Guide to Replace Google Pixel 6a 5G mmWave Antenna
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 31 Steps
A heads up from the team at Salvation Repair: we created this guide to help you fix your device, but it’s not officially endorsed by Google. Want to know more about our repair guides? Click here to learn more.
Safety first! Before you start taking your phone apart, make sure the battery is at 25% or less. If you need help or have questions, you can always schedule a repair.
Hey there, repair enthusiast! This handy guide was put together by the awesome folks at Salvation Repair—just a heads up, it’s not affiliated with Google. Ready to tackle replacing the 5G mmWave antenna in your Google Pixel 6a? First things first: for your safety, make sure to drain your battery below 25% before diving in. This helps keep things safe in case of an accidental battery hiccup during the repair. And if your battery is looking a bit puffy, be sure to take the right precautions! Don’t forget, you’ll need some replacement adhesive to seal the deal at the end. Let’s get started!
Step 1
– First things first, give your phone a little break. Turn it off completely and make sure no cables are plugged in.
Step 2
Alright, champ, before we dive into this repair, let’s make sure we’re on the same page. Take a peek at these tips!
– Screen seam : This seam is where the screen joins the rest of the phone. Don’t go poking around here, alright?
– Bezel seam : This is where the plastic bezel, that fancy trim around the screen, meets the frame. It’s held in place with some little plastic clips. This is where you wanna carefully pop it open.
Step 3
Get ready to make the opening process a whole lot easier with our trusty Anti-Clamp tool! If you’re not using it, no worries – just skip ahead three steps for an alternative method.
Got a cracked screen? No problem! Just cover it with some clear packing tape to help your suction cup get a good grip.
Want the full lowdown on using the Anti-Clamp? Check out our guide for all the details.
If your phone’s surface is too slippery for the Anti-Clamp, don’t stress – just add some tape to give it a bit more traction. And if you need help along the way, you can always schedule a repair with the pros at Salvation Repair.
– Give that blue handle a little tug back to release the Anti-Clamp’s arms. You’re doing great!
– Carefully slide those arms over to the right edge of your phone. Nice and easy!
– Now, place the suction cups right around the midpoint of that right edge—one on the front and one on the back. You’re almost there!
– Squeeze those cups together to create a strong hold. You’ve got this!
Step 4
– If you need help, don’t worry! Grab those blue arm buddies and give ’em a twist. Just keep going ’round and ’round until those stretchy cups are all snug and aligned. If things start to slide, take a break and give ’em another shot. You got this!
Step 5
Take it easy! Only twist a half turn at a time, and chill for a minute between each twist. Let the Anti-Clamp and a little patience do their magic for you.
Feeling a bit hot under the collar? You can use a hair dryer or heat gun, but be gentle! Too much heat can be a risky business for your display and battery, so take it easy.
If the Anti-Clamp isn’t doing its job and you’d like a little more wiggle room, pump up the heat in the area and give that handle a clockwise twist for a half-turn.
– Let’s get started by heating up an iOpener and carefully threading it through the arms of the Anti-Clamp, so it’s snug against the right edge of your phone.
– Now, take a minute to let the adhesive loosen up – this will give you a gap to work with.
– When the Anti-Clamp creates a big enough opening, it’s time to insert an opening pick under the screen frame.
– Go ahead and skip the next two steps – you’re making great progress!
Tools Used
Step 6
Need to loosen up that glue? A hairdryer, heat gun, or hot plate can help! Just remember to be gentle—you don’t want to fry those delicate components inside. If things get too tricky, you can always schedule a repair.
– Let’s get started! Heat an iOpener and apply it to the right edge of the screen for about two minutes. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
Tools Used
Step 7
Got a cracked display? No problem! Stick on a layer of clear packing tape to help that suction cup stick like it’s meant to. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can opt for some super strong tape instead of the suction cup. And if push comes to shove, a little superglue on the suction cup can help it bond to the broken screen. You’re almost there!
Now, if your phone is a bit of a vintage gem, getting that screen off might be a bit tricky. If you’re running into trouble, crank up the heat a tad more on the edges and give it another go. You’ve got this!
– Let’s get this party started! Grab a suction cup and stick it right on the screen, as close to the center of the right edge as you can get.
– Now, give that suction cup a good pull! You want to create a little gap between the bezel and the frame. No need to be shy, go for it!
– Now, gently slide an opening pick into that gap you just made. We’re getting closer to the heart of the matter!
Step 8
Hey, take it easy! Just go up to 3.5mm with that pick. You don’t want to cause any trouble inside your device, right?
– Keep that suction going! Now, carefully tilt that pick upwards to a steep angle.
– With a gentle push, slide the pick in while you pry, carefully moving the opening pick into the bezel seam. You’re doing great!
Step 10
Don’t go crazy with that pick! Just a tiny bit, about 4mm, to keep everything inside safe and sound. 😎
– Let’s get that phone open! Rotate the opening pick around the top-right corner to release the clips.
– Keep that opening pick in the top-right corner to keep those clips from locking up again!
Step 11
Be careful when slicing around the front camera – only insert the pick about 3mm to avoid damaging the lens. If you’re not feeling confident, don’t worry, you can always schedule a repair
– Pop a new pick into the gap you just made.
– Slide the pick along the top to pop those clips.
Step 12
– Let’s get this party started! Gently rotate the opening pick around the top-left corner of your phone to loosen those clips. Think of it like a little dance for your phone.
– Keep that opening pick chilling in the top-left corner to make sure those clips don’t sneakily try to lock themselves back up. We’re not done yet, my friend!
Step 13
Be sure to only slide that pick in about 3 mm—your device’s insides will thank you for not going deeper!
Alright, the screen should now be free from the frame! If it feels like it’s putting up a fight around the edges, grab an opening pick and gently coax those last clips to let go.
– Time to get started! Insert a new opening pick into the gap you’ve just created – you’re making great progress!
– Now, slide the pick along the left edge to release those clips. You’re doing fantastic!
– Almost there! Repeat the rotating and sliding procedure for the remaining edge. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
Step 14
Hold up, champ! Don’t completely detach the screen just yet. It’s still hanging out with the frame via a flex cable.
Be gentle with that screen! Don’t twist it or pull it too far away from the frame. You don’t want to damage the flex cable, now do you?
Step 15
The display cable bracket is held in place by some nifty metal clips.
– Grab those tweezers and gently lift the bottom edge of the bracket upward to free the metal clip. You’ve got this!
– Next up, let’s pop off the display cable bracket – it’s time for it to take a little break!
– When putting things back together, remember to insert the top side of the bracket first and then press down the other side. It’s a tiny but mighty step; not doing it right could lead to some unexpected sparks and hurt your logic board. So, take your time and make it count!
Tools Used
Step 16
Take it easy and keep your eye out for those tiny components around the press connector. You don’t want to mess them up!
– Gently slide the tip of your opening pick under the bottom right edge of the display cable press connector—right above that little screw hole waiting for attention.
– Give a little nudge to pry up and disconnect the display cable press connector; it’s a straightforward move.
– When it’s time to reattach press connectors like this one, take your time! Align it carefully and press down on one side until you hear that satisfying click. Then, do the same for the other side. Remember, avoid pressing down in the middle. A misalignment can bend the pins and that’s a no-go for your device!
Step 17
Don’t forget to pop that display cable bracket back in place. It’s like giving your device a little hug!
– First things first—let’s get that screen off! It’s time to say goodbye to the old one.
– Now, as you’re putting everything back together:
– If you swapped out your screen, take a quick peek at the front-facing camera hole and the sensor cutout on the shiny new screen. Make sure any pesky liners that are still hanging around get removed.
– Don’t forget to check your phone for the rubber gasket of the proximity sensor. It might have decided to stick around on the back of your old screen. If you find it’s M.I.A., now’s the time to replace it.
– Here’s a great moment to give your phone a little test run before sealing everything up. Temporarily connect your screen, power on your device, and make sure it’s ready to go! Once you’re satisfied, make sure to power it off before moving on to the next steps.
– Need some help with the screen adhesive? Just follow this guide for a smooth application.
– And if you’re installing a brand-new screen, don’t forget to check out this guide to get that fingerprint sensor calibrated just right!
Step 18
Don’t go crazy with the tape removal – just gently cut the bridge between the midframe and the top speaker. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
– Time to get up close and personal with your device’s innards. Use tweezers to carefully peel back the silver tape that’s connecting the midframe to the top speaker. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
Tools Used
Step 19
– Grab your trusty tweezers and gently lift the tape that’s hiding those two screws on either side of the USB-C port. Let’s get to work!
Tools Used
Step 20
– Grab your trusty T3 Torx screwdriver and let’s tackle those 16 screws holding the midframe in place:
– Eight screws measuring 4.3 mm
– Five screws that are 2.9 mm
– Two screws at 4.9 mm
– And just one little screw at 4.6 mm
Tools Used
Step 23
Don’t worry if you feel a little pushback! That’s just the midframe giving a friendly hug to the heat sink, thanks to some thermal paste. It’s all part of the process!
– Take out the midframe – it’s time to get inside and fix your device!
– Now’s a great time to turn your phone back on and make sure everything is working properly before you seal it up. Just remember to power it back down before moving on to the next steps. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
Step 24
– Time to get rid of that old thermal paste! Use the flat end of a spudger to gently scrape it off.
– Now, let’s get cleaning! Use some isopropyl alcohol and a coffee filter or a lint-free cloth to wipe away any remaining thermal paste.
– Don’t forget to clean the thermal paste off the midframe too – just repeat the same process.
– When you’re ready to put everything back together, be sure to check out our guide on how to reapply thermal paste to your device. And if you need help, you can always schedule a repair with Salvation Repair.
Tools Used
Step 26
– Let’s get started! Use a T3 Torx screwdriver to carefully remove the 2.9 mm screw that’s holding the 5G mmWave antenna bracket in place. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
Tools Used
Step 27
– Gently grab the bracket with tweezers or your fingers and slide it to the right, releasing the clip from the phone’s edge.
– Now, carefully remove the 5G mmWave antenna bracket – you’re making great progress! If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
Tools Used
Step 28
– Time to get started! Use a spudger to carefully pry up and disconnect the 5G mmWave antenna’s press connector. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
Tools Used
Step 30
– Time to get started! Use a spudger to carefully pry up and disconnect the 5G mmWave antenna cable’s press connector. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
Tools Used
Step 31
– Alright, cool beans! You’ve got that 5G mmWave antenna all by itself now. Ready for the next step?
