The Google Pixel 3 is dust- and water-resistant and just like any other smartphones with IP68 certification, it is a notch-free device. This means that glue plays a big part in keeping all components together and it wouldn’t be easy dealing with it. You should also know that once the phone is opened, it may not be as water-resistant as before.
In this post, I will walk you through in safely removing the back cover of your Pixel 3. You will be spending more time dealing with it since it’s the primary protection of the phone. It’s difficult to remove it because of the adhesive but not impossible and depending on your know-how, it may take just a few minutes before you can pop the back panel open. So, continue reading as this post may be able to help you.
Now, before we move on to our tutorial, if you are looking for a solution to a different problem, then visit our Pixel 3 Help Guides for we have already addressed some of the most common issues with this device. There could already be articles on our site that could help you fix the problem.
Things you need
- Suction cup
- Plastic prying tools
- Heat gun or hair dryer
- Screwdriver
How to remove the back cover
You will be spending more time cracking the back cover of your device since it’s thoroughly glued onto the frame. As you know, the Pixel 3 is already an IP68-certified which means to say that it’s water-resistant that’s why it’s impossible for liquid to get in because of all the glue used to keep components in place especially the back cover.
- Using the heat gun, heat up the edges of the back cover until it would be uncomfortable to touch it. Just apply enough heat to loosen the adhesive and remember that applying too much heat may damage the battery. And when applying heat, do not point the gun in one place, always move around the edges.
- Once the cover is hot enough, put the suction cup on the lower part of the phone or where the USB port is.
- Gently lift the suction cup until you can see a slight opening between the back cover and the frame. After applying reasonable amount of upwards pressure, the back cover should separate slightly from the frame but if it doesn’t, you may need to apply more heat.
- Place a prying tool into the crack to prevent the glue from sticking back to the frame.
- Move the prying tool along the sides to loosen the adhesive but be very gentle in doing this so as not to mess up some components. Also, don’t push the prying tool too deep. You may use more prying tools if necessary. If the phone cools down before the back cover is removed, try applying heat again to loosen up the adhesives.
- Once the back cover is loose enough, lift it gently so as not to break the flex cable of the fingerprint scanner.
- The fingerprint scanner flex cable is secured by a bracket and a couple of screws. Remove the screws to remove the back cover and you can disconnect the flex cable after that.
- Once the flex cable of the fingerprint sensor is removed, the back cover is detached from the phone. You may now begin removing modules you want replaced.
I hope that this how-to post has helped you one way or another. Please help us spread the word by sharing this post to your friends or people who may also have similar problems. Thanks for reading!
