Google Pixel 9 Front Camera Replacement

Written By: Carsten Frauenheim

Comments: 0

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

30 - 45 minutes

Introduction

This repair guide was authored by the iFixit staff and hasn’t been endorsed by Google. Learn more about our repair guides here.

Use this guide to replace the front camera in your Google Pixel 9.

If your front-facing photos are blurry, have spots, or the camera doesn’t work, it might be time to replace the front camera.

You'll need replacement back glass and front camera adhesives to complete this repair.

Note: Any repair can compromise the water resistance of your phone. Retaining water resistance after the repair will depend on how well you reapply the rear cover adhesive.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Let your Pixel's battery drain below 25% before starting this repair. A charged lithium‑ion battery may catch fire if damaged.
Unplug all cables from your phone.
Completely power off your phone.
Press the power and volume up buttons at the same time to bring up the shutdown menu.

Step 2

Adhesive secures the perimeter of the back glass to the frame.
When separating the adhesive, don't insert your tool more than 3 mm under the back glass to avoid damaging the internal components.
To help, measure and mark 3 mm from the tip of an opening pick with a permanent marker.
If your screen or back glass is badly cracked, a suction cup may not perfectly adhere.
Lay overlapping strips of packing tape over the glass to protect yourself and make disassembly easier. Ensure there's a smooth area near the bottom edge that's large and smooth enough for a suction cup to stick to.

Step 3

Place a suction handle at the bottom edge of the back glass, as close to the edge as possible.
Push down to attach the suction cup.

Step 4

Pull up on the suction handle with strong, steady force to create a small gap under the back glass.
Insert the tip of an opening pick into the gap.

Step 5

Slide the opening pick back and forth along the bottom edge to separate the adhesive securing it.
Remember: don't insert the opening pick deeper than 3 mm.

Step 6

Slide the opening pick around the perimeter of the phone, slicing the rest of the adhesive.

Step 7

With most of the adhesive separated, lightly twist the opening pick at the bottom edge to lift the back glass up until you can grip it with your fingers.
Use the opening pick to separate any remaining sections of adhesive securing the back glass.

Step 8

Remove the back glass.
During reassembly:
Now is a good time to test your phone before sealing it up. Power it on and check that it works. Power it back down before you continue reassembly.
Follow this guide to apply new adhesive and install your back glass.

Step 9

Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.
While the Pixel 9 uses Torx Plus screws, standard Torx bits also work. Make sure to apply constant, downward force to prevent stripping.
Use a 3IP Torx Plus driver to remove the single 5.4 mm‑long screw securing the upper board cover.

Step 10

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the upper board cover.

Step 11

Use a 3IP Torx driver to remove the five screws securing the midframe and wireless charging coil:
Four 5.4 mm-long screws
One 2.2 mm-long screw

Step 12

Use a pair of tweezers to peel the flash cable off of the metal midframe.

Step 13

Remove the midframe, wireless charging coil, and NFC assembly.

Step 14

Use the tip of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the battery connector.

Step 15

Use the tip of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the front camera's press connector.

Step 16

Insert the flat end of a spudger between the top edge of the front camera and the frame.
Pivot the spudger down, against the frame to pry the front camera up and out of its recess.
Remove the front camera.

Step 17

Use tweezers to remove the old front facing camera adhesive from the frame.
Remove the larger clear liner from the front facing camera adhesive.
Use tweezers to carefully place the adhesive into the front facing camera recess.
Use a spudger to press the adhesive into place, securing it to the frame.
Remove the remaining liner from the adhesive.

Step 18

Remove any protective caps or liners from your replacement front facing camera.
With the cable facing the right edge, press the front facing camera into its recess to secure it with the adhesive.