Samsung Galaxy S7 Screen Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 20 Steps
Heads up! The video guide you’re seeing is a bit of a throwback and doesn’t exactly match the step-by-step instructions below.
Ready to swap out that cracked or glitchy OLED on your Samsung Galaxy S7? This guide walks you through replacing just the display—no need to yank out the battery, SIM tray, or motherboard, unless you’re tackling both the battery and screen at once. Heads up: some replacement screens come pre-installed in a new frame (chassis), which means you’ll have to move all your phone’s internals and pop in a fresh battery. Double-check your replacement part before diving in. If your frame’s bent or busted, swap it out too, or you risk your new screen getting squished and damaged. Separating the display from the frame usually destroys the old screen, so only follow these steps if you’re ready for a new one. And if your screen looks like a tiny glass volcano, slap on some tape or a screen protector, and grab eye protection to keep those shards in check. Let's get that screen shining again!
Step 1
A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate can come in handy, but remember: keep the heat in check! Overheating your phone could mess with that beautiful OLED display and the battery. Take it easy and keep it cool!
Opening up your phone? Just know that it's going to break the waterproof seal. No worries, though! Have some replacement adhesive on hand before you start, or be extra careful if you skip that step and want to keep it away from water after putting it back together.
You might need to reheat and reapply the iOpener a couple of times to get your phone nice and warm. Just make sure to follow the instructions and avoid overheating – we want your phone fixed, not fried!
- Warm up the long edge of the phone by gently applying a heated iOpener for around two minutes. This helps loosen things up for the next steps.
Tools Used
Step 2
Be careful! The rear glass could shatter if you put too much elbow grease into it or try to pry it off with metal tools.
The suction cup isn't great friends with curved glass—it just doesn't want to stick.
If your phone's back cover has seen better days and is cracked, the suction cup might bail on you. Try using strong tape to lift, or if you're feeling bold, glue the suction cup down and let it set before you start.
Thanks to the curved glass, you’ll be pushing upward rather than sliding in your tool horizontally—think gentle leverage, not parallel parking.
If things get sticky, hit the area with a bit more heat to soften up the adhesive. It cools off quickly, so don’t be shy about reheating as needed.
Optional pro tip: Once your pick is in, sneak in a few drops of isopropyl alcohol to help loosen up the adhesive for easier prying in the next steps.
- Once the back panel starts feeling a bit warm to the touch, grab your suction cup and place it near the heated edge—just steer clear of the curved parts.
- Now, gently pull on the suction cup and slide in an opening pick under the rear glass to lift it up.
Step 3
- Now that you've got the pick snugly placed in the glass, it's time to give it some extra heat love with the iOpener. Reheat and stick it back on to help loosen that sticky adhesive.
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Step 4
Take it slow so the tip stays put in the seam. If it starts to resist, just warm things up again and give the iOpener another go.
- Gently slide your opening pick along the edge of the phone, working to separate the adhesive. Think of it as peeling back the layers with a friendly nudge.
- Keep that pick in place and grab a second one as you move forward. Leaving the first pick inserted helps stop the glue from playing hard-to-get and sealing itself back up.
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Step 5
- Now, let's keep the momentum going! Just like before, warm up and slice through the remaining three sides of the phone.
- And here's a handy tip: leave an opening pick in each edge as you move along to stop that pesky adhesive from sticking back together.
Step 6
- Gently lift the glass and peel it away from the phone. Keep it smooth and steady—no rush needed.
Step 7
Feeling adventurous? You can pop the back cover on without new adhesive if you want. Just clear out any big chunks of old glue so the cover sits nice and flush. After it’s on, give it a little heat and press down to help it stick. Heads up—it won’t be waterproof, but that glue’s got plenty of grip.
Fire up your phone and make sure everything’s working before you go wild with new adhesive or get into resealing mode.
- Ready to put the back cover back on? Grab that custom-cut adhesive strip and follow this guide like a pro!
- When you're sprucing up the midframe surface with some isopropyl alcohol, just a heads up to steer clear of the wireless charging coil! That coating isn't a fan of alcohol, and we don’t want it to break down on us. Careful now!
Step 8
- Unscrew the eight 3.5 mm Phillips screws keeping the NFC antenna and charging coil assembly in place. Take your time—slow and steady wins the race!
Step 9
- Grab your trusty spudger and slide the tip into the little notch on the left side of the antenna assembly. Gently pop that assembly right out of the frame—think of it like opening a stubborn bag of chips, but with less crumbs.
- Lift the antenna assembly out and set it aside. Boom, done!
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Step 10
- Gently wedge the flat end of your spudger under the charging coil assembly and lift it out of the phone with care.
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Step 11
- Grab the flat end of your spudger and gently pop the battery connector loose. Easy does it!
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Step 12
- Gently pry up the display and digitizer connector using the flat end of your trusty spudger.
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Step 13
- Grab an iOpener and gently press it onto a long edge of the phone. Hold it there for about 2 minutes to help loosen things up.
You might need to reheat and reapply the iOpener a few times to get that phone good and warm—just follow the instructions to avoid overheating. Also, keep in mind that the glue holding the display can be way stronger than the back cover adhesive. If it’s stubborn, switch to a hair dryer or heat gun to crank up the heat and loosen things up. If you run into any trouble, you can always schedule a repair.
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Step 14
If your screen is sporting some serious cracks, the suction cup might struggle to get a grip. No worries! You can lift that display using some sturdy tape, or try supergluing the suction cup in place for a secure hold—just give it a little time to set before you move on to the next step!
- When the screen feels warm, slap a suction cup down as close to that heated edge as possible.
- Give the suction cup a gentle lift and slide an opening pick right under the display assembly.
Step 15
- After you’ve got the pick snugly tucked under the display, give it another warm hug with the iOpener to loosen up that stubborn adhesive.
Tools Used
Step 16
The display cable is hanging out just above the midpoint on this side, so be careful not to get too carried away with your pick. If you pry too deep, it might get in the way. Take it slow and steady!
- Gently slide the opening pick down the side of your phone to loosen up that sticky adhesive.
- Take it slow so the pick tip stays put and doesn’t pop out of the gap. If it starts to get stubborn, warm things up again with the iOpener and try once more.
- Keep the pick in place, then grab a second one as you move on. Leaving the first pick there helps stop the glue from sticking back together.
Tools Used
Step 17
Be careful not to slice too deep on the top or bottom — you don’t want to mess up the front-facing sensors or speaker assembly at the top, or the capacitive buttons down below!
- Now, let's keep the momentum going! Just like before, heat things up and carefully cut along the remaining three sides of your phone. You’ve got this!
- And remember, keep an opening pick on each side as you work your magic to stop that adhesive from sneaky resealing!
Step 18
- Gently pry up the side of the display opposite the display cable. Let the cable act like a hinge as you carefully open up the phone.
Step 19
- Gently lift the display from the mid frame, making sure to delicately guide the display connector through the opening in the mid frame.
- Now, go ahead and remove the display.
Step 20
Before popping in your new display, make sure to clean off every bit of old adhesive from the frame—don't forget to look out for any tiny glass shards hanging around!
If the frame is bent or you leave behind any sticky glue or glass bits, the new screen won’t sit right and could end up damaged. Take your time and do it right!
Check out this link for a straightforward guide on how to apply screen adhesive like a pro.
This step clears off any leftover sticky bits and gets your device ready for a fresh, clean display.
- Ready to wrap things up? Stick that adhesive on the rear cover, then reverse your steps to put everything back together. If you hit any snags, you can always schedule a repair.
