You entered “Clearscore” at the end of the “Apps confirmed working as before” list (I put it into alphabetical order, so it’s higher in the list now). If that’s the app you mentioned before, it probably belongs in the “Apps confirmed not working like in Android 11”. You might want to specify its status with one of the five descriptions here. If you find it a problem to deal with the two tables, just write the information here so someone else can sort out the tables.
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LineageOS doesn’t officially support locking your bootloader though.
I only mentioned this after somebody tried.
There will always be any number of reasons to not try, but that doesn’t make the option go away.
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who is ‘you’? me? I didn’t add Clearscore, I added VeridiumID in the wrong table then edited it into the correct table.
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Please take a look at ID Austria Registrierung mit SMS-TAN und FIDO-Sicherheitsschlüssel. It was pretty easy and I didn’t register the token beforehand. When you are doing it, just connect the Fido to your computer and follow the instructions.
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Clearscore works fine. It is in the “working as before” list, which is correct. The fingerprint opens the app with no problem or difference.
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Hi everyone,
Thank you again for your continued input. Since my last post:
- We have made sure that the update notification for Android 13 is not persistent anymore. Once you dismiss it, it will only appear again once every 2 weeks.
- We have contacted the developers of the Austrian “Digitales Amt” app to better understand their development roadmap.
- We also checked and confirmed that there are alternative log-in options available for this application, namely a hardware key (please find a list here) that you can use to login via your computer. As some of you have mentioned in the thread.
Nevertheless, we acknowledge that the issue with the fingerprint sensor poses more than a minor inconvenience to many of you.
We are working hard internally to provide a temporary solution that we hope will work for most of you, we will know more next week.
Have a good weekend!
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Thank you for hearing us, but it feels like you guys are not properly listening.
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Only every two weeks? We’re asking that you stop the rollout, because we don’t want more people on this topic regretting the update because they didn’t read the changelog, which is not something a user should do to avoid losing functionnality.
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So you’re seriously spending time contacting apps that need the fingerprint instead of spending time finding a real and permanent solution? Just a reminder, “Digitales Amt” is obviously the cherry on top of the problem that shows how ridiculous it is, but the main problem remains that you can’t just tell people to go back to using a passcode and make it look like it’s not a big deal.
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“We are working hard internally to provide a temporary solution”. Why would you be providing a temporary solution, and why would you completely ignore the permanent solution that everyone on this forum said they’d be willing to pay for, which is a new fingerprint sensor? Why do you intentionally avoid talking about that?
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As a “funny” last note, why don’t you make a poll for the entire Fairphone team with the questions “are you using the fingerprint sensor for your banking apps” and “would you be totally okay to swap that functionnality for a passcode”, and see what they answer? You guys are probably all rocking a Fairphone 4 in the team, for you to care that little about your long-term customers, the ones still using the previous Fairphone who were expecting to buy Fairphones in the future.
Stop the rollout. Make plans about a new fingerprint sensor and communicate about it. You’ve got all the time you need to do that, since the security updates are still there for A11!!
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Ingo, how can I contribute to the apps wiki page?
You can click the edit button, I just gave you trust level 1, because as a freshly registered user one is not allowed to do much.
Thanks for contributing 
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Users who have been disappointed have said their piece (and gave “advice”) not once, not twice, but all over this thread. I for one would appreciate if we could keep the information more focussed and technical regarding the progress, the affected apps, alternative methods, etc.
I am pretty sure another dedicated thread with management and strategical advice for Fairphone on this issue will be perfectly fine.
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Fairphone support and communication skills are dismal. Only when enough people shout and threaten to make negative headlines do they react. The more people that make noise, the better chance of a solution in my opinion.
This thread is so very long that I don’t mind the occasional repeat either. Let people vent, and if you’ve read it before just yawn. 
I must say that I am almost in full agremment with @Soupape50. The exception is, like it or not, Goo support for A11 will be stop at the end of the year (or early next year) so not really worth a team continuing to support A11 is it?
I am happy to wait and see what FP propose but FP need to restore the faith. A permanent solution please, not just a temporary one.
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In Austria it isn’t possible to use the “Digitales AMT” so the only solution is to change the device.
That means my Company must change the communication devices.
But believe me it for sure not a fairphone !!!
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You can use a Fido2-key. That works perfectly fine.
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I’m not suggesting they support A11 for later than there are security updates. I’m just saying that staying on A11 for now gives them the time they need to make a new fingerprint reader.
If you keep the A13 rollout, I can tell you that many people are going to tell themselves they’re never buying a Fairphone again, so why would you do that??
Plus, many people here are saying that the banking apps won’t work on A11 once the security updates stop. Are you 200% sure about that? I’m pretty sure it would not happen instantly.
Right now the apps don’t work because when they were developed, they all had this lvl 3 fingerprint requirement. But with A11, I’m pretty sure the banking apps would have to purposely push an update saying they don’t support it, so it would not happen instantly and maybe much later than what everyone thinks here.
Also banks might think twice before pushing an update that might remove support and frustrate A11 users. And that’s where a better logic for Fairphone comes in. When FP pushes A13 and things don’t work anymore, the user is obviously frustrated at FP. If the user is on A11 and one of his apps gets updated and doesn’t work anymore, the user will probably be frustrated at the company who makes the app (or at Google), not at Fairphone! So this A13 push is literally the worst marketing decision they could have done…
Last but not least: I’m also using a Google Pixel 3 XL for my work. It’s on A12, but the security updates are from 2021 and will never be officially updated by Google anymore. Guess what, all of the banking apps work (all the ones from Switzerland that are in the list).
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I think app compatibility is down to the installed android version rather than the security patch level. Your 3XL should be okay for at least another 15 months.
I’m pretty sure those who stick with A11 on their FP3 will find their banking apps continue to work until A11 is EOL.
The FP3 was manufactured in 2019 with the FP3+ a year later. Fairphone promised 5 years of updates for this model. If Fairphone did magic up a new sensor for say €100 (unlikely they will), would people be happy to pay that knowing updates could be ended as early as mid 2025?
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My understanding is that it’s up to the app developers whether they should go by security level or Android version. I know that in another thread, quite a few people were upset when their work apps stopped working after 2 months of no security updates.
Most other stuff will keep working for years to come. The Swedish counterpart of the Austrian AMT (?) requires Android 6 or newer and targets SDK 32 (Android 12)
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Not surprisingly HSBC app no longer works from sensor. A little surprised that the Resideo app to control my central heating app needs that level of security but clearly it does as that also now requires me to log in with a numerical code. With HSBC the numerical code is only 6 digits so not really mega secure.
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I have read contradicting “info” (opinions?) about whether FP will supply A11 security updates for the FP3 until end23 / early24, leaving some breathing room for those who are not ready yet for the update (and the potential issues it introduces like any major OS update)
Any “official” statement yet ? Can I safely stay on A11 until 1Q24 ?
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Dear all, a new update from our side!
(Thanks for your patience… I hope you understand it takes a while to write these updates as we are a big team, and insights are needed from many people)
The Android 13 rollout finished on the 29th of July, which means it is now available to all users. However, we want to give everyone who prefers to continue using their Fairphone 3(+) with Android 11, the option to do so until the moment Google stops providing security updates later in (early) 2024. Until then, we will be providing users of the Fairphone 3(+) with Android 11 security updates for manual installation every two months.
This also means all users who updated to Android 13 will be able to revert back to Android 11, if they want to.
If you are still on Android 11 and want to stay,
now it should be possible to ignore your Android 13 update notification (the notification will only appear every 2 weeks and in time we will remove this).
If you are already on Android 13, please follow the instructions here to revert to Android 11.
This will allow for you to go back to using your fingerprint sensor with secure apps.
Please beware! Following these instructions will mean you will need to erase your data). Reverting to Android 11 will not change your Google security patch level.
From now on, further security updates on Android 11 will not be provided Over The Air (OTA), but will need to be updated manually via a laptop or computer. You can expect a new Android 11 software update every 2 months here. You will get the news via our forum.
Please note that this will not influence our regular security update process for Android 13. Users of Android 13 will continue to receive updates as usual.
A reminder that,
all apps that offer biometric login also offer the option to login using your password or pin code. This issue therefore does not mean you will not be able to access your apps at all with Android 13. We are so far only aware of one app where this is not the case - the Austrian government application “Digitales Amt”. However, we have confirmed that login is still possible for this app by using an inexpensive hardware key (see a list of compatible hardware here).
We’re sorry
We realize these are only workarounds or temporary fixes. However, please keep in mind that, as inconvenient as the pin/password workaround might be, the update to Android 13 does provide many new perks and features that we hope will enhance your user experience and inspire you to keep using your Fairphone for as long as possible.
New FAQs
We have updated the FAQs below to include multiple new questions and answers that some of you have been raising (eg. around the possibility to provide a new fingerprint sensor). Apologies that it took sometime to bring the teams together to have an informed answer on that one! I hope this clarifies things a bit.
If you have any issue reverting to Android 11 please contact our customer support.
Thanks for your continued support.
Miquel (& and many others!)
New and updated FAQs
Why can you not upgrade the hardware / offer a new fingerprint sensor module for the Fairphone 3?
Click here to read the answer
Before answering this question we wanted to make sure we had enough information.
The fingerprint sensor itself is just one of the components within the fingerprint sub-assembly. The design, pin configuration, and other aspects of the sensor may vary between different manufacturers and models. Therefore, the FPCs (flexible printed circuits) would likely require re-layout, and the module would need to undergo a comprehensive process of review, firmware/driver development, testing, validation, and certification when considering a new fingerprint sensor.
When designing Fairphone 3, we underestimated the risk of this happening and did not make the fingerprint sensor an easy replaceable module. We are at the moment trying to make sure this does not happen in the future with Fairphone 4.
In order to offer a hardware fix now, we would need to find a manufacturer that is willing to put in the effort outlined above. This is very difficult. Normally, manufacturers would require a minimum lifetime commitment on sales of over 100,000 units in order to earn that development back. At this point, we are not selling FP3s anymore so the uptake would be very small. With what we know now, this is a very unlikely possibility, but please trust that we are considering all options. In any case this change would take a long time. We therefore believe that the option to downgrade to Android 11 is the only possibility in the short term.
Will I no longer be able to access my banking app / other apps that I usually use the biometric login for? - UPDATED 8th August
Click here to read the answer
All apps that offer biometric login also offer the option to login using your password or pin code. This issue therefore does not mean you will not be able to access your apps at all. We are so far only aware of one app where this is not the case - the Austrian government application “Digitales Amt”. However, we have confirmed that login is still possible for this app by using a hardware key (see a list of compatible hardware here).
(When) will you fix this? Is there a workaround? - UPDATED 8th August
Click here to read the answer
Fix not, workaround yes: Affected apps can still be unlocked via PIN/password, which is by default configured as a fallback option in any context that makes use of the fingerprint sensor. In addition, we are offering affected users the option to continue using Android 11 until Google stops supporting this operating system in early 2024.
If you are already on Android 13, please follow the instructions here to revert to Android 11. This will allow for you to go back to using your fingerprint sensor with secure apps.
Please beware! Following these instructions will mean you will need to erase your data). If you have any issue doing this operation please contact our customer support.
(How) can I go back to Android 11 to get the functionality of the fingerprint sensor back? - UPDATED 8th August
Click here to read the answer
Going back to Android 11 will not solve this issue forever: Android 11 will eventually run out of security support early 2024. Apps with high security requirements won’t work anymore at that point – these will be more or less the same apps that require strong fingerprint security.
If you are already on Android 13, please follow the instructions here to revert to Android 11. This will allow for you to go back to using your fingerprint sensor with secure apps.
Please beware! Following these instructions will mean you will need to erase your data). If you have any issue doing this operation please contact our customer support.
If I manually downgrade to Android 11, will I lower the Security Patch Level of my device? - New! 8th August
Click here to read the answer
No, as both the latest software release based on Android 11 (4.A.0023) and the latest software release based on Android 13 (6.A.018) include the same Security Patch Level: 5th of June, 2023.
Also, Android 11 will receive bi-monthly security updates as long as it is supported by Android (probably early 2024). These updates, however, cannot be installed over-the-air but need to be manually flashed. Please follow the instructions here to revert to Android 11
If I downgrade to Android 11, will I receive a notification when a new bi-monthly Android 11 update is available (e.g with a new security patch)? - NEW! 8th August
Click here to read the answer
Unfortunately, no. It is impossible to technically differentiate if you willingly decide to stay on Android 11. You can expect a new Android 11 software update every 2 months here. You will get the news via our forum.
This also means that our update system will be proposing you to upgrade your device to Android 13, in case you change your mind and you still want to benefit from the latest Android features. You can dismiss this notification, and you will only see it at most every 2 weeks.
I use [alternative operating system] on my Fairphone 3/3+. Will this issue affect me as well? - Updated 8th August
Click here to read the answer
Contrary to what we communicated earlier, it is indeed possible to continue using the biometric login when using alternative operating systems (OS). This is possible because these OS do not have to undergo Google’s official approval process. However, from a security and privacy perspective, we cannot recommend circumventing these restrictions.
Which apps are affected by the issue? - Updated 8th August
Click here to read the answer
Since the issue is connected to the security certification of the sensor, the issue affects those apps with high-security requirements, such as banking apps. Our forum members have started to assemble a list of affected apps here, but there might be other apps affected, too. For nearly all of these apps, it is possible to log in using a pin or password instead of the fingerprint sensor. For the Austrian government application “Digitales Amt”, we have confirmed that login is still possible using a hardware key (see a list of compatible hardware here).
Previous FAQs - Published on 28th of July
What exactly is causing the issue with the fingerprint sensor?
Click here to read the answer
Due to updated test requirements, Fairphone 3’s fingerprint sensor is now certified at a lower security standard, according to Android’s security requirements. We cannot get an updated firmware from the fingerprint sensor supplier, in order to increase the level again. Android biometrics security requirements are continuously increasing to stay aligned with latest research in the field, for example on reproducing someone else’s fingerprint to log into their device and apps.
Could Fairphone have prevented this?
Click here to read the answer
We could have written the explanation proactively for the end users.
We are also having conversations with all our software and hardware suppliers to get their support for a longer time for our more recent products. On Fairphone 3, we unfortunately didn’t manage to have a long-term commitment from the fingerprint sensor manufacturer.
Why wasn’t this issue included in the release notes?
Click here to read the answer
We were aware of this issue before beginning the roll-out of the latest update, but failed to include it in the release notes. This is a major oversight and should not have happened. We realize that we need to be more proactive about how to communicate and present known issues/regressions and potential workarounds before releasing updates to the public. It is now clearly indicated in the release notes and in the update notification.
If Fairphone was aware of this, why did you choose to release the update, anyways?
Click here to read the answer
Some workarounds could be put in place, see the section “What do do for the affected users?”. This is not convenient for the users using the fingerprint sensor with some apps, but they can still use those apps, unlocking them via PIN/password. Android 13 provides many new perks and features that we hope will enhance your user experience and inspire you to keep using your Fairphone for as long as possible.
If the fingerprint sensor is certified as “weak”, does this mean it is not safe to use / wasn’t safe to use before the Android update? - Shortened on 8th August
Click here to read the answer
Android security requirements changed with Android 13, which require changes in the firmware of the fingerprint sensor. Because of the lack of this firmware update, the fingerprint sensor could not be qualified “Strong” anymore and “Strong” could be a prerequisite for some apps to use it, like the banking apps. Our fingerprint is now classified as Class 2 and you can find more information here in the Android Compatibility Definition Document (CDD).
Will the fingerprint sensor on the Fairphone 4 stop working as well, once the Fairphone 4 receives the Android 13 update?
Click here to read the answer
No, as the fingerprint manufacturer for the Fairphone 4 didn’t drop the support. We’re also already preparing now to avoid similar situations for Fairphone 4 as much as possible.
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