How to reactivate FP2 after motherboard replacement

Hi. I’m basically just a user and pretty ignorant where this technology is concerned. I recently sent my FP2 for repair under guarantee as the camera had stopped working. It came back (in France) with a new motherboard within 24 hours!
As soon as I switch it on I have to make decisions that I don’t understand. I can probably live with starting from scratch again, but I would be happier to recover the info the phone contained when I sent it, plus, if possible, any new data I have put into the replacement phone I have been using for a few days.
I hope my request is clear and that the answers I receive are not too technical. Thank you!

Did you make a backup before you sent your phone in? If not that data is lost.
I believe support always tells you to make a backup and erase your private data before sending the phone in. Otherwise if the package got misdelivered someone could get into the possession of some very sensitive data.
You can move the data of the replacement phone over though. You can manually move the data you need e.g. via USB or an SD card, you could use a backup tool or a cloud sync service.

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Thank you Paula, that was quick! I did back up my contacts list, and trust that my photos are still accessible in the Cloud (they show up in the replacement phone). I am not an avid phone user and plead ignorance as to the data I might have saved. For commercial transactions, I use my computer.
Could you be more explicit about your advice:
“You can manually move the data you need e.g. via USB or an SD card, you could use a backup tool or a cloud sync service.”
A sort of PS: Looking for my question, I saw that it was not listed as a New Topic (perhaps because you answered it). I discovered it quite by chance clicking on the little G for Giri at the top right. Is this the right or only way to access it?

Well I can be more specific when I know what we are talking about here. What kind of data do you want to move from your replacement phone to your Fairphone? If you want to move data that is stored in apps, which apps are you using? Is your replacement phone an Android phone? Do you use Google on both phones?

Under New topics that you haven’t viewed yet are listed. Recent topics like this one should be listed under Latest and you should get a notification too since you created the topic.

Thanks again, Paula. I’ll try to reply to your questions, but I feel I’m in the sort of position of someone who needs to know the answer in order to know what question to ask, if you get me…

The replacement phone I used is an Android by Alcatel. It still functions but I gave up on it because it has a tiny memory, now all used up, and can no longer operate WhatsApp, important to me for staying in contact with my far-flung family. Sadly (and these data I am unhappy to lose) it looks as though I cannot retrieve my WA contacts there, for example people I have met on my travels and only communicated with via WA. (I’ve learnt through this to get people’s email addresses, too).
Do I use Google on both phones? I’m not sure what that means. I have a Google account, but I don’t use Google anywhere as a search engine, preferring Ecosia when searching on my computer. I don’t make searches on my phone.
Have I answered your questions?

Re-reading this topic I started, I suddenly wonder whether, the FP being what it is, I made a mistake by sending the phone to Orange, who replaced the motherboard. Is this contrary to the spirit of FP, ie. was there a more ecological solution to my problem?

Different than most other phone brands we have the fairphoneangels flying around in different countries and cities. They are there to provide support in need of help.
They may deal with simple issues like getting into the Google universe using the Fairphone, but may also do first troubleshooting to figure out if only a part or the core module need to be replaced.
This maybe could have been a better choice. But now the new motherboard (core module) is free of your personal user data and probably was the easiest way for Orange to deal with the issue.

Anyway now still there is the chance to meet an angel if you want your (maybe backed up) or Google synched data back onto the new phone.

Whatsapp can be synched over it’s own servers (depending on how the app settings are made). I am not on Whatsapp, so I only know parts of it.

Maybe it’s possible for you to clear enough memory on your old phone to get Whatsapp running. That way you could sync your profile (save the data online).
Then on FP2 you have the chance to restore the online profile local on your phone.

Isn’t WA working with mobile phone numbers linked to the contacts which you still have after all?

Android → developed and maintained by Google, a Google account is the usual way to connect to the Android/Google universe - so yes, you are actually using Google.

If this has access to them your FP2 should also get access to them once it is registered and maybe the “drive” and/or photos function app is active. Registered as login into your Google account from your FP2.

Other, app independent data, such as music etc. may be transferred using USB and your computer or a SD card in case the replacement phone has a slot accepting one.
This then would be a (simple) file transfer action using a file manager such as windows explorer (not Internet explorer!) and Androids “Amaze”. The files should be (temporarily) stored on your computer (also if wanting to keep a backup) and then transferred to the FP2 keeping the SD card.
Actually sounds more complicated as it is.

Good luck!

Are you in Ile-de-France? There are some really helpful Fairphone types here in Paris. Sometimes meetups, and you could get help in-person if it’s easier. Probably other cities, too, but that’s where I am. You can see what is going on in those communities by the French tagged posts:

https://forum.fairphone.com/tags/%F0%9F%87%AB%F0%9F%87%B7

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I am sorry not to have followed up this thread. I don’t live I’m a heavily populated region of France.
At the moment l am travelling in the Balkans, and l need to report some strange behaviour of my FP2. I hope this is am appropriate place.
(I am now convinced that Orange did not replace the motherboard as they claimed, when l returned it under guarantee because the camera was not working. I think they simply replaced the phone!)
On this new phone, the camera still did not work! I have just discovered that l can use it if l remove the back cover! Not perfect but better than nothing. A purely mechanical problem, it seems. Also the phone does not appear to offer selfie.

Another issue is that the phone does not always connect via Wi-Fi. This is most inconvenient in my present circumstances.
All comments gratefully received, thank you.

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