[Guide] Fairphone 4 stuck in Fastboot after /e/OS install — Full Fix
Hi everyone,
I want to share how I solved my Fairphone 4 being stuck in Fastboot Mode after trying to install /e/OS.
At first, I used the /e/OS Installer as recommended. The flashing process seemed to complete successfully, and the phone rebooted — but instead of starting /e/OS, it booted straight back into Fastboot Mode.
After some frustration, I realized I needed to fix it manually. Here’s the full step-by-step that worked for me.
Problem:
- After flashing, the phone only booted into Fastboot.
- “Bootloader unlocked” warning showed briefly, then back to Fastboot screen.
- No /e/OS welcome setup screen.
📋 Table of Contents (click to expand)
- Problem
- Full Steps to Fix It
- Step 1: Download the correct /e/OS version
- Step 2: Extract the /e/OS archive
- Step 3: Install platform-tools
- Step 4: Connect phone and verify Fastboot
- Step 5: Flash firmware images
- Step 6: Erase userdata
- Step 7: Check active slot
- Step 8: Switch slot
- Step 9: Reboot
- Result
- Important Final Tips
- Setup Summary
- Useful References
Full Steps to Fix It
Step 1: Download the correct /e/OS version
Download /e/OS for Fairphone 4
Step 2: Extract the /e/OS archive
- Extract .zip fully using Windows unzipper, 7-Zip, or WinRAR.
- Look for .img files like boot.img, dtbo.img, vbmeta.img, super.img, etc.
Step 3: Install platform-tools (adb/fastboot)
Step 4: Connect phone and verify Fastboot
- Open CMD inside platform-tools.
- Type
fastboot devices - Install Google USB Drivers
Step 5: Flash firmware images
fastboot flash boot boot.img
fastboot flash dtbo dtbo.img
fastboot flash vbmeta vbmeta.img --disable-verity --disable-verification
fastboot flash super super.img
fastboot flash product product.img
fastboot flash vendor vendor.img
fastboot flash odm odm.img
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
Step 6: Erase userdata
fastboot erase userdata
Step 7: Check active slot
fastboot getvar current-slot
Step 8: Switch slot (if needed)
fastboot set_active a
Step 9: Reboot
fastboot reboot
First boot can take 5–7 minutes — be patient.
Result
Booted into /e/OS Welcome screen!
Important Final Tips
- Don’t lock the bootloader after flashing unless officially instructed.
- Enable Developer Options Guide
Useful References