Pixel 3a XL - Replacing the display

Turn off your Google Pixel 3a XL before repairing to avoid a potential short circuit.

1. Press and hold the power button on your device until a menu appears on the display.
2. Then press "Switch off" on the menu and wait until your phone has shut down.

The Google Pixel 3a XL is opened via the display, which is glued to the frame of your device.
In order to be able to open your device, you have to heat the glue with hot air in advance.

1. Heat the adhesive by blowing it evenly over the device's edge with a hot-air dryer or ordinary hair dryer. Heat the upper and lower parts of the display in particular, as this is where most of the adhesive is located.

As a rule of thumb, always heat the unit only enough so that you can still touch it without it getting uncomfortably hot.

1. Place the suction cup on the lower part of the display and pull it upwards to lift the display. At the same time try to create a narrow gap between the display and the frame using a flat and stable tool like the iFlex.
2. Then carefully move the iFlex or an iPlastix around the entire edge of the display to gradually loosen the adhesive.

The iFlex is made of metal and has a sharp edge, whereas the iPlastix is made of flexible plastic and therefore has less sharp edges.
To avoid scratches on your device, we recommend that you start with the iFlex, as this is easier to create a gap, and continue with the iPlastix as soon as possible.

1. Always warm up the area you are working on and be careful when doing so.
2. Slide flat picks into the already loosened areas,so that the adhesive won't reattach.

Do not push your tool too far into the area of the front camera, so that you do not damage it!

1. If the adhesive is loose along the entire display edge, you can carefully fold the display inwards towards the charging socket.

• 2 × 4,3 mm Torx T3
• Connector

1. First carefully detach the foil over the display connector.
2. Then unscrew the two screws of the cover plate with a Torx screwdriver.
3. Remove the cover plate.
4. Carefully drive a plastic spudger under the display connector to disconnect it.

The display connector is attached to the mainboard, which is located directly under the black cover.
When disconnecting the plug, be careful not to damage the board with the spudger!

1. Once the display connector is detached, you can remove the display completely and put it aside.

• Connector

1. Take the new display and detach the protective film that holds the display cable in place.
2. Then place the display connector on the connector opening and carefully press it down until it clicks into place.

It may take several attempts before the display connector engages properly. So do not lose courage immediately.

1. Carefully flip the display over and switch on your device.
2. Drag an app along the edge of the screen and zigzag across the touch screen to test if your new spare part works properly everywhere.

It's important to test the new display before you install it permanently, so you'll notice potential errors before the display is stuck back in place.

1. Turn your device off again for the following repair steps to avoid damage from a potential short circuit.
2. Remove the replacement display for the following steps and put it aside.

1. Before applying the new adhesive frame, first remove old adhesive residues by carefully scraping them off with your finger, tweezers or a spudger.
2. Once all adhesive residues have been removed, you can position the new adhesive frame with the coloured film facing upwards to make sure that the cut-outs for camera etc. are correctly aligned.
3. Turn the adhesive frame over so that the white side is facing up, under which the actual adhesive film is located.
4. Peel off the outermost edge of the white side of the adhesive frame so that the adhesive film underneath gets visible.
5. Make sure the frame is aligned correctly before you turn it over again and press it down.
6. Gently press the adhesive frame down on the edge.

Make sure you attach the adhesive frame as smooth as possible to prevent air from being trapped underneath!

1. Once the adhesive frame is in place, you can remove the middle section.

1. Remove all remaining protective films on the inside of the new display. Do not forget the small protective film on the front camera.

• Connector
• 2 × 4,3 mm Torx T3

1. Place the prepared display face down on your smartphone.
2. Attach the display connector by carefully pressing it onto the plug until it locks into place.
3. Now put the cover plate of the display connector back on and screw it tight.

Take care not to overstretch the sensitive flexible cables.

1. Peel off the coloured protective film of the already attached adhesive frame, so that only the transparent adhesive film remains on your Pixel 3a XL.
   We recommend using tweezers to do this.
2. Also remove all punched out parts of the adhesive strip on the openings for e.g. the camera and the earpiece.
3. When the protective film is completely removed, you can put on the new display and press it down carefully.
4. Heat the display edge again with hot air so that the adhesive can bond properly. You can also weigh down your device with some books.

1. Test the glued display once again to make sure it is working properly.
2. Proceed in the same way as the first test (step 4): After switching on your device, drag an app along the edge of the display and randomly across the display.
3. Also check the brightness of your new screen.