Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

33

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

5

  • Google Pixel 3 XL Opening Procedure
  • 11 steps
  • Google Pixel 3 XL Battery Disconnect
  • 3 steps
  • Front-Facing Camera
  • 8 steps
  • Google Pixel 3 XL Partial Motherboard Separation
  • 9 steps
  • Rear-Facing Camera
  • 2 steps

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Introduction

This guide shows how to remove and replace a defective rear-facing camera module for a Pixel 3 XL.

To remove this camera, you will need to loosen and partially remove the motherboard.

What you need

Step 1

              Heat the edge of the back cover
  • Heat an iOpener and apply it to the right edge of the back cover for a minute.
  • A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the phone—the display and internal battery are both susceptible to heat damage.
  • While you wait, note the following areas on the back cover:
  • Strong adhesive—there are large patches of adhesive near the bottom of the phone.
  • Fingerprint sensor cable—be careful not to slice through the cable as you pry

Heat an iOpener and apply it to the right edge of the back cover for a minute.

A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the phone—the display and internal battery are both susceptible to heat damage.

While you wait, note the following areas on the back cover:

Strong adhesive—there are large patches of adhesive near the bottom of the phone.

Fingerprint sensor cable—be careful not to slice through the cable as you pry

1024

Step 2

              Create a gap under the back cover
  • Apply a suction cup to the heated edge of the back cover, as close to the edge as possible.
  • Pull up on the suction cup with strong, steady force to create a gap.
  • Depending on the age of your phone, this may be difficult. If you are having trouble, apply heat to the edge and try again.
  • Insert the point of an opening pick into the gap.

Apply a suction cup to the heated edge of the back cover, as close to the edge as possible.

Pull up on the suction cup with strong, steady force to create a gap.

Depending on the age of your phone, this may be difficult. If you are having trouble, apply heat to the edge and try again.

Insert the point of an opening pick into the gap.

Step 3

              Loosen the right edge adhesives
  • Slide the opening pick along the right edge to slice through the adhesive.
  • The adhesive gums up and becomes hard to slice once it cools. If that happens, re-apply heat to the edge to make slicing easier.
  • Once you have sliced through the edge, leave an opening pick in the seam to prevent the adhesive from re-sealing.

Slide the opening pick along the right edge to slice through the adhesive.

The adhesive gums up and becomes hard to slice once it cools. If that happens, re-apply heat to the edge to make slicing easier.

Once you have sliced through the edge, leave an opening pick in the seam to prevent the adhesive from re-sealing.

Step 4

              Heat the bottom edge of the back cover
  • Apply a heated iOpener to the bottom of the back cover for a minute.

Apply a heated iOpener to the bottom of the back cover for a minute.

Step 5

              Slice through the bottom adhesives
  • Use an opening pick to slice around the bottom right corner and continue along the bottom edge of the phone.
  • Work slowly as you slice around the corner to prevent the panel from cracking. If the slicing becomes hard, re-apply heat.
  • Leave a pick in the edge to prevent the adhesive from re-sealing.

Use an opening pick to slice around the bottom right corner and continue along the bottom edge of the phone.

Work slowly as you slice around the corner to prevent the panel from cracking. If the slicing becomes hard, re-apply heat.

Leave a pick in the edge to prevent the adhesive from re-sealing.

Step 6

              Slice through the remaining edges
  • Continue heating and slicing the remaining edges of the phone.
  • Be careful as you slice along the left edge of the phone. If your pick feels like it’s stuck near the top, you may have snagged the fingerprint sensor. Retract the pick out of the seam slightly and try again.
  • Be sure to cut through the thick portions of adhesive near the bottom and right edge of the phone.

Continue heating and slicing the remaining edges of the phone.

Be careful as you slice along the left edge of the phone. If your pick feels like it’s stuck near the top, you may have snagged the fingerprint sensor. Retract the pick out of the seam slightly and try again.

Be sure to cut through the thick portions of adhesive near the bottom and right edge of the phone.

Step 7

              Slice through the leftover adhesive
  • Gently pry up the right edge of the back cover.
  • Use an opening pick to slice through any remaining adhesive along the edges.

Gently pry up the right edge of the back cover.

Use an opening pick to slice through any remaining adhesive along the edges.

Step 8

              Swing open the back cover
  • Swing the right edge of the back cover upwards and rest the flipped panel along the left side of the phone.
  • Be sure to maintain slack on the fingerprint sensor cable and prevent it from being pinched.
  • During reassembly, this is a good point to power on your phone and test all functions before sealing it up. Be sure to power your phone back down completely before you continue working.
  • During reassembly, follow this guide to install custom-cut adhesives for your back cover.
  • If you replaced the fingerprint sensor, you’ll need to use this software tool to make the phone recognize the new sensor.

Swing the right edge of the back cover upwards and rest the flipped panel along the left side of the phone.

Be sure to maintain slack on the fingerprint sensor cable and prevent it from being pinched.

During reassembly, this is a good point to power on your phone and test all functions before sealing it up. Be sure to power your phone back down completely before you continue working.

During reassembly, follow this guide to install custom-cut adhesives for your back cover.

If you replaced the fingerprint sensor, you’ll need to use this software tool to make the phone recognize the new sensor.

Step 9

              Remove the fingerprint sensor tape
  • User tweezers to carefully peel up the yellow tape over the fingerprint sensor connector.

User tweezers to carefully peel up the yellow tape over the fingerprint sensor connector.

Step 10

              Disconnect the fingerprint sensor
  • Use the point of a spudger to carefully flip up the black lock bar on the fingerprint sensor’s ZIF socket.
  • Grasp the cable’s tab with your fingers or tweezers and gently walk the flex cable out of the socket.
  • To prevent shorting, be careful not to touch the metal contacts on the flex cable with your tweezers.

Use the point of a spudger to carefully flip up the black lock bar on the fingerprint sensor’s ZIF socket.

Grasp the cable’s tab with your fingers or tweezers and gently walk the flex cable out of the socket.

To prevent shorting, be careful not to touch the metal contacts on the flex cable with your tweezers.

Step 11

              Remove the back cover
  • Remove the back cover.
  • Follow this guide to correctly apply new back cover adhesive.

Remove the back cover.

Follow this guide to correctly apply new back cover adhesive.

Step 12

              Remove the metal cover bracket screws
  • Remove the following four T3 screws securing the metal cover bracket:
  • Three 4 mm long screws
  • One 3 mm long screw
  • Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

Remove the following four T3 screws securing the metal cover bracket:

Three 4 mm long screws

One 3 mm long screw

Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

Step 13

              Remove the metal cover bracket
  • Insert the flat end of a spudger underneath the top right edge of the metal bracket and pry up to loosen it.
  • Remove the metal cover bracket.

Insert the flat end of a spudger underneath the top right edge of the metal bracket and pry up to loosen it.

Remove the metal cover bracket.

Step 14

              Disconnect the battery
  • Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the battery connector from its socket.
  • Do not use metal tools to to disconnect the battery, or you will risk shorting the battery.
  • Bend the battery cable such that the connector will not accidentally touch the socket.

Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the battery connector from its socket.

Do not use metal tools to to disconnect the battery, or you will risk shorting the battery.

Bend the battery cable such that the connector will not accidentally touch the socket.

Step 15

              Remove the motherboard shield screws
  • Remove the five T3 screws securing the motherboard shield:
  • Three 4 mm long screws
  • Two 3 mm long screws

Remove the five T3 screws securing the motherboard shield:

Two 3 mm long screws

Step 16

              Remove the motherboard shield
  • Remove the motherboard shield.

Remove the motherboard shield.

Step 17

              Remove the front camera bracket
  • Remove the three 3 mm long T3 screws securing the front camera bracket.

Remove the three 3 mm long T3 screws securing the front camera bracket.

Step 18

              Remove the front camera bracket
  • Remove the front camera bracket.

Remove the front camera bracket.

Step 19

              Determine which camera to remove
  • Determine which camera you wish to replace:
  • Normal angle camera
  • Wide angle camera

Determine which camera you wish to replace:

Normal angle camera

Wide angle camera

Step 20

              Disconnect the front camera(s)
  • Use the point of a spudger to carefully pry up and disconnect the cameras from their motherboard sockets.
  • Be very careful not to dislodge the small surface-mounted components surrounding the sockets.

Use the point of a spudger to carefully pry up and disconnect the cameras from their motherboard sockets.

Be very careful not to dislodge the small surface-mounted components surrounding the sockets.

Step 21

              Loosen the front camera(s)
  • The cameras are lightly adhered in place.
  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry up and loosen the camera modules from their recess.

The cameras are lightly adhered in place.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry up and loosen the camera modules from their recess.

Step 22

              Remove the front-facing camera(s)
  • Remove the front-facing cameras.

Remove the front-facing cameras.

Step 23

              Remove one loudspeaker screw
  • Remove the 4 mm long T3 screw securing the top-right corner of the loudspeaker.
  • Removing this screw will give you slightly more wiggle room when removing the motherboard.

Remove the 4 mm long T3 screw securing the top-right corner of the loudspeaker.

Removing this screw will give you slightly more wiggle room when removing the motherboard.

Step 24

              Remove the button array connector bracket
  • Remove the two 3 mm long T3 screws securing the button array connector bracket.

Remove the two 3 mm long T3 screws securing the button array connector bracket.

Step 25

  • Remove the button array connector bracket.

Remove the button array connector bracket.

Step 26

              Disconnect the earpiece speaker
  • Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the earpiece connector from its motherboard socket.
  • Carefully remove the connector pad surrounding the earpiece socket.

Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the earpiece connector from its motherboard socket.

Carefully remove the connector pad surrounding the earpiece socket.

Step 27

              Disconnect the motherboard connectors
  • Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the following:
  • Microphone connector
  • Button array connector
  • Earpiece connector (should already be disconnected)

Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the following:

Microphone connector

Button array connector

Earpiece connector (should already be disconnected)

Step 28

  • Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the following:
  • Charging coil connector
  • Left squeeze sensor connector
  • Display connector
  • Right squeeze sensor connector
  • Loudspeaker connector
  • USB-C port connector

Charging coil connector

Left squeeze sensor connector

Display connector

Right squeeze sensor connector

Loudspeaker connector

USB-C port connector

Step 29

              Remove the motherboard screws
  • Remove the two 3 mm long T3 screws securing the motherboard.

Remove the two 3 mm long T3 screws securing the motherboard.

Step 30

              Loosen the motherboard
  • Insert the point of a spudger underneath the motherboard, near the rear-facing camera module.
  • Pry up gently to loosen the motherboard from its recess.
  • If the motherboard is not budging, make sure you have disconnected all the connectors.
  • The motherboard has to squeeze past the earpiece speaker cable. If too much pressure is put on the earpiece cable, the earpiece speaker will pop open. You can prevent this by pressing on the earpiece module with a finger while you maneuver the motherboard out.
  • If the earpiece speaker pops open (as shown in the third photo of this step), carefully align and press the module back in place.

Insert the point of a spudger underneath the motherboard, near the rear-facing camera module.

Pry up gently to loosen the motherboard from its recess.

If the motherboard is not budging, make sure you have disconnected all the connectors.

The motherboard has to squeeze past the earpiece speaker cable. If too much pressure is put on the earpiece cable, the earpiece speaker will pop open. You can prevent this by pressing on the earpiece module with a finger while you maneuver the motherboard out.

If the earpiece speaker pops open (as shown in the third photo of this step), carefully align and press the module back in place.

Step 31

  • Don’t attempt to remove the motherboard from the phone. It’s still attached to the phone.
  • While you perform this step, take care to keep slack on the antenna cables attached to the bottom leg of the motherboard.
  • Lift the top half of the motherboard slightly to clear the board from its recess.
  • Twist the left edge of the board over and out of the phone and rest the board on the right edge of the phone.

Don’t attempt to remove the motherboard from the phone. It’s still attached to the phone.

While you perform this step, take care to keep slack on the antenna cables attached to the bottom leg of the motherboard.

Lift the top half of the motherboard slightly to clear the board from its recess.

Twist the left edge of the board over and out of the phone and rest the board on the right edge of the phone.

Step 32

              Disconnect the rear-facing camera
  • Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the rear-facing camera from its motherboard socket.

Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the rear-facing camera from its motherboard socket.

Step 33

              Remove the rear-facing camera
  • Remove the rear-facing camera.
  • If your replacement camera module has a plastic spacer, be sure to remove it before you install the module.
  • Make sure the lens surface is smudge and dust free before you install the camera assembly.

Remove the rear-facing camera.

If your replacement camera module has a plastic spacer, be sure to remove it before you install the module.

Make sure the lens surface is smudge and dust free before you install the camera assembly.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.

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                    Arthur Shi

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