3 Ways to Take the Back Off a Samsung Galaxy Phone

An easy-to-follow guide to taking the back off of your Samsung Galaxy phone

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: December 10, 2022

Galaxy S6 through S22

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Galaxy S through S5

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Galaxy A10, A 10e, A12

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

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Things You'll Need

Do you need to fix or repair the glass on the back of your Samsung Galaxy? Taking your phone apart is an advanced repair technique and can damage or even permanently disable your phone. Removing the back cover of your Samsung Galaxy phone will void your warranty. If your phone is still protected under warranty and in need of repairs, you should call Samsung's Customer Service or take it to an officially licensed retailer (like where you purchased the phone) so it can be repaired by professional technicians. This wikiHow teaches you how to remove the back of a Samsung Galaxy phone's housing.

Things You Should Know

Removing the back from your Samsung phone will void your warranty, so the best choice for you is to take it to a licensed repair shop.
For older Galaxy phones, you can pop off the back case using the indents, or you can use a prying tool/pick to unhook the front from the back.
For newer Galaxy phones with adhesive lining the back case, you'll need a pick/prying tool as well as a heat source (like a hair dryer) and a suction cup (that's optional).

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Galaxy S6 through S22

1
Remove your phone's case if necessary. If you have an external case on your Samsung Galaxy, you'll need to remove it before proceeding.
- If you're replacing a battery, you'll want to discharge it to about 25%. This is a safety measure in the case that you puncture the battery.
2
Turn off your Samsung Galaxy. To do so, you'll hold down the Lock button, tap Power off in the pop-up menu, and tap POWER OFF when prompted to confirm your choice.
- You run the risk of short-circuiting your phone or shocking yourself if you take the back cover off while the phone is on.
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3
Remove any SIM and SD cards. This is not required but is recommended to ensure the heat applied to the phone does not damage your SIM and microSD cards, if present.
- Use a SIM card eject tool and push it into the corresponding-sized hole on the left side on top of the phone. This will eject the card tray with the phone's SIM and microSD card slots.
4
Place your phone face-down on a soft surface. This is to avoid scratching the screen while you remove the back cover.
- For example, consider placing a towel or a place mat on a table.
5
Apply heat to the back of the Samsung Galaxy. You'll need to do this for about two minutes. The best way to do this is by using a hair drier or a heat gun, though you must avoid heating one specific spot for more than a second at a time. This loosens the adhesive glue that binds the back of the Samsung Galaxy's housing to the phone's internal frame.^{[1]
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- To avoid damaging your phone, keep the heat gun aimed at the phone's back cover and quickly move it up and down in a zig-zag fashion.
- Alternatively, you can use a microwavable heating pad made specifically for this task. Or you can heat up a prying tool instead of your phone.
6
Insert a spudger into the housing junction seam. There should be a crack where the front and the back parts of the Galaxy's housing meet; this is where you'll insert a spudger, a flathead screwdriver, a credit card, or a similar flat object.
- If you can't find the seam, apply a suction cup to the very edge of your back case, then pull on it gently until you see an opening. If you pull too hard, the glass on your back case could shatter.
- Your goal here is to leverage the back of the housing away from the front, but not to pry it off altogether yet.
7
Run a thin, flat tool up the left or right side of the phone. For example, you might use a guitar pick or a credit card. As you do so, the back of the phone should come away from the front of the housing a bit.
- Make sure the item you use here isn't metal, as a metal object may scratch or otherwise damage the phone.
8
Run your prying tool up the opposite side of the phone. This will result in the bottom of the back of the phone's housing, as well as both the left and right sides, being disconnected from the front of the phone's housing.
- You may apply more heat as needed.
9
Pry the back of the phone up, then pull it away. The last of the adhesive should give way when you do this since only the adhesive at the top of the phone will be holding the back of the phone in place.
- You can apply more heat and/or slide your prying tool along the top of the phone to make this process easier.
- Set the back of your phone aside in a warm, dry place so that you don't damage the phone's internals when you put it back on.
- To reattach the back, all you need to do is press the front and back casings to each other. You may need to add glue if your adhesive isn't working to hold your phone together anymore.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Galaxy S through S5

1
Remove your phone's case if necessary. If you have an external case on your Samsung Galaxy, you'll need to remove it before proceeding.
2
Turn off your Samsung Galaxy. To do so, you'll hold down the Lock button, tap Power off in the pop-up menu, and tap POWER OFF (or, in some cases, OK) when prompted to confirm your choice.
- You run the risk of short-circuiting your phone or shocking yourself if you take the back cover off while the phone is on.
3
Place your phone face-down on a soft surface. This is to avoid scratching the screen while you remove the back cover.
- For example, you might place a towel on a table.
4
Locate the back cover removal slot. Depending on your phone model, this slot's location will vary slightly:
- S4 and S5 - Top-left corner of the back cover.
- S2 and S3 - Top of the back cover.
- S - Bottom of the back cover.
5
Insert a fingernail into the slot. You can also use a small flathead screwdriver, a guitar pick, or a similarly slim object as long as you do so gently.
6
Pry gently the back of the case toward you. It should come away from the phone's body.
7
Pull the back of the case off of the phone. Once you have a firm grasp on the case, you'll pull it away from the phone's body, thereby exposing the battery and SIM card.
- Be sure to store the back of the case in a warm, dry space so that you don't damage the phone's internals when you put it back on the phone.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Galaxy A10, A 10e, A12

1
Turn off your Samsung Galaxy. To do so, you'll hold down the Lock button, tap Power off in the pop-up menu, and tap POWER OFF (or, in some cases, OK) when prompted to confirm your choice.
- You run the risk of short-circuiting your phone or shocking yourself if you take the back cover off while the phone is on.
2
Remove any SIM and SD cards. Leaving anything in these slots increases the risk that you'll break something when you remove the back of the case.
- Use a SIM card eject tool and push it into the corresponding-sized hole on the left side on top of the phone. This will eject the card tray with the phone's SIM and microSD card slots.
3
Use the prying tool to pop the clips holding the cases together. Around the entire edge of the phone, at the edge of the screen, you can see the seam where the back case meets the front case. Stick your prying tool in there and drag it around the phone to open all the clips.
- It's best if you do the sides first and then the top.
4
Pull the back off. Once you've unhooked the sides and top, the back should easily lift off the rest of the phone.
- To put it back on, make sure the Side and Volume buttons are in the back casing and push the casing back into your phone. You should hear the clips secure the pieces together. You may need to use your fingers and push around the edges of your phone to ensure all the clips are hooked.^{[2]
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Community Q&A

Question

What's inside a Galaxy Tab 3?

Community Answer

When you take off the back cover, you will immediately see the battery, several ribbon cables, the camera, and the logic board.
Question

How can I open my Samsung S8?

Wing Hong Chan

Community Answer

You're not supposed to. But if you really need to, first use a hair dryer to melt the adhesive that sticks the back glass in place, then use a suction cup and pry tool to carefully lift the glass off.
Question

How do I put a SIM card in a Galaxy J5?

Community Answer

Once you remove the back cover, you can insert it in the slot located above the battery.

Warnings

Improperly removing the back of the housing from your phone can result in permanent damage or loss of warranty. Be extremely gentle when removing the back of the housing.

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