OnePlus 5T Battery Replacement

Written By: Dominik Schnabelrauch

Comments: 45

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

1 - 2 hours

Introduction

Use this guide to replace a worn-out or dead battery in your OnePlus 5T.

If your battery is swollen, take appropriate precautions. 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.

You’ll need replacement adhesive to reattach components when reassembling the device.

Tools

Parts

OnePlus 5/5T Battery

Step 1

Before you begin, switch off your phone.
Remove the SIM card tray.

Step 2

Remove the two Torx T2 screws (2.5 mm length).
The OnePlus 5T doesn't use a lot of adhesive to secure the backcover, however the clamps are very strong and require some force during the opening procedure.

Could you clarify the statement “The OnePlus 5T doesn't use a lot of adhesive“? Do you mean that it uses adhesive, but only a little? Or do you mean that it doesn’t use any adhesive at all to secure the back, just the clamps?

Avram Grumer - 19/10/20

Hi Avram,

there is a little bit of adhesive underneath the edges of the back cover, however it doesn’t require heating to soften it. In case the back cover doesn’t come of straight away it won’t help to apply an iOpener to further soften the adhesive but requires a little bit more force to open the plastic clamps.

Dominik Schnabelrauch - 22/10/20

i have tried t2 srewdrivers multiple times but they doesn’t seem work, could those be different screws?

Mr Kono -

I had the same problem. I tried a T1 screwdriver, that fit perfectly.

That said, the 'tools' section of this repair doesn't mention any torx screwdriver. That should be updated to include the T2 (or T1, for me!) screwdriver.

Akka -

I purchased the entire kit to do my battery replacement and found the opening tool was not capable of opening my One Plus 5t phone. I tried the tool for at least 30 minutes and couldn’t even get it started. Luckily I had a set of “plastic tools” for removing door panels from cars while doing stereo work. These tools have nice sharp points and are much longer and thicker, providing much better grip and leverage. With these tools, I had the back off the phone in just a few minutes. All the rest of the process was easy to follow and everything worked out great.

David Dery -

I have all of the necessary parts/tools for replacement. Upon removing the two screws from the bottom, one came out no problem first try. The second bolt slipped andbis now completely stripped out. Any advice?

Derek Basham -

Step 3

Insert an opening tool between the display and the backcover at the bottom end of the phone.
Use the opening tool to create a gap between back cover and display.
Insert an opening pick in the gap you created with the opening tool.

Don’t make the same mistake as i did and put the opening tool between the screen and glass rather than the screen and body. Make sure its the second line from the top where you insert your tool

Hayden Rooney -

This part is very difficult, i have been trying to open the phone up, still cannot.

Taz -

The easiest way to open the back cover, is by starting from the bottom right corner, try find a plastic tool that is slim enough to go through the display and back cover.

Taz -

I too had troubles with this step. I recommend having a look at the guide for opening up the back cover of the Oneplus 5 before proceeding. It has a lot of helpful images and the instructions go into far more detail than this one does.

OnePlus 5 Back Cover Replacement

Iceblade02 -

This step was the hardest step for me. I could only succeed with suction cup pliers and a metal pry tool, which unfortunately scratched the device’s edges a little.

Haggai Eran -

I found this hard. Look carefully and use a bright light. There are two small ridges. I worked ages on the top one which isn't actually a gap. You need to work on the bottom one of the two. I used a very small metal screw driver with a thin flat blade. I pushed this in to open the gap a fraction then put a plastic tool in the now slightly opened gap and worked it round.

Duncan Putman -

For opening up the device, OnePlus 5 Back Cover Replacement that Iceblade02 mentions is excellent. The tools in the kit also correspond to it since the new kit that I received last week had no guitar picks and instead had the suction cup.

Anirudh Ramanathan -

Be sure you are getting below the screen's LOWER lip, as in the photo, as HaydenRooney mentions.

Try to minimize flexing of the screen when you are wedging, the clamps (like snaps or tabs) will demand force and you want to avoid turning that into screen flex. There are several forum posts here about device working-but-dark after a repair. Too bad user input is rather folded away on ifixit, and few will see these.

Professor Z -

Step 4

Slide the opening pick to the bottom right corner of the phone.
Insert a second opening pick and slide it to the bottom left corner of the phone.

Step 5

Slide the opening pick around the bottom left corner and then up along the left edge of the phone to open the plastic clamps that secure the backcover.

Step 6

Slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner and then up along the right edge of the phone to open the plastic clamps that secure the backcover.

Step 7

Try not to remove the backcover all the way yet. The fingerprint and the charging port and headphone flex cables are still connected to the motherboard.
Flip your phone and carefully lift the bottom end of the backcover away from the phone assembly. Fold it to left and hold it at an 80° angle.

Step 8

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the fingerprint flex cable.

Step 9

Twist the backcover around 180° and lay it down to align the bottom end of the backcover the top edge of the battery.

Step 10

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the small metal shield which covers the battery and the charging port and headphone jack flex cable connectors.

Step 11

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the charging port and headphone jack flex cable.

Step 12

Remove the backcover.

Step 13

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the battery flex cable.

Step 14

Use a pair of tweezers to unhinge and remove the small metal shield that covers the main and interconnect flex cable connectors.
The metal shield is held in place by mild adhesive. In case you're having trouble removing it, you can apply a heated iOpener to loosen the adhesive underneath.

The main flex cable connector (step 16) came off with the metal shield and I was able to reapply without ever separating the two.

Eric Smith -

Step 15

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the main flex cable.

Step 16

Fold the main flex cable out of your way to get better access to the battery.

Step 17

Peel the green adhesive strip off the battery.

Step 18

Pull up the green adhesive strip to lift the battery out of its recess.
Although this kind of adhesive tab is supposed to make the battery removal easier, it may require some force. In case you're having trouble removing the battery, you can apply a heated iOpener to the center of the display, to loosen the adhesive underneath.
Swing the battery up to an upright position.
Peel the battery off the remaining adhesive.
Remove the battery.
During re-assembly, temporarily re-connect the battery to the motherboard to help align it correctly. Disconnect the battery after it is seated.

Step 19

Peel the battery's adhesive sticker off the midframe.
Although it isn't mandatory to remove the adhesive sticker it is highly recommended to use a fresh one, when installing a new battery.

How do you get a replacement for the battery adhesive sticker? It would be great if this could would have been included in the iFixit battery replacement kit (wasn't informed that it wasn't)

Rik van den Reijen -

Hi Rik,
if you can't find replacement adhesive stickers in the internet you can use thin double sided adhesive tape to secure the new battery.

Dominik Schnabelrauch -

new battery too thick.

I followed the guide and everything is very clear, a well done guide. the hooks are really sturdy and work well even after closing the phone.

Unfortunately the new battery is 0.5mm thicker (4.7 mm instead of 4.2 mm) and I had to open the phone again to put the old one back.

the screen was raised in the center and on the sides a crack was forming between the glass and the display, it is not advisable to leave the phone like this, it would certainly have worsened.

Does anyone know how to recognize the dimensions from the battery codes? I wouldn't want to get a battery that's too big again.

Corrado Corradini -

Please, can someone tell me what kind of adhesive I need to use to reattach the backcover?

Laszlo Folgerts -

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order. Apply new adhesive where necessary after cleaning the relevant areas with isopropyl alcohol (>90%).

For optimal performance, calibrate your newly installed battery: Charge it to 100%, and keep charging it for at least two more hours. Then, use it until it shuts off due to low battery. Finally, charge it uninterrupted to 100%

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.

Author

Dominik Schnabelrauch

Member since: 23/11/16

224647 Reputation

26 comments

my flex cable is stuck to the top of the metal protector wtf

Audrion Bird - 10/12/19

My was stuck too, but with little bit of trying and patience, I was able to separate them by holding metal with pair of tweezers and gently prying it with very thin flat screwdriver bit.

Tomas Palider -

Any place to get the battery adhesive sticker in order to replace it?

Nothing Else - 08/07/20

I removed the adhesive sticker. Is it dangerous to use the phone without one?

E S - 13/10/20

Hi E S,

are you talking about the battery adhesive? If that is the case i can say - this sticker holds the battery in place and prevents it from moving around. If there is no sticker you might hear some noice when shaking the phone because the battery is moving. However it is unlikely that the battery disconnects because of that since the connector sits under a small metal shield. Depending on the phone movement theres a tiny chance that the battery or its cable deforms or gets damaged from moving around over time. It is not necessary to replace the adhesive with an original one, however i recommend using any double sided tape or similar rather than nothing.

Dominik Schnabelrauch - 16/10/20

Dominik, following up on that other comment, is there a particular suggested tape for the battery? The replacement battery kit on ifixit does have precut tesa tape but it’s not that large tape piece from your photo.

Toh Mah - 21/10/20

Hi Toh Mah,

the adhesive in the replacement battery kit is double sided pre cut tape which works fine when replacing the battery. There is no need to use adhesive tape as large as the original one, which is a pull tab. However thinking of the battery removal I advice not to overuse any adhesive tape when putting the battery back in place (as long it’s not the original one). The original tape makes future battery removals a bit easier. In case you replace it with any other adhesive tape (too much of it) a second battery replacement becomes more complicated because of the cables running underneath the battery. I recommend to use just enough of the tape to hold the battery in place and to apply it onto the mid frame where no cables are running. In this scenario every double sided tape will do the job. Sometimes the original tape is still sticky enough to reuse it.

Dominik Schnabelrauch - 22/10/20

Thanks for the answer. I’ll go with the simple solution then.

Toh Mah - 23/10/20

Hi Dominik,

Can I use a hair dryer on the screen to heat it up the adhesive if I don’t have access to the iOpener?

Lucas Cunha - 09/11/20

Hi Lucas,

a hair dryer will do the job. However take care not to overheat your phone. Heat to screen a little and check if you can remove the battery. If not, repeat the procedure.

Dominik Schnabelrauch - 12/11/20

Hi Dominik, i am in the process of replacing my battery but the backcover does not budge. I am using the same tools :-/

Do you have any tips?

thanks!

Karel Claes - 18/11/20

Good, helpful guide. After some frustration I managed to remove the case and old battery in preparation for fitting a new battery. All good.

Jim Norman - 04/02/21

Just went through the process and it was successful. Thanks for your guide, very helpful! The most stressful part was to open the screen without crashing the glass, but it was more resistant than I thought originally

Luis Enrique -

The #00 Phillips screw (2.8 mm long) in step 10 did not need to be removed.

Hosoe Shinji -

I can't get my cover back on. It seems the battery is slightly thicker than the original

Justin Gall -

I also had problems with this. I checked by eye and the two batteries had the same height. After taking it apart twice and try to put back the back cover many times I managed to click it in all the way. Keep trying!

Mód Márton -

I had a thicker battery, +0.5mm. it forced too much, I had to dismantle everything.

Corrado Corradini -

Worked flawlessly! Thank YOU! <3

João Gouveia -

Hi,

Anyone know what are the manufacturing dates of OP 5T batteries from ifixit?

I need to replace mine soon and don't want to get old batteries.

Thanks.

eziokiller47 -

I just replaced one for my 4+ year old 5T and Accubattery shows the health of the battery at 70% after 10 sessions. I'm quite disappointed since the original battery was ~ 75% health.

John Doe -

From the picture of the product, it is probably 2019.

Matthieu Hage -

The most tricky part for me was step 14. The upper main flex connector was stuck to the metal shield. As you can see in the photos of this guide, there's quite a lot of glue residue on top of this connector (looks like cooling paste). When I removed the shield, the connector was still stuck to it and also came off. I had to the blue opening tool to get them separated, and I almost tore the ribbon off the main flex connector.

Second most tricky part was step 5, removing the screen from the body. The clamps are very strong and after removing the screen you can see why, they are solid metal attached to the phone's frame. You can see the 4 grey lumps in step 6 on the side of the screen. So you don't have to worry about accidentally breaking one of the clips! Although, when you try to remove the screen, don't stick anything deep into the phone, you might scratch components.

[1/4]

Bartr -

Final tricky part was placing back the two metal shields, they luckily have a little bit of springiness to them so you could bend them and use a small pointy object to snap it back in place. But they don't seat very firm, you can wiggle them even though you've placed them back. You might want to try wiggling it with your finger(nail) a little bit before removing them the first time around (step 10 and 14) so you know what it should feel like when placing them back.

Oh and the battery was in there pretty firm as well. I used the 'guitar pick to lift the bottom right corner (with the QR code on it, step 17) and simultaneously lift the green pull tab. Eventually it popped out, no heat application was neccessary. Although, be careful of the main flex cable (step 16), you should fold it back or use some tape to hold it in place. Once the battery comes loose, it shoots from the phone with force and could tear the ribbon connector.

[2/4]

Bartr -

I was lucky enough that all the adhesive (step 19) was still on the battery so the phone was clean. I used the recommended Tesa 61395 tape that lets you peel strips of double-sided tape and place them on the new battery. I roughly copied the diagonal lines on the old battery so it would stick in the same places, and after placing the battery it seemed to seat pretty firmly into the phone.

Finally, I had this phone since Nov 28, 2017 and the phone had no dust or signs of liquid inside. I've used it in the rain many times and also I expected at least some dust to make it into the phone, but nothing! One note about this, there's a very thin black foam strip on the outer edge of the screen where it touches the back frame. You can see it pretty clear in photo 10 and 11. My phone definitely wasn't as dirty. Very impressed, hope the new battery helps last the device another year or two!

[3/4]

Bartr -

Ask me anything! Also, two more things about battery life. If I don't forget, I'll update my comment with how good the improvement is. Secondly, I spoke with another 5T owner who had it for roughly the same amount of years. He charged it only when it was running empty (<10%) and also don't keep it on the charger when it reaches 100%. His phone was still lasting a full day with the original battery, when I used mine for a couple hours of screen time, I had to charge it after diner if I wanted to make it through the night.

Excellent guide, and excellent phone! PS, this might not be the right place, but I'd love to hear anyone's experiences on custom ROMS like lineageOS.

[4/4]

Bartr -

Super... nouvelle batterie (oneplus 5t) installée assez rapidement grâce à l'excellent tuto.

À voir maintenant les performances !

djimel - 29/05/24