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Featured Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

19

Time Required

                          1 - 2 hours

Sections

4

  • Back Panel
  • 8 steps
  • Shield Plate
  • 2 steps
  • Nintendo Switch Lite Battery Disconnection
  • 3 steps
  • Battery
  • 6 steps

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Introduction

The Switch Lite uses JIS screws, but you can use a Phillips screwdriver in a pinch. Be very careful not to strip the screws. iFixit’s Phillips bits are designed to be cross-compatible with JIS-style screws.

For your safety, discharge your battery below 25% before disassembling your Switch. This reduces the risk of a dangerous thermal event if the battery is accidentally damaged during the repair. If your battery is swollen, take appropriate precautions.

Note: This procedure requires removing the shield plate, which is bonded to the heat sink with thermal paste. The thermal paste will need to be cleaned off and reapplied before reinstalling the shield plate.

What you need

Step 1

              Remove the back panel screws
  • Before beginning this repair, make sure that the device is completely turned off.
  • Use a Y00 screwdriver to remove the four 6.3 mm-long screws securing the back panel.
  • Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

Before beginning this repair, make sure that the device is completely turned off.

Use a Y00 screwdriver to remove the four 6.3 mm-long screws securing the back panel.

Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

1024

Step 2

              Remove the top and bottom back panel screws
  • Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the following screws securing the back panel:
  • Two 3.6 mm-long screws on the top of the device
  • Two 3.6 mm-long screws on the bottom of the device
  • To prevent these tight screws from stripping, apply firm downward force, work slowly and try a different screwdriver if the screws won’t come out.

Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the following screws securing the back panel:

Two 3.6 mm-long screws on the top of the device

Two 3.6 mm-long screws on the bottom of the device

To prevent these tight screws from stripping, apply firm downward force, work slowly and try a different screwdriver if the screws won’t come out.

Step 3

              Release the clips securing the back panel
  • Insert an opening tool into the left speaker grille on the bottom of the device.
  • Twist the opening tool to release the clips securing the back panel.
  • Avoid inserting the opening tool further than required to prevent damage to the speaker module.

Insert an opening tool into the left speaker grille on the bottom of the device.

Twist the opening tool to release the clips securing the back panel.

Avoid inserting the opening tool further than required to prevent damage to the speaker module.

Step 4

              Continue releasing the clips around the device
  • Slide the opening tool around the bottom-left corner to release the clips on the left side of the device.

Slide the opening tool around the bottom-left corner to release the clips on the left side of the device.

Step 5

              Twist to release the clips
  • Insert an opening tool into the right speaker grille on the bottom of the device.
  • Twist the opening tool to release the clips.
  • Avoid inserting the opening tool further than required to prevent damage to the speaker module.

Insert an opening tool into the right speaker grille on the bottom of the device.

Twist the opening tool to release the clips.

Step 6

              Slide and pry around the corners
  • Slide and pry the opening tool around the bottom-right corner to release the clips on the right side of the device.

Slide and pry the opening tool around the bottom-right corner to release the clips on the right side of the device.

Step 7

  • Continue sliding and prying the opening tool along the gap on the top of the device to release the clips.

Continue sliding and prying the opening tool along the gap on the top of the device to release the clips.

Step 8

              Remove the back panel
  • Lift the bottom edge of the back panel, opening it like a book.
  • Remove the back panel.

Lift the bottom edge of the back panel, opening it like a book.

Remove the back panel.

Step 9

              Remove the shield plate
  • Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the following four screws:
  • Three 3.1 mm screws
  • One 4.5 mm screw

Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the following four screws:

Three 3.1 mm screws

One 4.5 mm screw

Step 10

  • Use a spudger or your fingers to lift the shield plate up and out of the device.
  • You may feel a bit of resistance. This is normal, since the shield plate is slightly bonded to the heat sink with thermal paste.
  • Remove the shield plate.
  • Clean off the old thermal paste from the shield plate and heat sink using isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth. Apply new thermal paste to the heat sink before reassembly.

Use a spudger or your fingers to lift the shield plate up and out of the device.

You may feel a bit of resistance. This is normal, since the shield plate is slightly bonded to the heat sink with thermal paste.

Remove the shield plate.

Clean off the old thermal paste from the shield plate and heat sink using isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth. Apply new thermal paste to the heat sink before reassembly.

Step 11

              Disconnect the battery
  • Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the motherboard interconnect cable’s ZIF connector.

Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the motherboard interconnect cable’s ZIF connector.

Step 12

  • Use a pair of tweezers to slide the interconnect cable out of its connector on the motherboard.

Use a pair of tweezers to slide the interconnect cable out of its connector on the motherboard.

Step 13

  • Use the point of a spudger to pry the battery connector straight up and out of its socket on the motherboard.

Use the point of a spudger to pry the battery connector straight up and out of its socket on the motherboard.

Step 14

              Remove the battery
  • Apply a few drops of adhesive remover or high-concentration (90% or higher) isopropyl alcohol inside the battery recess along the top edge to weaken the adhesive.
  • If you are using adhesive remover, follow these preparation steps first.

Apply a few drops of adhesive remover or high-concentration (90% or higher) isopropyl alcohol inside the battery recess along the top edge to weaken the adhesive.

If you are using adhesive remover, follow these preparation steps first.

Step 15

  • Tilt the top edge of the device upward to allow the isopropyl alcohol to work its way underneath the battery.
  • Hold for 1-2 minutes to allow time for the isopropyl alcohol to weaken the adhesive.

Tilt the top edge of the device upward to allow the isopropyl alcohol to work its way underneath the battery.

Hold for 1-2 minutes to allow time for the isopropyl alcohol to weaken the adhesive.

Step 16

  • Insert an opening pick into the gap between the battery and the wall of the battery well.
  • Carefully dig the tip of the opening pick underneath the battery and slide it along the edge to begin slicing the adhesive.
  • Take care not to puncture or bend the battery with your tool—a punctured or bent battery may leak dangerous chemicals or cause a thermal event.

Insert an opening pick into the gap between the battery and the wall of the battery well.

Carefully dig the tip of the opening pick underneath the battery and slide it along the edge to begin slicing the adhesive.

Take care not to puncture or bend the battery with your tool—a punctured or bent battery may leak dangerous chemicals or cause a thermal event.

Step 17

  • Leave the opening pick in place and apply a few more drops of adhesive remover or isopropyl alcohol inside the battery well.
  • Tilt the top edge of the device upward and wait 1-2 minutes for the isopropyl alcohol to weaken the adhesive.
  • Continue working the opening pick along the top edge of the battery, slicing more of the adhesive underneath.

Leave the opening pick in place and apply a few more drops of adhesive remover or isopropyl alcohol inside the battery well.

Tilt the top edge of the device upward and wait 1-2 minutes for the isopropyl alcohol to weaken the adhesive.

Continue working the opening pick along the top edge of the battery, slicing more of the adhesive underneath.

Step 18

  • Once there’s enough room, insert a plastic card underneath the battery and slowly pry the battery up.
  • You may need to apply more isopropyl alcohol if you have difficulty prying.
  • Do not bend the battery while prying.
  • Remove the battery.
  • Do not reuse the battery after it has been removed, as doing so is a potential safety hazard. Replace it with a new battery.

Once there’s enough room, insert a plastic card underneath the battery and slowly pry the battery up.

You may need to apply more isopropyl alcohol if you have difficulty prying.

Do not bend the battery while prying.

Remove the battery.

Do not reuse the battery after it has been removed, as doing so is a potential safety hazard. Replace it with a new battery.

Step 19

  • Use adhesive remover or isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth to clean up any remaining adhesive left behind in the battery well before installing the new battery.
  • If your new battery does not come with pre-installed adhesive, follow this guide to install pre-cut adhesive on the bottom of the battery.

Use adhesive remover or isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth to clean up any remaining adhesive left behind in the battery well before installing the new battery.

If your new battery does not come with pre-installed adhesive, follow this guide to install pre-cut adhesive on the bottom of the battery.

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

For optimal performance, calibrate your newly installed battery after completing this guide.

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 Nintendo Switch Lite Answers community for help.

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                                                                                      15 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 4 other contributors 


                    Craig Lloyd

Member since: 02/10/2016

28,344 Reputation

                                      82 Guides authored                  



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Aryana Lograsso - Nov 17, 2020

Reply

Hello!

I am preparing to repair my daughters nintendo switch light. It has stopped charging out of no where. I have all the tools, I just can’t find the battery anywhere. Where would you recommend buying it from?

Edward hett - Dec 9, 2022

If you are still looking Ifixit sells one themselves Nintendo Switch Lite Battery

vmgm - Feb 11, 2021

Reply

Unfortunately, the battery was much harder to remove than I expected. I did use a lot of isopropyl alcohol, but the adhesive they use really was giving me a lot of trouble. I should’ve wisened up and googled other adhesive removal methods or tried a new approach other than prying with the spudgers.

Well, now the LCD now has what looks like pressure damage in the bottom left where I’d imagine a lot of the prying pressure went. It is much more noticeable when the screen goes all-white, and not too bad with darker colors.

Craig Lloyd - Feb 12, 2021

Yikes! Sorry to hear this. How did you pry with the spudger exactly? If you kept it around the top edge of the battery well then I would assume it wouldn’t damage the screen, but if you inserted the end of the spudger deeper in the battery well and used that point as the fulcrum, then I could see that putting a lot of pressure on the back of the LCD.

vmgm - Feb 15, 2021

@craiglloyd I did an embarrassing amount of spudger prying pretty much everywhere along the top/bottom of the battery, I actually broke a few spudger tips in the process so that might reveal something about my approach…

But, I’m starting to think it may not be LCD damage after all, but rather some isopropyl alcohol caught behind the screen– During my prying, the Switch case was getting pretty heavily warped, so maybe some of the alcohol (that I definitely used in excess) slipped in and got sandwiched under the screen? I started to notice this since the blotches seem like they’ve moved over time. Here’s an image of the screen now https://imgur.com/DjYmFnJ (and the dark gray blotch along the leftside isn’t a shadow, white spots in bottom left I thought were pressure damage)

It’s still very usable / not noticeable on black colors and thanks again for the guide! I can give the screen more time to see if it improves at all, or maybe try going back in and trying to see it is trapped alcohol that can be released