I’m currently running CalyxOS on my Fairphone 5, which works perfectly. However, since it is no longer supported (at least temporarily), I want to flash a different OS. I have successfully done this before, but now it’s not working.
Specifically, my Fairphone 5 is not recognized in fastboot mode on any combination of computer, OS, cable, or port. Here’s what I’ve tried:
Two different laptops and one desktop.
Both Linux Mint and Windows on all computers.
All USB ports on all three computers have been tried.
Several USB cables, both USB-C → USB-C and USB-C → USB-A.
All cables tested with another phone (Samsung A54), which is recognized without issues for any cable, port, OS and computer.
Additional details:
In normal Android mode, the Fairphone 5 is recognized on both Windows and Linux, meaning it shows with adb devices.
However, this only works with a USB-C → USB-C cable. USB-C → USB-A cables do not work.
In fastboot mode, the Fairphone 5 is not recognized at all, thus nothing shown with fastboot devices. On Linux it does not show up in lsusb. On Windows, Device Manager shows it as an “Unknown device,” and I cannot update the driver.
I’m not sure what to do anymore. Does anyone have a great tip what to try next? Thanks in advance.
Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, I do not know any person with a Fairphone 5 as well. I see that you suspect the USB module. Why is this given that the phone is recognized in normal Android mode (i.e., with adb devices, although only with a USB-C → USB-C cable).
I had pretty much the same problem when trying to flash an FP3 with /e/OS just a few days ago. It turned out that the Android Bootloader Interface and the Android Composite ADB Interface drivers on my Win11 PC where not the appropriate ones, even though I had followed the respective /e/OS installation instructions. For me, the procedure described here: https://forum.fairphone.com/t/fastboot-flashing-unlock-waiting-for-any-device/118071/6 and here: https://support.fairphone.com/hc/article_attachments/18494377825809 solved the problem. In short: get the appropriate drivers by searching optional driver updates with Windows update while the phone is connected in fastboot mode. I hope this will work for you as well. Crossing fingers.
Thanks for your suggestion @sweisgerber. However, this does not work. I have tried this before, so the drivers are installed (and I later manually installed them again). I actually think that the whole problem is that the phone is not seen:
The ‘Unkown device‘ under ‘Other devices‘ is probably not the phone; it is still there when the phone is disconnected.
I do net this typical Windows sound when connecting the phone in fastboot, while I do get this in normal mode.
Since the phone is not seen at all, I can also not install any driver or whatsoever.
What cable did you use? USB-C → USB-C or USB-C → USB-A? Thanks.
What a pity. Did you use the same method (Windows update) to install the drivers? I first got them from Universal ADB Drivers, as it is described in the /e/OS installation instructions, and that did not work. It was also necessary to have the phone physically connected. Note: the drivers are for the PC, not for the phone., therefore it is not necessary to have an already working data connection to the phone. I think that the physical connection is needed to make Windows recognize the “undrivered” interface and identify the drivers to be installed.
On the cable: honestly, I don’t remember which one I used when flashing eventually worked after having these proper drivers installed. Before, I had tried both types.
I am afraid this is all I can try to help you with. Hopefully somebody else will have a working suggestion. Good luck.
… of course fastboot mode still needs its own drivers, installable with the phone connected to the computer in fastboot mode.
To access Control Panel in Windows 11, just search for it with the task bar search or the start menu search. To easily find Programs and Features as well as Device Manager, just change the view in Control Panel from categories to anything else (selector is top right in the window).
Reboot the phone intofastboot mode using adb reboot fastboot.
Search again for drivers via Windows update, but no result this time.
As I could not install the driver ‘Android Bootloader Interface‘ via Windows update, I did install this manually via:
Device Manager > Action > Add legacy hardware > Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced) > LeMobile > Android Bootloader Interface
Reboot phone in fastboot and restart computer.
Unfortunately, the phone is still not found. This is a printscreen from Device Manager with View > ‘Show hidden devices’ turned on: https://i.ibb.co/hxvD8prY/printscr2.jpg
@AnotherElk also thanks for you help, you replied when I was writing this message, but I think I took the first steps of the procedure you described. However at ‘Connect the phone again. (Windows should install the necessary drivers then automatically. They can be named after a different device, this doesn’t matter.)’ [my point 2], it does not go the way it should: Windows does not automatically install the necessary drivers automatically. That means, it only installs ‘Android ADB Interface‘, but not ‘Android Bootloader interface‘.
EDIT: Just to add. I de-installed all drivers on another computer as well and then connected the phone in normal mode. Now, I see it in Device Manager under ‘Universal Serial Bus controllers’ as ‘Unkown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)’. I’m suspecting a faulty USB-port of my Fairphone 5. So, I also cleaned the USB-port (already did earlier btw), but no success.
I contacted customer support via chat to have the USB-port replaced under warranty. However, they wanted to create a ticket etc. and I’ve read here that it can take a while. Therefore I decided to just order it myself, if it turns out it’s indeed the USB-port they should reimburse it under warranty imo.
Just wanted to share a quick update: I replaced my USB port, and it fixed the issue right away! I install Ubuntu Touch right away. Let’s see how I like it.
