Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus Screen Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 36 Steps
Be careful! There's a good chance you might accidentally crack that delicate, unprotected display panel while working on this. Take it slow and steady!
Get ready to swap out the screen assembly on your Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus! The screen assembly includes the glass, OLED, and digitizer—all in one piece—and they'll all need replacing at once. Heads up: some replacement screens come pre-installed in a new frame (or chassis), which means you'll need to move your internal parts and install a new battery if you go that route. Double-check you’ve got the right part before diving in. Be aware that the display panel is pretty delicate and can crack easily, especially if it’s unreinforced. If you’re planning to reuse your current screen, make sure to apply plenty of heat and work super carefully when prying it open. Don't forget, you'll need some fresh adhesive to seal everything back up properly. If you run into any snags, you can always schedule a repair with Salvation Repair to get professional help.
Step 1
Before diving in, make sure your phone is unplugged and powered down. It keeps everything safe and sound while you work on it.
You can use a hair dryer, heat gun, or even a hot plate to loosen things up—just don’t go wild with the heat. The screen and the battery aren’t fans of high temperatures, so keep it low and steady.
- Warm up an iOpener and gently press it against the bottom edge of the back cover for two minutes. Let's get that cover loosened up!
Tools Used
Step 2
- Stick a suction cup onto the back of the phone, aiming as close to the center of the bottom edge as you can. Think of it as giving your device a gentle, sticky high-five.
- Pull firmly and steadily on the suction cup to create a small gap between the back cover and the frame. Be confident—you're gently prying it apart, not trying to start a fight.
- Slide the tip of an opening pick into that gap. It's like slipping a tiny, friendly wedge to help things along.
Go easy with the pick—pressing too hard can turn your back cover into a glass jigsaw puzzle.
Got a shattered display? Cover it with a piece of clear packing tape to help the suction cup stick, or try supergluing the suction cup directly to the broken glass if all else fails. Since tight fits can take a few tries, reheat with the iOpener and gently separate with the suction cup—patience pays off. If you're struggling to create a gap, give the edge more heat and try again. Need a hand? You can always schedule a repair.
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Step 3
Steer clear of the corners when slicing the adhesive—those curved glass edges are drama queens just waiting to crack.
- Gently slide your opening pick back and forth along the bottom edge to carefully cut through the adhesive. Keep the pick in the seam to stop the adhesive from sticking back together. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 4
- Warm up the left edge of the back cover with a heated iOpener for about two minutes. Give it a little spa treatment so it loosens up for the next step.
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Step 5
Easy does it with the pick—press too hard and your back cover glass might decide to crack under pressure.
Getting things lined up just right might take a few tries—don't sweat it, that's normal.
The glass here has a bit of a curve, so you won't be able to slide the pick in very far. As long as the tip is tucked under the edge of the glass, you're all set to keep going.
If the gap is giving you grief, hit the edge with some more heat and give it another shot.
- Grab a suction cup and stick it to the back of your phone, aiming for the center of the left edge. You've got this!
- Give that suction cup a good, steady pull to create a little gap between the back cover and the frame. Feel the power!
- Slide the tip of an opening pick into that gap you've just made. You're on a roll!
- For an extra boost, consider adding a few drops of high concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol into the seam to help loosen that pesky adhesive. Just a little magic potion!
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Step 6
- Slide the pick further under the edge and angle it down to break up that stubborn adhesive holding the back cover.
Step 7
Watch out when gliding over the ridge around the volume and power buttons—the glass cutout there is a bit more delicate and likes to crack if you get too wild.
- Take your pick and cruise down the left side of the phone to break up that sticky adhesive holding the back cover.
- Keep your pick chilling under the left edge so the adhesive doesn’t sneak back together while you work.
Step 8
You can use a hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate, but keep an eye on the heat—overdoing it can harm your phone's display and internal battery. Let's keep things cool while we get this repair done right!
- Heat things up by applying a heated iOpener to the right edge of the back cover for about two minutes.
Tools Used
Step 9
Just like with the previous edge, tilt that opening pick downwards to slide it right under the back cover. You're doing great!
- Stick a suction cup onto the back of the phone, aiming for as close to the middle of the right edge as you can get.
- Give the suction cup a firm, steady pull to pop open a small gap between the back cover and the frame.
- Slide the tip of an opening pick into that gap to start prying it apart.
Step 10
As you lift the back cover, watch out—the pick or picks might pop out along with it, falling free. If that happens, just set them aside—they won’t need to reseal from this point forward, so no worries about reattachment.
- Glide your trusty pick along the right side of the phone to loosen up that stubborn adhesive holding the back cover in place.
- Leave your pick chilling under the top right edge of the glass—this keeps the glue from sneakily sticking itself back together.
Step 11
- Warm up the top edge of the back cover with a heated iOpener for about two minutes. Keep the heat steady to loosen things up—it's like giving your device a little spa treatment. If you need a hand along the way, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 12
- Gently slide the opening pick from the right edge of the device, making your way around the top right corner. Then, keep moving along the top edge all the way to the left, carefully separating the back cover adhesive. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
The glass at the corners of the back cover curves in just the right way to crack if you get too wild with it. Take it slow and gentle—you want that cover to survive this adventure.
If you hit a snag and the slicing gets tough, just take a breather, reheat a bit, and then jump back in. Sometimes a little warmth makes all the difference. Keep it chill, and you'll be slicing like a pro in no time. And hey, if things get really tricky, remember you can always schedule a repair with Salvation Repair for a hand.
Step 13
- Gently lift the back cover—think slow-motion superhero moves. Use opening picks to slice through any leftover sticky stuff.
- Take off the back cover and set it aside like a pro.
- During reassembly:
- Now’s a perfect time to power on your phone and see if everything’s working. Once you’ve done your victory dance, remember to shut it down completely before continuing.
- Tweezers or your fingers can help you pick off any leftover adhesive blobs. If the sticky is stubborn, hit it with a bit of heat.
- If you’ve got custom-cut adhesives, check out Salvation Repair’s guide for the next steps.
- Using double-sided tape? Salvation Repair has you covered with a step-by-step guide.
Tools Used
Step 14
Keep an eye on every screw as you go—each one has a home, and mixing them up can lead to some wacky results.
- Grab your Phillips #00 screwdriver and take out the six 4 mm screws holding down the motherboard bracket. Easy does it!
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Step 15
Hold up! Don't yank the bracket off just yet—it's still hanging on to the wireless charging coil.
- Grab a trusty pair of tweezers and carefully lift up the motherboard bracket from the plastic midframe. You've got this!
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Step 16
- Carefully lift the motherboard bracket to reveal the orange battery connector beneath. You've got this!
Step 17
When popping off connectors like these, watch out for the tiny surface-mounted parts hanging out near the socket—they’re not fans of surprises!
- Grab a spudger and gently wedge it under the battery connector to lift it up and disconnect. Take your time—patience is key to a smooth disconnect.
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Step 18
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently pop up the wireless charging coil connector—you got this!
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Step 19
- Grab your tweezers and gently lift the wireless charging coil—think of it like peeling a sticker, but with more techy flair.
- Take out the wireless charging coil and set it aside. Easy does it!
- When you’re putting everything back together, start by reconnecting the charging coil and battery connectors. Screw the motherboard bracket back in to line things up, then give the coil pad a nice press so it sticks where it should. If things start feeling wild, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 20
- Grab your Phillips #00 screwdriver and take out the five screws (they’re 4 mm long) holding the loudspeaker and lower midframe in place.
Tools Used
Step 22
- Grab a spudger and gently pry up the display cable connector to disconnect it. Take your time—patience is key here. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
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Step 23
Time to warm things up! Next, you'll be heating up and loosening the black adhesive that runs around the edge of your device.
- The adhesive along the long sides of your device is pretty skimpy—just slide the pick in about 5 mm and you've got it separated.
- Heads up: the top edge is holding onto that adhesive like a phone clinging to its last bar of Wi-Fi. You'll need to go a bit deeper with your pick here to break free.
Step 24
You can use a hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate for this step, just keep it cool—too much heat can mess with your screen or battery.
- Warm up an iOpener and gently press it against the top edge of the display for about two minutes. This helps soften the adhesive, making the next steps smoother. If you need a hand, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 25
- Place a suction cup on the display glass, aiming for the center of the top edge. You've got this!
- Give that suction cup a firm, steady tug to open up a little gap between the display glass and the frame. Let's create some space!
- Now, take the tip of an opening pick and gently slide it into the gap at the earpiece speaker notch, working it downwards under the display. You're doing great!
- Keep your pick in that seam to stop the adhesive from getting cozy again. You've got this!
Make sure your pick glides smoothly over the front-facing camera—no poking or prodding allowed!
If your screen is shattered and the adhesive is stubborn, try covering it with clear packing tape to help the suction cup stick. Alternatively, heavy-duty tape can sometimes do the trick instead of the suction cup. When all else fails, a little superglue on the suction cup might be your best bet. Be prepared for some patience—reheating with the iOpener and reattempting separation might take a few tries due to the strong glue. If you're struggling to create a gap, apply a bit more heat around the edge and give it another go. For more help, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 26
- Slide a second pick into the same gap and cruise up to the top left corner—you're slicing through that sticky adhesive like a pro.
- Keep your pick parked in the seam so the adhesive doesn’t sneak back together behind your back.
Step 27
- Place a third pick into the middle gap and give it a gentle slide toward the top right corner of the display to cut through the adhesive. Keep that pick in the seam afterward to stop the adhesive from sealing back up. If you need a hand, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 28
If the adhesive is being stubborn, add a little more heat and give it another go.
Be careful not to push the pick too deep or it might slip under the screen assembly and get lost!
- Gently slide that center pick deeper into the top edge of your device to cut through the adhesive holding the earpiece and front-facing camera in place. You're doing great!
- Now, go ahead and remove the center pick.
Step 29
- Warm up your iOpener and give it a cozy two-minute hug on the right edge of the display.
Tools Used
Step 30
- Pop another pick into the gap up at the top right corner of the screen—give it a gentle nudge.
- Glide that pick all the way down to the bottom right corner to split the sticky adhesive holding things together.
- Sneak a pick under the middle of the right edge to keep that sneaky adhesive from sneaking back into place.
Step 31
- Warm up your trusty iOpener and give the left edge of the display a cozy two-minute hug.
Tools Used
Step 32
- Start by gently inserting a plastic pick into the gap at the top left corner of the display.
- Carefully slide the pick down along the edge to the bottom left corner, slicing through the adhesive as you go.
- Next, insert a pick underneath the center of the screen's left edge to keep the adhesive from sticking back together.
Step 33
Time to break out the isopropyl alcohol! Just add a bit behind the screen to loosen up that stubborn clear adhesive near the bottom center of your device.
- Grab some high-concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol and carefully apply it behind the display, aiming for the adhesive marked in red. Get as close as you can!
- As you apply the alcohol, tilt the device a little to help it seep into the adhesive beneath the bottom part of the display.
- Once the alcohol is in place, keep the bottom of your device tilted down for a couple of minutes. This will help the alcohol work its magic and get deeper into the adhesive.
Tools Used
Step 34
Slide your spudger in and keep going until all that stubborn clear adhesive has totally let go.
- Gently slide your spudger under the top edge of the screen and work your way along to loosen up that clingy clear adhesive. Take it slow—no need to rush this part!
Tools Used
Step 35
There might be a tiny strip of glue at the bottom of the phone, but it should come away pretty easily. Just be gentle. Also, watch out to thread the display cable carefully through the frame as you lift it out.
- Carefully remove the display from its frame—think of it as freeing up the star of the show. When you're ready to put it back, thread the display cable through the hole in the frame before pressing the display into its new adhesive home. Just a heads-up: don't try to sneak the cable in before the adhesive is in place, or you'll be redoing the whole dance. If you need a hand during any step, you can always schedule a repair to get expert help.
Step 36
- Before you wrap things up, check out your new part next to the old one—sometimes a little adhesive or a few leftover bits need to be swapped or peeled off.
- Ready to put everything back together? Just reverse the steps above. Easy as pie.
- Once you're done, swing by our repair test guide to make sure everything’s working as it should.
- Got old parts or e-waste? Send them to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler—your future self (and the planet) will thank you.
- If things got a little wild and your device isn’t cooperating, the Salvation Repair Answers community is here for you. Still stuck? You can always schedule a repair.
