Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus NFC Antenna & Charging Coil Assembly Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 13 Steps
Ready to give your Galaxy S21 Plus a little TLC? Follow these steps to swap out a busted NFC antenna and charging coil assembly. This guide is for the SM-G996B/DS (international) model, but heads up—some versions have an extra antenna cable hugging the midframe. If you skip new adhesive seals when putting things back together, your device will run just fine, but it’ll probably wave goodbye to its water resistance. Grab some replacement adhesive to keep everything snug during reassembly. Take it one step at a time, and if things get wild, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 1
A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate does the trick here—just keep it cool, literally. Too much heat spells trouble for your screen and battery, so go easy!
- Grab an iOpener and gently place it on the back cover. Let it sit there for at least three minutes to help loosen up that stubborn adhesive underneath. If you need a hand, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 2
If your back cover has a crack, the suction handle might be playing hard to get. Give it a go with some strong tape, or for a more permanent fix, superglue the suction handle in place and let it set so you can move on with your repair journey.
Having a tough time creating a gap? No worries! Just apply a little more heat to soften that adhesive even further. Remember to follow the iOpener instructions to avoid any overheating mishaps.
- Stick a suction handle on the lower edge of the back cover—get it as close to the edge as you can.
- Give the suction handle a gentle lift to crack open a tiny gap between the cover and the frame.
- Slide an opening pick right into that gap like a pro.
- Work the pick over to the bottom left corner to slice through all that sticky adhesive.
- Leave the pick chilling there so the adhesive doesn't get any ideas about sticking back together.
Tools Used
Step 3
- Start by slipping a second opening pick in at the bottom edge of your phone.
- Gently slide that pick toward the bottom right corner to cut through the adhesive.
- Keep those opening picks in place to stop the adhesive from sealing back up.
Step 4
If the adhesive starts acting stubborn and won't budge, it's probably cooled off. Give your iOpener another two or three minutes to warm things up and keep going.
- Time to bring in the reinforcements - insert a third opening pick at the bottom right corner of your phone to help loosen things up.
- Now, gently slide the opening pick along the right edge of your phone to slice through the adhesive. Take your time, you got this!
- Leave the opening pick in the top right corner to keep the adhesive from resealing. You're making great progress!
Tools Used
Step 5
When you're working near the camera assembly, just dip the very tip of your opening pick in there (about 4-5 mm) so you don’t accidentally scratch or smudge the camera. Keep it light and precise!
- Pop a fourth opening pick under the top right corner of your phone—like you're dealing a card at a poker table.
- Glide the pick across the top edge to slice through the sticky adhesive—smooth moves only.
- Keep that pick chilling in the top left corner so the adhesive doesn't sneakily stick itself back together.
Step 6
When you get close to the power button, just use the tip of the opening pick (~3-4 mm) to keep the flex cable safe from harm. Go gentle, and you'll avoid any accidental pinches or tears. If you need a hand, you can always schedule a repair.
- Sneak a fifth pick under the bottom left corner — like a secret agent, but for your phone.
- Glide that pick up the left edge to break up the last bits of sticky stuff holding the back cover in place.
Step 7
- Start by carefully removing the back cover of your device. During reassembly, it's a good idea to power on your phone and test all functions before sealing it up—no point putting everything back together only to find something's not working! Make sure to power down completely before proceeding. Use tweezers or your fingers to gently remove any leftover adhesive chunks. For stubborn residue, wipe it away with high-concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol. If you're using Samsung's custom-cut adhesives, follow the specific guide for those. Alternatively, if double-sided tape was your choice, refer to its guide. Need a hand? You can always schedule a repair with Salvation Repair.
Step 8
Keep your tool chill—no poking or squishing the battery or you’ll unleash chemistry-class chaos.
Slide your pick like a dance move; if it snags a cable under the charging coil, pause and groove back a step.
- Slip an opening pick under the left bottom corner of the NFC antenna and charging coil assembly like you're sliding into home base.
- Gently glide your pick along the lower left edge to loosen the assembly from the battery—easy does it!
Step 9
- Let's get this repair started! Begin by slipping an opening pick under the bottom edge of the NFC antenna and charging coil assembly.
- Now, gently slide the opening pick along the bottom of the assembly to loosen it from the loudspeaker. Take your time and be patient – we've got this!
Step 10
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently pop the charging coil connector straight up from its socket—like opening a stubborn pickle jar, but way less messy.
Tools Used
Step 11
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry the NFC antenna connector straight up from its socket. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 12
- Grab your Phillips screwdriver and take out the five 3.9 mm screws holding down the NFC antenna and charging coil. Easy does it!
Step 13
- Fire up your device and take your repair for a test drive before sealing things up with fresh adhesive.
- Line up your new part with the old one—swap over any leftover bits or peel off backing tape as needed.
- Ready to reassemble? Just follow these steps backwards and you're golden.
- Once you're done, check out this guide to make sure everything's working as it should.
- When it’s time to say goodbye to old parts, drop them off at an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
- If things didn’t go quite as planned, try some basic troubleshooting or hit up our Answers community for a hand.
- Need backup? You can always schedule a repair.
