DIY Google Pixel XL Battery Replacement Guide
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 26 Steps
This repair guide comes straight from the talented team at Salvation Repair. While it’s packed with great tips, Google isn’t behind it, so keep that in mind!
Before you dive into disassembling your phone, remember to juice that battery down to below 25%. Safety first!
Heads up! The Pixel XL’s delicate display panel is quite fragile and is glued onto the frame with some serious adhesive. Repairs can be tricky, and if there are any micro-fractures, the chance of breaking the display increases. Handle with care!
This repair guide comes from the pros at Salvation Repair, and it’s not backed by Google. Follow this guide to crack open your Pixel XL and swap out that battery. If it’s swollen, take it easy and stay safe. Before you dive in, discharge the battery below 25%. A charged battery can catch fire or explode if punctured, but the odds are way lower if it’s discharged. The Pixel XL’s delicate display is glued to the frame and can be tricky to handle. It’s easy to break, especially if there are tiny cracks. Use plenty of heat and be super careful when prying. The battery is stuck down with strong adhesive, so you might need some high concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol to loosen it up. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 1
You could use a hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate for some extra warmth, but make sure to keep an eye on things! Overheating your phone can lead to some serious trouble—both the screen and the internal battery can get a bit too hot to handle. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
– Warm up that iOpener and gently press it to the top edge of the display for a cozy two minutes.
– Before you dive into prying, keep an eye on these important spots:
– There’s a thin adhesive snuggled up against the display panel.
– Watch out for the thick adhesive – it has a strong grip!
– Be cautious with the OLED display panel; it’s quite delicate and needs your TLC.
– Don’t forget about the display cable; it could get a little cranky during the prying process.
Tools Used
Step 2
Keep the pick under 13 mm (0.5 inches) when you’re working your magic, or you might just end up giving your display assembly a little too much love. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Why not grab a playing card if you don’t have an opening pick handy? It’s a nifty little trick to help you get that initial entry started.
– Warm up the edge until it feels toasty, then grab your trusty suction cup and stick it near the edge.
– Give that suction cup a good lift and slip an opening pick into the gap.
– If the gap’s playing hard to get, give the edge another warm-up and try again.
Step 3
Remember, don’t go deeper than 13 mm (0.5 inches) or you might just give your display a little too much love and end up damaging it.
There’s a nifty mesh covering the earpiece speaker at the top edge of the screen. If you don’t have a spare mesh handy, just be careful not to harm or misplace this little guy!
– Glide the opener clip along the top edge to cut through the adhesive.
– Keep an opener pick in the edge to stop the adhesive from sticking again. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 4
Keep that pick to a maximum of 1 mm (1/32″) along the edge—going deeper could lead to a display assembly disaster!
– Warm up that iOpener and hold it against the right side of your phone for about two minutes. Patience is key!
– Gently slide an opening pick into the top edge of the phone, right where you’ve already made a little slice in the adhesive. Easy does it!
– Now, guide the pick around that right corner with care and patience. You’re doing great!
– Slowly run the pick down the right side to cut through the adhesive like a pro. You’ve got this!
– Now, repeat the same process on the left side of the phone. Almost there!
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Step 5
Keep your slicing to a maximum of 8.5 mm (1/3″)—going deeper could put a serious dent in that display cable!
– Warm up the bottom edge with an iOpener for a cozy two minutes.
– Slide a pick in near the right edge where you’ve already loosened that sticky adhesive.
– Gently guide the pick around the corner like a pro.
– Glide the pick along the bottom edge to slice through the adhesive with ease.
Tools Used
Step 6
Hold on! Don’t yank the display assembly just yet. It’s still hanging by a flex cable.
– Now that you’ve made your way around the edge of the phone, gently lift the display assembly up a bit from the right corners. You’ve got this!
– Grab that trusty opening pick and slice through any stubborn adhesive that’s still hanging on. You’re almost there!
Step 7
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder to keep that flex cable comfy while you’re swinging the assembly around. We want it to stay happy and in one piece!
– Gently lift the top end of the display assembly and flip it over so it rests upside down on the frame. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
Step 8
As you tackle this repair, make sure to keep track of every single screw and put it back where it belongs.
Step 9
To reattach those connectors, give them a gentle nudge! Start by aligning one side and press down until you hear that satisfying click. Then, do the same on the other side. Just a friendly tip: avoid pressing down in the middle. If things get a bit wonky and the connector is misaligned, you might bend the pins, and that’s a one-way ticket to permanent damage city. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift up that display cable from its connector. You’ve got this!
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Step 10
– Start by carefully removing the display assembly. You’ve got this!
– Want detailed steps for reinstalling that Pixel XL display? Check out this handy guide.
– If your new display didn’t come with a speaker grille, no worries! Just grab some tweezers, gently peel the adhesive grille off your old display, and transfer it to the new one.
– Before you pop in that fresh display, make sure to clean off any leftover adhesive from the frame. A spudger or opening tool works wonders for scraping it off, and a little high-concentration isopropyl alcohol will handle any stubborn residue.
– If you’re putting the same display assembly back, just remember to remove all adhesive residue from both the panel and the frame before applying new adhesive.
– Don’t forget to power on your phone and test your repair before sealing everything up with new adhesive. It’s always good to double-check!
– During the boot-up after reassembly, your screen will go through a calibration sequence. Sit tight and resist the urge to touch the screen during this time—it’ll help avoid any pesky touch calibration issues later on.
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Step 11
– Time to tackle those screws, tech hero!
– Remove the following screws securing the midframe to the back:
– Seven black 4 mm T5 screws
– Two silver 3 mm T5 screws
– Remember, patience, and good vibes are key for a smooth and successful repair!
– If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 12
– The midframe is snugly secured by some clever little plastic clips that fit right into the edge of the back case.
Step 13
– Locate that tiny notch in the bottom left corner of your frame and pop in an opening pick.
– Glide that pick smoothly along the bottom edge of your phone until you reach the bottom right corner, and let it hang out there.
Step 14
This step can be tricky because of the tight tolerances, and it might need some muscle power. If it’s giving you a hard time, try sliding in a playing card to help out. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
– Grab a trusty opening pick and slide it into the right edge of your phone, just a smidge from the bottom.
– Gently nudge that pick upwards along the seam until you hear that satisfying pop of the first clip coming loose.
– Now that the clip is free, keep that opening pick right where it is to stop the midframe from sealing back up on you.
Step 15
Keep that pick just a smidge in—no more than 2 mm into the edge! Pushing it all the way can lead to some unexpected flex cable troubles.
By now, the right edge of the midframe should be hanging loose and free from the case. If it’s still stuck, give it some gentle love by sliding an opening clip up and down along that right edge.
– Gently slide an opening pick into the right edge of your phone and glide it upwards toward that top right clip.
– Carefully maneuver the pick past the clip to free it from the frame.
Step 16
– Grab the right edge of the midframe by the corners and gently lift it up like you’re opening a treasure chest.
– Once the left edge starts to feel a bit wobbly, pause your lifting and raise the midframe straight up.
– Carefully take out the midframe and give yourself a pat on the back.
– To put the midframe back in, line it up with the case and give it a gentle squeeze around the edges until all the clips click back into place. If you’ve done it right, the midframe should sit nice and flat.
Step 17
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry up to disconnect that battery connector. You’ve got this!
– Give the battery flex cable a little bend so it stays clear of the motherboard. We want to keep everything safe and sound!
Tools Used
Step 18
– Grab those tweezers and gently lift the tape at the top of the interconnect cable. You’ve got this!
Step 19
– Grab your spudger and carefully lift up the interconnect cable from the motherboard.
– When reinstalling, line up the cable with the socket, and press down on one side with your finger, followed by the other. Done right, the socket will securely hold the cable.
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Step 20
Feel free to keep that interconnect cable snuggly attached to the daughterboard with the adhesive, or if you’re feeling adventurous, go ahead and take it off completely!
– Grab your trusty spudger and carefully lift up to disconnect the interconnect cable from the bottom daughterboard.
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Step 21
– The battery is held in place by two strips of double-sided tape. 🔧
– Warm up an iOpener and place it on the back of the phone, left side, for two minutes. You might need to reheat and reapply the iOpener. If needed, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 22
Watch out for that sneaky white antenna cable hugging the battery’s edge while you gently press down with the pick. We don’t want any surprises!
Having trouble getting the opening pick under the battery? Don’t worry, it’s an easy fix. Just heat it up and reapply the iOpener as we showed you in the previous step.
To make things even easier, you can apply some high concentration isopropyl alcohol to the edge. This will help loosen the adhesive and make the process a breeze. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
– Time to flip that phone over like a pancake!
– Gently slide an opening pick down the warm right edge of the battery. Give it a little back and forth wiggle to cut through the sticky stuff holding it in place.
– After you’ve freed the right side of the battery from its snug home, stick that opening pick in there to keep the adhesive from playing tricks and re-sticking.
Tools Used
Step 23
– Warm up an iOpener and place it along the back edge of your phone for two minutes. If needed, reheat and reapply the iOpener.
Tools Used
Step 24
If the battery looks like it’s flexing under the pressure, hit pause and either warm it up with a heated iOpener or dab on more alcohol like in the last step.
– Grab the loose right edge of the battery by those handy corners and gently lift it up like you’re giving it a little wave.
– Once the battery’s ready to party and has freed itself from the adhesive grip, carefully peel it out from the frame.
– Say goodbye to the battery and remove it with style!
Tools Used
Step 25
To keep things safe and sound, don’t reuse or reinstall an old battery. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
– Ready to swap in that new battery? Start by sticking on some fresh
