Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Display Assembly Replacement

Written By: Arthur Shi

Comments: 43

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Display Assembly Replacement

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

2 - 3 hours

Introduction

Follow this guide to replace the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge's display assembly.

This guide instructs you to replace only the display while leaving the original frame and battery in place.

The curved edge and strong adhesive make the initial opening procedure very challenging. Be patient, repeat multiple heat and pull cycles, and the adhesive will eventually loosen.

Note: Some replacement screens for this phone come pre-installed in a new frame (a.k.a. chassis), which requires you to transplant all of your phone's internals and install a new battery. Make sure you have the correct part before starting this guide.

If the frame is damaged or bent, it's important to replace it, or else the new screen may not mount correctly and can suffer damage from uneven pressure.

The process of separating the display from the frame usually destroys the display, so don't follow this guide unless you intend to replace the display.

If your screen is badly shattered, wear eye protection, and apply a screen-protector, or tape, to the display to help contain glass shards.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Insert a SIM card opening tool, SIM eject bit, or a paperclip into the small hole on the top edge of the phone.
There are two holes on the top edge. The correct hole is within a long rectangular cutout.
Press in the opening tool to eject the tray.
Remove the SIM/SD card combo tray from the phone.

Step 2

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.
Heat an iOpener and apply it to a long edge of the phone for about two minutes.
You may need to reheat and reapply the iOpener several times to get the phone warm enough. Follow the iOpener instructions to avoid overheating.
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.

Step 3

Once the back panel is warm to the touch, apply a suction cup as close to the heated edge of the phone as you can while avoiding the curved edge.
The suction cup will not adhere well on the curved portion of the glass.
If the phone's back cover is cracked, the suction cup may not stick. Try lifting it with strong tape, or superglue the suction cup in place and allow it to cure so you can proceed.
Lift on the suction cup and insert an opening pick under the rear glass.
Due to the curved glass, you will be pushing up, rather than inserting parallel to the plane of the phone.
If you have trouble, apply more heat to further soften the adhesive, and try again. The adhesive cools very fast, so you may need to heat it repeatedly.

Suction cup does not seem to work.

Wincess Gentius - 07/02/19

Makes it sound ridiculously easy, when in reality you have to be pulling with tons of force while also holding the phone down and on top of that you have to insert the pick in a relatively small amount of time.

Rodrigo Morgado - 05/08/20

I was getting no where with the iOpener and picks alone, so I followed a YouTube video and used the iOpener as well as a hairdryer. I had to make the first cut in the ahesive with a utility/razor knife, then as soon as I was through the first part I inserted the plastic picks. The back of the phone has to be too hot to touch, ideally all around, so the iOpener alone is not enough.

Mark Frost -

Thanks for the above comments. I was also getting nowhere with the iOpener then used a hairdryer on the non-camera end until it was hot to the touch and managed to get a Stanley knife into the gap and lifted enough to get a pick in. Plain sailing from there with patient heating and working the picks in to cut the glue. Eventually success and the back came off.

Alastair -

Step 4

Once you have the pick firmly inserted into the glass, reheat and reapply the iOpener to soften the adhesive.

Step 5

Slide the opening pick up along the side of the phone, separating the adhesive.
Go slowly so that the tip doesn't slip out of the seam. If sliding becomes difficult, reheat and reapply the iOpener.
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.

Step 6

Repeat the previous heating and cutting procedure for the remaining three sides of the phone.
Leave an opening pick on each side as you continue to the next to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 7

Lift the glass and remove it from the phone.

Step 8

To install a new back cover:
Use tweezers to peel away any remaining adhesive from the phone's chassis. Then clean the adhesion areas with high concentration isopropyl alcohol (at least 90%) and a lint-free cloth to 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 back cover, or using a back cover without adhesive pre-installed, follow this guide.
Be sure to turn on your phone and test your repair before installing new adhesive and resealing the phone.
If desired, you may reinstall the back cover without replacing the adhesive. Remove any large chunks of adhesive that might prevent the back cover from sitting down flush. After installation, heat the back cover and apply pressure to secure it. It won't be waterproof, but the glue is usually more than strong enough to hold.

Step 9

Remove the twelve 3.5 mm Phillips screws.

Step 10

Use the small notch on the lower left of the upper antenna to pry it out of the phone.
Remove the upper antenna.

Step 11

Lift and remove the wireless charging coil from the phone.

Step 12

Lift and remove the loudspeaker from the phone.

Step 13

Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the battery connector.

Step 14

Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the display cable.

Step 15

Use the pointed end of a spudger to disconnect the power button cable.

Step 16

Use the pointed end of a spudger to disconnect the red and white antenna cables.

Step 17

Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the home button connector.

Step 18

Use the pointed end of a spudger to disconnect the front-facing sensory array cables.

Step 19

Use a pointed end of a spudger to disconnect the volume button cable.

Step 20

Do not lift the motherboard out all the way; it is still connected to the daughter board by a cable.
Use the flat end of a spudger to gently pry the motherboard up.
Grip the edges of the motherboard and hinge it up slowly, using the spudger to push cables out of its path.

Step 21

Use the flat end of the spudger to disconnect the daughterboard ribbon cable from the underside of the motherboard.
Remove the motherboard.

Step 22

Heat an iOpener and apply it to top edge of the display.
You may need to reheat and reapply the iOpener several times to get the phone warm enough. Follow the iOpener instructions to avoid overheating.
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.
While you are waiting for the adhesive to soften, read the next step to get an idea of where to pry.

Step 23

The display assembly edges are secured by strips of very strong foam adhesive.
Strong double-sided tape covers the entire copper surface.
In the following steps, extra caution is required in certain areas to avoid damage to the phone:
The capacitive buttons are adhered to the display and are very easy to tear. They must be reused for the repair.
While the OLED panel and display cable will be replaced with the new display, the capacitive buttons must be reused, so take extreme care not to damage them.
If you do break either of the capacitive buttons or ribbon cables, you can replace the daughterboard assembly, which includes new capacitive buttons.

Step 24

Once the edge is warm, apply a suction cup as close to the top edge as possible without overlapping the speaker grill.
If your display is badly cracked, lay down a layer of tape on the display and try lifting the display with strong tape.
Lift on the suction cup to create a small gap underneath the top edge of the display.
This may require a significant amount of force, but you only need to open a very slight gap with the suction cup to insert your tool.
Insert an opening pick into the gap. Take care not to insert it more than 0.25 inches in.
Due to the strong adhesive, this may require several attempts. Follow the iOpener heating instructions and repeat the heat-suction-lift procedure until you can get a pick in place.

Step 25

With the opening pick in place, apply a heated iOpener to the top edge once more in order to soften the adhesive.

Step 26

Slide the opening pick along the top edge of the display taking care not to push deeper than 0.25 inches.
Inserting the pick too far may damage the front-facing camera or earpiece speaker.
Leave the pick on the top edge the prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 27

Repeat the previous heating and cutting procedure for the long edges of the phone. Do not cut the bottom edge yet.
There are large areas of adhesive holding the display to the frame. Work slowly and methodically to slice through as much of the adhesive as possible.
Leave an opening pick on each edge as you continue to the next to prevent the adhesive from resealing.
The display cable is located just above the midpoint on the right side, and may interfere with your pick if you pry too deeply.

Step 28

Insert an opening pick in the bottom right corner.
Push the pick in slowly. Try to leverage the pick's cutting edge upward so that it slides against the back of the display.
This allows the pick to slice between the display and the capacitive button without damaging the button cable.
Once the pick has cut through the adhesive in the right corner, leave it in place to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 29

Insert an opening pick in the bottom left corner.
Push the pick in slowly. Try to leverage the pick's cutting edge upward so that it slides against the back of the display.
Once the pick has cut through the adhesive in the left corner, leave it in place to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 30

Use the opening picks to slice through adhesive around the home button and any other remaining adhesive.
Open the phone slightly, starting at the edge opposite the display cable.
Do not remove the display assembly. There is a display cable threaded through the midframe that is connected to the display.

Step 31

Lift the display assembly away from the midframe, carefully threading the display cable through the hole in the midframe.
Remove the display assembly.

how can I change the power button in the process?

trust ikara -

Step 32

Follow this link for a detailed display adhesive application guide.
Before installing a new display, it's very important to remove all traces of the old adhesive from the frame, while taking special care to remove any small glass fragments.
After removing all traces of glue and glass from the frame, clean the adhesion areas with 90% (or higher) isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth or coffee filter. Swipe in one direction only, not back and forth.
This helps remove any remaining adhesive residue and preps the surface for the new display.
If the frame is bent, or if any glue or glass remnants are left behind, the new display will not mount correctly and may be damaged.
The best way to secure the new screen is with a sheet of custom-cut double-sided tape. Apply the tape to the back of the screen, then carefully feed the display cable through the frame. Align the screen and press it into place.

Conclusion

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

Author

Arthur Shi

Member since: 03/01/18

248651 Reputation

38 comments

Excellent guide, really enjoyed following the instructions. A job well done :-D

Craig Naidoo - 16/05/18

How do you get the glass backing off without it shattering at all?

Simeon - 07/07/18

There is no fool proof method. Apply liberal amounts of heat. Be careful when slicing near the corners. If your back has micro-fractures already, chances are your back will crack along the fracture.

Arthur Shi - 09/07/18

No matter how long I try to heat the back panel with an iOpener, I cannot seem to get the glue warm enough… Any advice on how to better unglue this thing?

Jérémie Corbier - 17/07/18

Hi Jérémie,

The glue is pretty strong on this phone. You can try using a heat gun if you have one, or a hair dryer. You can also try the bottom edge instead of the long edge- sometimes the glue is not as strong there.

Arthur Shi - 17/07/18

You should buy a hot plate with digital temperature adjustment which they use to separate LCD from glass.

The hot plate gives even heat to the surface of the phone incomparison to using a heat gun you cannot check how much heat it gives and you get uneven hot and cold spots.

Recommended temp around 85 degrees centigrade and use an i opener to create an opening and get a plastic pry card and coat it with alot of isopropyl alcohol and slide around the edges whilst adding more alcohol to the card

Aminur Rouf - 20/07/18

I only use a head gun with samsung phones because they have an impressive amount of stick to them. Just be careful not to over heat the back or front because then the glass will start to actually separate from the back plate and then it gets odd bubbles that are melted plastic and paint

Tom - 14/08/19

Force…. And tlc…lol

Michael Howard - 08/11/19

Hi Arthur, thanks for your feedback. I’ll give the iOpener another shot and if it doesn’t work I’ll use a hair dryer.

Jérémie Corbier - 18/07/18

I’d like to see a picture and/or more detail about the capacitive buttons and how to detach them. I assume this was done in step29?

Susan Nelson - 04/08/18

To clarify the question above… Step27 refers to “the button”. I assume that means “the right capacitive button”. Then in step28, the left capacitive button is separated from the display and perhaps in step29 the home button and the button cable are separated from the display? Or do you wait until step29 to do all of the buttons with the two corner picks in place?

Susan Nelson - 04/08/18

Hi Susan,

You are correct: step 27 refers to the right capacitive button, 28 refers to the left, and 29 refers to the home. Take a close look at the two images in step 30. They show what you are cutting through in terms of capacitive buttons.

Arthur Shi - 06/08/18

Thanks. Last question. If I just want to replace the display LCD and glass, do I really need to take the back off (steps 1-20)? It doesn’t seem like that would be necessary.

Susan Nelson - 06/08/18

Unfortunately, yes. The display connector must be disconnected in order for the LCD to be removed, and that can only be done on the back side. Note the dangling connector in the second picture of step 30.

Arthur Shi - 07/08/18

Hi ! I just want to replace my digitiser. Is that possible?

Varad Narvekar - 21/08/18

Very detailed explanation, I'm very impressed, now if you could include all of this in the Australian site that would be amazing!

Duane Johnston - 16/09/18

thanks for sharing, really nice and complete…

by,,,yudionline

diva rey - 23/12/18

Hi,

I have a circular crack in the centre of the glass which has slowly expanded due to the frictional force of operating the phone with my finger (finger inadvertently dragging small bits of glass from the edge) , leaving the screen below exposed.

I intend to replace the screen using this comprehensive and detailed guide. Does anyone have any recommendations for cleaning the exposed screen? The screen itself does not have the smoothness of the glass collects dirt easily.

I have isopropyl alcohol, but is this too harsh for the touch sensitive screen?

fearthespork1 - 05/01/19

This is a well written guide up to a point, but seems very redundant at the end. You are advising removing an extremely strong foam adhesive and then replacing it with double sided tape?

How about a guide to reapplying a new coat of foam adhesive? Including a guide to what foam adhesive is used, and where a quality replacement could be found.

This is a premium engineered product, so a guide that can restore it to near factory quality including the waterproofing would be very useful.

It would also be very helpful to have a guide to what kind of screen replacements are available, and where to find a proper ‘aftermarket’ replacement and not a cheap variant.

Shamsung - 11/09/19

Hello Shamsung,

While quality adhesives are very important in sealing the phone, there is unfortunately no reliable way for users to “waterproof” their repairs (other than using a waterproof case). Repair shops may be able to improve the resistance by sealing the phone using special pressure and temperature presses, but even then, they would not guarantee water resistance.

There are links to adhesive guides in the steps, which will show how to apply the proper adhesives to the phone.

In general, I would suggest not to trust in the water resistance rating. The phones are tested when they are brand new, and adhesives break down due to wear and tear. There is a reason why companies will not cover water-damaged phones in their warranties.

Arthur Shi - 11/09/19

Hi,

Is it possible to connect a S7 Edge screen on a S7 (G930F) just a moment in order to recover data to my computer ?

I do not want to assemble it, but connect the screen somme minutes.

Thanks.

Bonjour

Est-ce possible de brancher l’écran d’un Galaxy S7 Edge sur un Galaxy S7 en ne branchant que la nappe, sans essayer d’assembler le tout. L’idée étant juste de faire la manipulation une heure, le temps de récupérer les données.

Merci :)

Benrie - 08/05/20

Can you remove the display assembly without breaking it?

I need to access the digitizer flex but i dont know if the display is reuseable if you remove it.

stoneheart 21 - 14/09/20

You can theoretically remove it without breaking it, but there is a significant chance of damage. The curved OLED display is very prone to damage as you try to pry it off the frame.

Arthur Shi - 14/09/20

Can you do this to a working display without it breaking in the process?

Markus Norstrøm - 15/09/20

You can theoretically remove it without breaking it, but there is a significant chance of damage. The curved OLED display is very prone to damage as you try to pry it off the frame.

Arthur Shi - 15/09/20

I need new back and front screens how do I know which one to buy

Barry - 16/10/20

Nice Guide can can we remove line from screen i got pink link in set

packages plan - 17/12/20

Hello,

I can no longer charge my S7 Edge with the cable.

This problem suddenly appeared.

Perhaps this is due to a failure of the charging connector.

Do you think wireless charging would be a solution?

Because the wireless charging coil is connected to the motherboard, not directly to the charging connector.

In this case, the charging connector would be useless for charging (it is also almost impossible to be replaced due to the display glue).

Thanks

Vigneron - 05/02/21

You are right! Your connector is most likely worn out, so wireless charging is definitely a good workaround.

Arthur Shi - 05/02/21

Hey (Thanks for a very good guide)

I tried replacing the screen assembly on my s7 edge. I got a midframe with the screen already installed, so all i had to do was to move the board, batteri and so on. The problem is, when i turn on the phone, the LCD doesn’t work.

Any idea what is wrong?

(i tried whit to new screens with the same result)

nicown - 14/05/21

try check again all the connections

Daniele Carminati - 14/05/21

Daniele Carminati - 4 hours ago

I think i have tried that already :) but thanks for your advice.

nicown - 14/05/21

is the LCD the only thing not working? I mean, does the phone makes sounds and/or vibrates?

Daniele Carminati - 15/05/21

Yes.. It seems to be the LCD that is not working. I vibrates when its powered op, and the back and recent buttons lights up. Sorry for my slow reply.

nicown - 17/05/21

I think you may have got a defective replacement screen… Try to get it changed with a new one contacting the seller

Daniele Carminati - 17/05/21

I already got another one that i tried :( Do you think i have damaged the connector? (Thanks for your help so far :) )

nicown - 17/05/21

Or you are very unlucky, or you might have a damaged socked on the motherboard… It is still fixable, but you have to do some microsoldering (or bring it to someeone who does it)

Daniele Carminati - 17/05/21

Thank you, excellent guide and toolkit (essentials)! New display, new battery, new home button (finally working after 4.5+ years)… feels like a new phone!

Daniel Fueger - 03/06/21