Samsung Galaxy S8 Sensor Array Replacement

Written By: Adam O'Camb
  • Comments: 134
Samsung Galaxy S8 Sensor Array Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

26

Time Required

30 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

Use this guide to remove the sensor array in your Samsung Galaxy S8. Included in the array is the status LED, an IR emitter, and a rangefinder.

This guide involves removing the rear glass cover, you will need replacement adhesive to reattach the back cover to the phone.

Before disassembling your phone, discharge the battery below 25%. The battery can catch fire and/or explode if accidentally punctured, but the chances of that happening are much lower if discharged.

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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.

    • Heat an iOpener and apply it to a long edge of the S8 for about 2 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.

    • As you're waiting for the adhesive to soften, move on and read the following step to get an idea of where to pry.

    What type of adhesive should be used to seal? Or better said, what would you recommend.

    Ion Ion -

    I’d recommend precut adhesive designed for the rear cover. If that’s not available, thin, hi-bond double sided tape like 1 mm wide Tesa 61395 tape will work well.

    Adam O'Camb -

    Yes, different microwaves have different power levels (e.g., wattage) so one microwave may explode the iOpener after 31 seconds of heating whereas another microwave will barely warm it. It would be helpful to have a more precise target temperature. My microwave is fairly weak so I’m heating it for seven seconds for every two minutes against the phone. In theory, this should slowly add more heat than is dissipated into the phone and surrounding atmosphere.

    Brett Stime -

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    • In the following steps you will be cutting through the adhesive around the edge of the rear glass panel.

    • The adhesive on the rear case is laid out as seen in the first image.

    • The prying pattern as seen from the outside of the phone is as follows:

    • Thick portions of adhesive

    • Thin areas of adhesive

    • Avoid prying here, to protect the fingerprint sensor.

    Go clockwise (or counter-clockwise) around the border to avoid causing extra stress on the back. The bottom has a lot more adhesive than you think, towards the top-center.

    Michael M -

    Failing completely at this step. I’ve heated the opener like 5 times and the phone is hot to the touch, but I can’t get even the tip of the pick into the opening.

    r torrance andrews -

    Added a hair dryer to the effort and stil making no headway at all.

    r torrance andrews -

    Be careful. Insanely careful. If you think you are careful enough, this means you need to be even more careful. If you think it is not possible to be more careful, then be a little more careful and you might be able to remove the back cover without breaking it. Especially the bottom of the phone.

    pio -

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    • 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 make a good seal 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.

    We can't seem to get anything between the edges even after heating the back panel. Any tips?

    Megan Kennington -

    Hi Megan, unfortunately the adhesive is super tough on this one. I’d recommend carefully continuing to apply heat, very gradually so that you don’t accidentally overheat the battery. Eventually you should be able to get a little gap with the suction handle.

    Adam O'Camb -

    I’ve been attempting to get the adhesive to loosen for four hours now. Exactly how much time is this supposed to take? The pictures makes it look like it should be easy. The adhesive still hasn’t budged and I’m beyond frustrated.

    Lori Lucas -

    Hi Lori, sorry to hear the adhesive is being extra stubborn! If reheating and reapplying the iOpener isn’t working, you can try heating the edge with a hairdryer or heat gun. That way you can get more heat onto the edge faster, but be very careful not to overheat the battery inside.

    Adam O'Camb -

    I used a stanley knife - very carefully, after trying for several hours to get the adhesive to loosen. I bought another back cover with adhesive for the assmbley, which is the best option in my opinion. Just be careful not the scratch the case of the phone, and be prepared for the back glass cover to break when removing it.

    James wright -

    The manufacturers really want to make this impossible, huh… I’ve gone 3 years without ever cracking this phone and end up cracking the corner of the back trying to prise it open. Probably should’ve gotten a heat gun too. This is super tight.

    Benjamin Chaim -

    I am currently working on this. I have heated the phone to just barely to hot to hold. No matter how many times I've done this and pulled up with a suction cup I cannot get an edge to lift.

    Being that this is my second phone repair does anyone have advice on this? I've watched several YouTube videos and it looks so easy.

    DAVID LAWRENCE -

    I suggest you try to lift on the middle of an edge using the thinnest spudger you have. also as the edge is curved remember to insert it so to follow the curve. Hopes it helps

    Cajuteq -

    Our issue was that a small gap would open when using the iOpener, but not large enough to get spudger or opening picks in there (also tried hair dryer but same result). Luckily as a guitar player I had some very thin nylon picks that we were able to get in there, which opened up a large enough gap to get the spudger and opening picks in. From there, we were able to heat the other sides and guide the spudger around the entire edge to get the back glass off.

    First we used a Dunlop nylon .38 mm guitar pick, then a .60 mm pick, and that allowed us to get the spudger in.

    Dan Coleman -

    This is by far the hardest part of any tutorial that requires you to open the Samsung. The iOpener is totally useless on my opinion (it doesn’t get warm enough). What I did instead is use a hairdryer but it took me time before I could get the adhesive soft enough. Especially since I was not able to measure the temperature of the phone will warming it. Also I think that the halberd is not thin enough so I used a radiology sheet (don’t know the right word in English) to get into the phone and it was much more effective and time saving. Thank you for the tutorial and good luck !

    Thomas Alliot -

    Use a utility knife blade to work around the edges. Careful not to pry on the blade since you risk cracking the back

    Derek Gibson -

    I bought a back glass replacement kit with the battery kit since mine was cracked already. I used both iOpeners to uniformly heat the whole back along both long edges. I microwaved each pack twice over 10 mins. 5 mins apply, microwave, 5 minutes apply. That worked!

    William Mellema -

    Similar to other posts, this appeared simpler. I have a couple of tube socks filled with rice that we use a lot for a sore back. Put in microwave for 5 minutes and an amazing heat pack. So I thought I would try this instead of the iOpener as it just was not getting the phone warm enough. Wrapped the phone in the riced-filled-tube sock for a couple of minutes, to the point where I could at least pick it up and hold it. Also, I have the full IFIXIT kit, so I pulled out the jimmy. Viola. Got right in and then allowed me to use the halberd and picks to finish it off.

    kendrickcc -

    I was able to do this with the iOpener warming pad by microwaving for the suggested 30secs then leaving it on for 10 mins. repeated this process 2 more times for a total of 3 times @ 30 mins and used the suction tool and the picks to get it open. There is a considerable amount of adhesive on the tops and bottoms of the phone. So consider warming the whole phone before doing it.

    Note: if you already have a cracked back panel (like me) prior to starting the process, consider getting the replacement as the already cracked panel will crack even more as you are cutting away at the adhesive. Goodluck!

    Harry Williams -

    After over an hour of trying to use heat and the suction tool loosen the adhesive and try to get an opening on one of the edges, I used the blue spudger to see if it would slip thru the edge and it did. I was able to loosen the majority of the back glass but ended up getting excited and rushing and cracked the top corner. I was able to complete the battery replacement and use the cracked back glass. I’m going to order a replacement for that and that should be easier. Lesson to be learned, if any part of the back glass is getting a little tougher to loosen, hit it with heat again just to be safe. The rest of the replacement we pretty straight forward.

    MJH -

    The spudger provided in ifixit repair tool kit is not the same as the one used in this guide and can not be used in the same way as the spudger used in this guide. So I am pretty much winging it on the most critical point of this disassembly. This is extremely frustrating.

    Brent Neilson -

    I’ve repaired many iphones but this was my first attempt on a Samsung. I made no headway at all on opening the case and I’ve decided to just live with the battery being kind of weak. Even with a short life, I would much rather use this phone than an Iphone.

    r torrance andrews -

    I've tried 5 times in over the course of 4 hours to loosen the adhesive on this phone, and it won't budge. Unfortunately this kit is useless to me

    Emily Reese -

    Once I opened one edge, I heated up the other edges then just moved the pick around the entire perimeter of the phone to break the adhesive.

    Stephen Legg -

  8. PNGgVsAfoHFKoGAW

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

    svmesung is onoff and

    moo rayner -

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    • Slide the opening pick down the side of the phone, separating the adhesive.

    • Go slowly so that the tool doesn't slip out of the seam. If cutting becomes difficult, reheat and reapply the iOpener.

    Cracked my glass multiple times, do this very slowly and with more heat to each new area.

    Gary Mirams -

    Second on cracking the back glass. Go slow and apply heat to each side before trying to pry it open.

    Adam Huber -

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    • 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.

    Petite erreur: le guide dit iPhone au lieu de S7 :)

    Nicolas Duthilleul -

    Bonjour Nicolas ! Merci pour la remarque ;-) Nous l’avons prise en compte et corrigé la traduction. La prochaine fois, n’hésitez pas à corriger directement en cliquant sur le bouton Traduire en haut à droite de l’étape.

    Claire Miesch -

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    • The fingerprint sensor cable connects the phone to the rear glass near the main camera. The cable is very short and should disconnect as the rear glass is removed.

    • As you lift the glass, peek in to be sure the orange cable with a blue connector has disconnected.

    • Use the opening picks to slice through any remaining adhesive and open the phone slightly.

    • If the fingerprint sensor cable seems snagged or stays taut do not open the phone any further. Disconnect the connector with the point of a spudger before proceeding.

    • During reassembly, in order to reconnect the fingerprint sensor cable, first angle the back cover into position until the cable connector lines up perfectly over its socket. Then, use the flat end of your spudger to gently snap the connector into place by pressing it straight down.

    • Remove the glass from the phone.

    For reassembly, if the fingerprint scanner is removed from the back cover: it’s much easier to place the fingerprint scanner in the small compartment on the back of the phone, connect it and then finally put the replacement back cover on. The adhesive on the inside of the back cover will get connect to the fingerprint scanner and hold it tightly.

    Brian Hoffmann -

    I wish I saw this comment earlier because it's absolutely correct. I hope iFixit remedies this because it is incredibly difficult to connect the sensor when it's already adhered to the glass. It took me a good while and I ended up using some tape to keep the back glass aligned while I used the spudger to push blindly until it snapped into place. The only way I knew it worked was because I tested the sensor before fully sealing the glass.

    Preston Steimel -

    The NFC antenna and coil assembly might get stick to the back cover due to adhesive spreads while trying to pry the back cover to open the phone. Take a look inside to ensure the assebly has not got sticked. If so, try using a credit card like plastic to get it peeled of from back cover without breaking the assembly always paying attention to the fingerprint sensor as well.

    dcode -

    Reconnecting this cable seems like it would be very tricky: how can you get the pieces close enough together to make the connection without having the perimeter adhesive start to connect the front and back? It seems like that adhesive could easily get messed up at this point.

    r torrance andrews -

    To remove the akku, high temperature was NOT constructive!! I used ethanol (cc.) instead and it worked in between 2 minutes. I think it´s also better to open the coverage in this way. Instead of heating it.

    Franz Gassner -

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    • 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.

    • Follow this guide to reinstall the old back cover, or to install a back cover without pre-installed adhesive.

    • 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.

    • You may also need to transfer the camera bezel to your new part. If that's the case, follow our camera bezel replacement guide.

    Bonjour,

    Vous parlez d’ajouter de l’adhésif, comment et où le trouve-t-on cet adhésif ?

    Difficile à appliquer ?

    Cordialement,

    Stéphane

    Steph D -

    Mille excuses, je viens de voir les “adhesive strips” :)

    Steph D -

    I broke the rear glass trying to get all the adhesive off! Be very careful!!

    jimhunz -

    Be careful with the NFC Antenna/Charging Coil Assembly. It’s covered in a black wrapping that can look like adhesive. Don’t scratch too hard with the spudger, the wrapping will come off!

    Michael M -

    Hello, I appreciate that tuto, very detailed for a somewhat subtle job . Is it possible to use one of the 7000 or 8000 glues in place of the adhesive Stickers ? Thanks

    Isaac OLEG -

  13. b1EFOJQVrTmwhoXE

    • Remove eleven 3.7 mm screws using a Phillips #000 screwdriver.

    Are all the screws the same size? I do not have a way to organize every little screw and part of this phone.

    Gavin Clark -

    Hi Gavin, all the screws in this step are 3.7 mm long, so you can safely swap these screws with one another.

    Adam O'Camb -

    The 3 screws on the lower left are not necessary to remove the battery, only the top 8 screws.

    Miles Raymond -

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    • Remove the NFC antenna and charging coil assembly.

    I had to pry off the NFC antenna and charging coil assembly from the back cover. The adhesive probably spread a little bit while prying around the phone sticking some part of the NCF antenna and coild assembly sticked to the back cover. I had to use a credit card like pice of plastic to get it unsticked from the back cover without bearking it.

    dcode -

    This doesn’t really cover the last step of removing the NFC antenna/charge coil pad from the upper removable frame segment. Those two components separate and the new one adheres back onto that upper frame section. While its fairly self explanatory, it would be nice to have an illustration of that separation.

    JPagel -

    There's also the fingerprint sensor, which I almost accidentally pulled off.

    Kristajn -

    Yes need more details, difficult to remove, not solid, mostly plastic film

    Lyle Walsh -

  15. e5QdgKCULwePsIjN

    • Remove three 3.7 mm Phillips #000 screws.

    This is also unnecessary for replacing the battery.

    Miles Raymond -

    I found removing the loudspeaker assembly provided better access to the bottom edge of the battery, making it easier to remove.

    Greg Knowles -

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    • Remove the loudspeaker assembly.

    Mine stuck, pry from the little L extension

    Lyle Walsh -

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    • Insert a SIM card opening tool into the small hole on the left side of the top edge of the phone.

    • Press to eject the tray.

    • Remove the SIM card tray from the phone.

    • When reinserting the SIM card, ensure that it is in the proper orientation relative to the tray.

    Vielen Dank!

    Ist die SIM+SDcard-Tray vom Samsung Galaxy S8 und Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus gleich?

    Bzw. kann ich eine SIM+SDcard-Tray von einem Samsung Galaxy S8 in einem Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus verwenden?

    Photelegy -

    How do you fix it if the sim card tray is broken and did not fully eject?

    A Google User -

  18. 1biUm1JbiNAiia3Y
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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the battery connector.

    • Although the battery is not shown in the next steps, there is no need to remove it for this guide. Just disconnect the battery and you're good to go.

    I noticed that due to the no lead soldering used today, even a 24 pins socket for a connector can be stripped if no prying tool is used to disconnect it. Soldering back implies having a binocular or good microscope and is not really easy

    Isaac OLEG -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the sensor array connector.

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the front-facing camera connector.

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the display and digitizer connector.

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    • Use the point of a spudger to disconnect two antenna cables that connect the motherboard to the daughterboard.

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect an antenna ribbon cable that connects the motherboard to the daughterboard.

    **READ**

    Hopefully you’re skimming this guide before you’ve bought your supplies.

    If you are using the Exynos (G950F) variant, then this particular connection between the mother- and daughterboards does not exist. There are only the blue and white antennae mentioned in step 21.

    If you are in North America, you are likely using/fixing the Snapdragon (G950U) version of the s8, which is used in this guide. However, if you are outside North America, it will be worth checking which version you have, as you will need to purchase that specific daughter-board; they are not interchangeable.

    William -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the motherboard and disconnect it from the daughterboard.

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    • Lift the motherboard out of the phone.

    • Careful not to snag the battery connector if you chose not to remove the battery.

    Comment enlever l'appareil photo arrière ?

    Easy Repair -

    Gracias nueva mente por sus aportaciones. Son lo máximo.

    NELSON ESTREMERA -

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    • Insert the pointed tip of a spudger into the corner of the sensor array, between the case and the array. Pry up the sensor array.

    • Remove the sensor array.

Conclusion

After reapplying adhesive, follow these instructions in reverse order to reassemble your device.

After you've completed the repair, follow this guide to test your repair.

Author

Adam O'Camb

Member since: 11/04/15

195421 Reputation

One comment

My girlfriend’s GPS doesn’t work at all and additionally when she rotates the phone the screen doesn’t rotate at the same time (i.e. when in the gallery, photos don’t go from portrait to landscape). Would that be controlled by this, and would replacing it potentially fix it? (I’ve tried software fixes but they gave me no joy and a Samsung employee suggested it might be a hardware problem).

Pat -