The question of how to remove a battery on Xiaomi arises for various reasons, from the need to replace a bloated battery to the desire to clean the device from dust. However, the answer to this question changes dramatically depending on the year of release of your smartphone and the specific model. In today’s industry, manufacturers are increasingly abandoning removable batteries in favor of whole enclosures, which makes it difficult to access internal components.
Owners of older Redmi Note or Mi models released a few years ago can boast of the ability to remove the battery in a few seconds, just by putting the nail on the lid. On the other hand, owners of flagship lines and budget models of recent years are faced with the need to disassemble the body, use suction cups and heating tools. Understanding the design of your device is the first and most important step before starting any manipulation.
Mistakes in trying to extract a battery can lead to irreversible consequences: damage to plumes, battery failure or even fire. That is why it is important to be clear about what type of design you are dealing with before picking up a screwdriver or suction cup. In this article, we will discuss all the nuances of the process for different types of devices.
Determining the type of design of your smartphone
The first thing you need to do is visually look at the back of the device, and if you see a small cutout or indentation on the end of the case, and the lid itself has a barely noticeable perimeter joint, you're in luck, and you're probably looking at a removable battery model, which was standard until 2016-2017, when plastic housings made it easy to change batteries.
If the back panel is made of glass or metal, has no visible joints to open and is tightly attached to the frame, then the battery inside is non-removable. In models such as the vast majority of modern Xiaomi, Mi and Redmi, the battery is glued to the body with a special adhesive layer, trying to remove it without heating and tools is guaranteed to break.
It is also important to note that even having a removable lid does not always mean that the process is simple: in some models, the battery can be closed with an additional plastic plate that is attached to the screws. Technical documentation always emphasizes the need to check the model before starting work, so as not to damage fragile elements.
Tools and workplace preparation
Before you start disassembling, you have to prepare the workplace, the surface has to be clean, flat and well lit. Small screws and parts are easily lost, so having a magnetic mat or a screw organizer is a great solution. You need a specific set of tools to work with non-removable batteries.
You will need the following tools to safely perform the work:
- 🔧 Set of screwdrivers (cross-crosses) PH000, PH00) hull-screw.
- 🌡️ A hair dryer or heating platform to soften the glue under the battery.
- 💳 Plastic card or mediator for unfeeling the battery.
- 🧤 Antistatic gloves to protect electronics from static electricity.
Special attention should be paid to safety. Lithium polymer batteries are sensitive to mechanical damage; puncture of the battery housing with a needle or sharp tool can cause instantaneous ignition; the use of metal tools for picking inside the housing is strongly discouraged, it is better to use plastic blades.
☑️ Preparation for disassembly
Removal process in models with removable battery
If you've determined that your smartphone is a removable battery, it takes less than a minute to process, a model that's often found in entry-level Redmi lines in the past, and you need to turn off the device by holding down the power button and selecting the appropriate item on the menu.
Find a special cutout on the side face or in the bottom corner of the back cover. Carefully tuck the lid with your nail or plastic shoulder blade. Don't use excessive force: if the lid doesn't open, you may be holding the phone incorrectly or the model has hidden latches. Once you remove the lid, you'll see a battery that usually has a small tongue to retrieve.
⚠️ Warning: Never use sharp metal objects (knife, needle) to pull the lid, as you can damage the display on the back side or hurt yourself.
Take the battery by the edges and smoothly remove it from the compartment. If it sits tight, you can sway it slightly from side to side. After removal, inspect the contacts for oxidation. In these models, the battery is replaced in the reverse order: insert a new cell, close the lid until the characteristic click.
Disassembly of smartphones with non-removable battery
For modern Xiaomi models, the process of removing the battery is a complex technical procedure: the rear panel in such devices is glued around the perimeter. The first step is always to heat the edges of the case. Use a hair dryer at medium temperature, warming the perimeter for 2-3 minutes. The glue should soften, but do not overheat the screen so as not to damage the matrix.
Once heated, use a suction cup to create a gap between the lid and the frame. Insert a thin plastic blade or mediator into the gap. Carefully guide the tool along the perimeter, cutting the adhesive layer. Do not rush or make sudden movements to avoid breaking the plastic latches.
Once the back cover is removed, the insides will be accessed, often with an additional plastic or metal plate attached to the screws closing the battery, unscrew all the visible screws, gently disconnect the battery plume from the motherboard, pulling the connector upwards rather than pulling the wires.
What to do if the lid is not removed?
Removal and replacement of the glued battery
The most critical step is to separate the battery from the body, which is 99 percent double-sided tape tape, use a hair dryer again, warming the back of the smartphone (if the lid is already removed), or the battery area through the body, if the design permits, and the heating temperature should not exceed 60-70 degrees Celsius.
Use a thin line, a guitar string or a special plastic card. Gently wind the instrument under the battery and cut the glue with sawing movements. It is strictly forbidden to try to pull the battery over the top edge or use tweezers by sticking it under the battery, this will lead to deformation and possible fire.
After removing the old battery, clean the seat of glue residue. The new battery is recommended to be equipped with new adhesive strips before installation (usually complete with quality spare parts). Set the battery, press it for 10-15 seconds to fix and connect the plume.
| Type of device | The necessary tool | Difficulty | Risk of damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a removable lid | No/Network | Low. | Minimum |
| Removable lid (plastic) | Fen, spatula | Medium | Medium (latches) |
| With a fixed lid (glass) | Hair dryer, sucker, spatula. | Tall. | Tall (glass shattering) |
| Flagships (Mi 11, 12, 13) | Professional tool, glue | Extremely extreme. | critical |
Typical errors and security measures
One of the most common mistakes is ignoring heat: trying to rip a battery cold almost always ends in bloating or rupturing it; lithium polymer is very sensitive to bending; even microscopic damage to the inner layer can short circuit a few days after replacement.
Another mistake is to use aggressive chemistry to dissolve the glue: Alcohol or acetone can get onto plumes, screens or the battery itself, causing contact corrosion or battery structure to collapse. Isopropyl alcohol can only be used cautiously to clean contacts, but not to pour inside the case.
⚠️ Warning: If you feel a sharp chemical smell or smoke during the battery removal process, stop working immediately, go out into the fresh air and dispose of the device in a special container.
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Before discarding the old battery, seal its contacts with tape, which will prevent accidental short circuit when contacting metal objects in the trash can.
Checking the performance after replacement
When you install a new battery, take your time to close the case immediately. First, connect the battery plume to the motherboard. Make sure the connector is up before you click. Press the power button. If the screen catches fire and the boot logo or charging indication appears, the replacement has been successful.
If the phone is not responding, check the density of the connector. Sometimes you need to remove and re-install the connector. Also make sure you remember to connect other plumes that may have been disconnected during the disassembly process (for example, the display plume or buttons).
After successful activation, it is recommended to calibrate the battery. To do this, discharge the smartphone until completely turned off, then set it to charge when turned off to 100%. This will help the system correctly display the percentage of charge. The power controller must read the new parameters of the element.
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Successful battery replacement is confirmed by the phone’s stable operation over several charge-discharge cycles without sudden shutdowns.