Pixel 3 - Replacing the battery

Switch off the device before the repair.

1. Press and hold the standby button until "Power off" appears.
2. Tap again to confirm and wait till the device has shut down.

To loosen the glued back cover, use a heat gun or an ordinary hair dryer. Warm glue is easier to loosen, allowing you to remove the back cover. The easiest way to loosen the back cover is to use a flat and flexible tool such as the iPlastix or iFlex. You will also need several picks to unstick the back cover all around.

1. Heat the spot where you start and place a suction cup on the bottom of the back cover.
2. Press a flat tool between the back cover and the frame and pull on the suction cup.

The iPlastix is made of plastic, so it won't scratch the device. On the other hand, it's very soft and tricky to insert.

Be extra careful, the back cover can break very easily. If necessary, apply the heat several times and try again. Removing the back cover might take half an hour. Take a little more time and work carefully to make sure you don't break anything.

1. Once the tool is inserted, stick a pick into the gap to keep it open. Then run the tool around the entire edge to gradually loosen the glue.
2. Then heat the next part and insert the picks one by one.
3. Once the back cover is loosened, lift it very slightly. The fingerprint sensor underneath the camera is still connected with a cable.

• 2 × 4,1 mm Phillips
• Fingerprint Connector

The fingerprint sensor connector is secured with a black plastic cover.

1. Loosen the two Phillips screws on the cover. Use a proper PH00 screwdriver (cross recess).
2. Remove the cover which is hooked under.
3. Separate the contact carefully with a plastic spudger.

Always lever from a side where there are no components on the motherboard. This will prevent damage. Be careful not to damage the socket on the board or the plug.

1. Finally you can put the backcover aside.

• 2 × 1,9 mm Phillips
• 2 × 4,0 mm Phillips
• 1 × 4,2 mm Phillips

The battery contact and many other contacts are located under a plastic frame. The charging coil for wireless charging is also attached to this frame.

1. Loosen the screws with different lengths of the middle frame.

Note the position of the screws so that you do not mix them up when reinserting them. The iDoc magnet mat is particularly suitable for storing screws and other small metal parts safely during repairs.

1. When all screws are loosened, you can remove the frame together with the coil.

• Battery Connector

1. Now the battery connector is free.
2. To avoid short circuits during the repair, disconnect the battery.

• External Buttons Connector

1. First disconnect the connector of the control buttons from the main board. The flex cable of the keys runs over the battery and could otherwise be damaged when levering.

The battery in the Pixel 3 is not as strong glued as in other smartphones. There are tabs on the left side to remove the adhesive strips (image 3) under the battery.

We didn't solve the battery by pulling out the adhesive strips, because we changed the display of our Pixel 3 and wanted to continue using the original battery with its adhesive.

1. First remove the dark grey foil that is glued to the battery and the motherboard. The foil tears very easily, but that's not too important.
2. Then loosen the tabs on the left side of the battery and pull out the adhesive strips.
3. If an adhesive tape breaks, use a wide plastic tool on the bottom and left side of the battery to lever it up.

Be careful not to bend the battery or damage the wrapper. You can heat the glue to make it easier to remove. However, never heat the battery directly, but heat the adhesive from below, i.e. from the side of the display.

1. If the battery can be lifted, use a tool to slide it under the battery to remove any adhesive.
2. Then remove the battery from the device and put it aside.

• External Buttons Connector

1. If your replacement battery has no glue or adhesive tape attached, you can use thin double-sided tape to hold the battery in place. Do not apply adhesive to the flex cable.
2. Insert the battery into the enclosure.
3. Press the battery firmly into the housing so that the adhesive can bond better.

• Battery Connector

1. Connect the battery to the main board. Press the contact onto the connector of the motherboard until it clicks into place.

• 2 × 1,9 mm Phillips
• 2 × 4,0 mm Phillips
• 1 × 4,2 mm Phillips

1. Position the middle frame and fasten it with the Phillips screws of different lengths.

• Fingerprint Connector
• 2 × 4,1 mm Phillips

Before you attach the back cover, take a closer look at the glue on the edges. If it wrinkles in some places and is thicker, the backcover may not lie flat. Remove the glue at such places. You can also remove all adhesive and use a new adhesive frame. Usually there will be enough glue left on the backcover so that you can attach it to the frame.

1. Put the back cover in place and reconnect the fingerprint sensor.
2. Then put the plastic cover back on. It must be placed under the flex cable of the mid-frame.
3. Then reattach the two Phillips screws.

1. Before you finally close the device, you should test it.

Here in the picture you can see pixel 2, but this step works the same for pixel 3.

1. Turn on the device and test the screen.
2. Set the brightness to minimum and maximum.
   
3. Drag an app icon across the entire screen to make sure the touch works in all places.
   

1. Put the back cover back in its original position.

1. Press the back cover on all over so the glue will stick.

You can also heat your device with hot air and then clamp it or weight it down with a couple books so the glue will stick better.