Why to Disassemble POCO F1 and What to Know Before Starting
The POCO F1 (codenamed beryllium) is Xiaomi’s legendary smartphone, released in 2018, and despite its age, it still enjoys popularity thanks to its flagship hardware at a budget price, but over time, owners face the need to disassemble everything from replacing the battery to repairing the charging connector or cleaning the cooling system.
Disassembling the POCO F1 is a tough task, and the smartphone is built on latches and glue, and its polycarbonate body is prone to cracking when it is unsavoryly opened. The model feature is a two-way tape under the battery, which, if removed carelessly, can tear plumes or leave sticky marks on the board. Before you start taking up the tools, evaluate your skills and prepare everything you need.
This guide is suitable for both complete disassembly and partial access to individual components (such as a speaker or camera), we will analyze the process in stages, point to pitfalls and give recommendations on the choice of tools. If you have never disassembled smartphones, you better contact the service center.
Preparation for disassembly: tools and precautions
To disassemble the POCO F1, you'll need specialized tools, and using improvised tools (knives, screwdrivers of the wrong size) is almost guaranteed to damage the body or internal components.
- 🔧 Plastic mediators (2-3 pieces) to separate the latch of the case. Metal tools scratch the plastic.
- 🔨 The screwdriver. PH00 — The screwdriver must be magnetic!
- 🧲 Suction cup - helps to raise the screen after warming up. 5-7 cm diameter.
- 🔥 A hair dryer or a thermo-air station to soften the glue under the screen. Temperature 60-80.°C.
- 🧴 Isopropyl alcohol (90%+) — acetone or solvents should not be used!
- 📦 Organizer for screws - in POCO F1 15+ And mixing them up is a surefire way to damage the board.
Also prepare the workplace: a clean desk with good lighting, an antistatic mat (if any) and containers for parts. Be sure to turn off your smartphone and remove SIM-If the battery is swelling, it's best to trust the professionals to disassemble it, because the risk of short circuit is too high.
⚠️ Attention: Don't take it apart POCO F1 when humidity is above 60% or in a dusty room, moisture or dust particles on the board can cause corrosion or closure of contacts.°C), warm up the smartphone to room temperature before disassembly - this will reduce the risk of cracking the screen.
Step 1: Removing the back cover - how not to break the latches
The POCO F1 back cover is mounted on 12 plastic latches and double-sided perimeter tape, and the main challenge is that the latches are very close to the edge, and they're easy to break. Start by warming the body with a hairdryer.
- Set the temperature of the hair dryer at 60-70°C (not higher!). Warm up the edges of the cover in a circle for 2-3 minutes, holding the hair dryer at a distance of 5-7 cm.
- Insert a plastic mediator into the gap between the lid and the middle frame. Start at the lower left corner (there is a notch for the mediator).
- Carefully drive the mediator along the edge, alternately snapping the mounts. Do not force - if the lid does not respond, warm up the area again.
And if you pay special attention to the areas around the charging socket and the camera, the latches are the most fragile, and if you hear a crack, you probably have a snap, and then you can put the lid back in, but it's less tight.
Warm the edges with a hairdryer (60–70°C)
Start at the bottom left corner
Use only plastic mediator.
Do not apply force to the central part of the cover-->
After removing the cover, you will see:
- Battery with a connected plume.
- Wireless charging module (if installed).
- A metal plate covering the motherboard.
- Perimeter antenna contacts.
⚠️ Warning: Don't touch antenna contacts with your bare hands - skin fat degrades the signal.
Step 2: Disconnect the battery and remove the metal plate
Before any manipulation of the board, be sure to turn off the battery.
- Put a black battery plume on a plastic mediator and gently pull it out of the connector.
- Secure the plume with tape to the case so that it does not touch the contacts.
Now you can remove the metal plate that protects the motherboard, and it's mounted on 11 screws of different lengths.
- 4 screws at the corners (the longest).
- 6 screws at the edges (medium length).
- 1 screw near the charging connector (short).
Use a PH00 magnetic screwdriver and spread the screws in the organizer as you pull them out. Don't confuse them with places - a long screw in a short hole can damage the board.
What happens if you don't turn off the battery?
| Type of screw | Number of | Location | Risk of improper installation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long (5 mm) | 4 | At the corners of the plate | Damage to capacitors on the board |
| Medium (3 mm) | 6 | On the sides of the plate | Deformation of antenna tracks |
| Short (2 mm) | 1 | Near the Type-C connector | Charging circuit breakdown |
Step 3: Removing the motherboard – working with plumes and connectors
The POCO F1 motherboard is connected to the body with several plumes and connectors, which must be turned off in strict sequence so as not to damage the contacts:
- The screen plume is the widest, located at the top of the board. Carefully tuck the black latch of the connector and pull the plume out.
- The camera plume is thin, under the metal cover. Remove the cover, then unplug the plume.
- The power button plume is a small connector in the top right corner, easy to rip off if you're careless.
- The antenna cables are 3 pieces (Wi-Fi, GPS, cellular) and they're tweezed off, you can pull only the connector, not the wires.
After you turn off all the plumes, gently raise the charge over the edges. It can stick to the thermal paste on the processor — don't pull, but slowly sway from side to side. If the board doesn't lend itself, warm it up with a hairdryer on the back (temperature no higher than 50°C).
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If the plume is stuck to the connector, do not pull it by force. Apply 1-2 drops of isopropyl alcohol on the contacts and wait 10 seconds - this will dissolve the oxides and facilitate the extraction.
Pay special attention to the microphone and the speaker, they are attached to the board through rubber pads, if you are not careful to remove them, they are easy to lose or break. If you plan to completely disassemble, take a picture of the location of all the small parts before removing them.
Step 4: Replacing the battery – how not to damage the plumes
The POCO F1 battery (4,000 mAh, DM-BH50) is mounted on high-strength double-sided tape, and replacing it is one of the most difficult operations because it risks damaging plumes or tearing off contact pads. Here's a step-by-step algorithm:
- Warm up the battery with a dryer on the back (70-80°C) for 3-4 minutes. This will soften the glue.
- Put a plastic blade on the upper right corner (there are fewer plumes) and insert a thin guitar string or a special battery cutter.
- Slowly drive the string under the battery, cutting the glue. Don't push hard, because there are plumes of the camera and vibration motor under the battery.
After removing the old battery, clean the seat of glue residue with isopropyl alcohol.Install the new battery only with the original double-sided tape (for example, 3M 9448A). Do not use superglue or low-quality tape - this can lead to overheating!
⚠️ Attention: If the battery is swelling (visible in the "blown" case or the gaps between the screen and the frame), do not try to remove it yourself. Bloated batteries are prone to spontaneous combustion when mechanically exposed.
Step 5: Disassemble the screen and replace the display
The POCO F1 screen is one of the most vulnerable parts of the device, and it sticks to the frame around the perimeter, and the plume goes through the loop at the bottom.
- Warm up the screen with a hair dryer (temperature 70°C) for 5 minutes, paying special attention to the corners.
- Stick the suction cup to the bottom of the screen (above the Home button) and gently pull up. Insert plastic mediators into the slits.
- Slowly drive the mediators around the edges, separating the screen from the frame. At the top, be careful, there's a fingerprint scanner plume going through.
After the screen is separated, turn off:
- Display plume (wide connector at the top).
Touch panel plume (thin, next to the display).
- The fingerprint scanner plume (if installed).
When installing a new screen, use the original B-7000 glue or its counterparts. Apply it with a thin layer around the perimeter, avoiding hitting the speaker or sensors. After gluing, place the smartphone under the press (for example, between two books) for 2-3 hours.
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When you change your screen to POCO F1, make sure you transfer the fingerprint scanner and speaker grid to the new module. Without them, the sensor and sound will not work!
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Even experienced craftsmen sometimes make mistakes when disassembling the POCO F1, and here are the most common ones and ways to prevent them:
- 🔧 Broken lid latches -- they're caused by metal tools or pressure, so you can warm the case up longer and only use plastic mediators.
- 🔋 The battery plume that's ripped off is most often when you take the battery out of the car, so you can heat the battery up and use the string to cut the glue evenly.
- 📶 Damaged antenna cables -- thin wires are easily torn with tweezers, so the solution is to disconnect them by holding the connector rather than the wire.
- 🔊 A broken speaker after assembly - usually caused by adhesive hitting a mesh or improper installation of a rubber gasket.Solution: Check the gasket before final assembly.
Another common problem is that the smartphone doesn't turn on after assembly, and 90 percent of the time, it's because of:
- Unconnected battery plume or screen.
- A forgotten screw under the board (short circuit).
- Damaged charging connector contacts.
If the device doesn't respond to the power button, plug it into the charger and check if the area around the processor is warming. If so, it's likely that there's a circuit. If not, there's a power problem (battery, plume, or board).