Google Pixel 5 Front Camera Replacement
Replace the battery with a new one if it's deformed or damaged — potential safety hazard.
- Discharge your phone's battery below 25% to prevent thermal events during repair.
- Do not reuse a damaged or deformed battery.
Step 1 | Eject the SIM card tray
Insert a SIM eject tool, bit, or straightened paper clip into the SIM card tray hole.
Make sure it is securely seated before proceeding to avoid damaging the tray.
- The SIM card tray is located on the left edge of the phone near the bottom.
- Press firmly to eject the SIM card tray.
- Once ejected, remove the SIM card tray.
Step 2 | Heat the bottom edge of the screen
Apply a iOpener to the bottom edge of the screen for 1 minute.
- Alternative methods:
- Use a hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate with caution, keeping the phone cool to avoid damage.
- Avoid overheating, as it may harm the display and internal battery.
Step 3 | Screen removal information
Do not pry at the screen seam, as it separates the screen from the rest of the phone.
- Pry at the bezel seam, where the plastic bezel meets the frame, taking care to only apply pressure at the clips holding it in place.
Step 4 | Anti-Clamp instructions
Use the Anti-Clamp as shown in the next steps for an easier opening procedure.
- If not using the Anti-Clamp, proceed to step 5 for an alternate method.
- Pull the blue handle towards the hinge to disengage opening mode.
Make sure the surface is secure before proceeding - use packing tape if necessary.
Position the suction cups near the bottom edge of the screen, one on the front and one on the back.
Push down on the cups to apply suction to the desired area.
Step 5
Apply heat slowly to avoid damage.
- Push the blue handle away from the hinge to engage opening mode.
- Suction Handle: Turn clockwise until cups start to stretch.
- Ensure suction cups remain aligned. If misaligned, loosen slightly and realign arms.
- Wait one minute for adhesive release.
- Insert opening pick under screen and bezel frame when gap is sufficient.
- If insufficient gap, apply more heat & rotate handle clockwise half a turn.
Do not crank more than a half a turn at a time; wait one minute between turns.
Step 6 | Insert an opening pick
Taping over a cracked screen is recommended for severely damaged screens — avoid further damage.
- Apply a suction cup to the screen, near the heated edge.
- If your screen is badly cracked, follow additional instructions to apply tape or superglue the suction cup.
- Pull up on the suction cup with strong, steady force to create a gap.
- If necessary, reapply heat and retry if initial attempt fails.
Insert the opening pick into the created gap.
Step 7 | Slice the bottom adhesive
- Slide a pick along the bottom of the screen, moving it back and forth to cut the adhesive.
- Leave the pick in the bottom right corner to prevent re-adhesion.
Step 8 | Heat the left edge of the screen
Apply iOpener to the left edge of the screen and heat for 1 minute.
Step 9
Insert an opening pick into the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Slide the opening pick around the left corner, avoiding damage to the flex cable located in the middle of the left edge (do not insert more than 1/4 inch (6 mm)).
- Continue to slide the pick up towards the front camera to separate the adhesive on the left edge of the screen.
Leave the pick inserted to prevent re-sealing of the adhesive.
Step 10
- Insert another opening pick into the top left corner of the screen.
- Slide the pick around the front camera and across the top edge of the phone.
- Slide the pick to the top right corner and leave it inserted.
If adhesive is difficult to slice, apply heat for one minute and try again.
Step 11
- Insert a precision opening pick into the bottom right corner of the screen.
- Slide the pick up to the top right corner, cutting the final edge of adhesive.
Reiterate the process for the edges as needed, as adhesive is typically thickest in the corners.
Step 12 | Open up the screen
Use the opening pick from the top left corner to lift the left edge of the screen a few millimeters.
- This will keep the clips from snapping back down into the case.
- Lift up on the right side and open the phone like a book.
Do not open the screen more than 90 degrees to prevent damaging the screen flex cable.
Step 13 | Disconnect the screen
Use tweezers to grasp the screen connector cover.
- Pull the cover towards you, pushing the clip into the connector.
- The clip should now be disengaged from the connector.
Step 14
Remove the screen connector cover.
- Set aside for later reinstallation.
Step 15
Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the screen flex cable.
- To reattach, align the connectors carefully and press down on one side until it clicks into place.
- Repeat on the other side; do not press in the middle.
Misaligned connectors can cause pin bending and permanent damage if they are pressed incorrectly.
Step 16 | Screen information
Fragile screen: avoid scratches and dents.
- Grip the screen by its edges to prevent damage.
- Place the screen on a soft, lint-free cloth or similar surface to prevent accidental contact.
Step 17 | Remove the screen
Remove the screen.
- Use tweezers to remove remaining adhesive from case.
- When cleaning display with isopropyl alcohol, avoid splashing onto other components, as this can weaken their adhesive bond.
If replacing screen:
- Remove protective liners covering the front-facing camera hole on new screen.
- During boot-up process after reassembly, do not touch the screen during calibration sequence to avoid improper touch calibration and potential touch issues.
Additional considerations:
- If using custom-cut adhesive, apply according to specific guide for correct installation.
- If using Tesa tape, follow relevant guide for reattachment procedure.
- Remove any tape holding down display cable before installation.
Step 18 | Remove the graphite tape
Careful not to puncture or bend the battery with tweezers.
- Lift up the graphite tape using tweezers until you can grip it with your fingers.
- Pull off the graphite tape.
Step 19
Use tweezers to carefully remove the graphite pad from the charging plate cover.
- If possible, set aside the removed graphite pad for reapplication during reassembly.
Step 20 | Remove the charging plate cover
Remove the charging plate cover using a T3 Torx driver.
- Remove two 4.6 mm-long screws securing the charging plate cover.
- Keep track of each screw and ensure it is reinstalled in its original location.
Step 21
Remove the charging plate cover using a pair of tweezers.
Keep this part for later use in reassembly.
Step 22
Remove the eight T3 Torx screws, each 4.6 mm in length.
- The screws secure the midframe.
Step 23 | Remove the midframe
Use tweezers to lift up the right side of the midframe.
- Remove the midframe.
- Be aware that the spacer at the top may fall out when you remove the midframe. Save it for reassembly and refer to pictures in the motherboard replacement guide if needed.
Step 24 | Disconnect the battery
Use the pointed end of the spudger to carefully pry the battery connector straight up.
- Continue prying until the connector is fully disconnected from the motherboard.
Step 25 | Remove the shouldered screw
Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the 4.1 mm shouldered screw.
Step 26 | Disconnect the rear cameras
Hold down the rear camera assembly with your finger.
- Use a spudger to disconnect the two rear camera press connectors from the motherboard.
Step 27 | Remove the rear cameras
Use tweezers to lift up on the rear camera assembly.
- Remove the rear camera assembly from its housing.
Ensure your replacement camera module does not include a plastic spacer, which must be removed before installation.
Clean the lens surface to prevent smudges and dust from interfering with the camera's performance.
Step 28 | Remove adhesive pull tabs
Use blunt nose tweezers to grip the black adhesive pull tab, located on the top right edge of the battery.
- Lift the pull tab with the tweezers until you can grip it with your fingers.
- Pull on the pull tab at a shallow angle, using slow and steady force to avoid snapping it in half.
- Keep adhesive strips flat and unwrinkled during this process; twisted or wrinkled strips may stick together and break instead of pulling out cleanly.
If the adhesive becomes hard to pull, roll it around a spudger and continue pulling.
- If the pull tab breaks prematurely, use tweezers to retrieve the remaining length of adhesive and continue pulling.
- Alternatively, move on to the next step if you are unable to retrieve it.
Step 29
Remove the pull tab from the bottom left edge of the battery using the same process.
If the tab breaks and cannot be retrieved with tweezers, proceed to the next step.
Step 30 | Loosen the adhesive
Apply isopropyl alcohol to the affected area if adhesive strips are lost.
- Use a few drops of high concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol.
- Pour it into the opening of the affected tab.
Step 31
Hold the phone at an angle to allow the alcohol to flow towards the remaining adhesive.
Wait exactly one minute for the adhesive to soften fully before proceeding to the next step.
Step 32 | Remove the battery
Insert an opening pick into the gap along the left side of the battery.
- Use the opening pick to slice the remaining adhesive at the top and bottom of the battery.
- If necessary, cut a plastic card to fit between the flex cables and battery tray edge for added leverage.
Avoid scraping the two flex cables under the battery with your opening pick, as this can be difficult due to strategically located adhesive between the cables and battery tray.
Do not bend the battery.
- Avoid prying near the earpiece contact pins located at the top left corner of the battery.
- If the battery does not lift, add a few more drops of isopropyl alcohol to the adhesive and try again.
Step 33
Never reinsert a deformed or damaged battery — risk of short circuit.
- Dispose of the old battery.
- Install a new battery with matching specifications.
Step 34 | Disconnect the press connectors
Use the pointed end of a spudger to lift the two press connectors straight up off the motherboard.
Step 35 | Remove the motherboard screws
Remove the two 2.9 mm screws using a T3 Torx driver.
Step 36 | Bend the flex cable out of the way
Use a spudger to carefully push aside the flex cable covering the rear case press connector.
- Gently fold the flex cable out of the way.
Step 37 | Disconnect the press connector
Disconnect the rear case press connector using the spudger.
Step 38 | Remove the motherboard
Locate the screw holes near the front-facing camera and insert the pointed end of a spudger.
- Push the motherboard down towards the bottom of the phone.
- Lift up to release the top of the motherboard from the rear case.
Step 39
Hold the motherboard firmly with your fingers and gently pull it upwards towards the top of the rear case.
Do not bend or twist the motherboard.
- If the motherboard is caught, use a spudger to carefully work its edges loose.
- Once freed, remove the motherboard.
Step 40
Remove motherboard.
The top spacer will usually fall out.
- Reposition midframe without screws.
- Grasp top spacer with tweezers and compress interior foam to squeeze into position.
- Screw midframe into place.
Grip spacer by body, not delicate end tabs.
Step 41 | Remove the front camera
- Insert the pointed end of the spudger under the front camera.
- Lift up gently to disconnect the front camera from the motherboard.
- Remove the dismounted front camera.