Introduction
Follow this guide to remove and replace a defective fingerprint scanner/home button for the OnePlus 5. The fingerprint scanner is layered underneath the loudspeaker module and the daughterboard. The hardest part of the guide is getting the frame clips of the back cover free to access the internals of the phone.
Some guide images will show the battery already removed from the phone. You do not need to remove the battery for this procedure.
What you need
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Insert a SIM card eject tool, bit, or a straightened paperclip into the small hole below the SIM card tray, located near the rear cameras on the edge of the phone.
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Press firmly to eject the tray.
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Remove the two 2.6 mm T2 screws straddling the USB-C port on the bottom edge of the phone.
What are the reference of the screws ? They are missing in the one I bought !
Hi Yôken,
They help hold the back cover on. Most of the time, the clips are enough to hold the phone together.
Just FYI, for whatever reason my brand new OnePlus 5 had 0,8 mm stars screws instead of T2 Torx.
Definitely T2 for me. Do watch out during assembly. I have a feeling that it’s easy to strip these.
T2 for me too. It was missing in my kit and iFixit sent it later when I asked them about it.
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Display panel seam: This seam is part of the display assembly. Do not pry at this seam, or you will separate and damage the display panel.
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Frame seam: This is where the plastic frame meets the back cover. Only pry at this seam.
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There are twelve clips that hold the frame against the rear case. Be aware of their location as you pry the back cover off in the following steps.
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Place a suction cup near the bottom edge of the display.
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Pull on the suction cup with strong steady force.
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Press the edge of an opening tool straight into the frame seam near the suction cup until the edge wedges between the plastic frame and the back cover's lip.
I found the suction cup to be more of a hindrance and kept hitting the power button, making it necessary to stop and turn the phone off again. I watched a youtube video where the person didn't use a suction cup at all and decided to try that. I also found that a guitar pick type spudger worked far better than the one shown in the picture. If you're having trouble getting it started, I suggest trying those two things.
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Once the opening tool's edge is wedged in position, carefully slide the tool along the bottom edge of the phone.
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Carefully guide the opening tool around the left corner of the phone while keeping the tool's edge within the seam.
This was extremely difficult & took a lot of force. I needed a thin flat metal spudger and wrecked a couple of plastic ones in the process. I left a few scratches along the join in the process. It would be easier if I had something to hold the phone, in my hand I kept turning it on by accident.
what was the metal spudger did you use? I am having trouble as well. I cannot seem to pry the back cover and it feels like it is shut tightly, there are no crevices I can pry into. What was your strategy may I ask?
At first, I slightly opened the body with a plastic tool, but it was not enough to actually open the back cover. Then I used a thin metal screwdriver for this. It was difficult but nothing special. Just be sure that you are opening the correct seam between the body and the screen and don’t make sudden moves. I bent nothing, everything came back in place when reassembled.
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Continue sliding the opening tool along the long edge, releasing the clips along the way.
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With the bottom and left edge of the phone freed, gently wiggle the frame to release the top and right edge clips.
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Align the top edge of the frame to the back cover and ensure that the top clips slip into place.
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Squeeze along the long edges of the phone to snap the remaining clips into place.
Reinstalling the back cover stumped me for a second… If you’re struggling with aligning the top edge of the frame, remember that the camera is going to look off/pointed a bit too low until you actually clip the frame back in.
Really stupid but it was the only thing that tripped me up in this guide.
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Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the back cover flex cable from its socket.
If the flex cable pins are damaged, the flex cable can be replaced.
If the connecter pins (on the motherboard) are damaged, you might need to do microsoldering (or contact a microsoldering company) to replace the damaged connector.
Brendan -
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Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the battery connector from its socket.
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Remove the six 2.6 mm Phillips screws securing the loudspeaker to the frame.
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Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the interconnect flex cable from the socket.
This step is used in multiple guides, and not all of them require the cable to be bent away. You can just leave it sitting there, disconnected.
This image seems to show the daughterboard removed but there is no corresponding previous step. I see no way to remove the interconnect flex cable without removing the daughterboard. Possibly the volume switch can be removed with the cable still connected but I'm not confident enough to try this so will remove the daughterboard.
David,
Thanks for bringing this up. That's indeed a procedural error! I've added the missing steps in the affected guides.
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Use the point of a spudger the pry up and disconnect the fingerprint scanner connector from its socket on the daughterboard.
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Slide the flat end of a spudger underneath the tape covering the fingerprint scanner.
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Lift up to pry and remove the tape.
Hello! Does this silicone tape have the same thickness as the mesh that will be removed during disassembly? Do you have a mesh like that available or do you know a place to purchase it online?? Thanks
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Use your finger to gently lift up the connector end of the fingerprint scanner. Pull upwards slowly. Do not pull directly away from the fingerprint scanner.
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Keep pulling upwards until the fingerprint scanner cable is freed from its recess.
I couldn’t release this by pulling upwards as shown. Maybe I wasn’t brave enough & could have pulled harder. I used a fine pointed end of a scalpel blade under the left side where the QR code is & that, while pulling gently, did the trick.
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Once the fingerprint scanner is loosened from its recess, carefully thread its flex cable through the cutout, out of the front of the display.
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Remove the fingerprint scanner.
My replacement fingerprint scanner did not come with any adhesive to hold it in place and it floated above the surface of the phone. I used a tiny amount of very carefully applied Gorilla contact adhesive which worked but will be a pain to remove next time.
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our OnePlus 5 Answers Community for troubleshooting help.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our OnePlus 5 Answers Community for troubleshooting help.
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8 Comments
Is there an extra step involved so that the button stays countersunk in the new display? Mine seems to be slightly proud of the screen
Hi John,
If you may need to apply some new adhesive to the underside of the fingerprint sensor to hold it in place.
Hi,
I change the fingerprint but only works if don’t close the back cover, when I close the back cover the OS don’t detect the fingerprint sensor. Any idea?
Hey César,
It may be that something is shorting the fingerprint sensor. Did you replace the tape in step 24 with electrical tape?
Great news, finally I found the problem, the connector from daughter board to motherboard was disconnected but a lot of pins maked contact and the micro, and other electronics works but not the fingerprint sensor. I dissasembled the motherboard and pushed the connector from the flex cable to the socket, now all is working ok. Thanks for the response Arthur!
I’m glad you fixed the problem! Thanks for following up!
Hello everyone ! I’m trying to fix my oneplus 5 too. I’m currently replacing the home button but it does not stay in place (the button just ‘stick out’ from the screen). @arthurshi Does the home button must have an ‘adhesive band’ to stick to the screen ? It does not seems to be a clip-able button. I’m not talking about this side https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/ig... . I’m talking about the other, the black ‘screen’ side.
Thank you for your work.
Hi Michaël!
Good question! The button does have some adhesive on it. If the existing adhesive no longer holds the button, I suggest using some double-sided tape to hold the button in place. If you are certain your repair fully works, you can also glue the button down with a bit of E6000 adhesive.
