Thanks in advance

⟐ Answered August 28, 2026 at 4:47 MST

I’ve recently encountered an issue with Face ID, specifically with the TrueDepth/dot projector, which has caused Face ID to become disabled.

I’ve already tried the common troubleshooting steps, such as restarting the phone, updating iOS, resetting Face ID, etc., but it appears to be a hardware-related issue.

Is there any way to replace the faulty projector with a new or donor part? I understand that the Face ID components are paired to the phone, so I was wondering whether a programmer such as a JCID could be used to copy the original serial/pairing data and write it to a donor part from another phone.

Would that be enough to restore Face ID, or does this type of repair require transferring components from the original module using microsoldering?

Thanks in advance!

⟐ Commented August 28, 2026 at 0:21 MST

⟐ Commented August 27, 2026 at 23:53 MST

⟐ Answered August 27, 2026 at 23:52 MST

⟐ Answered August 27, 2026 at 23:44 MST

⟐ Answered August 27, 2026 at 19:13 MST

⟐ Answered August 27, 2026 at 19:05 MST

⟐ Commented August 27, 2026 at 16:53 MST

⟐ Edited August 27, 2026 at 20:26 MST

⟐ Answered August 27, 2026 at 11:27 MST

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra, model SM-N985F (4G / Exynos), purchased in August 2020.

The phone was dropped, and immediately afterward the display started showing severe color distortion and flickering.

However, I am not convinced that the entire display assembly needs to be replaced, because the behavior is intermittent and sometimes the display works perfectly.

Here are the exact symptoms:

• Around 80% of the display normally shows distorted colors/flickering.
• The upper part of the display remains visible, including the time, battery and network indicators.
• The touch screen works normally across the entire screen, including the areas where the image is distorted.
• Sometimes, after pressing the Power button, the entire display suddenly appears perfectly normal.
• On several occasions, the complete display has worked normally for several seconds.
• On one occasion, I was able to see the complete normal display, enter my password, unlock the phone and use it normally.
• After a few seconds, the display started flickering and then returned to the distorted colors.
• On another occasion, the phone had been sitting with the screen off. After a very light press, the complete display appeared normally for about one second, then started showing distorted colors again.
• The phone itself continues to operate normally.
• Touch input continues to work normally everywhere on the screen.

Because of this behavior, I would like to know whether the problem could be related to the display flex cable, display connector, or an intermittent connection, rather than the OLED panel itself.

1. Can a damaged or partially disconnected display flex cable cause these exact symptoms after a drop?
2. Can a damaged display connector on the motherboard cause the display to work perfectly for a few seconds and then suddenly flicker and show distorted colors?
3. Does the fact that the touch works normally across the entire screen provide any useful indication about whether the problem is the display panel or the display connection?
4. Can a damaged AMOLED/OLED panel itself behave intermittently in this way — working perfectly for several seconds and then suddenly producing severe color distortion?
5. What would be the correct diagnostic procedure before replacing the expensive display assembly?
6. If I temporarily connect a known-good SM-N985F display assembly to the phone, would this reliably distinguish between a defective display assembly and a motherboard/connector problem?
7. Is there anything specific I should ask a repair technician to inspect on the display connector or flex cable before agreeing to replace the screen?

I would really appreciate your opinion based specifically on these symptoms.

I can also provide photos and, if useful, a video showing the display working normally and then suddenly flickering and changing to distorted colors.

Thank you.

speaker.while playing music or attending calls .