Hey everyone,
I’ve had the Fairphone 6 since July 2025, and it is my only phone. I wanted to reach out to check if others are sharing my experience with a few highly frustrating bugs that are making me consider switching devices:
The Fingerprint Sensor Loop (The Breaking Point): This issue started about 3 months ago and is honestly making me consider changing phones. The sensor randomly stops working entirely. Once it breaks, it stays completely dead until a new software update rolls out. It will work fine for a while after the patch, and then randomly decide to break again—I am currently on my third cycle of this exact loop. Because I rely on it to unlock my phone, make mobile payments, and access all my secure apps, I end up having to manually type out my password dozens of times a day.
Camera App & Shutter Lag: The whole camera experience is a struggle. When I try to launch the camera app, it takes too long to actually open and be ready. Then, when I finally try to use the shutter, there is a painful delay before it actually takes the shot, meaning I completely miss the moment. Aside from the speed, the final image quality feels notably worse than my previous budget phone.
Keyboard/Input Lag: Every now and then, the phone just randomly lags out while I’m using it. If I’m typing, everything will suddenly freeze up for a few seconds, and I just have to wait a moment for it to catch up and respond again.
I checked the forums and the known issues tracker but couldn’t find anything matching this fingerprint cycle, so I opened an official support ticket a week ago. So far, I’ve only received the automated “we got your request” email and am still waiting for a first human contact.
I bought this phone because I genuinely believe in the fair idea behind it—I love the mission of sustainability and ethical tech, and I really want to support it. But dealing with these core bugs on a daily basis, especially the biometric loop with zero support response yet, is making it incredibly hard to live with as a daily driver.
Is anyone else experiencing this specific fingerprint loop or lag on their FP6? If you found any temporary workarounds, I’d love to hear them before I make a decision on switching.
Hello
Have never heard of a fingerprint sensor bug either so I assume it not to be widespread.
When submitting the ticket, did you go via self-repair portal and performed any significant troubleshooting? I do not wish to repeat that here but stuff I would suggest checking:
Safe mode - does it persist then?
Deleting all the fingerprints and readding them
As a last resort, a factory reset
I have had a frame on FP5 swapped because of the faulty sensor and I understand how annoying it is not to have it working. But in your case, due to the lack of regularity, I see it more of a software issue.
I did all the troubleshooting steps. Just to mention some of them:
The hardware test dies not detect it, and I was going to proceed that way, but luckily an update came and the sensor was back…until it dissapeared again.
I have tried to remove fingerprints, but when I do that, as the sensor is not working, I can’t add them again.
Also the SAFE mode restart, and that doesn’t show the sensor, so it is not an application messing with it.
This is the third cycle this has happened. Currently I’m waiting for next month update to have the sensor back for a few days.
I have the same problem with finger print login. The phone regularly has to be umlocked using the password where as my banking app and password manager unlock without fail. Its very annoying.
I get a message saying press on sensor firmly. Then I get a massage saying finger print not recognised. So I’m not sure what is causing this to happen. I’m going to try a recalibrate. One thought was that I do a lot of gardening so my finger print may not be as clear. I’m only guessing though.
Hello! my problem is not only in the login to the phone. Is that the sensor “disappears” for the phone so I can’t login to the phone and all other applications that need my fingerprint (bank, password manager, etc) can’t use it…so I end up writing my password a LOT; and it is not a short and easy password.