Google Pixel 2 XL Screen Replacement

Written By: Adam O'Camb

Comments: 58

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

30 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

This repair guide was authored by the iFixit staff and hasn’t been endorsed by Google. Learn more about our repair guides here.

Use this guide to replace a cracked or faulty screen, including the display and digitizer, on your Google Pixel 2 XL. If it does not include adhesive, the replacement part will need replacement adhesive in order to seal the phone. There may also be small parts that need to be transferred from the original display to the replacement. Inspect both displays closely to make sure all relevant components are moved from the original display to the replacement.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

If your display glass is cracked, tape over the glass to prevent bodily harm and further breakage. This also makes a smooth surface allowing the suction cup to bond.
Apply a suction cup as close to the SIM slot edge of the phone as you can while avoiding the curved edge.
The suction cup will not make a good seal on the curved portion of the glass.

Shouldn’t this be “As close as possible to the volume rocker”?

Mihai Turdean - 12/05/21

Forget about the tiny toy suction cup they provide to battery replacement kits. I used a dent puller from an automotive shop. The smallest they had was just small enough for the Pixel's screen. I still needed to heat the edges with a heat gun.

Tamás Polgár -

I wish someone tell me in advance that if I doing this replacement after using phone for a few years it better to have spare "display adhesive" and be ready to follow Google Pixel 2 XL Display Adhesive Replacement

Original adhesive become dirty with time and fat chances it will be damaged during opening phase. In my case I replaced battery but can't use the phone, as still waiting for adhesive to be delivered

Maxim Vorontsov -

Step 2

Pull up on the suction cup with firm, constant pressure and insert an opening pick between the front panel and rear case.
This requires a significant amount of force and patience. If you have trouble, rock the suction cup and screen to weaken the adhesive, or apply heat with an iOpener, heat gun, or hair dryer.

Whatever happened to “Do not heat your phone. If needed, you can use a dropper or syringe to inject isopropyl alcohol (90+%) around the edges of the back cover to weaken the adhesive.”?

Mike Trieu - 08/02/20

It is in concern with swollen batteries.

Fernando Granco - 19/05/21

I spent an hour trying to get the glass screen apart from the body. I tried the hairdryer etc but made no progress. However, when I used a sucker to gently pull on the glass it was easy.

Ronald Morrison - 11/06/20

I used a heat gun, and the metal spatula in the iFixit kit. I broke the screen. Then, continuing with a blue plastic triangle, the screen continued to break. It seems to be quite brittle.

Rolf Kirby - 25/01/21

Never use metal tools on glass component

p43j77 -

Just broke the screen as well. I’d say heat gun is a must, otherwise it’s really hard to slide pick at the top and bottom without breaking the screen. It’s a very thin line of glass over there.

Vitaliy Kurokhtin -

I thought I did this perfectly. I used the iOpener to heat the glue, and the picks to slide around the screen to release the adhesive. I preformed the rest of the repair (charging assembly and the battery) with little issue. Just reassembled and the volume rocker side of the screen is white. I took less care on this side since the instructions said that you didn’t need to worry about how far the pick went in. NOT TRUE! There is a curvature to that edge that will push your pick up into the back of the unprotected display. It clearly doesn’t take much to damage it. I was so careful! F&CK!! I should have just created the e-waste and bought a new device. So mad!

Eric Marcot -

Step 3

In the following steps, extra caution is required in certain areas to avoid damage to the phone:
Do not insert the pick more than 0.25 inches (6 mm) into the bottom edge of the phone. If the pick contacts the folded portion of the OLED panel, it can damage the display.
Do not cut along the left edge; there are delicate display cables that can be damaged.
Only make very shallow cuts in the upper left corner; prying deeply can damage the front-facing camera.

Step 4

Slide the opening pick down the right side of the phone to separate the display adhesive.

Step 5

In the following steps, use the flat edge of the opening pick, rather than a corner, to cut. This will help prevent inserting the pick too deeply.
Slide the opening pick around the lower-right corner and along the bottom edge of the phone.

Step 6

Reinsert the flat edge of the pick at the top-right corner of the phone, and slide it around the corner and the top edge of the phone.

Step 7

Gently lift the display from the right side of the phone, opening it like a book.
If the display doesn't readily lift, do some extra prying to separate the last of the adhesive.
Don't try to fully separate the display yet, as fragile ribbon cables still connect it to the phone's motherboard.
Carefully lay the display flat on the table next to the rest of the phone, keeping it close to the phone to avoid straining the display and digitizer cables.

Step 8

Use the corner of an opening tool to pry up the digitizer cable connector cover.
Pry carefully to avoid damaging the cable underneath, or losing the cover itself.
Remove the connector cover.
Make sure to keep this component so you can reinstall it during reassembly.

when it comes out, it can pop with some force and go flying. Ensure you have a clear desk/floor so you can find it after it flies away

hamiltont - 29/02/20

Lol mine shot off and Ricocheted off the ceiling! Then landed on my shoulder haha

john murfin - 19/08/20

It literally popped me right in the middle of the forehead. My wife is still making fun of me.

Jordan Toews - 05/10/20

Mine flew off while I was laughing you guys, never too be seen again: (

Shane Hadley - 31/03/21

I decided to work outdoors, didn't read any comments first, so when mine flew off I found it five cursing minutes later in a crack on the driveway. Should have read the comments first! Thanks hamiltont. Will now read every comment BEFORE attempting step.

Loose Drag -

Confirmed, this $@$* can fly!

Tamás Polgár -

Step 9

Use the point of a spudger to lift the digitizer cable connector up and out of its socket on the motherboard.
To re-attach press connectors like this one, carefully align and press down on one side until it clicks into place, then repeat on the other side. Do not press down on the middle. If the connector is misaligned, the pins can bend, causing permanent damage.
If any part of your screen doesn't respond to touch after your repair, re-seat this connector, making sure it clicks fully into place and that there's no dust or other obstruction in the socket.

This small connector gave me fits getting it located correctly, is there a trick to getting it aligned since it’s difficult to see around edge of the connector?

Dennis Whitsitt - 06/02/21

Step 10

Use tweezers to remove any tape from the display connector cover.

Step 11

Insert the point of a spudger into the small hole on the edge of the display connector cover.
Use the spudger to pry the cover out of its recess.
Remove the connector cover.
Make sure to keep this component so you can reinstall it during reassembly.

Step 12

Use the flat edge of a spudger to lift the display cable connector up from its socket.
Remove the display.
During reassembly, pause here if you wish to replace the adhesive around the edges of the display.

BE EXTRA CAREFUL HERE, and during reassembly! There are 2 itty bitty parts directly under this ribbon cable connector that, if damaged, will render your loudspeaker unusable. The only sure way to fix it if you break it is to replace the motherboard. There are some reports of people being able to solder the spots and shorting it to make it work, and that worked for me for a time, but they’re really tiny (about 0.5 mm) and if you don’t get a secure solder, or if you bleed over, it will also mess up your top speaker.

Joshua Parnell - 02/12/19

Saw this comment after I’ve done replacing and sure enough, the loud speaker was broken. The resistor was knocked over but still hanging in place so I just stuck it back and it works for now.

They are 2 black resistors at the end of the cable’s connector. So follow the above photo exactly and pry the connector from the side, not from the end of the connector like I did

Tri Nguyễn - 23/10/21

What wasn't clear to me here (because I didn't put Step 13 together with Step 12, I suppose?) is that if your replacement part came with speaker grills and camera gasket, Step 12 is your final step. You are done, except for replacing the cables and covers, then placing the adhesive strips onto the replacement part and sticking the phone back together.

I ordered my screen from iFixit and it came with new grills and camera gasket already installed. I was able to use the thinnest strips on the supplied Tesa patch to line the entire screen perimeter piecemeal, then stick it back together like new.

Loose Drag -

Step 13

Your replacement display may not come with pre-installed speaker grilles or a front-facing camera gasket. If that is the case, use tweezers to carefully remove these parts from your old display and follow the rest of the guide to install them on a new display.
Clean any adhesive residue off of the parts before reinstalling them.
Make sure to install the grilles and gasket before applying display adhesive.
Cut a strip of 1 mm wide double-sided tape to be about 3 cm (1.25 inches) long.
Lay the adhesive strip along the upper edge of the earpiece speaker slot in your new display so that it's centered over the slot and touching the upper edge.
The adhesive strip needs to be as close as possible to the edge of the slot without overlapping. Otherwise, it can interfere with the display adhesive.
Gently press the adhesive strip into place on the display with your finger or a spudger.
Peel the white backing away from the adhesive strip.

After “use tweezers to carefully remove these parts from your old display” - be sure to check the front of the grille. It’s easy to accidentally leave on the old grille adhesive. When you go to insert the old grill on top of your new tape in the display, you can accidentally stack up new tape + old tape + grille.

hamiltont - 29/02/20

I soaked the old grilles in a 91% isopropyl solution for about 5min and then used an electronics wire brush (very small with a few strands of thin brassy wires). The old adhesive fell right off, and all of the built up dust has washed away. Tried using qtips at first, that was a huge mistake as the grill rips into the qtips and pulls off strands of cotton

hamiltont - 29/02/20

Step 14

Lightly set the speaker grille into its slot so that the indented half of the grille sits inside the slot, and the flat, unindented half of the grille is above the slot on top of the adhesive. Do not push it onto the adhesive yet.
Use the point of a spudger to gently push the edges of the grille against the edges of the slot, centering the grille in the slot.

Step 15

Use the flat end of a spudger to push the top of the grille down against the adhesive strip.
Repeat the last three steps to install the lower speaker grille.
When installing the lower speaker grille, apply the adhesive strip to the lower edge of the speaker slot, and position the grille with the flat half below the slot.

Step 16

If you're reusing the camera gasket from your old screen, the old adhesive may have stuck to the gasket when you removed it. If this is the case, and the adhesive is still sticky, skip to the last step.
Cut one strip of 1 mm wide adhesive to be 6 mm (1/4") long.
Place the adhesive underneath the front-facing camera hole, parallel to the top edge of the display.
Cut two 3 mm (1/8") strips of 1 mm wide adhesive.
Place the adhesive strips to the left and right of the camera hole, perpendicular to the bottom adhesive strip.
Gently press the adhesive strips into place on the display with your finger or a spudger.
Make sure all three strips are as close as possible to the camera hole, without overlapping the hole.

Step 17

Peel the white backing off of all three adhesive strips.

Step 18

Carefully place the front-facing camera gasket down on top of the adhesive.
Make sure that the gasket is centered around the camera hole. If it overlaps the hole at all, it will disrupt the function of the camera.
Press the gasket down against the adhesive with your finger or a spudger.
During the boot-up process after reassembly, the screen will go through a calibration sequence. Do not touch the screen during this process, as it could result in improper touch calibration and create touch issues.

Conclusion

Compare your new replacement part to the original part—you may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before installing.

To reassemble your device, follow the above steps in reverse order.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our Answers community for troubleshooting help.

Author

Adam O'Camb

Member since: 11/04/15

178568 Reputation

36 comments

Be very careful on the bottom connection, if done incorrectly, 2 small components controlling bottom speaker are easily damaged, this will result in a motherboard replacement or replacing someones phone. Take it from me and a few others on the site…go at this slow and careful. Besides that risk, the phone is pretty simple to repair.

Tom Gray - 18/06/18

Hi Tom, what component are you talking about? I'm about to dive into this and it might be wise for me to doublecheck this prior to repairing it!

Jasperstaal - 10/11/18

can you separate outer glass screen layer from lcd?

Tyler W - 20/06/18

.Every layer of the full lamination screen is essential to the display, the surface layer is not just for protection.So I think if you removed it, the screen would be damaged .

roanoke - 21/06/18

Showing where to place the new tape would be helpful.

Office Administrator - 22/06/18

Agreed. And also which one we need, is it the 1mm or others? Putting off my repair until I get this tape, going with the 1mm for now…

Owen Patrick - 11/01/19

Is it correct in saying that you have to replace the screen and digitizer? You can not just replace the screen itself, correct?

Joel Jones - 12/07/18

That’s correct—the LCD and digitizer are fused and have to be removed as one unit.

Adam O'Camb - 12/07/18

I see sites selling just the screen and I assumed it was bogus. Thanks for the confirmation. Is there only that one company that sells it? The UBreakIFix site? https://goo.gl/VPg5oQ

Joel Jones - 12/07/18

I’m not sure of the best place to buy the screen, but I’m sure some other stores sell it as well. I would just read reviews and make sure you purchase from a reputable seller.

Adam O'Camb - 16/07/18

I found the instructions pretty helpful. For me the hardest parts were removing the screen since it was extensively cracked and the suction cup wouldn’t stick with tape, and removing the plastic covers without feeling like I was going to break the phone. The screen yielded with a heat gun and careful prying. I bought my screen from Witrigs and it came with 2 sets of adhesive stickers. Applying the sticker was a little challenging, but I succeeded with the second sticker.

Samina Bhumbra - 14/07/18

My issues were also the cracked and shattered screen made removing all the adhesive tricky. I was a little wary because it seemed like there was still adhesive on the flat areas on the top and bottom, but after wiping it down with alcohol, applying the adhesive, and putting the screen on, everything holds very well. My adhesive was kind of stretchy, but I was able to get it to sit well enough. Some spots had to overlap because of the extra stretched length, but no noticeable gaps occurred from it.

Gage Cook - 26/07/18

Excellent guide, especially when followed with an I-opener tool kit… the adhesive that is suggested is a joy to work with (get the 1mm thick roll) i placed a single strip along each edge and another two small strips just on the far side of each speaker had zero issues lining up and there is no gap between new screen and the body. A+ repair guide, great tools. Happy phone.

Johnathen Radelet - 16/07/18

Guide cant be more clear, all step by step, easy to follow. Just had problems with adhesive which I used,but nothing to do with this guide. Thanks

jautakis - 23/07/18

My advice for shattered screen removal is to fix transparent tape or film over the screen to hold the splinters together before removal. Tried it and worked.

I have a question though please, there is a tiny rubber ring that is fixed under the screen in front of the front camera, what is it’s purpose?, would it’s absence affect my front camera photo quality someway?. I discovered the piece after replacing the screen, unfortunately the replacement screen did not include that.

A A - 28/08/18

My guess is that the ring keeps dust and debris off the front of the lens, and maybe helps stabilize it. It shouldn’t effect the function of the camera, but since the lens is not sealed against the front glass, dust might accumulate on the lens over time.

Adam O'Camb - 30/08/18

You keep saying lcd but is t it a oled display. Is your replacement the same or lcd?

Danny - 15/09/18

Hi Danny, I misspoke in one of the above comments when I said LCD. Our replacement part is a P-OLED, the same as the stock screen.

Adam O'Camb - 17/09/18

So I live in the Louisiana heat and it kind of melted the adhesive off my old case and so I am in the business of buying a new one but I dropped it and I think the display cable just snapped out because there was no seen damages and then after a week of not wanting to take it an hour away (because google doesn’t like others &&^&^$^ with their phone) I found the tutorial (here) that shows the input behind the glass so I just pushed it back in and POW back to working

I am the man - 15/10/18

Where can I buy a genuine OEM Pixel 2 XL display in Europe?

aci KO - 24/10/18

How do you get the digitizer display connector cover and display cable connector cover (step 8 and 9) back in? Do you have any tips on doing so? It’s pretty difficult

James Scholl - 16/11/18

Hi James, there are a couple tabs around the edges of the rubber pieces that slot under the metal frame. I’d line up the biggest tab first and slot it into place, then press straight down on the rubber piece to snap the rest of it into place.

Adam O'Camb - 16/11/18

@adamocamb This may be a beginner question, but feels genuine, as @roanoke mentioned above if the glass and lcd/led panel are not easy to seperate, then, why are they selling these https://www.dhgate.com/product/50pcs-che... and How are people making use of them? Having said that, I don’t see the glass sold separately on ifixit.

richard Lee - 10/05/19

Hi Richard, that’s a great question! Separating the digitizer from the OLED without breaking the OLED and correctly bonding a new digitizer to the OLED is very hard to do and requires a special machine. We try to make our guides and parts easy to use and cost-effective for the average fixer, and that repair is not something that we feel comfortable advising most people to do. I don’t know why DHgate sells that part or how many people successfully use it—it might be that professional repairers that already have the proper equipment are the only ones that order it. Hopes that help clarify things!

Adam O'Camb - 10/05/19

I know this might be nitpicky but steps 1 and 2 show the suction cup in totally different places and the instructions say that you should place it along the edge with the SIM but in the next picture it is shown on the total opposite side of the phone. So make sure you place it on the proper side!

Billy Chambers - 15/08/19

Great tutorial! My phone works like new!

Bert Carrier - 10/09/19

Best guide I have seen in a long time. Tight as!

Gordon Williams - 13/12/19

Sounds like bullsh!t to me . I don’t known what affiliation this website has with the parts it links you too but this is a %#*@ joke.

200$ for the screen and I replace it myself? Do we live on the same planet?

and from a site who claims they are giving me power and saving me money and whatever.. you can BUY a refurbished pixel2 xl for 200$…. used for less than 140$. There are places offering to do job for more like half of what your advertising us to pay for a screen alone

this is just. Really shameful and pathetic .

JwalaB - 13/01/20

Examples of where at those prices? None near me…

Daryl Barefoot - 27/01/20

I tried changing the display for Pixel XL and it cracked like chips.

Does Pixel 2 XL has a reinforced display that it is easier to replace?

I think the pixel XL screen is impossible to replace without the separation machine.

theflyingsquirrel - 09/11/20

The Pixel 2 XL does not have a reinforced display—the top glass and panel are unfortunately just as fragile as the original XL screens.

Arthur Shi - 10/11/20

Crap I forgot to ensure the camera gasket was in place before putting my new screen on. Is this a huge deal?

Thomas Brown -

Hi Thomas, it’s not necessarily a huge deal—you should be able to use the camera just fine. I think the worst that can happen with the gasket missing is that dust accumulates on the lens under the screen.

Adam O'Camb -

FYI: I have a Google Pixel 2... not 2XL...

Does the phone have be powered off before removing the digitizer screen? Its not mentioned in this article...

Will the phone be damaged if the power is still on when disconnecting the broken screen?

Alex - 13/05/22

so i got my screen replacement order today but not sure what pre cut tape goes where? Is there more information for this?

Kheenan Halvorson -

Great guide, except some guidance on where to put the new screen adhesive would have been helpful. Just finished repairing my old pixel for my son to use for retro gaming, and he's super excited!

surfdaworld -