There’s a risk of US Immigration officials wanting to look at incoming visitors’/passengers’ phones for signs of anti-Trump sentiments - hard to believe, I know!
How can these be done (and then restored) with Fairphone 4?
I’m not sure if it can be disabled and restored, but you can delete the fingerprints, then add them again when you like. Go to settings, then security. Select Fingerprint, and use the bin to delete the stored fingerprints. You’ll need your PIN to access Fingerprints and delete them.
When the fingerprints are deleted, you’ll only be able to log in with your PIN. The sensor might still vibrate but with no stored prints it doesn’t do anything other than vibrate.
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It’s not hard to believe, this is reality now.
I don’t know how disabling fingerprints would keep them from trying to force you to unlock your phone.
You can now get entry denied or get immediately locked up for any random nonsense, and if you use an almost empty burner phone to travel there, this could be seen as extra suspicious, too.
You can’t win this way. Don’t go there as long as they don’t get a grip again.
If you don’t have a choice but to go there now, my commiserations as well as fingers crossed 
.
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Use multi user mode. Set default user to have basic apps with nothing contentious, you know pictures of trees and landscapes and messages about cookery. User two named something random where the good stuff is.
Leave the phone at home. Get a dumb phone for 30 € and maybe a new number, even better if there is no social media access at all.
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Thanks, but I’m going to need Google Maps, and access to email - can burners do this? Cheers!
I could have just waited a few days and saved me some typing …
Why not? Just use a browser instead of the Apps. But be aware they’ll of course check any browsers, so don’t leave any breadcrumbs before any check.
It seems I’m too suspicious of empty burner devices.
You aren’t employed by the European Commission, by any chance?
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