I removed my Librem 5 battery (with difficulty) a few times soon after it arrived, but I don’t think since then. I was going to do so yesterday to get practice/experience running jumpdrive and uuu, but could not after spending considerable time and effort. I see no signs of swelling and the battery has had a pretty unstressed life except for running flat in a drawer a couple of times.
Over the years I have seen a few complaints about the fit being a bit tight but don’t remember any reports of extreme difficulty removing it.
Is there some technique to best use or can some tool be devised to safely force it? It is very frustrating that there is no lip to help.
I swap my batteries regularly.
My only minor annoyance is that tab @Vuntun mentioned. The tab is supposed to have one loose end that you can pull on. The other end is permanently attached to the battery. However, the loose end tends to stick to the battery (due to variations in temperature, I assume). So it’s sometimes difficult to peel off and get a handle on the loose end of the tab. Once peeled off, I can reliably pull out the battery by the tab.
Thanks. I don’t remember having trouble getting the end of the tab loose. Maybe I should have removed the battery more often. (Of course, then there would be the problem of wearing out the back cover latches.)
Hold L5 by its top end, over a bed or sofa with the battery compartment facing the soft area.
Sling the open battery end slightly toward the soft area.
If that doesn’t loosen the battery, then try “striking” the open battery compartment against the bed or sofa.
I’ve never had that issue, but try cutting a small strip off of a Post-it note, including the sticky side. Then attach that under the pull-strip so it can’t adhere to the battery.
Maybe if I let it run way down it will shrink enough to get out?
If not, will removing the screws around the frame and removing that allow me to just lift the battery out? I’ve never had it apart but it looks like the only choice is for me or someone else to do that.
Do you have a plastic “spudger” by any chance? If so, maybe use it at the bottom edge of the battery to try and lift it…?
Or try to effect a slight temperature change, but not in a damp environment.
Edit:
Depending on how much clearance you have around the edges of the battery, it might be possible to insert a length of sticky tape along the gap at the bottom and along a portion of the gaps at the sides (or just around a corner of the battery), and pull toward the top of the phone and upwards to lift the battery up slightly.
No. I was considering trying to find or make a metal one, but plastic is probably better. Do you have any sources for one?
Thanks! But UGH, one of the first steps is remove the battery, and soon after that, remove the modem, cables, etc.
Maybe there is some way to safely remove it that also results in (at least effectively) destroying the battery. (In some sort of gaining ease and convenience at the cost of any hope of getting further use from a battery that probably shouldn’t be used anyway.)
Sit at a table with the top of the L5 braced against yourself, pull the ends of the tape toward you and up, using both hands. See if it lifts the battery enough to then grasp it or work it further up with the attached Purism strip.
If you know of a phone repair kiosk/shop near you, they might have some tool they could use to lift it out for you.
That’s been in the back of my mind and I will look into it. While I’m sure there are plenty of competent people that could take care of it in seconds, I’m leery of getting some insufficiently experienced overconfident eager beaver that would wreck the phone in seconds.
Whatever I do, I’ll probably buy one or two of those repair kits just because…
