sorry to hear you not getting any further with this problem.
I can’t at much to this excerpt of that i noticed as well that this moisture and dust protection future, it i bit over sensitive on the FP5.
in the 6 years of my previous phone i think it only happened maybe 10 times it disabled its one USB C. and was normal solved in a second. shaking the phone for example to get the water out.
with the FP5 how i never pleased the phone under tap or keep in my hand well swimming. wat i did with my previous phone.
i already did struggle with this error multiple times on the FP5. using a special small brush to clean the USB-C, that wasn’t still not getting this solved in one go. multiple atempts where needed. and i couldn’t see any debris under a microscope. The cleaning dit help so it was detecting something, and not completely random.
in your case. with a new assembly in place, unless you’re that unlucky the replacement is broken. no clue…
same issue here :/.
Got the message and tried to clean the USB port. I noticed some kind of copper corrosion at one of the USB lanes, so I figured it would be best to replace the USB port.
After doing that today, there was no change in behavior. Still got the message and now found this thread. The symptoms seem to be the same. Doesn’t charge when turned on and extremely slow charging when turned off.
For everybody who really depends on his/her phone.
One possibility to charge your battery until you are able to send it in for repairs is to charge the battery with a universal Li-Ion battery charger. There is a thread in this forum where you can find more information about which chargers are suitable.
But do this at your own risk I only know the basics of electronics so I would just assume a charger with to much power directly connected to your battery would burn your house down. As far as I understand it, it should be safe as long as the charger is for Li-Ion and has a maximum output voltage that is equal to or lower than your peak battery voltage.
Here the thread:
This message can potentially be connected with the euqipment you use. I see that when I connwct the FP5 to my docking station. So if not done, def test other cable and /or charger
I already tested all my cables and also different chargers and power banks. Including those that worked for over a year. I would guess its a hardware issue with the bottom pcb mentioned earlier in this thread. I am on /e/os 2.7 this thread goes back a couple of months and a firmware bug should have a fix by now at least in fpos? I guess, since there were people with the same issue that got that pcb replaced under warranty? This is at least the reason for the problem I would gamble for : )
after charging my battery on my own to around 50% I was able to start my phone again. I wanted to add to the errors I am experiencing. I have to push the power button for at least 10 seconds for the phone to turn on.
after to weeks with Fairphone support and sending the phone to Cordon Electronics for repair. Cordeon tells me my warranty is void because “Attempt to change the
software.” I have /e/ os installed but i bought it with this ROM preinstalled from Murena.
I still think it is a hardware problem as the same bottom PCB is mentioned as someone had in this theead some time before with the same issue
They dont help you under warranty as long as e/OS is installed, thats correct and normally you always have to reinstall FPOS before sending it in. Didnt support tell you that? However it def does not void warranty, as long as you can prove its happening with FPOS as well. Get in contact with support best via the online chat.
Support told me that but I bought it preinstalled and i have no idea how to reinstall FPOS or flash e os afterwards. Or how to unlock and relook the bootloader,
how is this ment to be done? Another thing is that the USB Port isn’t working so I dont know I how to flash a new OS without USB? Also (I know this is my and Murenas Problem) There was no disclaimer on Murenas Website that I have to reflash the OS to get repair under warranty And does flashing it myself not void it? I have seen threads in this forum where someone bricked his phone trying to flash a ROM and was told he can‘t get a repair under warranty.
Edit:
Phone bought with /e/ os
So I think I have to get in contact with murena. I probably should have read that before contacting Fairphone Support
Thank you for your help I‘m still in contact with the different support teams. I am only growing a little frustrated with the process.
I completely understand your frustration, because I think Fairphone could have told you directly, to handle this through Murena. So there was a miscommunication from Support and I think they have to correct their fault without charging you any fee.
Hi everyone,
to add another layer to the ‘liquid/debris’-problem:
The warning appears only when I use my USB-hub (Hurricane USB C Hub 6in1), AND when the power-port is connected BEFORE I connect the hub to my phone.
So: Connect hub to socket » connect hub to phone » ‘liquid or debris’
I got my FP5 from Fairphone directly, so FPOS installed and updated.
I’ll send this to support, too. Maybe they’ll get an idea, where the problem may be hiding.
Thanks to the moderators for help and calming down this thread!
Hello from France.
I have the same problem since this morning. My battery is near 10% and I cannot charge it anymore due to this same reason.
I cannot wait to send my FP5 to repear.
Does any one try a external battery charger ?
Can you give me your opinion on them ?
Thank you
that will be inconvenient that you can no longer use your phone.
Have you already tried cleaning the USB-C socket?
soft brush and a little bit of isopropyl Alcohol for example.
have you tried after cleaning to look in the USB-C socket using a light. can you see any dirt, discoloration or moisture?
unfortunately there is no external battery charger from Fairphone available.
a universal battery charger is a option, except, you have no guarantee that it will not damage the battery.
different options to consider:
ordering a new usb port from a reseller in your area,
ask your local phone repair shop if they can do it for you,
or ordering it from the Fairphone website.
maybe it is under warranty, to get the warranty you neet to go through the official route. that will take a long time.
if you bought your phone from a reseller you could contact them, hopefully they can respond and act quickly.
Hello Tom
Of course, I’ve tried these solutions.
I also went to a phone repairer who tried to clean it.
But when he saw it, he already known it was not due to dust or anything else.
For him, it’s due to humidity (maybe in the bathroom) which oxidized the connections of the USB port (he saw this kind of problem on Samsung).
So, since I’ve posted on this topic, I decided to send my FP5 for repair and benefit from the warranty.
I hope to successfully restart my FP5 long enough to retrieve my data.
Dear Betamine
I am afraid this kind of oxidization voids the warranty.
I would consider cleaning it on my own with alkohol or ordering a new USB port. Cause it might happen that when you sent in your phone, you will be charged more for out-of-warranty repair. Or you could try the chat with the support this week.
Warranty claims & Liquid contact indicators
Fairphone 4 has several liquid contact indicators (LCI) inside its frame. Before performing any warranty repair, we check the integrity of these indicators along with other signs of clear oxidation which can help determine the presence of water damage.
If any exposure to liquid, moisture or dampness is detected, it will void your warranty.
Not sure how relevant that is to the topic but as I read quite often about people needing to clean their USB port, I have decided to share my solution.
I am using the silicone/plastic protectors for USB ports. They are quite cheap (1 euro?) and easy to replace. For devices that I need to charge often, I use the ones with the sticker, for a headset ones without one (see pictures).
I know magnetic cables have also been recommended on the forum but that felt like a bigger operation (changing cables as well). I think magnetic cables are better in terms of general protection from pressure, while silicone plugs more weatherproof.
I have the same problem with the FF5 of my daughter. Even ordered and replaced the USB port. But no luck. Still the same problem. When we insert a USB cable the phone disables the USB port only to re-enable it immediately after the cable has been removed.
I have submitted a support request 3 weeks ago and tried to use the chat on the website of FF but I never heard back. Pretty annoying I must say!
This is the second FF5 in my family. Bought one for my wife too.
But if you have to replace the entire device after just 5 months, then all the “fair” in the “phone” is pretty useless and repairable is also useless.
I would at least expect the support team to get in touch…
I recently encountered this problem and I found a solution that I did not see listed on this forum.
My new Fairphone 5 (purchased in 2025) started producing this error after being plugged into an external monitor (I was using it just to charge, not to display). Once this happened ALL 24 pin USB C cables cause the error, however 16 pin USB-C cables (they do not have usb 3 transfer speeds) do not cause this issue… ever and continue to function correctly after the problem occurs.
My solution is… Take out the battery. +1 for removable battery… right? Restarting the phone did nothing, but taking out the battery and waiting a few seconds before reinserting works I tested this out an additional time intentionally after resolving it. External monitor causes the issue which remains persistent with all 24 pin USB-C cables until the battery is removed.
Prior to this i checked the port for liquid and debris which there was none as one should. I have access to a hardware lab for clean room materials, and I can say confidently this phone port is very clean when this issue is occuring.
I posted to this thread a month ago, when I had the same problem. I got my phone back from Cordon (Fairphones repair partner). I am pretty sure that it is a hardware problem. At least when you already replaced the usb-c and the problem still persists, as it was the case with my phone. If you look at my invoice you can see they replaced FP5_SECUNDARY_PCB_BOTTOM_V1 and apart from that part they only charged for 30 min of work.
And does flashing it myself not void it? I have seen threads in this forum where someone bricked his phone trying to flash a ROM and was told he can‘t get a repair under warranty.
