DIY: Screen Replacement For Samsung Galaxy S4

The Galaxy S4 is one of Samsung’s most popular smartphones and one issue that I have seen with a lot of Galaxy S4 smartphones is that the front glass gets easily cracked. It’s not just me as there are lots of people who have had this problem just a few days after purchasing the Galaxy S4. This problem isn’t just common with the S4, but I’ve seen a lot of Galaxy phones, including the Galaxy S3, with cracked screens.

A while back, I wrote a guide on replacing the glass on the Galaxy S3 and in this post, I’ll tell you how you can replace the glass on your Galaxy S4. I’m sure a lot of you might think that it’s easier just to go to a mobile store and get it replaced, but you’ll have to spend a lot of money that way. If you’re good with tools and have patience, then continue reading to find out how you can replace the glass on your Galaxy S4 without emptying your wallet.

This guide on screen replacement for Samsung Galaxy S4 focuses on repairing the front glass on the Galaxy S4 and not the actual display so your phone’s actual LCD display should be working if you want to replace the front glass.

What You Need

If you have ever replaced the screen on your phone through a mobile store, then you’ll know how much it costs. If you’re willing to do it on your own, then you’ll save a lot of money. You can get this replacement package from Amazon for about $19.99 with all the relevant tools. You might also want to look at other websites and your local phone store to check whether you can find a similar replacement package for a lower price.

Aside from that, you’ll also need a heat gun in order to heat the glue below the cracked screen. You can also use a powerful hair dryer, but using a hair dryer will take a lot longer. Therefore, I recommend that you buy a heat gun if you don’t already own one. Finally, you’ll need a lot of patience and hard work to successfully replace the screen on the Galaxy S4. The people at the mobile store don’t charge you for something really simple and they put in a lot of effort so you’ll need to put in a lot of effort if you want to do this on your own.

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How To Replace The Screen

Before proceeding with the steps below, make sure that you do this at your own discretion. This will void your warranty and if something goes wrong, then your phone might not even boot up so make sure that you follow all the instructions and do this at your own responsibility. Also, you should only do this if you have used tools before.

Step 1

Remove the back cover and battery from your Galaxy S4. Also, slide out your SIM and micro SD cards.

Step 2

Use your heat gun over the glass on your Galaxy S4 to heat up the glue. Do this for about 2 to 4 minutes and use the heat gun at the lowest pressure or setting. If you’re using a hair dryer, this will take a lot longer. Don’t heat up the glass too much and don’t use the heat gun really close to the phone as this might melt the digitizer. If you see any discoloration on the screen, then turn off the heat gun instantly.

Step 3

Try to lift the glass around the edges using the plastic picks that came inside the replacement package. Be patient and do this slowly around all the edges. You might want to use the heat gun again on the edges if the glass is not lifting. Be extra careful when moving towards the bottom of the screen as the touch buttons are glued to the glass and you’ll need to take them off. Make sure that some of the picks are in place behind the screen when you’re working on another edge so that the other edge doesn’t get glued again.

Step 4

Use the plastic separation tools to slowly remove the glass from the digitizer. Make sure that you spend a lot of time here as getting this step is crucial.

Step 5

Once the glass is completely removed, clean the digitizer with a cloth. You can also use any LCD cleaning cloths or sprays to clean the digitizer.

Step 6

Use the adhesive on the edges on your Galaxy S4. You can use 3M 2mm strips if the adhesive didn’t come with your replacement package.

Step 7

If the replacement glass has a plastic cover on the inner side, remove it. Make sure that you don’t get any dust on the replacement glass.

Step 8

Place the new glass on your Galaxy S4 gently. Make sure that you’re extremely careful here and take your time to put the glass on properly. After putting on the screen, you can remove any plastic cover on the outer side of the replacement glass. That’s it! You have successfully replaced the glass on your Galaxy S4 and your phone is now good as new.

Step 9

Insert the battery, SIM and micro SD cards back in and put on the back cover on the phone.

(Image Credits: www.ifixit.com)

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Conclusion

I have used various smartphones from some of the most popular manufacturers but I’ve never come across the screen cracking problem on any device that most Samsung Galaxy users face. I’ve heard that the screen can get cracked even if the phone falls on a soft surface. This might be a universal Samsung problem or it might be a problem with some units. Make sure that you use your Samsung Galaxy S4 with extreme care because if you crack the glass, you’ll either have to spend a lot of money or put in a lot of effort to replace the glass. If you weren’t careful before and cracked your screen, you can use the method mentioned above to replace the screen on your Galaxy S4.

Consider looking at the best cases for the Samsung Galaxy S4 to protect your phone from this problem.

Most glass replacement packages are quite cheap and you’ll be able to find them, with all the relevant tools, in under $20. If you haven’t used any tools before, then I suggest you get the screen replaced from your local phone store. If, however, you feel that the process isn’t that difficult or if you know your way around the tools, then doing this on your own can help you save a lot of money. Make sure you do this at your own risk and that you are relaxed before beginning as it will take a lot of time and patience. Follow all the instructions properly on screen replacement for Samsung Galaxy S4 and feel free to ask any questions below.

Feel free to checkout our S4 Otterbox review if you really want to protect your phone.