FP4 : Call volume too loud with and without loud speakers

I have scrolled through the 4 posts I could find on this subject some from '17 another from '20. It seems like the issue of too loud call volume only effects some customers. Unfortunately I am one of them. In the post from '20

It is proposed that a factory reset could solve the issue. How likely is that the solution? I don’t want to perform a factory reset and run the risk of solving nothing. Is this an Android issue or a Fairphone issue? I don’t want to rant but issues like this should no longer be a problem in modern phones. If stuff like this doesn’t work “out of the box” how can I with good conscience tell someone else to buy a Fairphone? Also, if this was the only issue I was having with the phone I might have been more OK with it. I had a Fairphone 2 for many years. It was buggy. This time around I was counting on a more stable product.

Model: Fairphone 4
OS: Android 11

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Hi and Welcome, could you add which Fairphone FP3(+) or FP4 you currently use and which operating system in which version (under settings about the phone, at the bottom the build number).

I added the info to my post. Thanks for the reply

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For the FP4 there is a thread in german, so you are not alone…I actually doubt a factory reset will help, or do your have the feeling is was not from the beginning? A factory reset will not touch the system and only erase all Apps and your data

You can use deepl translator if you want to read the german parts

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Regarding the quote: If someone’s priority is Fairtrade then just tell them the problems you have and it is not common but that doesn’t mean they won’t have issues. However most users don’t come to the forum so I imagine most don’t have any notable problems.

  • So is the ‘risk’ loosing some settings and having to install custom apps, that’s where a ‘Safe mode’ start comes in being not so drastic?

  • Unless this was an issue from day one then a ‘Safe’ start may help.

  • As mentioned, which phone do you have and how long has this been as issue?

  • Have you been able to compare to another similar phone and is there a fairphoneangel near you that can note the issue and compare?

As for the ‘too loud’ volume a) that’s subjective and b) do you mean even when the volume is turned down to minimum??

Regarding the “most users don’t come to the forum so I imagine most don’t have any notable problems” is a bold assumption. For every person that actually reaches out I’d asume that there are plenty more that don’t.

Possible but by definition if such exist they are not notable. i.e. There is no assumption that other people don’t have problems let alone a ‘bold’ assumption, just that on this forum, by definition there is no knowledge.

There may be other forums where people voice their issues but back to the topic and your issue ~ how about the rest of my queries?

As for your queries:

  • Didn’t know that a ‘Safe mode’ reset existed. I’ll look intro that
  • However, it was an issue from day one so maybe the reset isn’t necessary after all?
  • The phone and operating system is now part of the original post via editing as mentioned above.
  • Sorry for not explicitly mentioning that the volume is turned down to a minimum. Yes the volume is as low as it can be with the current setup.
  • As for finding “fairphone angels” I don’t really see the point. Might help with the debugging but I should be able to determine if this is solvable or not via the forum.

Fairtrade is important and all. I do support this company for that reason. But the phone is still a tool and if that tool isn’t reliable what is the point in supporting its production?

Yes I agree, just that my two FP3s work fine and my daughter’s FP4’s fine

https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/360048843571

I’m thinking more on the lines of seeing if it is an issue with your phone as you may find another phone doesn’t have the problem ~ then you could more confidently contact official support.

AH! yes FP4 :slight_smile:

Yeah, I understood that and it makes sense. I’ll see if I can find someone. I have a similar issue with the loudspeakers when in a phone call. I can’t lower the volume at all in that case. I find that even stranger than this issues with the “ear speaker” to be totally honest.

I’m genuinely glad to hear that both you and daughter’s phones work as you’d expect.

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Hi Wolforgan,
In the post that you quoted, I simply said that if you’re having to send the phone back because of an unsolved problem, it’s always worth performing a factory reset before you send it. You should do it anyway, on principle.

However bear in mind that a “factory reset” is not the same as re-installing the OS. It just deletes all your settings, data and the apps you’ve installed. So the expression “factory reset” is not very accurate, it’s somewhat misleading. It doesn’t restore the phone to “the state in which it left the factory”, despite what hundreds of web articles on the subject may say.

How likely is a FR to be a solution? It should solve problems that come from settings, apps and data that you have put on the phone. It will not solve problems caused by errors in the operating system or default settings.

As to the original problem (call volume too loud with and without loudspeakers) we’re talking different FP models and therefore Android builds so what might have “worked” for those on FP3 a year ago is not necessarily a solution for FP4 today. Unfortunately in the other thread, people didn’t get back to post the solutions that worked for them :slightly_frowning_face:

If you are running the latest version of stock FPOS on your FP4, I would expect a “factory reset” to solve your volume problem. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that it came from one of the communications apps like Whatsapp, Signal or whatever, but that is pure speculation.

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I haven’t tried the factory reset yet. It’s a pain to have to do it but I guess that it’s worth a shot. I’ll post what progress I manage to make one the reset is done

You might try rebooting in Safe Mode first. That’s a sort of simulation of a FR without actually wiping the data. But as already stated, if you’re sending the phone back anyway, it’s always worth doing a full FR first.

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The volume of phone calls are much to loud. Trying to decrease the volume with the key on the side does not help to reduce to volume to an acceptable value.

I’d opened a support ticket 2 weeks ago. No reply so far.

This is a very serious issue for me. I have to return the phone if it can’t be solved.

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Hi and welcome to the forum.
That you ‘may’ ~ choose ~ to return the phone does seem to be a problem, but as this is a forum for other users to help, you have exactly expressed what help you are looking for, and of course the statement you made about ‘having’ to send it back is surplus to the issue.

Although the last sentence isn’t a threat by usual standards, it also doesn’t address Fairphone. If the idea is to get them to respond quickly this is not the place to make your feelings known.

All I can do is to feel a little bad for you have suggest that maybe you phone them if you want a quicker response.

Anyway are you talking about the ear piece or loudspeaker and
there are other topics on this. If I find one I’ll update so at least you will know you are not the only one to be suffering in the same vein.
It’s done :slight_smile:

Meanwhile maybe a bit of tape over the mics.

I was trying to describe the problem and my situation. If that is not in the spirit of this forum, I am sorry and try to avoid it in the future.

The high volume is present using the phone in regular mode (phone close to the ear) and using a wired headset.

No your post is not a problem but it is under the category of asking for help and that isn’t the tone of the post.

Let’s always remember that people coming here (and to most similar forums) with a problem often do so after spending frustrating hours trying to find a solution. I guess sending the phone back is more positive than throwing it out of the window which is likely to be what many feel like doing in such circumstances :wink:

@jogeba Thanks for adding your experience. Is your phone’s operating system up to date? A new patch came out just a few days ago.
To check for updates, go to Settings > System > Advanced > System update

How long have you had the phone, and was the problem present from the very start? If not, it may have been caused by some app or change of setting. You might try using Safe mode as explained earlier in this topic. If Safe mode leads to a correct call volume then the problem will likely be solved by a factory reset.

Regarding Support you may want to get in touch by phone. Opening a ticket was the right thing to do.

I am having the same problem with my Fairphone 3+. I’ve installed all the updates but it’s actually got worse. At first it was just the speaker volume on WhatsApp calls but now it’s regular phone calls, including when I use headphones. Has anyone actually managed to solve the problem?

Hi Starbug and welcome to the community forum.

Since I don’t think the cause of this problem is known, it’s a question of finding work-arounds at the moment.

You should in any case #contactsupport so that the problem can be investigated and fixed. If it’s a hardware problem then presumably the phone can be repaired under garantee.

As for a work-around, have you tried installing an app such as “Volume Control” available on F-Droid? There are others.

Or have a look in the Play Store.

Good luck!

P.S. - This thread is about volume problems with the FP4. As you are using a FP3 it would be best to move your post to a thread dealing with FP3. Could you look at these and tell us which best matches your problem, then we’ll move your post. Thanks.

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