Galaxy S21 5G - Replacing the screen

Use our checklist to test the basic functions of your Galaxy S21 5G before repairing. This way you can check afterwards if your repair was successful.

1. Press and hold the side and volume down button simultaneously for a few seconds.
2. Tap Power off in the displayed menu and confirm with your unlock code.

The edge of the back cover is heavily glued. It is therefore essential to first heat it up sufficiently. Use a hot air device for this purpose, such as a heat gun or an ordinary hair dryer.

1. Heat the edge of the back cover by running the hot air device evenly over it.

To create a narrow gap between back cover and display unit you need a flat, stable tool. We recommend the iFlex for this, since it has particularly sharp edges that can be easily inserted.

1. Attach a suction cup to the lower edge of the back cover and pull it upwards. Insert the iFlex between the display unit and the back cover at the same time.

To avoid damaging the edge of the case with the sharp edges of the iFlex, you should switch to a plastic tool like the iPlastix as soon as possible.

To avoid damaging the camera module, you should not insert your tool too far into the device. We recommend the hard plastic pick at this point. Due to its shape it cannot be inserted too deeply.

1. Drive the tool completely around the edge of the back cover to loosen it piece by piece.
2. Slide flat picks under the back cover at regular intervals, so that the glue cannot bond again.

1. Once the back cover is completely detached, you first have to remove all plastic picks.
2. Then unfold it and put it aside.

• 5 × 4.9 mm Phillips

Use a screw storage to keep an overview during the repair and avoid losing anything. Use an old sewing box, for example. With our high-quality magnetic pad, you have the additional advantage that nothing slips.

1. Loosen the five Phillips screws from the charging coil cover.
2. Then put them on your magnetic pad.

• Connector

Always detach the battery connector as soon as possible to avoid a potential short circuit.

When separating connectors, always start from the side where there are no small components on the motherboard. This way you avoid potential damage.

1. Lift up the metal cover of the NFC antenna.
2. Carefully pry the orange battery connector underneath from the motherboard with a plastic lever tool. We use a plastic spudger for this.

• Connector

1. Then separate the black connector of the charging coil by carefully levering it off the circuit board with a spudger as well.

The lower end of the charging coil is slightly glued.

1. Once the connectors are separated, you can carefully pull off the charging coil.

• 7 × 4.9 mm Phillips

1. Loosen the seven Phillips screws from the earpiece.
2. Then put them on your magnetic pad.

• Connector

1. Now separate the connector of the earpiece by carefully levering it off the motherboard with a spudger.

1. Take the detached earpiece out of your device and put it aside.

• Connector

The remaining connectors on the motherboard belong to two 5G antennas, the display cable, two connecting cables and the front camera.

1. Separate all remaining connectors from the motherboard. Carefully pry them off with the spudger.

• 1 × 4.9 mm Phillips

1. Loosen the single Phillips screw from the camera module.
2. Place it on the magnetic pad.

1. Carefully lever the motherboard upwards with a spudger and take it out of the device.

• 6 × 4.9 mm Phillips

1. Remove the six Phillips screws from the speaker module.
2. Then place them on the magnetic pad.

A small arrow in the upper left corner shows you where to place your tool.

1. Carefully lever the speaker module out of its guide and put it aside.

1. Separate the lower connecting cables from the USB board by carefully levering them off.

1. Take the detached connecting cables out of the device and put them aside.

• Connector

The screen cable is attached to a separate slot for the first time in the Galaxy S21, so it can be removed completely.

1. Carefully separate the lower connector of the screen cable from its slot with a spudger.

1. Remove the screen cable from the device as soon as it is completely disconnected from the display unit.

1. Press a thin, pointed object into the small round opening in the SIM tray to push it out of the device frame. We use a SIM tool for this purpose.
2. Then pull the tray completely out of the frame.

• 3 × 3.4 mm Phillips

1. Loosen the three Phillips screws from the USB board.

For this photo guide, we have used a replacement screen that already had the battery integrated. This is no longer the case in newer replacement screens. Therefore, you will also have to remove the battery and take it over. Check out our battery guide for more information.

1. Carefully lever the motherboard upwards with a spudger and take it out of the device.

The battery, the front camera, the vibration motor, two 5G antennas and the buttons are already pre-installed in the replacement screen of the S21 5G, so you do not have to take them from your old screen. This makes a screen replacement much easier.

1. Remove the protective film from the battery before you start reinstalling the removed components.
2. The protective film on the display glass can be left on until the end of the repair for protection.

To ensure that the USB board sits evenly, the USB socket must be pushed correctly into its guide in the case frame. To do so, it is best to position the board at a slight angle.

1. Put the board back in its original position in the screen unit.

When screwing components into place, make sure that you do not mix up the screws. A too long screw in the wrong place could damage the display in the worst case.

1. Screw the USB board back onto the screen unit with the three Phillips screws.

Make sure to insert the SIM tray the right way around to avoid potential damage.

1. Insert the SIM tray by sliding it back into the case frame.

• Connector

The label on the screen cable will help you to align it.

1. Position the screen cable and reattach the bottom connector to its slot by gently pressing it down. You should hear and feel it click into place.

• Connector

1. Align the two connecting cables one after the other and attach the lower connector each on the USB board.

The speaker module has three small lugs. To ensure that the module sits evenly in the device, these must be hooked into the frame of the screen unit when inserting it.

1. Put the speaker back in its original position.

• 6 × 4.9 mm Phillips

1. Screw the speaker module in place with the six Phillips screws.

To avoid squeezing the sensitive flex cables when inserting the motherboard, you should hold them aside with tweezers.

1. Put the board back to its original position.

• 1 × 4.9 mm Phillips

1. Fix the motherboard back into the screen unit by screwing it tight.

• Connector

Make sure to not accidentally attach the battery connector at this point. This could lead to a potential short circuit.

1. Reattach all connectors (except the battery and NFC connector) to the motherboard by gently pressing them down.

1. Now insert the earpiece.

• 7 × 4.9 mm Phillips

1. Screw the earpiece back into place with the seven Phillips screws.

• Connector

1. Then reattach the connector of the earpiece to the motherboard.

1. Reposition the NFC antenna in the screen unit and press its back end slightly to allow the glue to bond again.

• Connector

1. Lift up the metal cover of the charging coil to attach its black connector that is located underneath.

Always connect the battery connector last to avoid a potential short circuit.

1. You can now also reattach the orange battery connector to the motherboard.

• 5 × 4.9 mm Phillips

1. Once the battery and charging coil are reconnected, you can screw the metal cover back on.

1. Switch on your Galaxy S21.
2. Call up the Samsung test menu via *#0*# in the phone app.
3. Test the color display and the touch function of your replacement screen.
4. Test other components with the help of the test menu. Alternatively, you can also use our checklist.

Attaching a new adhesive frame is optional. If it is still in good condition, you do not need to install a new one. However, if it has defects or no longer sticks properly, we recommend that you install a new adhesive frame.

1. We show you how to apply a new adhesive frame in detail in our YouTube video.

We recommend that you run hot air over the edge of the back cover again, so that the glue bonds properly. You can also weigh down your device with books for a few minutes or clamp it like in our example.

1. Close your Galaxy S21 5G after the repair by pressing the back cover back onto the display unit.