How do you take off a doorknob with no visible screws?
Modern doorknobs often conceal mounting screws beneath a smooth exterior or require depressing a hidden spring-loaded release pin that is difficult to locate. Without finding this hidden mechanism, the knob remains locked in place, preventing you from removing it or accessing the hardware underneath.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Looking for visible screwsDid this help you?
- 2Checking for a hex screw or pin inside the stem holeDid this help you?
- 3Twisting the base plate in both directions with an elastic for gripDid this help you?
- 4Pushing the latch all the way in while twisting and pullingDid this help you?
- 5Using a hacksaw to destroy the doorknobDid this help you?
- 6Using a punch from the opposite sideDid this help you?
- 7Sticking a phillips screwdriver through the hole to push the sleeve outDid this help you?
- 8Prying it out with a flatheadDid this help you?
- 9Replacing the doorDid this help you?
- 10Unscrewing all visible screwsDid this help you?
- 11Drilling into the hardwareDid this help you?
- 12Prying or hammering with a screwdriverDid this help you?
- 13Applying WD40 or other lubricantsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I have two indoor knobs stuck together and I don’t know what to do.”source ↗
“I’ve tried to drill it, but the bit slides off. I’ve tried sticking a screwdriver in multiple areas and hammering with no results. I’ve tried to slicken it, I’ve tried WD40.”source ↗
“I don’t care about the hardware because I have replacement knobs (I was actually getting ready to put them in when these got stuck lol) but I don’t want to damage the door because I live in an apartment.”source ↗
“I cannot get this thing off.”source ↗
“I'm completely lost at this point. This doorknob seems to defy all the rules of doorknobs that I can see online.”source ↗
“The knob is totally smooth. White is inside the front door and yellow is the outside. I’m not sure if it’s covering a screw head underneath.”source ↗