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Guys I did some search job today and have a possible final solution to the back button problem.
Luckily this is also in the forum posted by user ID:insaneturbo13
his thread is here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=833663
He is a Samsung Captivate user, right. Since I think if nexus s have met with is annoying problem, other samsung phones may either. So I did some search job in bed with my insensitive-back-button Nexus S, and found the Epic 4G, Samsung Focus, Captivate, etc. Almost all samsung phones got users annoyed by the problem.
Then I searched the Youtube to see if there is any Samsung user had ever achieved some success in solving the issue, and I found.(You won't know how terrible it is when you have to use a U.S VPN just to watch Youtube since it is blocked in here China mainland... really slow speed...together with facebook and twitter...ToT)
My understanding to the cause is: The picture of the back button is a thin line with an arrow, so the inside paint here may over-cover this thin line, which will definitely make the touch action less sensitive. And that's why there are less people got such problem with the other three keys.
And since capacitive buttons actually respond with the obvious temperature difference, so many frustrated nexus s users like me found under warmer environment the problem is less annoying...
Maybe this is only workable for insensitive problem. But hopefully this is a way.
Since I am a Chinese, it's impossible for me to have an exchange with the Bestbuy. So this is my only solution. But for most of you, it's highly recommended to take several exchanges before you definitely want to try this way.
Of course, try this at your own risk
what i did was tighten up the screws on the back of the phone... especially in the lower part of the phone. I haven't seen the issue since and initially it was a pretty often issue for me.
bogdi1988 said:
what i did was tighten up the screws on the back of the phone... especially in the lower part of the phone. I haven't seen the issue since and initially it was a pretty often issue for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this is also a good way to solve the problem especially when you dont have to take to phone apart~
The theory may be the same, which is to make the distance between your touch and the module inside shorter cuz there is a piece of rubber under the button position so it can be possible~~
Thanks for sharing this way Dude~~~
bogdi1988 said:
what i did was tighten up the screws on the back of the phone... especially in the lower part of the phone. I haven't seen the issue since and initially it was a pretty often issue for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how did you access the screws at the bottom to tighten them?
Take off the battery cover. You have 6 bright screws around the edges of the phone. Tighten those up.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Although, I know this is not gonna help, but it comes from personal experience.
In the beginning, I used to be haunted by the silly back button "bizarre".
I factory reset the phone then voila. It's gone.
The reason I am confident to post this is, my brother's phone was fixed in
a same way as well. I know, I can be just lucky, but I just wanted to share.
bogdi1988 said:
Take off the battery cover. You have 6 bright screws around the edges of the phone. Tighten those up.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks, I decided to watch the video on how to take apart the phone this morning, didn't do it, but it covered the screw access for the hidden 2 screws.
tightened the screws what little bit I could without fear of breaking something (they were already pretty tight), but it made no noticable difference.
I actually got my phone a few days before they were launched (friend is at&t store manager), so I 've been living with it as long as they have been available. it's annoying, and did get a little better with froyo, but not bad enough for me to tear apart the phone and risk damage to the screen...
droptopmas said:
thanks, I decided to watch the video on how to take apart the phone this morning, didn't do it, but it covered the screw access for the hidden 2 screws.
tightened the screws what little bit I could without fear of breaking something (they were already pretty tight), but it made no noticable difference.
I actually got my phone a few days before they were launched (friend is at&t store manager), so I 've been living with it as long as they have been available. it's annoying, and did get a little better with froyo, but not bad enough for me to tear apart the phone and risk damage to the screen...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there are no hidden or covered screws and the phone doesn't need to be taken apart.
look here: http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/BJtxWYS4NMaMyMKL.medium
these are the 6 screws
Mine just started this thing where it presses the back button by itself. Pretty anoying and is making the phone useless. I can't do anything without it just hammering on the back button.
hi everyone,
i'm new to this forum, and joined to see if anyone has been successful in fixing the back button issue...
i've followed some of the advice from previous posts (tightening screws, reset factory settings, updating the OS) but still no luck.
hoping that someone might have discovered a fix (apart from returing the device!) they could share.
thanks!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hi everyone,
After posting the thread above, I updated OS to 2.3.3 and now back button is working fine.... I waited for a couple of weeks before confirming this, so hopefully anyone still waiting on a fix could try what I did. This seems to be a software problem more than anything else...
btw - 2.3.3 noticeably washes out colours, and there's a yellow/green tinge to white space. awful.
sadkorean34 said:
Although, I know this is not gonna help, but it comes from personal experience.
In the beginning, I used to be haunted by the silly back button "bizarre".
I factory reset the phone then voila. It's gone.
The reason I am confident to post this is, my brother's phone was fixed in
a same way as well. I know, I can be just lucky, but I just wanted to share.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
I did the same and the problem has gone - just realised after reading your post that factory reset solved this problem.
My phone is constantly on 3G but whenever it dips into Edge or has a weak data signal I notice the back button issue as well. And I tried a factory reset but it did
not fix the problem on 2.3.3
Back button issue
There are a few longer threads in this forum about the back button issue on the Nexus S -- for some people the back button doesn't work at all, and for others it turns on all by itself. There were a few replies from a Google employee (ryguy) who said it would be fixed in an upcoming OTA update, etc. but some reported having problems AFTER getting 2.3.2 when the problem didn't exist before. There are also other reports of tightening the screws on the back of the phone, which haven't tried but seemed to improve things for people whose back button WASN'T working at all.
For my phone around 2-3 weeks after buying it I had the back button come on all by itself. I fixed it by doing hard resets, as suggested on an earlier thread that deals with this issue (it's like 10 pages long but has the complete story of everyone's experience and fixes with this issue). Anyway, the point is for me after the first hard reset the problem persisted, so I did it a few more times (like maybe 5 times) and now it's gone.
There are some people who tried a hard reset (factory settings restore) and the problem still persists but I think that you have to do as many hard resets as possible (like, over and over and over) until the problem disappears. I'm rooted so I did a Nandroid backup first, then did 5 hard resets through Clockwork Recovery (select the "Wipe User Data" option), and after five hard resets I just flashed by backup and I was back to where I was, minus the back button issue. You don't have to be rooted, of course, to do this, but if you are, doing that ROM Manager backup allows you to quickly reinstall everything to the exact way it was after you're done with the five or 10 hard resets or whatever.
If you're unrooted you can power off the phone, then turn it on while holding the Up Volume button. This boots you into Bootloader mode and you can navigate around to do a factory reset. Or, if you are rooted and have ROM manager, you can use ClockworkMod Recovery like I did (see other threads on how to use these programs).
Anyway, again for me I had to do a bunch of these hard resets to fix the problem, so if it persists after the first two resets, I think you have to keep doing it until it disappears. Hope this helps - TC
Samsung Nexus S with root access
Stock Android 2.3.1
tchan1 said:
There are a few longer threads in this forum about the back button issue on the Nexus S -- for some people the back button doesn't work at all, and for others it turns on all by itself. There were a few replies from a Google employee (ryguy) who said it would be fixed in an upcoming OTA update, etc. but some reported having problems AFTER getting 2.3.2 when the problem didn't exist before. There are also other reports of tightening the screws on the back of the phone, which haven't tried but seemed to improve things for people whose back button WASN'T working at all.
For my phone around 2-3 weeks after buying it I had the back button come on all by itself. I fixed it by doing hard resets, as suggested on an earlier thread that deals with this issue (it's like 10 pages long but has the complete story of everyone's experience and fixes with this issue). Anyway, the point is for me after the first hard reset the problem persisted, so I did it a few more times (like maybe 5 times) and now it's gone.
There are some people who tried a hard reset (factory settings restore) and the problem still persists but I think that you have to do as many hard resets as possible (like, over and over and over) until the problem disappears. I'm rooted so I did a Nandroid backup first, then did 5 hard resets through Clockwork Recovery (select the "Wipe User Data" option), and after five hard resets I just flashed by backup and I was back to where I was, minus the back button issue. You don't have to be rooted, of course, to do this, but if you are, doing that ROM Manager backup allows you to quickly reinstall everything to the exact way it was after you're done with the five or 10 hard resets or whatever.
If you're unrooted you can power off the phone, then turn it on while holding the Up Volume button. This boots you into Bootloader mode and you can navigate around to do a factory reset. Or, if you are rooted and have ROM manager, you can use ClockworkMod Recovery like I did (see other threads on how to use these programs).
Anyway, again for me I had to do a bunch of these hard resets to fix the problem, so if it persists after the first two resets, I think you have to keep doing it until it disappears. Hope this helps - TC
Samsung Nexus S with root access
Stock Android 2.3.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think mine is forever beat. 15 hard resets and its still there.
My apologies for bumping such an old thread... But i got a captivate to serve as a backup phone, and i slapped over ICS on to it..
Everything was super awesome.... BUT! not the Back button.
A few minutes of google'ing later, im here.
So after reading through this thread, and the one linked to in the OP, i opened up my Phone and ....well....went on with it.
50 Minutes later :
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/8361/dsc03039j.jpg
http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/4579/dsc03040d.jpg
Some Tips :
1: Once your down to the frame with the LCD assembly stuck to it, first remove the Antenna Module. Under that disconnect the black ribbon connector. (This ribbon connects the capacitive button module to the main board).
2: Before starting to Pry apart the LCD from the frame, take a hair dryer and heat up the edges of the LCD Assembly's frame. This helps a freaking lot in prying it apart. Plus it somewhat preserves the 3M adhesive tape present underneath, and can easily be reused.
3: Start prying open the LCD, from the Ear piece side. Take your time and DO NOT!! And i freaking mean, DO NOT!!!!! rush through while removing the LCD assembly.
4: When your almost half way through (or slightly more , but significantly above the capacitive buttons) take a peak between the frame and the LCD assembly, youll see the "Bridging/Connecting" ribbon i mentioned earlier and it might be stuck to the LCD's back.
-> the best way to proceed further is to simultaneously heat up the "glued" parts and slowly continue with removing the LCD. This way, the glue will not stick to the whatever parts it is meant to stick to , THAT strongly and will be much easier to remove.
5: Now as soon as you reach the part where you can see the Capacitive button module sticking to the LCD assembly, go into SUPER FREAKING SLOW mode... THE RIBBON UNDERNEATH IS VERY VERY FRAGILE! ONE YANK AND YOU'LL HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW CAPACITIVE MODULE.
*Best way to do this is, to again simultaneously heat the concerned parts while slowing pulling the LCD assembly and the capacitive button module apart.*
You can try going LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT-RIGHT alternatively, to slowly make the adhesive give away.
6: After you have the LCD assembly out, its pretty much dependent on how stable yours hands are at slowly etching out the Light gray parts.
-> You can hold the LCD assembly against a TABLE LAMP / some light source, to better see which parts of paint you need to etch out. *i Almost etched the whole of my back button* So be very careful and gentle as well PATIENT!
Before assembling the LCD back into the frame, i took a small piece of paper (about the size of the capacitive button module) and stuck it between the frame and the module. Just so that it makes better contact with the LCD assembly.
7: Stick the LCD back onto the frame and again heat up the edges. Also while putting the LCD back together, make sure the adhesive tape has not lumped up on any of the edges (This might have happened while trying to pry the LCD out) , if it has, then just gently even/flatten it out. Stick the LCD back and heat the edges. Rest, just take a soft cloth and squeeze the LCD's edges and frame together,so as to make sure they stick together properly. The heat really helps in bonding things here.
Assemble back the phone, blah blah.
I used a CREDIT CARD to start prying the LCD away from the frame. It was pretty easy, because of the heat.
DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK! I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOU SOMEHOW MANGE TO MESS UP YOUR PHONE! Specifically the LCD and the CAPACITVE TOUCH MODULE!
Big thanks to the OP for posting this.
I'm posting this in the hope that it saves someone else some headaches.
On my TF101, the volume up button quit working - the switch died, not just a misalignment of the plastic rocker. This only became a big deal when I needed to reflash my firmware because my WiFi was hosed after a bad round of ROM flashes (see http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1537234 ). If you find yourself with the need to get into APX mode and have a bad volume up button, you have problems.
This is not a fix, nor is it elegant, but it recovered my Transformer, and that's good enough.
I first pulled the bezel from the TF101. It's not terribly difficult, but it does require patience and care. I found several folks on XDA discussing it (search for "bezel"), but the gist is that you remove the Torx screws from the bottom near the charging port and VERY carefully pry the bezel up.
Once I had access to the switch (and realized that replacing it was beyond my soldering skills), I fiddled around until I found a way to short around the switch and fire the vol+ function. I used a very thin, yet rigid, wire (actually, it was just a twist-tie) to short from ground to the bottom side of the volume up switch (as seen when holding the tablet in landscape orientation). The contact point is actually the solder that connects the switch to the PCB, so it takes a few tries to get it. Shorting to ground is exactly how the switch operates when it works, so unless you jam the wire deep into the innards of your tablet, this should be harmless (of course, anyone one pulls the cover off their tablet is already way beyond voiding the warranty and is assuming responsibility for all damage already).
I've attached a picture that shows the wire in place to trigger the vol+. In this case, I used the screw at the corner for my ground and secured the wire under the screw to make it easier to handle. It took a few tries to get the tablet into APX mode, but it did work and I was able to restore to stock and get my system working again.
I hope this helps someone here.
Cheers!
--Roger
Not that I need it..
But that's one Hell of a fix..
I had to do that to a grid laptop one time..then found a video on YouTube in how to pull it apart to load a new switch in..
sent from yet another MikG HTC Evo
So I got my Note 3 from eBay a few weeks back, and I noticed that the power button was sunk in a little, doesn't click, and needed to be pressed harder than it should be to make it work. I watched a YouTube video that showed how to replace the (outer) button, so I had a look. Turns out that I think someone had already opened up the phone before, as the gold disc part that you see in the video at 2 mins (https://youtu.be/h5s0JX8zrYM?t=2m) was missing, and all that was where the gold disc should be was a small silver disc (which I imagine lived under the bigger disc). Long story short, putting it all back together didn't make any difference... I've been able to use small pieces of folded aluminium foil to replace the missing disc, and depending on how thick the piece is I can make the button super sensitive, mostly resulting in it sometimes triggering by itself, or just stick a thinner bit in and it's back to how it was.
So a simple power button replacement will not fix the issue. Any thoughts on how I could fix that part where the gold disc should be? Cost?
I know I can live without the power button, and that the phone can be turned on without the power button using a trick with the battery, and I can use a program icon to lock the screen, but I would like a fully functioning phone! I'm reluctant to sell this one for "spares and repairs" (as it's working perfectly apart from this), but I may do if I can't get a better fix on it, as I want this handset to last me until Note 6 or even 7 (It's no longer under warranty).
Okay, the answer to my question is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trXlSVER2JA
Costs about £5 for the flex. Looks easyish enough to replace, and probably easier than looking for a new handset for a good price.
Anyone tried to replace this before?
Has anyone else experienced their OnePlus 2 working fine *without* the back cover screwed on, but as soon as it was screwed on the phone stopped working and wouldn't start again? And, if so, did they ever sort out why?
Are you talking about the "click" cover? (rosewood, kevlar, sandstone etc?) or the one that reveals the battery? if its the "click" i can only imagine that it has to do something with the "style" indicator - those two metal contacts on the cover - it tells the phone which cover is installed (e.g. rosewood, kevlar etc) and OOS uses that info to change the theme and i would try to put a tape over the contacts.
if its the one underneath, i would check the battery contact as something similar happened to me when i attempted to replace the battery - the contact didnt "stick" and everytime i screwed the lid on it got loose and the phone wouldnt start (naturally, what else without battery )...check that out...
Jackill said:
Are you talking about the "click" cover? (rosewood, kevlar, sandstone etc?) or the one that reveals the battery? if its the "click" i can only imagine that it has to do something with the "style" indicator - those two metal contacts on the cover - it tells the phone which cover is installed (e.g. rosewood, kevlar etc) and OOS uses that info to change the theme and i would try to put a tape over the contacts.
if its the one underneath, i would check the battery contact as something similar happened to me when i attempted to replace the battery - the contact didnt "stick" and everytime i screwed the lid on it got loose and the phone wouldnt start (naturally, what else without battery )...check that out...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your response. I have the "default" grey, slightly rough, back cover. (Which I like, by the way.) How does the phone detect which cover, it being made of plastic and thus non-conductive? Weird, but cool, unless it isn't working right. Will tape work to block it from detecting anything at all? Not sure why that would cause an issue.... but willing to try it.
Re the battery plug, with mine there is a minor but definite single and sometimes double click. When I don't get that, the plug isn't truly seated correctly. It doesn't come loose. In addition, the dark piece of tape on top of it creates another "press down" layer.
I've discovered, as an aside, that after unplugging the battery it is also a good idea to hold down the power, and up/down volume buttons. This old trick dissipates any "extra" static electricity in the phone trapped by unplugging the battery. When it is done, then the battery plugged in again, the phone will nearly always at least show some sign of power upon restart.
[Added later: My "old trick" in the above last paragraph stopped working right after I posted. It sounded so knowledgable, right? hahaha... or sigh.)
PREFACE
So, I figure I'd type this up for posterity in case anyone else wants to perform this repair. If software has not resolved your FP issues, there is a pretty good chance it falls to a hardware problem. Thankfully, once you've dealt with the screen, this phone is actually mercifully easy to repair. As there are no guides in English I was able to find, I decided I would take pictures as I did this (no way to setup a useful recording, sadly) and do a bit of a write up with some instructions and my experience doing it. If you already know how to do this sort of thing - you can probably skip past this, it's not terribly enlightening. For those doing it for the first time or as a novelty, however, I suspect you'll be pleased to have some degree of guidance in a language you understand.
In terms of how this is going to work:
Throughout the guide I will be posting the unedited images and additionally images with colour overlays on them. Please do not take these as absolute gospel as I'm working from memory, particularly in regards to screws. I will reference colours when I refer to specific components, screws exempted for obvious reasons.
Please at least take a quick scan of the guide before commencing work. I know I'd have appreciated it if the portuguese tutorial I was forced to follow on YT hadn't skipped much of this information. It added extra trouble for no good reason. Plus, it's good to do this because it lets you frame each instruction in context, and avoid silly mistakes.
And while I wish I didn't have to say this, here you have it.:
<Standard Disclaimer>
You're doing this yourself, of your own volition. I am not an expert and I do not represent myself to be. My only prior experience is repairing iPhones at a red-themed office retailer. Don't expect much. I am giving you a rough guide on how to do this which you may choose to follow or not to varied consequences. I do not assume any liability for any damage or mistakes, even if such should come from errors in this guide. Basically, if something goes badly, leave me out of it, I assume no responsibility for it whatsoever. Be safe, use common sense, and don't force anything you don't think should be forced. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, don't. It's not hard, but it is easy to screw up.
This project may well violate your warranty depending on applicable statutes. And inapplicable ones - let's be honest, I don't think any of us bought this expecting full service. If you break the warranty sticker, you will almost certainly be denied should anything go wrong in the future, irregardless of cause. It's going to China, so.... don't expect them to humour you when you mention that warranty is supposed to be based only on actual provable damage. Blah blah, if you're looking at this you already know that. In sum: consider your warranty to be null and void.
TOOLS
Note: All prices given in CAD. Shipping not included. No affiliate links - I'm literally just saving you time on the search. This stuff is all based on things I've used, so it's solid enough for the price.
First things first, you will definitely want to ensure you have some very basic tools. You can find most of these extremely cheap on Aliexpress.
1. Watch Tools Screwdriver, specifically Phillips ( + )
2. Suction cup
So, very basic, but you can either use just the generic kind with the metal loop for pulling - this is what comes in the kit I will link below. Alternatively, you can use a clamp-style one (like this ($4.38)), which I would probably suggest as it allows you to use it like a handle when holding the screen and avoids touching near the back of the screen.3. Narrow flat things; guitar picks, etc.
Ideally, these should be made out of a material with a bit of give, like plastic. You won't have much travel room between the edge of the phone and the sensitive part of the screen when opening it, and metal will possibly do some damage if you screw this up. I unfortunately have some minor damage on my screen now. More on that later.4. Spudger/Flat implement like a Slot Screwdriver
There are lots of flex cables with their caps, along with some narrower parts that could use a gentler plastic tool for prying them off. Prying is a strong word - they're designed to come off readily, but still.
If you need these tools, a cheap kit can be had at a solid price here ($12 CAD as of posting)
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It does come with some other stuff, but I didn't really find those to be useful. Check the listing for a full accounting.
5. Heat Gun/Hair Dryer
Get a heat gun - this project actually benefits quite a bit from having a solid supply of heat. A hair dryer could probably do it, but it costs about the same, so.....
6. ADB/Fastboot
It seems that you need to load EUI in some capacity (aka, the stock OS) before the FP sensor will take. It needs at least one calibration done from the EUI rom, after which point I was free to flash it. Currently using AOSPEx 8.1 on the D66 modem. If you, inexcusably, do not have ADB or Fastboot, I would recommend downloading it here. For other tools of this nature, search the XDA forum for this phone. It's not that hard. Thx.
Extras:
Heat resistant gloves
You could probably use like gardening gloves or something for this. Basically, the phone frame is metal. Metal gets hot quickly, and more than once during this did I pick it up and recoil because I forgot about that. Having gloves that let you manipulate it while its hot would probably be much to your benefit.
If you want a clamp style suction cup for this project, it can be had by searching "suction tool phone" or at the link, here ($3.29 CAD as of posting).
Not required, but I would very strongly recommend a working mat with magnetism. One solid option w/ dry erase marker surface available here ($7.96)
Screen/repair adhesive. None to recommend, as I opted for the cheap route, but if you do this properly and carefully the adhesive will still be perfectly sufficient to put the screen back in without adding any more. If you want professional/clean, however, you may wish to consider getting a decent tube of this stuff.
PART(S)
Only one. You'll need a fingerprint scanner!
This is the one I used, this is a recent repair though, so YMMV. See the link here ($6.73) only 12 days from China to my front door here in Canada! Not bad.
INSTRUCTIONS
Alrighty, so into the meat of it then. Please be very careful to be deliberate about doing this repair. As I said, once the screen is off, the rest comes fairly easy, but that first part is the real challenge here, and you don't want to mess up if you can avoid it. New screens seem to go for about $30 with shipping on Aliexpress, though, should you need it.
Some updates:
- Do be careful with that screen. Sadly I seem to have been a little hard on mine and cracked something. It's now.... spastic. New screen arriving soon though, I'll post that too.
- I'd wear gloves doing the screen thing, even just standard latex ones. They won't help with heat, but you really do not want to be touching the back end of the screen if you can avoid it.
- The FP sensor is still working quite nicely, at least! Seems like the repair took. [07/14/2018] Still working fine, survived several AOSPEx updates.
Also, a critical note for newbies: DO NOT STRIP THE SCREWS. If they are not coming, they are not coming. Maybe try some heat first or something. But as far as fixing a phone goes, the single worst thing you can do outside of obviously breaking it is to strip a screw, because that basically necessitates the first thing, AND YOU DON'T WANT THAT. Happened on my first iPhone repair, and we had to smash the screen (thankfully that was what was being repaired) to get the screw we needed out. It's serious, do not force the issue.
Part 1: Prep
1. Delineate an area you can work in, with some space. Later in the repair you will likely need space for your screen, your fingerprint scanner, the metal backplate, and the upper motherboard, along with screws, tools, etc. Allow space to SAFELY set down the heat gun, as it will be hot and you don't want things burning your house down or damaging other items in your workspace.
2. Get all your tools you will need close and nearby. Nothing sucks more than having a screen you need to hold attached to the phone while your pliers are across the room. Or whatever. That didn't happen, but yea, keep your tools close.
3. BACK UP YOUR DATA. Sudden data loss is not an expected result of this repair, but it is always possible, and you should be backing your stuff up anyway.
4. Remove your SIM tray and sim cards. Put these aside.
5. Power off the device.
Part 2: Removing the Screen
WARNING
- DO NOT TOUCH THE SHINY BACK PART OF THE SCREEN. OR WEAR GLOVES, BUT YOU SHOULD STILL TRY AND AVOID TOUCHING IT.
- IF YOU ARE USING A MAGNETIC MAT OR HAVE MAGNETS, DO NOT PUT THEM IN CONTACT WITH THE LCD SCREEN.
- The screen is fairly fragile and has limited flexibility
- Do not use the heat gun directly on the screen. It's a great way to kill pixels.
- This phone does not use screws that are all the same size, but they do share thread widths. To avoid possible damage, make certain to remember or note where each screw came from.
- The metal frame gets HOT QUICKLY. You should wear gloves or otherwise be careful touching the phone after using the heat gun.
- Do not use the heat gun on its high setting. You should be able to get your hand about 1.5' to 2' away before it starts to feel "burny".
- Most entry space into the phone is around the bottom capacitive keys. DO NOT GO IN FROM THE SIDES OR TOP, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
- Try to stay vertical, and do not go too deep with the picks
Continuing On:
So you know where you're putting your tools, here's what the back of the screen looks like:
That blue area is the shiny part (I lifted this from a seller's listing, it's protective film). This matches almost exactly with the margins you see on the front side of the screen. No touchy this part. The chip at the lower end seems to be for the capacitive keys. Be gentle when you're getting the screen off. There's more room at the bottom, but you don't want to damage anything. Nothing else of interest really. The narrow side margins in particular are why I say to avoid sticking the pick under the screen; try keeping it perpendicular.
1. Use the heat gun around the frame of the phone, for a while. Give it controlled bursts and be careful not to damage the screen, keep it moving and don't focus long in one place. If you see any distortions forming, STOP.
2. Focus particularly on the bottom; direct most of the heat toward the frame, rather than the screen. There is lots of adhesive on the flipside, and it needs to be fairly warm before it'll be compliant.
3. At the BOTTOM (Side with Capacitive Keys + Charging Port) of the phone place your suction tool of choice. The phone should still be warm to the touch, if you can keep it a bit warmer and have gloves, all the better.
4. Start pulling away from the main phone body with the suction cup on the bottom of the screen. You should see it start raising up from the frame, first some grey, and then black space.
5. Take your narrow implement (guitar picks, etc.) and ON THE BOTTOM SIDE, start to gently pry along the edge. It should be coming up - make sure that you've heated all the sides of the phone though.
6. Once you can get the pick fairly vertical, (facing toward the back of the phone, perpendicular to the screen face), start SLOWLY inching along the sides. Be careful not to let the screen re-settle for the parts you've already finished - I'd keep extra picks on hand for this.
7. Apply heat as needed and slowly inch around the perimeter of the phone. Try and avoid the urge to pry upward - there isn't a lot of space between the sides and the sensitive area of the screen.
8. It's glue, so the screen will feel like it's sticking in. Pay attention to the screen to make sure it's not warping, but otherwise, pry it as required. It should come off without *too* much trouble, make sure most of the work is coming from the suction tool.
9. Only lift the screen up a bit - it has a flex cable attaching it to the main body you'll have to deal with.
10. Remove the screws holding in the metal plate above the end of the flex cable. Take off the plate, and using a FLAT item, such as the spudger pictured above, gently pry away the connector. It should not require much force at all. See image:
Set your screen aside, SAFELY, and again, DO NOT TOUCH THE SHINY PART
NOTE: DO NOT TAKE THIS AS GOSPEL, but I filmed it when I replaced my screen with a new one due to damage I caused trying this the first time around. Read the instructions, don't just watch the video.
Oh.. and a spoiler, I won't be back with the installation, because I forgot to record that xD
Part 3: Removing the Metal Back Plate
Congrats! You've made it through what is arguably the hardest part of this repair.
WARNING
- Screws are of varying lengths. Ensure you keep them where they belong and use the same screw for the same slot.
Continuing On....
1. See the light blue dots in the diagram below. Remove these screws.
Note: You will see a screw about 2/3 from the bottom on the right that is slightly sunken from the others. This is for the part holding the buttons in place - it will not obstruct your work, so I would suggest not removing it.
Note: The screw surrounded in red has been cleverly hidden under a warranty sticker, at least in the x829. Poke into it, unscrew, and revel in your freedom.
2. Note the small red thing in the top left area, to the left of the camera. This has a flex cable, but it is threaded through a hole in the metal plate. Be nice taking the plate off, and push it out through that hole. We can get it back in later, easy.
3. Provided you have removed all applicable screws (and confirm this visually - I may have forgotten some), you need to lift this plate off the phone. I would suggest (gently) putting the spudger into that squarish hole toward the bottom left and using it for some leverage.
4. Metal plate off. Excellent. Proceed.
Part 4: Removing the Mainboard
No real warnings here. Basically, there's a lot of flex cables, you'll need to unhook them from the mainboard. Some screws too, at which point the mainboard should come off easy peasy.
Note, you are only working in the upper half of the phone. Don't go pulling anything from the bottom half.
Diagram (note, I'll probably reference these colours when referring to stuff):
Unedited:
Do not remove the screws from orange. You don't need to remove this part, and honestly putting the buttons back in properly is a PITA, so just don't. Note: in future images this is missing, because I accidentally did. Do not do that.
To remove flex cables, find the metal cap and GENTLY pry it upward and off. You should not be using much force. Good order:
1. Remove red (lower mainboard) and yellow (battery)
2. Remove blue (this is the antenna! Be gentle. Don't do it so hard it comes out of orange, you'll see it's sort of locked in there).
3. Remove green (buttons panel)
4. Remove Light-blue (fp scanner. This cable wraps around underneath the board. You'll see.)
5. Magenta - you can remove this if you want. It's that thing I mentioned threads through the backplate previously.
6. They're somewhat blurry in the image, but notice the two pink spots. These are screws that need to go. You will also need to remove any remaining screws from the very top of the phone, by the camera assembly.
7. Good, once the screws and flex cables have been removed, try and find a point of leverage (careful of the battery!) to lift up the board. It should come off totally. Per usual, be gentle. This is purely because our fingers are fat and we probably can't grip it well enough that way.
8. Place the board aside. We're going to be whipping out the heat gun again, and the last thing we want is our camera near that. Keep the camera on the board, don't remove any plates.
Part 5: Removing the FP Scanner
Excellent! Almost there!
Basically, the FP scanner has lots of adhesive on it, so get things hot. Most of it should probably be done from the back of the phone, but you'll wanna heat it a bit from the inside too. BEWARE THE BATTERY. BATTERIES LIKE TO EXPLODE IF THEY GET HOT OR COME FROM SAMSUNG. TRY TO AVOID THAT.
Once you've got enough heat, using a clever combination of scraping (a razor blade would probably work nicely here) and pushing through the FP sensor on the back (since it's just held in with now-weakened glue) should get the thing out.
Your phone should look like this. Keep in mind I removed that button cover at right. Don't do that, but just so you don't freak when yours is still there (it is re-attachable, but it's a PITA, so just don't). You're good. Breathe.
Hurrah!
Part 6: Putting in the New Scanner
I think common sense dictates this part, but it is technically the crowning moment, so....
Basically, the one you got from your supplier of choice should have a bunch of tape on its outward (aka, toward the spot you press, back of the phone location) face, and a little more on the actual scanner. Remove these protective films, carefully orient the scanner so it matches the pre-removal picture above, and then press it in and let the adhesive do its thing. The squarish bit on the blue (not light blue) should stick down slightly. You could always use some basic adhesive or something, but it's really not a problem.
Part 7: Putting it Back Together
So, I'll skimp a bit (do ask if you really need me to expand) on this, as it's basically just this tutorial in reverse. However, I do feel it important to mention a few notes so it goes smoothly for you.
- The FP scanner wraps around onto the mainboard; make sure you've got it through when placing the board.
- The battery (yellow) and lower-mainboard (red) connectors really like to get underneath the mainboard as you're sliding it back in. Maybe use some tape or something as a temporary measure to prevent that.
- I've found sliding the board in from the left-bottom toward the right-top seems to work well. Be careful of the buttons flex connector (green). It really likes getting trapped in there - keep in mind it goes ABOVE the board.
Provided you've gotten the board put back in properly again, screw it in, and mount the flex cables.
The general trick with these is get them close to the location. Try and press them in (nicely!) with your fingers until you get a click. If you do, use the spudger and sort of press along its top like you would on a zip-loc bag or such. They should all click right in. Make sure they're all attached before going further. You may need some pliers for putting the antenna back on. It basically just squeezes onto the little peg you took it off of.
Once the mainboard is seated, push the front-facing camera a bit to make sure it's stuck cozily in; if you took it off, at this point make sure to reattach the proximity sensor (magenta in the cable diagram). It'll feed up through a hole in the top leftish area of the metal backplate. Once the plate is in place, push this around a little too, it should be like the camera and fit cozily in.
For the screen, Try it out before putting the backplate back on, just to avoid anything stupid. Once it's good, take it out, put the backplate on (careful of the proximity sensor! Make sure you thread it through the hole as you're doing this), and put the screen cable back in.
Careful with the orientation at the bottom - I sort of don't get such great LED on the capacitive keys anymore. It's probably a bit misaligned. You may wish to heat around the edges of the phone fairly briefly just to make the adhesive stickier again.
Screen on!
Part 8: Software and Getting it to Work
Provided it's not a bad scanner (factory defect when it was sent or something) you should have a working scanner.
Depending on your software, particularly with custom roms, you may not feel like it. That's OK. What you need to do is:
BACK UP YOUR DATA (I told you! See! I told you!)
Flash one of the EUI stock roms. Wipe all data on the phone.
Skip through the setup, and go into settings. Clean your scanner, and click "Calibrate Scanner" in the Fingerprint and Security menu. Try setting up an FP. IF it works, wonderful! If not... well.... hopefully your scanner you just bought isn't bad. I don't really know much about this part of things, so... you're on your own. Let's assume it works. Positive thoughts.
Once you've done this and you've successfully added/tested a fingerprint, you should be at liberty to flash what you like - provided it's not what killed it in the first place. I'm using AOSPEx 8.1 at the moment, and the FP is actually more responsive on that than stock EUI.
Follow rooting tutorials and stuff for this part. I've already written enough.
END OF GUIDE
I hope this helps anyone looking to replace the scanner. Let me know if it can be improved or I'm missing things/clarifications. If you need additional assistance there are tons of Hindi or Portuguese repair guides on YouTube that you can at least follow in principle. If you speak either of those languages fluently, probably best to use those instead of this guide as those people seem to do it for a living. There are tons of offers for parts on Aliexpress, so just look through and pick something that looks good - make sure it has plenty of feedback though, and actually read it where possible.
Good luck!
very nice! thanks!
Excellent post!
I kinda messed up and now my **** is stuck in my car's exhaust system. ?? Please help.
Can we please not junk this up with unoriginal jokes? I'd prefer the only content is clarifications/suggestions or legitimate help requests.
I am happy to se this precisious tutorial with screenshots, thanks for your work for community ! )