep it dry.

    Robert Garcia -

    Even if you don't put in a ziplock bag, I found that the surface is mostly hydrophobic so drying it is very easy. I also didn't have tongs, but the bag is denser than water, so it sank and I attached clothes pins to the ends and was able to remove it with those.

    Jack Adrian Zappa -

    2-3 minutes in near boiling water, then 2-3 minutes on my s10+ and it was super easy to cut the glue off.

    Kipras Bielinskas -

    I have a question, if I have a pan, and I have water, and a mean to boil the water, won't it be easier and cheaper to just use that.

    Ollie Tan -

    Have you tried it? Water limits your temperature to 100℃, whereas 'pan on the stove' can easily get up to twice that. If your pan is even slightly warped, you'll have a few hot spots of direct conduction with convection everywhere else, heating things unevenly. Assuming you get the device up to temperature, how will you get it out without scratching it or burning yourself? After you're finished, do you really want to prepare food in the pan you warmed up adhesives and trace manufacturing substances in?

    .

    Boiling something form fitting to heat your device with is a lot more foolproof, and not being foolish is easier and cheaper. Direct pan heating can work, but you are leaving yourself open to a lot more problems than just taking the safe route.

    James Beegle -

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    • Opening your phone will compromise its waterproof seals. Have replacement adhesive ready before you proceed, or take care to avoid liquid exposure if you reassemble your phone without replacing the adhesive.

    • If your glass is shattered, put packing tape over the entire panel to hold it together during the removal process.

    • Lay the heated iOpener over the rear panel for about two minutes to loosen the adhesive around the edge of the glass.

    • You may need to reheat and reapply the iOpener several times to get the phone warm enough. Follow the iOpener instructions to avoid overheating.

    • Shift the iOpener to heat the remaining section of the panel for another two minutes.

    • A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the phone—the OLED display and internal battery are both susceptible to heat damage.

    the way we do it at Get it fixed cellphone repair calgary is with a heat gun, wich is way easier than this, make sure to wear some gloves and dont worry to use to much heat as long as you point just to the back of the phone, (the back panel is thick enough to protect the logic board from over heat) instead of the usual blue plastic piece i sugest to use the thinnest metal razor knife and a business card so you can insert the business card and move it all around the frame, those blue plastic things are way too thick that will break the glass panel if you apply to much pressure

    get it fixed -

    After did that with my own heat pad, the white paint got ripped off but luckily glass back cover did not break. So I scratched all white part of the back cover and now its all transparent.

    Jae Chung -

    haha, the same happened for me after using a hair dryer. While still hot, the paint peeled of very easily. (too bad the mid-frame visually blocks most of the circuits…)

    Michael -

    I used a purpose built heating device at 100 degree celsius. Lower temperatures didn't work.

    ken -

    I used a blow dryer, attached my multimeter heat sensor to the back to monitor the temperature. At 54 degrees Celsius I could separate the back with a suction cup from my phone without damaging the paint.

    LRD -

    I gave up on the hot bag after 4 heat and apply cycles. I was only getting the back up to 60c using an infrared thermometer. I switched to a harbor freight 1500w heat gun set to Low, moving constantly around the back, until the back read 95c. The back came off easily at that point.

    Nathan Wray -

    I found another site that said temps of 203F/95C were required to soften the glues. Once I started using those temps with my heat gun, as well as a tool I made by just cutting the flat front/back panel from a package of screws (any plastic package that has a flat panel will work) , I had the back off in no time. Had I continued to use the plastic pick shown in the instructions, I really doubt I would have gotten the back off since I couldn’t get enough force on the back from my suction cup. The thin package plastic acted almost like a knife as I moved it around the outside edge. WARNING: If you have to reheat the back, REMOVE THE PACKAGE PLASTIC!! It will start to melt from the heat of a heat gun. Good Luck!!

    morttormjch -

    I had a pristine s6 edge I’m replacing the battery in. I can agree with many others about the amount of heart needed and need to where gloves. I had to heat several times using a heat gun. After several attempts phone broke free from suction cup went flying and now I have a phone with broken screen. Oh well, glad it’s not my primary phone. After getting it above 100c, the back glass finally started to separate. You need another person to be ready with a pick. Once you get one pick in, the rest is .

    Brian Gillan -

    Neither I had any success with the iopener. I ended up heating with a hair dryer. The metallic edges become quite hot.

    BTW: My phone’s “Rear Glass” is actually plastic. It didn’t seem like it would crack very easily.

    Michael -

    To get an even heat distribution at just the right temperature to easily pry the back off I used a steam iron, dry, set between wool and cotton. To hold down the phone I clamped it at the long edges with 2 strips of 1/4” furniture grade plywood cut at 7 degrees, screwed to 2’ 2x6; and then clamped the 2x6 to my work table. This made it much easier to persuade to back off without any oops!

    Michael Bielec -

    I used a hot and cold gel pad usually intended for injuries. It needed about 4 cycles of warming the phone but then worked like a charm.

    Sam Turner -

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    • Once the rear glass is hot to the touch, apply a suction cup near the bottom edge of the glass.

    • Lift on the suction cup to create a small gap underneath the rear glass, and insert an opening pick into the gap.

    • Optionally, once the pick is inserted, you can add a few drops of isopropyl alcohol into the gap to help weaken the adhesive in the following steps.

    If the rear screen is cracked/smashed, you will not be able to use a suction cup to remove it. The suction could would not seal because of the cracks. I tried masking tape, 3M shiny HVAC tape, and others, and the suction could would not seal to those surfaces either.

    I ended up using the sharp point of the smudger to remove some shards of glass to get underneath the cover to leverage it up and out. Definitely use gloves and safety glasses if you have to do this.

    dougpender -

    Thank you for your comment. I needed to see this particular instance of what to do when the back cover was cracked. I was going to try to suction it with tape covering it. This saved me some heartache. You're an angel!!

    Jessie Brooks -

    Be careful during this step- reapply heat before attempting this one (battery issues tend to melt internal “areas” ) and this area is most prone to crack during the lifting of the back plate.

    [deleted] -

    I think it is just about impossible to do this without at least removing some paint on the edges. Order a new back before you attempt this. It has the adhesive already on it and costs less than $10 on eBay.

    Thomas Hayes -

    In order to get in more easily, I normally use the iFlex (the metal one) which is thin enough to create a little space, and then i insert a thinner plastic sheet, just like the default screen protector you might find on some huawei or xiaomi phones. That plus half a drop of alcohol should do the trick. Use caution and be very patient.

    Stefano Restuccia -

    Ridiculous. I put a heat gun on mine for 30 seconds, 3 times, couldn’t get the screen to move AT ALL while pulling very hard with suction cups.

    Enough of this ‘you don’t get to mess with the battery’ nonsense. Quit screwing people over. Also, I love my ifixit kit. I had to make the post less negative.

    Adam Talbott -

    Really struggling removing the screen. It’s not budging at all.

    Paul Knight -

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    • Slide the pick along the bottom edge of the phone to slice through the adhesive securing the rear glass.

    • Afterward, it may help to leave the pick in place and grab a second pick as you proceed to the next step. Leaving the pick inserted can help prevent the glue you just separated from re-adhering.

    • Re-heat the rear glass as needed to prevent the glue from cooling and hardening.

    Be careful that the bottom of the phone is well heated, and add a drop or so of isopropyl alcohol. When I removed the back glass of my S6, some of the black coating on the glass stayed stuck to the adhesive, so to return my phone to its original appearance, I’ll have to get a new back glass.

    Gary F -

    I needed help of a second person to insert the first pick. Apart from that, it was a one person job for me.

    Michael -

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    • Repeat the heating and cutting procedure for the remaining three sides of the phone.

    • Leave an opening pick under each edge to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

    At this stage I didn’t use a plastic pick as I think they are too thick and will crack a screen that’s not already cracked. I used a stainless steel

    I sesame blade which does a much better job of cutting through the adhesive. Just be careful not to insert it in too far. I sometimes put a mark on my blade to ensure it doesn’t go in too far.

    Wayne Lyell -

    I used a card like the ones people use to play poker or any card game with. Only one was needed to separate the back without any damage to the paint.

    LRD -

    Be sure to apply a decent amount of heat when removing the last bit of the rear glass, cracked the rear of my screen (only a small amount mind) trying too use too much force not enough heat for the last spot.

    spank2103 -

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    • Use an opening pick to slice through any remaining adhesive.

    • Remove the rear glass.

    The rear glass is very fragile. I cracked mine across the camera opening while cleaning off the old sealant. Next time ( I will have to order one and do it again…doh) I’ll place it on a flat surface while cleaning it.

    Greg Scott -

    This is also a really good time to remove the SIM tray

    John Murphy -

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    • To install new rear glass:

    • Use tweezers to peel away any remaining adhesive from the phone's chassis.

    • Clean the adhesion areas with high concentration isopropyl alcohol (at least 90%) and a lint-free cloth. Swipe in one direction only, not back and forth. This will help prep the surface for the new adhesive.

    • Peel the adhesive backing off of the new rear glass, carefully line up one edge of the glass against the phone chassis, and firmly press the glass onto the phone.

    • If you're reinstalling the old rear glass, or using rear glass without adhesive pre-installed, follow this guide.

    You should note that the adhesive strip may need to be fully removed from the frame in order to proceed with repairs. The adhesive on my phone covered all of the screws exposed in the next step.

    Sean Cruz -

    When I did my battery, the adhesive stayed almost 100% on the back glass and was still in good shape. What didn’t remain attached only lifted slightly and I was able to coax it back to its original location with tweezers. I didn’t bother to remove and replace the adhesive layer because mine was still good. I set the glass out of the way where it wouldn’t get dirt on the adhesive while I finished the battery swap. I added some additional heat (hair dryer) after reattaching the glass to make sure the adhesive made the best seal.

    Wayne Thomason -

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    • Remove the thirteen 3.5mm Phillips #00 screws securing the midframe to the phone.

    Make sure you do not mix up these thirteen screws with a hidden 14th screw under the mid-frame chassis, on the left side of the headphone port, on daughter-board. This 14th screw is shorter than the other screws, so make sure you do not replace it with one of the longer screws. It will push up against the front glass and lift it away from the adhesive.

    David Whyte -

    Some of the female threads are soft plastic and will strip out easily (especially those near the bottom). I was pressing down too hard when removing these screws, and several of them stripped out. The frame still screwed together, but I couldn’t get them very tight.

    Jordan Butler -

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    • Before you perform this step, make sure you've ejected the SIM card tray.

    • Firmly grasp the edge of the midframe assembly.

    • Lift up on the midframe assembly while pushing down on the battery to separate the midframe assembly from the rest of the phone.

    • While lifting the midframe, be careful to avoid snagging it on the audio jack or charging port.

    • Once the midframe is partially seperated, carefully run an opening pick around the edges of the rest of the phone to separate the top of the midframe.

    • Be careful not to accidentally insert the opening pick between the glass and display.

    • To avoid damage to the headphone jack, remove the top of the midframe first, then push the midframe downwards to disengage it from the headphone jack.

    • You may need to heat and apply an iOpener to the edges of the display to soften the display adhesive if midframe separation is difficult.

    FIRMLY GRASP IT! - Patrick

    Armen Orbelyan -

    %#*@ coulda told me sooner

    Geronimo Jones -

    Bei diesem Schritt sicher sein, dass SIM Card Fach entfernt ist!

    zikal -

    I found the glue still very sticky here, i had to go around with my picks to free it, its very stuck with a UK version, beware!!

    databeat1 -

    I damaged my screen here a bit, be careful not too slide your pick between the digitizer and the screen.

    Anton -

    i suggest to apply heat on the corners of the front screen to lose the adhesive a lil bit and push from the bottom back of the phone right where the wireless charger is because of the charging port

    get it fixed -

    When grabbing from the bottom, you fun the risk of damaging the charging port and headphone jack. I would suggest starting from the top. This is because the two ports at the bottom slide down into the frame. There is also adhesive that will give you a little resistance.

    Alex Philip -

    Step 18 is not correct, you have to start from the top. You can damage the charge port

    Daniel Yaben -

    On mine the adhesive actually tore away part of the colored film on the back of the screen glass rather than separating from it. I’m guessing applying heat to the screen corners first would help avoid this (I didn’t). https://imgur.com/a/V7vZQ

    Brian Hardie -

    Don’t stick a pick into the screen side of the frame. You will almost certainly start to separate the digitizer and LCD. Plus there is hardly anything to pry against anyway.

    Thomas Hayes -

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    • Lift the midframe assembly up to separate it from the rest of the phone.

    Achtung! Bei meiner Reperatur, besonders bei Schritt 14, Auf gar keinen Fall versuchen den Kleber mit einem der Plektren zu lösen. Dort kann man schnell zwischen Displayrahmen und Glas rutschen und so das Display beschädigen!!!

    TheECanyon -

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order. When reinstalling the rear glass, refer to the rear glass adhesive replacement guide.

Author

Dante Mazzanti

Member since: 14/07/15

36171 Reputation

6 comments

Step 18

Is it really that "simple" to separate the midframe from the front of the phone? In most videos (even the one on ifixit) a suction cup is used (after warming the front) with some prying tools.

So, does Step 18 really work?

It appears that the front is hold together by only 4 adhesives in the corners. Are this damaged during the front removal process? (is there a replacement kit?)

Just another question, I damaged the heart sensor plastic cover, is it possible to buy just that part or do I need to buy a complete midframe?

paulo -

Can this step be exactly with a simple push as stated? Other sources required focusing heat on the 4 corners and run through with a pick....?

Secondly, how can one avoid damaging the lamination under the glass while removing it or trying to get the first foothold with the pick. Most guides I have seen appear to skip this step.

ahmad -

I have seen one phone parts site (EtradeSupply) list all different variants of the mid housing (G920F, G920V, G920R etc). But another site (WitRigs) has just one, as if they aren't specific.

Does anyone know? Because i'm in Australia and can't find G920i variant.

Also, has anyone simply swapped over the antennas, and crimped them onto the new housing?

Joshua Rayner -

Ok Guys I am definitely !#^&@@ off right now.... but to the point.

Please Edit to this guide --> @Step 18:

First of all: Heat the for corners with your iOpener to lose the adhesive which sits in the corners.

Be very very gentle when you push down on the battery and try to put a little pressure onto or maybe into the headphone jack when you first encounter that the display gets lose, because the headphone-jack fits very well in the frame and holds on a little corner.

Only go around the whole display with a spudger when the adhesive is really warm to lose it when it doesn't come out as easy as you thought. Because otherwise you may face that the display to display-glass laminate gets damaged. That just happened to me at the upper display side... so to get a perfect new looking phone I have to replace that as well....EXPENSIVE :(

Hope this may help you guys.

but ... nevertheless ... thank you guys from IFixit for your continous effort to help people repairing there stuff - heads up :-)

jakob -

Hi Jakob, thanks for your input! When writing this guide we used a device that had been previously disassembled, so our experience may have been different from yours. Just to be clear: you have an issue with step 18 because the adhesive between the midframe and front assembly is very strong and simply pushing the battery is not adequate? Are there other steps that need to be adjusted?

And, as a general note, you can edit this guide yourself! When you hover your cursor over any particular step, an "Edit" button will appear. Alternatively, you can scroll to the top of the page and click the "Edit" tab up there.

Evan Noronha -

I added some details from the comments into step 18.

Mordecai Veldt -