Introduction
Use this guide to replace the shield plate and both Wi-Fi antennas in your Nintendo Switch OLED. This guide also includes the battery disconnection.
This is a prerequisite-only guide! This guide is part of another procedure and is not meant to be used alone.
The Switch OLED 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.
Note: When you remove the shield plate, you’ll need to replace the thermal compound between the plate and the heatsink. Normal thermal paste isn't designed to bridge large gaps, so you'll need thermal putty or viscous thermal paste. You will, however, need regular replacement thermal paste for the CPU.
What you need
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Use the flat end of a spudger to separate a corner of the tape from the shield plate.
Ask FixBot
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Tool used on this step:Tweezers$4.99
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Use tweezers, or your fingers, to peel back and remove the tape.
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Use tweezers, or your fingers, to pull up and disconnect the primary Wi-Fi antenna's coaxial cable.
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Use tweezers, or your fingers, to reroute the primary antenna's coaxial cable out of its slots in the shield plate.
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Use a Phillips driver to remove the two 4.4 mm screws securing the primary Wi-Fi antenna to the shield plate.
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Insert an opening pick between the primary Wi-Fi antenna and the shield plate.
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Pry up with the pick to separate the primary Wi-Fi antenna from the shield plate.
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Use tweezers, or your fingers, to pull up and disconnect the secondary Wi-Fi antenna's coaxial cable.
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Use the point of a spudger to reroute the secondary Wi-Fi antenna's coaxial cable from its slot in the frame.
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Use a Phillips driver to remove the 4.4 mm screw securing the secondary Wi-Fi antenna to the shield plate.
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Insert an opening pick between the secondary Wi-Fi antenna and the shield plate.
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Pry up with the pick to separate the secondary Wi-Fi antenna from the shield plate.
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Use the point of a spudger to reroute the secondary Wi-Fi antenna's coaxial cable out of its slot in the frame.
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Remove the secondary Wi-Fi antenna.
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Use a Phillips driver to remove the six 4.4 mm screws securing the shield plate to the frame.
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Tool used on this step:iFixit Thermal Putty$9.95
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Use your fingers to lift the top of the shield plate up and away from the frame.
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Remove the shield plate.
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Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the battery.
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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 you install it.
Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Nintendo Switch OLED Answers community for help.
