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Featured Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

18

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

3

  • Motorola Moto X4 Opening Procedure Prerequisite
  • 12 steps
  • Fingerprint Sensor
  • 4 steps
  • Screen
  • 2 steps

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Introduction

As part of the procedure, you will have to transfer the fingerprint sensor from your broken screen to the replacement part.

What you need

Step 1

              Heat the screen
  • Before you begin, turn off your phone.
  • Heat an iOpener and apply it to the left edge of the phone for two minutes.
  • You may need to reheat and reapply the iOpener several times to get the phone warm enough. Follow the iOpener instructions to avoid overheating.
  • A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the phone—the display and internal battery are both susceptible to heat damage.
  • As you wait, take note of the the following areas:
  • Display cable—be careful not to slice too deeply near the edge here, or you may damage the display cable.
  • Fingerprint sensor cable—be careful not to slice too deeply near the edge here, or you may damage the fingerprint sensor cable.

Before you begin, turn off your phone.

Heat an iOpener and apply it to the left edge of the phone for two minutes.

You may need to reheat and reapply the iOpener several times to get the phone warm enough. Follow the iOpener instructions to avoid overheating.

A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the phone—the display and internal battery are both susceptible to heat damage.

As you wait, take note of the the following areas:

Display cable—be careful not to slice too deeply near the edge here, or you may damage the display cable.

Fingerprint sensor cable—be careful not to slice too deeply near the edge here, or you may damage the fingerprint sensor cable.

1024

Step 2

              Create a gap
  • Apply a suction cup to the screen, as close to the heated edge as possible.
  • Pull on the suction cup with strong, steady force to create a gap in the seam.
  • Insert the point of an opening pick into the gap.
  • Depending on the age of your phone, this may be difficult. If you are having trouble, apply heat to the edge and try again.

Apply a suction cup to the screen, as close to the heated edge as possible.

Pull on the suction cup with strong, steady force to create a gap in the seam.

Insert the point of an opening pick into the gap.

Depending on the age of your phone, this may be difficult. If you are having trouble, apply heat to the edge and try again.

Step 3

              Slice the screen adhesive
  • Slide the opening pick along the edge to slice through the adhesive.
  • Leave an opening pick in the seam to prevent the adhesive from re-sealing.

Slide the opening pick along the edge to slice through the adhesive.

Leave an opening pick in the seam to prevent the adhesive from re-sealing.

Step 4

  • Heat the top edge of the phone with an iOpener.
  • Carefully slice around the corner and through the top edge to separate the adhesive.

Heat the top edge of the phone with an iOpener.

Carefully slice around the corner and through the top edge to separate the adhesive.

Step 5

  • Heat the screen’s right edge with an iOpener.
  • Be careful not to slice too deeply near the cables to avoid damaging them.
  • Use an opening pick to slice along the right edge to separate the adhesive.

Heat the screen’s right edge with an iOpener.

Be careful not to slice too deeply near the cables to avoid damaging them.

Use an opening pick to slice along the right edge to separate the adhesive.

Step 6

  • Repeat the previous steps to heat and slice the bottom edge of the phone.

Repeat the previous steps to heat and slice the bottom edge of the phone.

Step 7

  • Do not try to remove the screen yet—it is still attached to the phone by delicate flex cables.
  • Carefully lift up the left edge of the screen and cut away remaining adhesives with an opening pick.

Do not try to remove the screen yet—it is still attached to the phone by delicate flex cables.

Carefully lift up the left edge of the screen and cut away remaining adhesives with an opening pick.

Step 8

  • Swing open the screen and prop it up with a small box as you work on disconnecting the flex cables.
  • During reassembly, this is a good time to power on your phone and test all functions before sealing it up. Be sure to power your phone back down completely before you continue working.

Swing open the screen and prop it up with a small box as you work on disconnecting the flex cables.

During reassembly, this is a good time to power on your phone and test all functions before sealing it up. Be sure to power your phone back down completely before you continue working.

Step 9

              Detach the fingerprint sensor cable
  • Slide the point of a spudger underneath the fingerprint sensor cable and gently pry up to loosen the cable from the phone.
  • Do not pull on the cable. It is still attached to the phone by a delicate ZIF socket.

Slide the point of a spudger underneath the fingerprint sensor cable and gently pry up to loosen the cable from the phone.

Do not pull on the cable. It is still attached to the phone by a delicate ZIF socket.

Step 10

              Disconnect the fingerprint sensor
  • Use the point of a spudger to flip up the lock bar on the fingerprint sensor’s ZIF socket, near the bottom right of the phone.
  • Use tweezers to carefully slide the fingerprint sensor cable out of the socket.

Use the point of a spudger to flip up the lock bar on the fingerprint sensor’s ZIF socket, near the bottom right of the phone.

Use tweezers to carefully slide the fingerprint sensor cable out of the socket.

Step 11

              Disconnect the display cable
  • Use an opening tool to flip up the wide lock bar on the display cable’s ZIF socket, near the top right of the phone.
  • Use tweezers to carefully slide the display cable out of the ZIF socket.

Use an opening tool to flip up the wide lock bar on the display cable’s ZIF socket, near the top right of the phone.

Use tweezers to carefully slide the display cable out of the ZIF socket.

Step 12

              Remove the screen
  • Remove the screen.
  • During reassembly, follow this guide to clean the existing adhesive off and install custom-cut adhesives for your phone.

Remove the screen.

During reassembly, follow this guide to clean the existing adhesive off and install custom-cut adhesives for your phone.

Step 13

              Heat the fingerprint sensor
  • Apply a heated iOpener to the fingerprint sensor for one minute to soften the adhesive gasket.

Apply a heated iOpener to the fingerprint sensor for one minute to soften the adhesive gasket.

Step 14

              Loosen the fingerprint sensor
  • Slide the point of a spudger under the fingerprint sensor cable and gently pry to loosen the cable from the screen.

Slide the point of a spudger under the fingerprint sensor cable and gently pry to loosen the cable from the screen.

Step 15

  • Use an opening tool to pry up and loosen the fingerprint sensor from the screen.

Use an opening tool to pry up and loosen the fingerprint sensor from the screen.

Step 16

              Remove the fingerprint sensor
  • Remove the fingerprint sensor.
  • To reattach the fingerprint sensor, use a precut gasket, or apply some thin strips of Tesa adhesive to the perimeter of the sensor.

Remove the fingerprint sensor.

To reattach the fingerprint sensor, use a precut gasket, or apply some thin strips of Tesa adhesive to the perimeter of the sensor.

Step 17

              Remove the earpiece grille
  • If your replacement screen did not come with an earpiece speaker grille, you will have to transfer it from your original screen.
  • The earpiece speaker grille consists of two small mesh pieces. Be careful not to lose them as you transfer them over.
  • Use the flat edge of a spudger to push the grille from the front side of the screen to loosen it from its recess.
  • Remove the grille.
  • Use some thin strips of Tesa tape to affix the grille to the replacement screen.

If your replacement screen did not come with an earpiece speaker grille, you will have to transfer it from your original screen.

The earpiece speaker grille consists of two small mesh pieces. Be careful not to lose them as you transfer them over.

Use the flat edge of a spudger to push the grille from the front side of the screen to loosen it from its recess.

Remove the grille.

Use some thin strips of Tesa tape to affix the grille to the replacement screen.

Step 18

              Remove the microphone gasket
  • If your replacement part did not come with a lower microphone gasket, use tweezers to carefully peel it from your old screen and transfer it to your replacement part.
  • Compare your new replacement screen to the original part. You may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before installing.

If your replacement part did not come with a lower microphone gasket, use tweezers to carefully peel it from your old screen and transfer it to your replacement part.

Compare your new replacement screen to the original part. You may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before installing.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Motorola Moto X4 Answers community for help.

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                    Arthur Shi

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Andrew Parker - Feb 6, 2020

Reply

This guide really only covers screen removal, and should detail replacing the screen as advertised. Here are a few more steps that should be added:

  1. Transferring old hardware to the new screen (seals, filters, fingerprint sensor, & the grey carbon mat.

  2. Cleaning up old adhesive.

  3. Applying new adhesive, whether it’s the one-piece that ifixit carries (recommended), or Tesa tape.

  4. Installing the new display assembly

Drew S - Mar 13, 2020

Reply

Is it possible to remove and replace only the glass? Can I do that without removing the whole LCD screen and avoid disconnecting/reconnecting wires?

Arthur Shi - Mar 16, 2020

Hi Drew,

I haven’t tried, but I think it is possible to do a glass-only repair for this LCD screen, as long as you have the necessary tools and bonding adhesives. You would still have to deal with the fingerprint sensor, which is sealed onto the glass.

Chris Young - May 11, 2020

Reply

I noticed the fingerprint sensor not being quite as low on the right edge after this. Also, I think it has a bit of “give” now when I press on it with a thumbnail. If the tips of my thumbs weren’t so dry right now I might not have noticed, though.

Dominik Rodriguez - Nov 22, 2022

Hey Chris,

Did you add adhesive to the fingerprint sensor, if you didn’t add some adhesive it may have some play, as most things need to be glued in place, and you could have forgotten to add some new adhesive.