[Lenovo ZUK Z2 (Plus) Accessories] SenK9:
Hey all, I've been seeing more of these clear glass back mods around, so I decided to do have some fun and do one for our Z2. Total time taken was under an hour, and I have a standard rear glass in case I want to restore back to stock later. Cost is < $5 USD. UPDATE: I have written a full step by step guide with instructions below, it's fairly straightforward.

RESULTS:

INSTRUCTIONS:

Here is the step-by-step guide to how I did it. You don't have to buy a new back, since you can reuse your existing one, but I got another one anyway, since it's quite cheap and it's good to have a spare. They are < $USD 5 each for a replacement glass Z2 back shipped. NOTE: I am not responsible for any damage you do to your own phone, but this is a pretty safe operation generally speaking.

Prerequisites:

* Suction cup (a car windscreen phone holder will also work)

* Hairdryer or heat gun

* Business card or plastic prying tool

* Metal scraping tool of some type (a flathead screwdriver or razor blade will work)

* Thin double-sided tape (black)

* (Optional) Chemical paint remover (such as methylene chloride)

* (Optional) Spare glass back

* (Optional) Clear protective case so you can show off your phone!

Phone with optional spare back. I didn't use the spare back, but modified the stock back instead, you will see why later.

STEP 1: Remove back of case:

- The back glass is held on only by glue that goes around the outside edge. The glue will soften at a certain temperature.

- Use your heat gun (or hairdryer) to heat up the back glass till it becomes slightly too hot to touch.

- There are many videos showing how to open the back glass, including THIS ONE and THIS ONE.

- Once the back is heated up, use the suction cup to lift the glass up (preferably start at the top or bottom to get leverage), enough to slide a business card or plastic pry tool inside.

- Do not poke the card too far in, as there is a ribbon cable which can get caught.

- Reheat the glass and continue around the edge until the entire glass back is removed.

- Do not force the glass up or it will crack, if it takes alot of force, it means the glue somewhere has hardened. Reheat and retry gently. It should lift up easily.

STEP 2: Remove the camera lens frame:

- The only part which needs to be separated from the glass is the camera lens frame. It is a small metal box that is lightly glued in. Apply heat and carefully pull it out.

- Put the lens somewhere safe, you will be re-applying it back later. The glue can be re-used.

- If you order a new glass back, it does not come with a camera lens frame, do not lose it!

The glass removed from the phone, note the camera lens that needs to be removed:

STEP 3: Clean up residue:

- There will be a bunch of residual glue on the phone edge and the glass edge, just peel it off or use a scraper to peel it off.

- A very small flathead can be used to clean the phone side, you will notice a small 'lip' which the glass sits on.

- On the phone side, be careful not to let the small glue bits fall into the gaps, as you will see it all later.

Glue residue on phone side that needs to be cleaned:

STEP 4: Cleanse the glass

- This is the part which takes the most time.

- The paint of the back (whether you have white or black) is on the INSIDE of the glass.

- On top of the paint is another plastic protective layer. With a bit of heat, this can be easily peeled off (see below).

- Once that's done, you can apply some solvent and start scraping the paint off. The paint is not very strong and will remove fairly easily.

- (OPTIONAL) You can use paint remover (meythylene chloride) and soak the paint for a while, then it will just fall off without much scraping. This is much easier, but I did it the hard way since I did not have any paint remover.

- Use a metal tool like the edge of a screwdriver or a razer blade to start scraping. The metal is softer than the glass, so it will NOT scratch the glass at all.

- DO NOT use sandpaper, as the sand will probably scratch the glass.

- Once in a while, wipe off the glass on cloth, then hold up the glass to a white or flat background, then you can see any parts you missed.

- Be careful if you are working on a non-flat surface, if you poke too hard, it will bend and crack the glass. Also be careful around the edges, as you can chip the glass if you push too hard.

The plastic layer over the paint can be easily removed like old skin:

A few pokes and the paint easily comes off:

After all that, you have a clean piece of glass:

STEP 5: Replace the camera lens

- Remember that lens you removed from before? Time to put it back

- Make sure the glass is completely dry first!

- There is a bit of movement allowed in the glue, so doesn't have to 100% perfect alignment

- The frame will sit 'around' the camera when you put the glass back

Stick this back into the clean glass back:

STEP 6: Install the glass back

- You will need to apply double-sided tape around the edge of the phone for the glass to stick onto.

- The tape must sit ON TOP of the inner lip, but not outside the outer lip, or it will protrude from the glass.

- You don't need to cover 100% of the entire lip, but most of the main parts.

- Make sure you clean the inside of the glass first from dust and fingerprints, as it will be hard to get it back out again.

- Press the glass in, make sure that no tape is poking out from the outside. If it is, either use something to push it back in, or use a blade and carefully trim it.

Phone with double sided tape ready to apply glass

FINISHED! Enjoy your unique looking phone

If you want to restore the standard glass back later, just repeat steps 1-3 and use the replacement back you ordered.

Hopefully that helps, let me know your thoughts and results below.