Quick Start Guide  

LCD Replacement Screen with Touch Digitizer

for mobile phone devices

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This guide explains how to install the LCD with Touch Digitizer replacement screen. These are general guidelines. More specific guides can be found searching the term {your device name} and screen replacement in youtube.com. 

It is very important to test the original phone screen prior to replacement by attaching the cables prior to installation. Do not use adhesive or remove the front film until your LCD has been tested.

You can do this!

IMPORTANT  Before installing, READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS

Safety Guidelines

IMPORTANT Discharge your device — We recommend discharging your device battery below 25%. A charged lithium-ion battery can catch fire or explode if accidentally punctures during repair. Power off your phone — To avoid any damage to the hardware, be sure to power off the phone before you begin the repair. DO NOT REMOVE THE SCREEN OR DISCONNECT FLEX CABLE until the power is off. Otherwise, permanent hardware damage may result. DO NOT power on the device until all flex cables have been reconnected.

Protective eyewear — Wear safety glass to protect your eyes. Bits of glass or debris may fly up into the air if the screen glass snaps during removal or installation.

Heat Gun — Always operate the heat gun at the lowest setting. Never bring the heat gun closer than two inches to phone or screen glass. Keep the heat gun moving, and don’t let it remain in one spot when aimed at the phone. Avoid touching the nozzle, since it can get very hot. A hair dryer may also be used on a very low setting (never too hot to the touch)

Preparation and setup for the replacement

Do the following before replacing the screen:

• Before installing the screen, read this entire guide. Use a computer or another phone to watch the video during installation.
• Allow 1-2 hours to perform the replacement of the screen. You’ll avoid most mistakes by working slowly and carefully through the repair steps.
• Prior to powering down your device, backup your device to iCloud, iTunes, or other service.
• Keep all components and parts well organized. Work on a well-lit, white base such as a sheet of paper or paper towel, which will help to avoid misplacement or loss of parts.
• Be sure to minimize the potential for transfer of static electricity, which could damage your device. Ensure that you have a clean, hard-surface workspace. Ideally, work in a room without carpet flooring.
• If possible, use latex gloves or work on rubber mat that is designed for anti-static work. You could also use a household table placemat.
• Use proper grounding techniques, such as wearing an anti-static wrist strap (available in our store) touch a steel table leg to discharge any static.  Static electricity can cause lines on your screen if not discharged.

Additional household items

If you purchased a tool kit, it has the items you need to replace the screen. These additional items may be useful:

• Scotch tape
• Hair dryer or heat gun
• Playing card, credit card, razor blade, utility knife, or putty knife
• Microfiber cloth

Tips

Keep these tips in mind as you perform the repair:

• Keep track of all screws — It will be necessary to remove and reinstall many small screws. These screws vary in size and length. Keep track of each screw so that you can easily reinstall them in the correct place. If you insert a screw into an incorrect location, you could damage the device.
• Keep all pieces organized and numbered and work on a well lit white paper base so that you can see any little pieces that might go missing.

Step 1: Preparing the Phone 

Before doing any repairs on the device, switch off the phone and remove the battery. Take precautions to prevent the broken glass from shattering when removing the old screen. Apply Scotch tape over the broken glass to hold the shards together during removal of the screen glass.

Step 2: Loosen the adhesive and remove the screen glass

Strong adhesive holds the existing screen in place. Begin by applying heat to the edges, using either a hair dryer or a heat gun. Direct the hot air toward the edges of the glass until it starts to loosen. When the adhesive loosens, slide the plastic pry tool (playing card, razor blade, or utility knife) between the top of the glass and the frame. Insert spacers along the length of the opening to keep the screen separated from the frame. This may require a few attempts to do it correctly.

After separating the screen, DO NOT ENTIRELY REMOVE the screen. To avoid damage to the delicate flex-cable, ensure the angle between screen and body is less than 90 degrees.

TIP  Do not force or pry your screen apart. Heating the adhesive allows the screen to be separated. Using extreme force to pry the screen off can damage LCD and digitizer or flex cables.

WARNING Do not force or pry your screen apart. Heating the adhesive allows the screen to be separated. Using extreme force to pry the screen off can damage LCD and digitizer or flex cables.

Step 3: Gently handle fragile flex cables and connectors

WARNINGS Never force a connector. Do not insert a connector until it is precisely aligned. If a part doesn't fit quite right, don't force it. Pause for a moment, and look to see if something is out of place—such as a loose screw that has been magnetized to an ear speaker. The battery connector may be held down only with light adhesive or solder. DO NOT manipulate the connector or it may come loose from the motherboard. Motherboard — small surface mount components can be easily damaged if they are touched by tools or components. Go slowly and avoid touching the surface of the motherboard.

IMPORTANT DO NOT bend any of the flex cables.

When handling the connectors, proceed as follows:

• Disconnect and connect with extreme care and only with the lightest pressure necessary to do the task.
• Use tools instead of your finger during the installation. Otherwise, it will damage the screen!
• Check for any dust or debris in between the flex cables and motherboard. Remove with a brush or a microfiber cloth dipped in alcohol.
• Ensure that the flex cables connect with a slight audible clicking sound. Begin at one end of the connector and use a gentle rocking motion while you work your way to the other end.

STATIC LINES ON THE SCREEN  You may need to make another attempt to install the LCD screen. After connecting the flex cable to the motherboard the second time, some static electricity may be generated. Since this is a capacitive touch screen, you may see lines on display that are a result of static electricity. It will take 30 minutes to completely clear the static electricity on the screen after reconnecting.

Step 4: Disassembly

Transfer the Home button to the new screen (if the device has a home button)

The home button assembly may include the button, flex cable, and button aperture. Also, there may be some dust-proof tape around the home button. Don’t apply too much pressure to unglue the home button assembly from your original screen. Be watchful and move slowly.

Gently disconnect the screen cable from the old screen

Gently separate the LCD flex cable from the body, as it can be glued to the front glass lens.

Step 5: Connect the new screen

LEAVE THE PROTECTIVE FILM IN PLACE  Your new screen has a protective film to protect the screen during shipment and installation DO NOT remove this film until the very last step.

Follow these steps to connect the new screen:

1. The flex cables are fragile! Be very careful in all movements when making connections to the motherboard. 
2. Support the bottom part of the flex cable ribbon with one hand, and then slightly bend the flex cable with the other hand. Continue to support the flex cable while reconnecting—so that it doesn't tear.
3. A slight clicking sound is the signal that the flex cable is properly connected to the motherboard. 
4. Continue exercising great care when handling the screen and the flex cable, since mishandling may result in a malfunction with the touch screen or home button. The result may be a lack of response, excessive screen brightness, and screen rendering issues.
5. If there is a front-facing camera, ensure that there is no dust or dots on the camera lens before re-installing the front-facing camera.
6. Set the screen down in close alignment with the edges of the phone, BUT DO NOT YET PRESS IT INTO PLACE.
7. Be sure to remove the red/purple static protection sheet from the metal on the back of the LCD screen. Firmly grasp the small tab on the back of the screen and tug.

Step 6: Test the new screen 

Before completing replacement of the screen, test the new screen by following these steps:

1. Connect ALL connectors/cables from the old device to new device.
2. Press the home button to power on your device.
3. Test the new device to ensure that it functions properly. Tap on all of the keyboard keys. Use the device for at least 10 minutes.
4. If there appears to be any difficulty in sensitivity of the screen, clean the connectors with a 95%-alcohol solution and repeat the steps above. 

TROUBLESHOOTING  If there is still a problem with screen sensitivity, refer to the Troubleshooting section in this guide.

Step 7: Fitting the New Screen 

The final step in this screen installation is to remove the protective plastic covering from the new glass screen and place it onto the device phone. Press down firmly on all edges of the screen to ensure good contact between the glass and the adhesive tape. Examine all edges of the screen to ensure that there are no gaps.

Step 8: Remove the Protective Film

The final step is to remove the protective film from the new glass screen and gently press it into place onto the phone.

Ensure that the LCD is clean and has no fingerprints. Wipe the screen with a microfiber cleaning cloth. Do not use liquids on the LCD screen.

[ END OF INSTALLATION GUIDE ]

Step 4: Applying adhesive 

You need specialized double-sided adhesive for the repair. This is very thin and fits perfectly around the edge of the replacement glass screen. If you are using the 2mm adhesive, simply pull off each strip with tweezers and cut if necessary, Then apply the adhesive to all edges. Also, apply strips to the center of the solid parts at both the top and bottom of the screen. This tape will hold the new glass screen in place. 

Watch this video on how to use double-sided adhesive: 

NOTE: Replacement screens can be secured using adhesive tape strips or UV glue. While the UV glue provides a stronger, longer-lasting bond, the adhesive strips are much easier and safe to use. Use of UV glue requires a curing lamp, and the glue can damage the device if too much of it seeps into other parts of the device. We don't recommend using glue if this is your first repair. The UV glue and curing lamp can be purchased separately.