Samsung Galaxy S4 Cracked Front Glass Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

                          1 - 2 hours

Sections

Cracked Front Glass
14 steps

Flags

Member-Contributed Guide

An awesome member of our community made this guide. It is not managed by iFixit staff.

BackSamsung Galaxy S4
Full Screen
Options
History
Save to Favorites
Download PDF
Edit
Translate
Get Shareable Link
Embed This Guide
Notify Me of Changes
Stop Notifications

Introduction

To prevent shards of glass from scratching your LCD, or getting all over your workspace, place a wide strip of tape over the entire screen.

What you need

Step 1

              Cracked Front Glass

Your broken S4, may or may not be as damaged as the one shown in the photo.
I probably shouldn’t have taken some of these photos in portrait, so my apologies but I’m forced to crop it.

Your broken S4, may or may not be as damaged as the one shown in the photo.

I probably shouldn’t have taken some of these photos in portrait, so my apologies but I’m forced to crop it.

1024

Step 2

Remove the back plate, you can simply do this with your fingernail or a spudger.

Remove the back plate, you can simply do this with your fingernail or a spudger.

Step 3

Simply remove the battery using your fingernail or spudger. No cables are attached so it is basic.
If you have a SIM card in the phone, push it inwards then release to eject it.

Simply remove the battery using your fingernail or spudger. No cables are attached so it is basic.

If you have a SIM card in the phone, push it inwards then release to eject it.

Step 4

Heat up the glass for 3-5 minutes. I chose to do it for 4 minutes.
You only need to use your heatgun on the lowest setting. I wouldn’t recommend using a hair drier as it doesn’t get very hot.
You must be careful when using the heat gun on this device. If the device is heated up too much then it may melt the digitizer and cause discoloration. If you start to see any discoloration then shut off the gun immediately.
This procedure softens the adhesive that holds the glass to the screen assembly.

Heat up the glass for 3-5 minutes. I chose to do it for 4 minutes.

You only need to use your heatgun on the lowest setting. I wouldn’t recommend using a hair drier as it doesn’t get very hot.

You must be careful when using the heat gun on this device. If the device is heated up too much then it may melt the digitizer and cause discoloration. If you start to see any discoloration then shut off the gun immediately.

This procedure softens the adhesive that holds the glass to the screen assembly.

Step 5

After you’ve used the heatgun, you want to start by separating the edges of the glass from the rest of the phone, starting from the top.
I used a metal spudger initially, if you’re going to use a metal spudger as well you want to be careful to not damage anything.

After you’ve used the heatgun, you want to start by separating the edges of the glass from the rest of the phone, starting from the top.

I used a metal spudger initially, if you’re going to use a metal spudger as well you want to be careful to not damage anything.

Step 6

Work your way around the edges with plastic picks.
Take your time otherwise the glass will shatter (see second image).
If your screen is overly cracked (looks like spiderwebs) you will want to put several layers of packing tape over your screen to try to keep it in one piece and do everything in your power (go slowly and don’t be shy with the heat) to prevent it from shattering more.
Caution: If your glass happens to shatter you might want to consider wearing safety glasses.
Plastic razor blades you find in a hardware store are great for intricate cleanup like this. Alternatively try guitar plectrums (picks) from a music shop. These won’t scratch the digitizer.

Work your way around the edges with plastic picks.

Take your time otherwise the glass will shatter (see second image).

If your screen is overly cracked (looks like spiderwebs) you will want to put several layers of packing tape over your screen to try to keep it in one piece and do everything in your power (go slowly and don’t be shy with the heat) to prevent it from shattering more.

Caution: If your glass happens to shatter you might want to consider wearing safety glasses.

Plastic razor blades you find in a hardware store are great for intricate cleanup like this. Alternatively try guitar plectrums (picks) from a music shop. These won’t scratch the digitizer.

Step 7

Re-heat the glass frequently. If you find that the glass isn’t coming off easily you will want to apply more heat and then continue.

Re-heat the glass frequently. If you find that the glass isn’t coming off easily you will want to apply more heat and then continue.

Step 8

I never got any photos, but when taking the glass off be very careful near the two touch keys at the bottom of the phone as it can be easy to damage them. They are stuck to the glass and need to be taken off before lifting off the glass.
With the glass removed, you’ll end up like your phone looking like this, with the adhesive residue leftover on the digitizer.

I never got any photos, but when taking the glass off be very careful near the two touch keys at the bottom of the phone as it can be easy to damage them. They are stuck to the glass and need to be taken off before lifting off the glass.

With the glass removed, you’ll end up like your phone looking like this, with the adhesive residue leftover on the digitizer.

Step 9

Clean up the digitizer with lint free wipes or a clean microfiber towel. I used some lens cleaner on a microfiber cloth to clean mine up.
I probably did a terrible job of removing the glass and the digitizer appears scratched. If yours does look like this as well it’s no problem, when the screen is turned on it’s not noticeable.
If you want to really get the screen almost perfectly clean or if the glue residue won’t come off, use some acetone-free nail polish remover. It takes only a few seconds to get all the dirt off and it will evaporate: it will look nearly flawless when you are done.

Clean up the digitizer with lint free wipes or a clean microfiber towel. I used some lens cleaner on a microfiber cloth to clean mine up.

I probably did a terrible job of removing the glass and the digitizer appears scratched. If yours does look like this as well it’s no problem, when the screen is turned on it’s not noticeable.

If you want to really get the screen almost perfectly clean or if the glue residue won’t come off, use some acetone-free nail polish remover. It takes only a few seconds to get all the dirt off and it will evaporate: it will look nearly flawless when you are done.

Step 10

Place the new adhesive around the edges of the phone. If the screen you purchased didn’t come with any you can use 3M 2mm strips.
Peel off the blue bit on the top of the adhesive.

Place the new adhesive around the edges of the phone. If the screen you purchased didn’t come with any you can use 3M 2mm strips.

Peel off the blue bit on the top of the adhesive.

Step 11

Prepare your new glass. If yours is covered both sides like mine then only remove the under side for now.
Do not touch the underside or get any other dust or marks on it, if you do clean it off first.

Prepare your new glass. If yours is covered both sides like mine then only remove the under side for now.

Do not touch the underside or get any other dust or marks on it, if you do clean it off first.

Step 12

Put the new glass on the phone.
EDIT LOCA glue should be used when assembling the screen. There are some good videos on youtube showing how to apply the glue.
Be very careful to prevent the glue from getting in the top (ear piece) speaker and on the front facing camera lens.
Peel off the top plastic cover on the glass.

Put the new glass on the phone.

EDIT LOCA glue should be used when assembling the screen. There are some good videos on youtube showing how to apply the glue.

Be very careful to prevent the glue from getting in the top (ear piece) speaker and on the front facing camera lens.

Peel off the top plastic cover on the glass.

Step 13

Place the battery (and SIM card) back in.

Place the battery (and SIM card) back in.

Step 14

Put the back plate back on and turn your phone on! :)

Put the back plate back on and turn your phone on! :)

Enjoy your S4 without the cracked screen!

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      272 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 10 other contributors

                    Patrick Lee

Member since: 03/10/2013

6,968 Reputation

                                      2 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       19







                                                        +16 more badges

Tim - Feb 22, 2014

Tried it, wrecked the LCD, had to buy a new front assembly :(

Patrick Lee - Mar 11, 2014

That’s unfortunate, sometimes in some unlucky cases the LCD or digitiser tries to come up with the glass which probably means it needs to be heated up for longer with the heatgun.

Logan Kennedy - Mar 28, 2014

Same here. The glass was spiderwebbed and it was frustrating work. About 2 hrs in I must have gotten a little careless because a little extra force and boom…LCD broken.

If your glass has more than a few cracks in it I would say it’s not worth the effort-replace the whole display or take it to a professional.

Gabriel Barrandeguy - Jul 30, 2014

here i made a video how to do that, i hope it helps you

how to change display galaxy s4 (LCD frame in few steps)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85pOvI6O…

florianholtgen - Feb 27, 2014

Can I put on the complete adhesive ? Or must I leave holes ?

Member-Contributed Guide#

Introduction#

What you need#

Member-Contributed Guide

Introduction

What you need