/e/ for FP3 (Google free OS)

hmm… i will put it on my watch list. However - a lot of things are unclear to me in this /e/ thing. Its Android in Core, Any android Apps can be used (but jet they don’t mention HOW EXACTLY you get them there). Sideload is no Option for me. Better things to to with my spare time then side load every single app.
If it ends up by installing open Gapps in the end, then i can also just leaf it…
Also how exactly you can install it is not jet clear, lets see how difficult/Easy it will be. And: will you have (ore able to get) Root access?

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They have their own app store (with apps from fdroid and clearapk as far as I know), so no sideloading necessary. If you need paid apps from Googles Play Store you’d end up with Gapps, of course, but that’s the case for all alternative OSes.
At the moment the installation is basically the same as for LineageOS. An installer is in beta as far as I know but I haven’t tested that yet. Or you buy a refurbished phone from them and get /e/ preinstalled.
And yes, it’s possible to have root on /e/

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I wouldn’t agree on that point. You can download and install paid apps using Aurora store (and using a Google account in this case). So no need for Open Gapps. It’s just that some paid apps don’t work together with “only” microG (included in /e/ system).

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Thanks for clearing that up.
It’s different (Aurora + actual Google account vs. full Gapps) but same (applies to any alternative OSes).

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I may not have followed all the threads here but I’m wondering: Once available, isn’t installing /e/ OS a one-way street for you? I mean, there’s no officially approved method from Fairphone to reinstall the original OS, is there? How do you restore the original Android then in case of issues or whatever?

Yet.
“We are working towards making available: a flashable image for download and manual flash”

Replacing Fairphone OS with /e/ is not officially approved by Fairphone in the first place, so the lack of an approved method to go back is not a real problem from a logical standpoint.

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Update on the beta testing program: the beta test will start today.

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Beta testing is still going on. Current plan is to finish by end of next week.

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Apparently it was pretty successful, no open issues and the installer is available!

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Apparently Fairphone and /e/ are now even officially partnering:

Original post in /e/ forum

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Sounds great!
Congratulation to the /e/-Team and many thanks to all testers.
I read instructions carefully but did not find an answer for the following question which is mandatory for me:
Can I go back to the original stock Fairphone Software if I face problems or do not like /e/ ?

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Not with an official stock install package by Fairphone for the time being, but if nothing keeps you from installing /e/ (you’ll have to unlock the bootloader), nothing will keep you from going back to stock either via TWRP …

… or via script/fastboot …

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Wow, this is awesome news!! :star_struck: :tada:

What about lineage OS 17.1 now?

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What about it?
/e/ on the Fairphone 3 is not based on LineageOS (Edit: Seems I was wrong here based on the timeline. /e/ looks a lot like LineageOS and LineageOS references are in fact everywhere in /e/.) , and it is Android 9 for now.
Perhaps you should direct your question here …

That may mean that Fairphone won’t be developing a FPOOS for FP3.
Seems logical: why spend the time and effort developing something if someone else has already done it? A partnership with /e/ sounds ideal in that perspective

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Exactly my thought, too.

Either way, it represents a close to perfect solution for me between Fairphone and /e/. Even better would be a combination of puri.sm’s PureOs together with Fairphone…who knows, maybe for the FP4/5? :grinning:

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Great news! This is what I was looking forward to.

First of all, I would like to thank wholeheartedly everyone involved in making this possible. :clap:

As I am not an advanced user, I will patiently wait a bit until the installation process has been proven to be safe. Meanwhile, I will study the relevant guides: :nerd_face:

https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/360041655711-Unlock-the-bootloader-of-your-Fairphone-3

https://wiki.lineageos.org/adb_fastboot_guide.html

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Warning : Do not attempt to downgrade your smartphone in case you are on Android Q / LOS 17.0 or Android Pie / LOS 16.x.

Downgrading a device from Q or Pie to Oreo or Nougat operating system can cause your device to brick and become unusable.

If you are on these OS versions Please stop at this point and continue using your current Operating System.

Thats a joke no? The Fairphone is deliverd with Android Pie. Does that mean, you can actually not install /e/ on a Fairphone because your fairphone is deliverd with Android pie and downgrade would brake it?

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