Introduction
Use this guide to remove or replace the screen and fingerprint sensor on your Motorola Moto Z2 Force. The fingerprint sensor on the Z2 Force is very difficult to remove from the screen assembly, so if you need to replace it, we suggest replacing the entire screen assembly.
Before you begin, download the Rescue and Smart Assistant app to backup your device and diagnose whether your problem is software or hardware related.
For your safety, discharge your battery below 25% before disassembling your phone. 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.
What you need
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When separating the sides of the screen assembly from the device's frame, you will need to release five metal clips securing it in place.
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Three of these clips are located on the left side of the device, and two are located on the right side.
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You will need to work around these clips with your opening pick in order to fully release them.
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You can either carefully slide an opening pick around these clips, or leave a pick on one side of the clip while prying the other side with another pick.
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Insert a Jimmy or other metal tool between the right side of the plastic display and the metal frame, near the phone's side buttons.
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Tilt the Jimmy downward while continuing to push it deeper into the gap to pry up the right side of the screen assembly.
No — *slaps wrist* No. Bad steps! Don’t use the suction cup at all, ever. It causes the two layers to separate immediately, long before the frame clips give way to let the screen come off.
I’m being super ultra very careful with this second attempt on a new device (that was in pretty pristine condition, if I can keep it that way!), and right when I tried pulling as instructed, the screen layers started to pull apart. Use a blade shoved into the edge of the phone and pry it apart, releasing the latches in the process!
I have to agree with Matt above. At the smallest bit of pressure on the suction cup, the screen de-laminated from the metal base. It still “works”, but….
None of the tools in the kit is terribly suited for getting in there and prying that clip apart without splitting the screen.
lease Read the Comments poste on “STEP 2”, When you apply the heat, the screen becomes unglued from the metal fram that it is attached to. I ended up damaging my screen. You need to make sure that what is coming unglued is the metal, and not just the plastic screen. I found out when I saw another video, where they do not apply heat, they just use a tool to pry the frame-display assembly… But apparently it was too late… You should be more specific about the warning…
A jimmy does not come with the kit. Buy one before beginning this procedure. It is the best way to lift the screen assembly without damaging the assembly.
This whole guide has been rewritten since my last comment, and I super appreciate it. The steps are now much more appropriate and less likely to cause damage. Jamming your Jimmy (huehue) into the edge of the screen is actually quite a good idea, not likely to hit anything as there’s nothing but body underneath it.
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Slide your opening pick all along the right side of the device to release the clips and adhesive securing the screen assembly.
this is really for the digitizer and screen replacement. there are still more steps for just the screen.
There is an enormous amount of adhesive sticking this thing together. As the adhesive is not essential (it holds together with clips, mostly), you really need to focus on *removing* the adhesive, so that it doesn’t stretch and bunch-up, preventing clean reassembly. Leave behind the adhesive that you can prevent from bunching-up (by cleanly breaking it, in turn by holding down one edge to the phone or screen), so you have some sticky left, but just make sure it’s not bunched-up.
Revisiting this comment a year later: there’s now replacement adhesive available (or maybe there always was - wish I knew!) for this model in the iFixit store. So, it would be best to remove the adhesive whereever you see it, cleaning everything up and preparing for the new adhesive. That darn adhesive in step 9 below, though… ugh. Work slow, don’t expect it to all be apart by this point.
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Once the screen assembly's right edge is separated, slide your pick around the bottom right corner of the device so it is underneath the bottom edge of the assembly.
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Slide the tool all along the bottom edge of the phone to slice through the adhesive securing the screen assembly and release the plastic clips.
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Leave your tool underneath the bottom edge of the screen assembly to prevent it from re-adhering to the frame. Continue to the next step with a new tool.
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Insert another opening pick underneath the bottom edge of the screen assembly and slide it around the bottom left corner of the device so it is underneath the assembly's left edge.
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Slide your tool all along the left edge of the phone to separate the metal clips and adhesive securing the screen assembly.
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There are two large pads of adhesive securing the screen assembly near the top edge but further past the 4 mm that have already been sliced through.
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The front facing sensor array and cable surround the right patch of adhesive from the top and right, so prying or slicing from the top or right edge may damage the cable. The following steps will describe how to separate the adhesive from the left edge.
This is a tricky part. See the biggest red-squared section in the photo above? That part always wants to detach — the adhesive to the screen is stronger than the molding that holds the metal into the plastic. The metal will detach from the plastic pretty easily, and there’s no way to get that metal back into the plastic frame (as it seems to have been molded as a single part). So, the adhesive is a booby-trap.
To defuse the booby-trap, heat the heck out of it, insert one end of tweezers (or perhaps a spudger) from the right side, hold the metal plate down, and verrry slooowwly convince the adhesive to separate. At some point, it’ll start cascading and snap free.
The metal finger area, between the two red squared sections above, also is a problem area — it’s latched into a frame above the battery, and those latches can get pulled up on top of the frame, preventing the phone from reassembling clean and flat. Make sure to re-insert those tabs so that little edge with the metal fingers sits flat and proper.
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Insert an opening pick as deep as possible under the top left corner of the screen assembly to slice through the left patch of adhesive.
I found that a plastic card inserted from the left side, and worked with a sawing motion, between the screen and the adhesive worked great after the adhesive was softened by the alcohol.
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Slowly and carefully slide the flat end of a spudger under the left edge of the screen assembly. Gradually insert it deeper to pry up the top edge of the assembly and release the right patch of adhesive.
Again, pay careful attention to the strong block of adhesive sticking the display to a metal shield that’s molded into the plastic frame - the adhesive strength is quite likely to pull out the metal shield from the plastic frame and there’s no going back from that. Not as catastrophic as ripping a ribbon cable, but still pretty bad. See my comment a couple photos up about that.
I added some alcohol directly to the adhesive patches on this side of the phone and waited a couple of minutes before continuing with this step.
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Lift the screen assembly from the right edge and swing it open. It is still attached to the phone chassis at the lower left edge, so do not fully remove it yet.
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If the screen assembly remains stuck, slice the adhesive repeatedly as needed.
Do this only after slicing all the little ribbons of adhesive that hang around - and clean up any gummed-up, bunched-up strands of adhesive after removing it. I worked at detaching adhesive until the screen was totally free, only held by the ribbon cable, before moving on from this step.
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Use a pair of tweezers to remove the black piece of tape covering the battery connector.
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Use a spudger to pry up the locking tab on the display cable's ZIF connector.
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Use a pair of tweezers to slide the display ribbon cable out of the connector.
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Remove the screen assembly.
When reconnecting the display ribbon I found it much easier if you straighten out major 45/90 degree bend that is in the middle of the ribbon until the entire ribbon is all unbent and in parallel with the display face. You will then have a straight shot into the connector without having to hold the display at a 90 degree angle to the chassis and then having to look around, over or through the display to (and if luck is with you) find, lineup and insert the ribbon into the connector. You have to do a little in 3 dimensional thinking to re-bend the ribbon and line the display back up with the chassis but if you’ve made it that far then you should have no problems. Don’t bend the ribbon back and forth too many times.
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Compare your new replacement part 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 the above steps in reverse order.
Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our Answers Community for troubleshooting help.
Compare your new replacement part 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 the above steps in reverse order.
Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our Answers Community for troubleshooting help.
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14 Comments
lol exactly what i was thinking, john!!
like what the !&&*….guide us thru removing the entire screen and then just leave us with our d in our hand lol
Just do the same thing backwards.
Can I use a z2 play screen on the z2 force?
You can but they have a big difference the LCD pixelation. The Z2 Force has 2,560x1,440 pixel resolution while the play has a 1,920x1,080 resolution. So even thought it can be done it is not recommended.
Hello!
Where can I buy Z2 force screen?
I replaced the screen and now the touch is not working. Is there anything I need to know? I tried putting kapton tape around the digi IC Chip and that didn’t work.
Same problem!
Where is the best place to buy a Motorola Z2 Force LCD+Digitizer screen?
Buy a “bad IMEI” phone on eBay. They can’t be activated, but the screen is just fine. I just picked one up for $40 to replace my damaged screen (when I was following a previous version of this guide) - less than half the asking price for an LCD+digitizer alone. It also gives you more experience and a full set of replacement parts (except a motherboard which contains the bad IMEI).
Will this void my warranty or make my insurance deductible higher? My screen is flickering- and I am imagining that perhaps the ribbons need to be unplugged/dusted etc. Do you guys think its worth trying? My thinking is… right now I have to pay $120 for the deductable so why not try to fix it. My fear is- they will auto charge my account for the entire phone.
My Z Force 2 is showing a black screen, but I can tell it’s not dead. I tried the online suggestions of holding the power button down for 30 seconds (it cycles through the “restart” sequence, with all of the attendant sounds, but no visuals), and the second tier suggestion of holding down the power button while also holding down the volume button in the decrease volume position. No luck with that either. Now, even though I’m no longer messing with it, every so often it makes a little buzzing sound, with a bit of vibration, like it’s trying to come back to life. So, first of all, I don’t know if I need to replace the “display and fingerprint sensor” (is that the correct diagnosis?) or is something else at fault, and how would one tell? Secondly, if this IS the correct diagnosis, then there’s the problem of trying to power off the phone, while having no access to the display. And, I’m not sure I can drain the battery, but would taking it out suffice? Finally, do you think my phone repairable? Thx, Gigi
My phone screen went dead, however the touchscreen and fingerprint is still working. Is there any way to test wether it’s the mainboard or screen that’s defective? my phone took some water damage, I flushed it with 99% isopropanol and dried it with rice, however after a while the display first started to display afterimages before giving up entirely… any ideas? I’d rather not replace screen and motherboard.
Can a bad screen short out the phone? I replaced my screen assembly but when I plug in the new screen the phone won’t boot and make any booting noises, but when I unhook the screen assembly it boots and makes all the start up noises? Or could a pin be bent on the screen assembly connector?