Samsung Galaxy S20 Battery Replacement

Written By: Tarun Thiruma

Comments: 10

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

30 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

This guide shows how to remove and replace the battery for the Samsung Galaxy S20.

The battery is held in place with strong adhesive. High concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol is necessary to loosen and release this adhesive.

If your battery is swollen, take appropriate precautions and do not heat your phone.

For your safety, discharge your battery below 25% before disassembling your phone. This reduces the risk of a dangerous thermal event if the battery is accidentally damaged during the repair.

You'll need replacement adhesive in order to complete this repair.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Unplug and power off your phone before you begin.
Heat an iOpener and apply it to the back cover's bottom edge for two minutes.
A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the phone—the display and internal battery are both susceptible to heat damage.

Found that using the iOpener did not provide enough heat to weaken the adhesive, went with a hairdryer instead. Make sure to never keep the hairdryer still, and apply heat on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side did the job for me. iOpener just did not get hot enough

Phil R -

Step 2

Apply a suction cup to the back of the phone, as close to the center of the bottom edge as possible.
If your display is badly cracked, covering it with a layer of clear packing tape may allow the suction cup to adhere. Alternatively, very strong tape may be used instead of the suction cup. If all else fails, you can superglue the suction cup to the broken screen.
Pull on the suction cup with strong, steady force to create a gap between the back cover and the frame.
Insert the point of an opening pick into the gap.
Due to tight tolerances, this may take multiple attempts of reheating with the iOpener and separating with the suction cup before you get it right.
If you are having trouble creating a gap, apply more heat to the edge and try again.
Do not apply excessive force with the pick, or you risk cracking the back cover glass.

I have found it easier to use an iFlex on the camera side to get in enough to get an opening pick in. Then work the pick towards either end slowly and down the ends, making sure it’s warm to the point of being almost to hot to hold. Slow, gentle pressure t open it like a clam ;)

Stow - 13/01/21

While pulling on the back glass with the suction cup, I found it helpful to use something like the opener tool to press down on the frame. Made it easy to pull open even with the iOpener.

Ryan Sammons -

Step 3

Slide the pick back and forth along the bottom edge to slice through the adhesive.
Do not attempt to cut the adhesive near the corners of the phone where the glass is curved or you risk cracking the glass panel.
Leave your opening pick in the seam to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 4

Apply a heated iOpener to the left edge of the back cover for two minutes.

Step 5

Apply a suction cup to the back of the phone, as close to the center of the left edge as possible.
Pull on the suction cup with strong, steady force to create a gap between the back cover and the frame.
Insert the point of an opening pick into the gap.
As the glass on this edge is curved, you won't be able to insert this pick very far. As long as the very tip of the pick is underneath the glass's edge, you will be able to proceed.
Due to tight tolerances, this may take multiple attempts.
If you are having trouble creating a gap, apply more heat to the edge and try again.
You can try also applying a few drops of high concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol into the seam to help loosen the adhesive.
Do not apply excessive force with the pick, or you risk cracking the back cover glass.

Step 6

Once the pick is underneath the glass's edge, tilt it downward and insert it further to fully separate the back cover's adhesive.

Step 7

Slide the pick all along the left edge of the phone to separate the back cover's adhesive.
Take care when sliding across the ridge in the frame surrounding the volume and power buttons—the cutout in the glass may make it more prone to cracking.
Leave your pick under the left edge of the glass near the top left corner to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 8

Apply a heated iOpener to the right edge of the back cover for two minutes.
A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the phone—the display and internal battery are both susceptible to heat damage.

Step 9

Apply a suction cup to the back of the phone, as close to the center of the right edge as possible.
Pull on the suction cup with strong, steady force to create a gap between the back cover and the frame.
Insert the point of an opening pick into the gap.
Like with the previous edge, you will need to tilt the opening pick downward to fully insert it underneath the back cover.

Step 10

Slide the pick all along the right edge of the phone to separate the back cover's adhesive.
Leave your pick under the right edge of the glass near the top of the device to prevent the adhesive from resealing.
As you do this, the back cover may release one or both of the other picks and allow them to fall free. If this occurs, set the pick(s) aside as the bottom edge shouldn't reseal from this point onward.

Step 11

Apply a heated iOpener to the top edge of the back cover for two minutes.

Step 12

The glass near the corners of the back cover is curved and very susceptible to cracking. Be gentle during this step to prevent damaging your back cover.
Gradually slide the pick from the right edge of the device around the top right corner.
Continue slicing along the top edge all the way to the top left corner to fully separate the back cover adhesive.
If the slicing becomes difficult at any point, stop and reapply heat before continuing.

Step 13

Lift the back cover slowly. Use opening picks to slice any remaining adhesive.
Remove the back cover.
During reassembly:
This is a good point to power on your phone and test all functions before sealing it up. Be sure to power your phone back down completely before you continue working.
Remove any adhesive chunks with a pair of tweezers or your fingers. Apply heat if you're having trouble separating the adhesive.
If you're using Samsung custom-cut adhesives, follow this guide.
If you're using double-sided tape, follow this guide.

Step 14

Use a Phillips #00 screwdriver to remove the five 4 mm-long screws securing the motherboard bracket.
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

Step 15

Use a pair of tweezers to gently pull up and unclip the motherboard bracket from the plastic midframe.
Do not completely remove the bracket yet, as its still attached to the wireless charging coil.

Step 16

Gently peel the wireless charging coil away from the device.
Remove the wireless charging coil.
The coil is connected to the rest of the device via spring contacts, so there is no need to disconnect any connectors.
During reassembly, refasten the motherboard bracket screws first to properly align the charging coil into place, then firmly press the rest of the coil down to adhere it.

Step 17

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the battery connector.
When you disconnect connectors like these, be careful not to dislodge the small surface-mounted components surrounding the socket.

Step 18

Use a Phillips #00 screwdriver to remove the five 4 mm-long screws securing the loudspeaker and lower midframe.

Step 19

Insert the point of a spudger or a pair of tweezers into the notch in the top left corner of the midframe and pry up to release the clips holding it in place.
Remove the loudspeaker and lower midframe.

Step 20

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the main and auxiliary flex cables from the daughterboard near the bottom of the device.
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.

Step 21

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the main and auxiliary flex cables from the motherboard.

Step 22

Gently peel up and remove the main and auxiliary flex cables.

Step 23

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the main display flex cable from the motherboard.

Step 24

Gently peel up and bend the display flex cable out of the way of the motherboard and battery.

Step 25

Apply high concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol to the gaps in between the frame and the edges of the battery.
The battery is held in place with a large amount of adhesive, so a significant amount of alcohol may be necessary.
Tilt the device as you apply the alcohol to help it penetrate the adhesive underneath the battery.
After you apply the alcohol, continue tilting the phone in all directions for two to three minutes to help the alcohol penetrate further.

Step 26

Apply a suction handle to the center of the battery.
Brace the top and bottom of the device against your work surface with one hand and firmly pull up on the suction handle with the other.
The battery will not budge the first time you do this. Repeat the process (add alcohol, wait 2-3 minutes, and pull with the suction handle) five or six times to gradually release the adhesive.
When the battery begins to lift from the device, proceed to the next step.

Step 27

Caution: do not proceed with this step until the battery is lifted enough to easily insert an opening pick underneath the battery. If the battery is still firmly glued into place, you risk piercing the battery with your pick and causing a dangerous thermal event.
Insert an opening pick underneath the bottom edge of the battery and twist to loosen the battery adhesive.

Step 28

Remove the battery.
Peel up and/or scrape away any remaining battery adhesive before cleaning the battery well surface with isopropyl alcohol and a lint free cloth.
During reassembly, if your new battery doesn't come with pre-applied adhesive, apply some to the well. Then, firmly press the new battery into place.
Caution: Do not reuse the battery after it has been removed, as doing so is a potential safety hazard. Replace it with a new battery.

What is the piece behind the battery that looks like its circled called? Is it normal to see this piece when shining a flashlight onto the screen when the phone is off?

Jessica Nash - 31/01/21

That’s the fingerprint sensor! Because it’s embedded in the screen, if you shine a light behind it, you can see it through the front glass.

Carsten Frauenheim - 01/02/21

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.

Follow this guide to perform a battery cycle reset, and calibrate your newly-installed battery.

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

Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our Answers community or S20 battery troubleshooting wiki for help.

Author

Tarun Thiruma

Member since: 20/11/19

32499 Reputation

5 comments

The guide is good, but I really don't like the "do the steps backward to reassamble" approach, that's annoying especially for people wanting to do their first repair.

allanxp4 -

I had a huge amount of difficulty removing the battery during this repair. The adhesive is really strong, the suction cup doesn't stick to the battery very well and if you lever it out you run the risk of puncturing the battery. It's also really difficult to pull up on the battery while holding the phone down, especially because you want to avoid touching the circuits.

Eventually I succeeded and everything seemed to work but the next day the phone wouldn't switch on. I think maybe the adhesive remover got somewhere it shouldn't have. If I could add something to this guide, it would be "once battery is removed, allow phone to sit for 30 mins to ensure all adhesive remover has evaporated". If I was allowed a do-over I would try to heat the adhesive instead. Or use the string trick. I'm switching to an iphone now because apparently they don't glue their batteries.

HarleyD -

Followed every step and managed to complete it but after a couple of minutes the phone screen stopped working and turned black.

I'm pretty sure that happened because the isopropyl alcohol went through the phone into the screen through the gap right under where the battery seats.

If you attempt this at home be aware this might happen, so disconnect the display too or look into using a different method for removing the battery.

Matteo Xhixha -

I don't think this repair is worth attempting. I also killed my screen with this one, similar to the two commenters above. Whether it was isopropyl alcohol getting into the LCD or whether it was some issue with flimsy connectors I don't know. I was super careful and I've still bricked it, so I'd rate this repair as 'too risky'.

Paddy Owens -

i typically use an iPlastix opening tool, a heating pad and lots of alcohol, get the very tip of the opening tool to sort of bend or roll into a curve, then slip the bent tip into the gap between frame and battery dripping some alcohol onto the tool, eventually you can get the rolled end to slip underneath the battery. then just slide the tool around the perimeter of the battery, cutting the adhesive, eventually, once all the adhesive is cut the battery will easily pry out of the phone. continually apply alcohol to the surface of the tool once you get the curved end under the battery, the alcohol will drip down the tool and find its way under the battery more easily weaking the adhesive.

since the tool is made of plastic, its almost impossible to scratch, bend or puncture the battery during the removal process by using this method, this is also my preferred method for removing bulged batteries that a suction cup wont stick to, or batteries where putting any unnecessary pressure could cause them to burst.

Alex Frideres -