Google Pixel 6 Screen Replacement

Written By: Dominik Schnabelrauch

Comments: 40

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

20 - 30 minutes

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 broken screen on your Google Pixel 6.

Your new replacement screen will come with the fingerprint reader already attached. If not, you will need to reinstall the original fingerprint reader to your new replacement screen. If you are replacing the fingerprint reader, you will need to recalibrate the reader to maintain its functionality.

If the frame is deformed, it's important to replace it to make sure the new screen will mount correctly and won’t suffer damage from uneven pressure.

If your battery is swollen, take appropriate precautions. Before disassembling your device, discharge the battery below 25%. This reduces the risk of a dangerous thermal event if the battery is accidentally damaged during the repair.

Caution: The Pixel 6 contains class 1 lasers. Disassembly could result in exposure to invisible infrared laser emissions.

Note: This guide instructs you to replace only the screen, including its safety plastic frame. However, some replacement screens for this phone come without the pre-installed frame (a.k.a. chassis), which requires a different removal procedure. Make sure you have the correct part before starting this guide.

Retaining water resistance after the repair will depend on how well you reapply the adhesive, but your device will lose its IP (Ingress Protection) rating.

Before you begin this procedure, be sure to have a set of replacement adhesives for the screen.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Apply a heated iOpener to the screen to loosen the adhesive underneath. Apply the iOpener for at least 3 minutes.
A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the device.

what area of the phone do i apply it to?

middle, edges, diagonal?

johnathandoe -

Step 2

The next two steps demonstrate the Anti-Clamp, a tool we designed to make the opening procedure easier. If you aren't using the Anti-Clamp, skip down two steps for an alternate method.
For complete instructions on how to use the Anti-Clamp, check out this guide.
Pull the blue handle towards the hinge to disengage opening mode.
Position the suction cups near the bottom edge of the phone—one on the front, and one on the back.
Push down on the cups to apply suction to the desired area.
If you find that the surface of your device is too slippery for the Anti-Clamp to hold onto, you can use packing tape to create a grippier surface.

Step 3

Push the blue handle away from the hinge to engage opening mode.
Turn the handle clockwise until you see the cups start to stretch.
Make sure the suction cups remain aligned to each other. If they begin to slip out of alignment, loosen the suction cups slightly and realign the arms.
Wait one minute to give the adhesive a chance to release and present an opening gap.
Insert an opening pick under the screen frame when the Anti-Clamp creates a large enough gap.
If the Anti-Clamp doesn't create a sufficient gap, apply more heat to the area and rotate the handle clockwise half a turn.
Don't crank more than a half a turn at a time, and wait one minute between turns. Let the Anti-Clamp and time do the work for you.
Skip the next two steps.

Step 4

Once the screen is warm to the touch, apply a suction handle to the bottom edge of the screen.
If your screen is badly cracked, covering it with a layer of clear packing tape may allow the suction handle to adhere. Alternatively, very strong tape may be used instead of the suction handle. If all else fails, you can superglue the suction handle to the screen.
Lift the screen, including its safety frame, with the suction handle to create a small gap between the screen and the phone assembly.
Insert an opening pick into the gap between the screen frame and the phone assembly.
Make sure to insert your opening pick in the right position to avoid separating the screen from its safety frame instead of the phone assembly.
Slide the opening pick to the bottom right corner of the screen to slice its adhesive.
Leave the opening pick in place to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 5

Insert a second opening pick at the bottom edge and slide it to the bottom left corner of the screen to slice the adhesive.
Leave the opening pick in place to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 6

The screen of the Google Pixel 6 is not only held in place by adhesive but also small plastic clips. If your opening pick gets blocked during the screen removal procedure, it means you inserted your pick too deep underneath the screen. Only insert the tip of the opening pick (3-4 mm) when slicing the display adhesive.
Insert a third opening pick underneath the bottom left corner of the screen.
Slide the opening pick along the left edge of the screen to slice the adhesive.
Leave the opening pick in the top left corner to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 7

If the adhesive becomes hard to cut, it has most likely cooled down. Use your iOpener or heat gun for 1-2 minutes to reheat it.
When you slice near the front facing camera, insert only the tip of the opening pick (2-3 mm) to avoid damaging or smearing the camera.
Insert a fourth opening pick at the top left corner of the screen.
Slide the opening pick along the top edge of the phone to slice the adhesive.
Leave the opening pick in the top right corner to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 8

Insert a fifth opening pick and slide it along the right edge of the phone to slice the remaining adhesive.
Do not try to remove the display all the way yet, the screen is still connected to the phone assembly.

Step 9

Avoid straining the display cable during the following procedure.
Carefully open the right side of the screen to the left side of the phone assembly like you would open a book.

Step 10

Use a pair of tweezers to carefully unhinge and remove the metal bracket sitting on top of the display cable connector.
Make sure to keep this component to reinstall it during reassembly.

Step 11

Use a spudger to disconnect the display flex cable by prying the connector straight up from its socket.

Step 12

Remove the screen.
During reassembly, apply new adhesive where it's necessary after cleaning the relevant areas with isopropyl alcohol (>90%).
Follow this guide if you're using custom-cut adhesives for your device.
Follow this guide if you're using a pre-cut adhesive card.
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.
If installing a different fingerprint reader, you will need to recalibrate the reader before it will work.

Has the issue with the fingerprint not working after screen replacement been sorted?

Nigel -

I bought the repair kit that included the adhesive & fingerprint module. If that's what you bought as well, you will have to use the google repair tool. https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com/udfps. I had to manually download the google usb drivers & install them on Windows 11 because the phone wasn't being detected by the pixel repair tool.

Kwame Bailey -

Hello, fingerprint does'nt work now.... any tips ? thank !

willy kedziora -

I had the screen on my 6A replaced at a U-BreakiFix got home fingerprint reader does not work. It says enrollment not complete. Go to your repair facility. I guess they must have some magic that makes it work again due to security issues

Lynne Ayers -

Great directions, would be helpful to have a section on Google Pixel 6 Display Adhesive - Genuine

Troy O'Connor -

This guide is clear and easy to follow. The other one where you actually replace the screen and put the new adhesive is much less easy to follow, and takes much more time to complete because you have to remove all traces of the old adhesive. I used GooGone and a 2mm flat head screwdriver as a scraping tool and it worked well.

The fingerprint reader was not working after the upgrade, but I got it to work by visiting https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com/udfps and since I'm using Ubuntu, I had to run those two commands:

sudo usermod -aG plugdev $LOGNAME

sudo apt-get install android-sdk-platform-tools-common

And then reboot my computer before my phone could be connected. I rebooted my phone manually after the upgrade and all was working normally. In fact, the new fingerprint sensor works better than the one I got before. The new one is actually usable.

My Pixel 6 is like new! (except perhaps for the water resistance)

Francois Lord -

Great tips! I wish I had thought of Goo Gone. By far the longest part of the procedure was cleaning out the old adhesive, and using alcohol swabs (including a few spares on hand) was slow and not very effective.

After Chrome on ubuntu was unhappy with recognizing my phone I had to resort to using a Mac, but I would prefer your solution.

Gary Smith -

Easy enough and excellent guide! Thank you!

Jason -

The guide was very helpful, but could be improved somewhat. I made the mistake of removing the screen without the bracket & didn't realize until I had attached the adhesive & tried to put the new screen on. So I had to remove the adhesive & the bracket before the new screen would fit, since it has it's own bracket. Another tip would be to include the instructions for getting the fingerprint module to work. Including https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com/udfps & downloading & installing the google usb driver.

Kwame Bailey -

Conclusion

If possible, turn on your device and test your repair before installing new adhesive and resealing.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.

Author

Dominik Schnabelrauch

Member since: 23/11/16

167396 Reputation

30 comments

Ordered the official Google Pixel 6 display part from iFixit and followed this guide, which worked well. However, it's probably worth adding that you may need to manually calibrate the display once it's installed if the phone is throwing up fingerprint reader errors (which is what happened to me). You can do that via this tool from Google: https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com/udfps

Mark Walton - 04/07/22

The guide worked great, thanks! :D

Warning to others though: Careful what you buy! The genuine display was out of stock so I bought from a different source which didn't come with a fingerprint reader or display adhesive. My fault for not paying attention when buying, but fair warning to everyone else to double check. I hadn't even considered the reader being glued to the screen but not included on replacement parts. The adhesive is an easy purchase, but not sure how hard the fingerprint reader will be. I might be back to unlocking with a pin like some kind of caveman!

Jonathan Michaud - 22/07/22

Nvm, found the guide for the fingerprint reader replacement. Hopefully I can just move this one over.

Jonathan Michaud -

Bought the screen with repair kit from iFixit. Be aware, the custom cut adhesive guide they recommend for reattaching the screen is WRONG. It says you hold the tabs to align and place the adhesive strip. That's NOT the case with the one included here. The side with the tabs actually has to be pulled off first. Had to order another one from iFixit. Now without my phone a couple days while waiting for the new part to arrive. Now without my phone for a few days waiting for the new adhesive to arrive. Not great.

Ravi Chopra - 28/07/22

For those who are not able to get the Pixel 6 detected in the "Fast Boot Mode" on the website https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com/udfps you need to install the Driver. First and foremost on Device Manager you should see Pixel 6 or other device, and then update driver, install the driver from the downloaded w/ instructions from https://developer.android.com/studio/run.... Update Driver and point the driver to this location where you just downloaded the driver. (unzipped version). Once you are done the device gets recognized immmeidately on the Chrome Repair Website.

And one more important steps, make sure this is in Fast Mode (not safe/recovery/rescue). Second after you see successful installation on Chrome, you need to restart the Pixel 6, the automatic first restart does not work, you need to restart manually. And then go to finger print and setup again. This is very important!!

Venu Reddy -

Thanks, useful info Venu.

Bill Tolbert -

Thank you. Your solution worked perfectly. I'm glad I saw it before I started the repair otherwise I would have been stressed out.

Justin Farischon -

Couldn't find the unique calibration software for this deviceCouldn't find the unique calibration software for this device
i get thhis messege
did you know how to fix it ?

giorgos pelekanos -

Soooooo good! Got a dude screen on Monday. Thought I screwed up and was sweating. Tested the broken screen and realised it still worked. Support came back to me in 24 hours and put me on the list for the next part available. Got it today (Thursday) and now I have a working phone again. Very easy and fun fix. Used the heat pack and a hairdryer, Take your time opening it and do as best you can on cleaning out the glue on the edge. Also, recommend using some books or other gentle clamps to close after. Finally, like Mark, I needed to use https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com/udfps and it worked after I restarted manually.

#RightToRepair #FTW so happy. Saved 45% of the cost to repair in a shop and got a little more comfortable with my phone and own skills.

Denis Hoctor -

So I have two pixel 6 phones with physical damage to one causing the display to have a "black ink spot" eventually overtake the screen, and the other with water damage that initially seemed inconsequential, but within an hour rendered the screen unusable(due to not being able to see what's displayed. Dropped it in a toilet 😑 fully submerged for all of one second).

Both phones work perfectly well otherwise. Will this replacement work(fix the phone), or is this something one cannot determine with certainty? If not, will it likely do so (or more commonly/most often the case)

Theodore Leahy -

Success! I was dubious on the iOpener and after reading the comments, decided to use a heat gun and an instant read thermometer. Slowly got around 150 degrees F and using the suction cup it started opening up. The other tools worked great. I ordered the OEM replacement screen and it included the display adhesive. That wasn't clear to me so I ordered one separately and now I have an extra.

I assumed you would not need to re-calibrate the fingerprint reader since the OEM screen included the reader. But, I did. Note that you don't have to reset the phone to factory settings. Something I read made me think you did. As posted by Venu Reddy above, follow the instructions at https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com/udfps.

Bill Tolbert -

Fantastic guide. Replaced a Pixel 6 screen that was totally smashed from a face-flat fall outside. Seems to have worked like a charm, and has saved a huge amount of money (and e-waste)! I had to recalibrate the fingerprint reader after installing the new screen (via the tool at https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com/udfps), and after doing that everything is working as expected. Overall, very satisfied. Thanks to Dominik Schnabelrauch and iFixit!

William Barber -

So fo those struggling to get the pixelrepair tool to recognise there phone. on windows 10/11

Step 1. Try connect using instructions here > https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com/udfps If it works, Yay! if it doesnt proceed to step 2.

Step 2 > Download the Google USB Driver Zip (https://developer.android.com/studio/run... extract the file to a known location

Step 3 > Go into Fastboot mode and connect your phone

Step 4 > Open Control Panel > Device Manager > Other Devices , Locate the device with the error message , Right click and Update that driver

Step 5 > Browse my computer for Drivers

Step 6 > Browse the location you extracted the Google USB Driver to and Next Next Next

Step 7 > Browse to https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com/udfps and try again

It should work, the issue is Fast boot appears to use a different driver then the primary OS (which makes sense) the only issue is you cant install the driver until you are in fastboot mode and that isn't mentioned anywhere!

Hope this helps someone :-)

Jim Catelli -

Thank you so so much for taking the time to write out the steps! After an hour of frustration, I found your comment and it worked!!! Appreciate it !!!

Aneta Otylia Siwiec -

The hardest part of this repair is getting the old adhesive out of the track along the edge before putting the new one in. I sprayed some WD-40 into a cup and used the tip of the spudger to apply some to loosen it. I don't know if it helped. Wish I had read the previous comment about using a 2mm jeweler's screwdriver (yes, metal!). That and some Goo Gone or WD-40 should work. I couldn't figure out the coffee filter technique. I used about 15 alcohol prep pads (they include one in the kit). I found a fast scrubbing action with my fingernail jamming the alcohol pad into the track to be effective as a final cleaning. Good luck! Overall, this screen replacement isn't that hard.

Kurt Roskopf -

I purchased this exact screen from iFix-it and the instructions and install were excellent. One major flaw is that fingerprint reader does not even work, almost like it is not even recognized as being present. When the software calls for fingerprint it immediately goes gos to request 4 digit screen lock pin. Very frustrating.

David Blevins -

Pretty straightforwad and P6 is way easier to open than my old P3. One thing to note, when lifting the old broken screen, the small rectangular rubber surround thing which borders the light sensor under the camera stuck to the screen. I didn't pay close attention to this until I was about to install the new one and noticed this part should've stayed with the phone / bottom portion. As others said, cleaning the old adhesive was the hardest bit and I second what Kurt said, 2mm screwdriver + lots of isopropyl alcohol. The bottom frame doesn't seem too scratch easily, seems to be made out of plastic instead of aluminium. Finally thanks to Jim for the UDFPS walkthrough, my Win11 failed to recognise the P6 initially until I followed your instructions :)

L Santoso -

Not good. No good explanation for the blue screens of plastic and how to reassemble. This is half of a guide.

Daniel McKinlay -

Why does this "genuine" screen replacement look so thick to me? It looks like an LCD that belongs on a phone made 10 years ago.

owens87 -

Could you share what 10-year-old phone you refer to?

Davit Zen -

Just finished using this guide alongside the replacement screen and tool kit from iFixit. When I first decided to fix my screen myself, I was worried that I might have struggled along the way, but I can happily say my repair went without issue. Instead of using the included heat pad I used a hair dryer and carefully heated the edges of the phone, I then proceeded to use the suction cup and guitar pick to begin slicing through the adhesive. This part was surprisingly easy and did not take much effort. The hardest part of this repair was adequately cleaning up the old adhesive that comes with the phone, which was more tedious than hard. The new screen fits in perfectly after applying the new adhesive. Just a tip for others looking to take this on, the in-screen fingerprint sensor needs to be calibrated, you can find the tool online by searching for pixel 6 fingerprint calibrator. Overall a very good experience.

Cameron French -

I can see my display but the screen is unresponsive to touch

Daniel Robinson -

Hilfe, mein Bildschirm ist nach der Displayinstallation schwar geblieben. Es kommt aber zu einem klacken, wenn ich die Tasten drücke, d.h. das Telefon hat gebootet. Was kann ich tun?

Stebbke -

Hallo Stebbke, es könnte sein, dass das Display-Kabel nicht fest sitzt oder der Connector verschmutzt ist. Ich würde dir empfehlen, die empfohlenen Schritte zur Problembehebung durchzugehen.

Manuel Haeussermann -

Just want to give my hats off to the IFIXIT team. My wife dropped her phone the day before her phone case showed up. Since she had a history of not dropping her phones....we didn't purchase the add-on warranty. Welp such is life. The last time I had to replace a screen was my HTC DNA way back in the day, and needless to say I really didn't go in prepared with all the truly necessary tools for the job. So in some way's I still somewhat dreaded replacing the screen from past experience. Thankfully the tool kit was mighty impressive and honest to God worth every extra dollar(unless you already have comparable or better tools), and made the screen removal a total breeze, well other then that pesky adhesive remnants. The how-to tutorial was well written and very helpful. The adhesive template was brilliant and well thought out, and worked perfect. The phone is perfect again. Happy Wife Happy Life. Thank you IFIXIT Team!

Joey Rakas -

I learned some things during the process that I wished I knew before I started

1. There are two metal springy things at the bottom corners. You can seen them in figure 12. If your pick slips too far in they can become damaged and they might catch on a sleeve during the adhesive cleaning.

2. The screen connector is hard to reconnect and clip in place. Took me a good 30 minutes of fiddling, applying a suction cup to the back at the start would have made the screen easier to hold.

3. Fingerprint recalibration requires connection to you computer and if you use windows the driver must be installed before hand. Matt M. had a good explanation on how to install the driver. Fingerprint scanner not working after replacing screen. Pixel 6 Pro

Daniel Lutz -

This guide was perfect. Worked as a sharm.

The only note I have is that the guide is not showing you how to reassmble the screen (I see now however, at the bottom of the guide, that one should just follow the guide in reverse order, which makes sense). One thing worth noting though is that there is a "protective" cover over the hole for the front camera, so make sure to remove that before gluing the screen back on the phone (then you wont need to remove the scree a second time and damage the adhesive 😊).

Also, make sure to follow the other posts regarding the fingerprint-reader (install from https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com/udfps and restart).

Overall, very thorough guide and I couldn't be more pleased with my result.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Patrik Martinsson -

I installed my new screen, per the instructions above. When I power the phone on, I have no display. Any help would be appreciated. Did I receive a defective screen or do I have more damage beyond the screen? TIA

John C -

Touch is unresponsive after replacement

Juan Carlos Iturri -

Good product. Installed and it works fine. BUT, we are missing some crucial steps. Where is the step to reassemble the screen once you have installed the adhesive? Where is the step to show you how to remove all the strips once the screen is connected? Where is the step to show you how to test the screen before removing the strips and clicking in the screen? I searched a long time for these steps and couldnt find them,. so either theyre missing or too hard to find, either way, this is an oversight. I became quite frustrated with it and could have used the help.

Caspar Redgrave -