After weeks of needing to apply pressure to the back of my phone to use the screen, this morning it was suddenly working normally again (and still is.) I’m wondering how long it will last. Anyway, I will get a replacement FP2 soon to make sure I have a reliable phone when going abroad.
Since a few weeks my phone started to scare me. It has episodes where the screen just turns from normal to a very dark reddish colour (as a tint, I can still read the screen, but there ar also darker pixels and stripes across the screen) and than fades to black. The whole thing takes about two seconds. Afterwards, it is often hard to activate te phone again. These scenarios will happen:
- nothing, unless I slap the phone a few times on the back
- the screen will start, doesn’t react to touch
- the screen will start, but goes full LSD-experience again
Sometimes it happens differently, the colors won’t turn red, but black and white and the screen will repeat itself from top to bottom: the top section will be copied and showed again and again below. This wil then turn to black and the above scenarios will happen.
Sometimes the phone varies between colour changing and copying itself.
I will probably not be able to film this, since it happens so random and quick. If I do, I will share it.
Does anybody know what causes this? I don’t think it is the screen itself, more like some driving unit. (But I know nothing about phones, really)
Please help… I would appreciate it 
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I’ve moved your post here as I assume you’ll find here a lot of ideas for help (although you don’t see the pixels but other weird display problems).
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Hi there and welcome to the community!
I never saw that on a phone, but it looks like the screen has a bad connection with the core module.
Did you try opening your phone and cleaning the contacts of the screen?
Do you have a spare display module to try if it changes anything? Or a #fairphoneangel in your vicinity that could provide it?
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Hi,
Thanks for your replies! I’ll try taking it apart and cleaning the contacts.
I managed to take some photo’s as well, but as a new user can only upload one at a time. So here are the best.
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Hi,
I just starting having the same issue. This weekend I did a reset to factory settings because the phone was getting very slow and quite often the screen did not turn on. I will try disassembling, cleaning, reassembling, and I let you know.
Best regards
Joannes
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Thanks @ElKrasso for that really great post!
As you mentioned I’d agreee it 
really contains instructions that can harm you or even more your device but in my case (a little bit different from what you described) it was a surprising but perfect solution! 
I had a broken core module (attached displays failed to work most of the time) and were almost up to throwing it away.
I’m sure it was the core module as
- I cleaned and checked to contacts to the display and it didn’t help
- I tried out various displays and they all had the problem that they didn’t work correctly
- The display occasionally worked on pressing the phone, but not at the place where the contact between display and core module is (just below the camera). It rather helped sometimes to press on the left side, close to where the proximity sensor is located.
So as there was nothing to lose I’ve tried the oven tip. I put the core module into the oven for 9 minutes at 220°C but it didn’t help. Then, on the second attempt, I put it there for 11 minutes at 220°C and to my big surprise the core module is really working again after that treatment!
The display works as a charm and the phone is still running without any noticeable problem…!
It really seems your tip has saved my core module’s life!
Anyway, it still applies: The post contains instructions that can cause severe harm to you or your device!
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Awesome!
It need some serious confidence to bake your phone back to life. 
I am happy it worked for you and hope it will help others to extent the life of any (Fair)phone or other electronics.
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Hi,
I hope its ok to post here.
I am having issues including noisy coloured pixels, black- and whitescreens, whole display scrolling etc, but I can solve them by massaging the phone for a while.
Now as I dont want to bake my phone ^^, Id like to ask what other solutions you have found for this. Ive already found putting stuff into the phone to close a gap between the connectors, but no case where that worked long term. Is that worth trying?
Cleaning the connectors is recommended as well. I tried wiping them with a dry cloth (used for cleaning eyeglasses), but that didnt do anything. Now Im wondering if I should try with alcohol, but I read differing opinions on that, what do you think?
Also I noticed that there are little black points (scratches?) on the golden plates, is that normal and are those the problem?
Additional details
If that helps you, Im running LOS 17.1, its not a software issue (I cannot screenshoot the noisy pixels etc) and Im having other bugs including broken mic, sometimes reboots and touchscreen not reacting and my battery is really bad
Thanks in advance for helping!
No they are not the problem. I think gold forms those pits because it is softer than the underlying metal. This is most likely a core module problem, as that was the case with most people in this topic. Although it may be worth trying another screen if you haven’t done that yet (check whether there are any #fairphoneangels near you if you don’t know anyone with another FP2.)
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I would recommend cleaning with cleaning alcohol, I don’t think it could bring any problem if you do it carefully. Some recommend cleaning with compressed air as well.
Though I agree with @AlbertJP, it’s very probable the problem comes from the core-module (or hopefully it’s only the screen 
)
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Actually it may be different for you. But my experience is that if the problem solves on some pressure exactly where the contacts (you’d taken the photo of) are, then it’s more a contact problem and cleaning them or putting stuff behind the contacts (I assume you mean according to this post) shown on your photo on the left may help.
If by “massaging” you put pressure on other parts and this helps it will probably be a problem with the core module.
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I can’t believe this worked. I have paper wedging my SIM card in place, paper pushing the connection for my screen in place… How about we cut out all the plastic etc and develop an origami Fairphone? Hemp paper of course…
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Hi,
I had this snowy/unresponsive screen issue too.
I was a bit hesitant to use my home oven (it’s really not recommended to use the oven for food after using it to bake electronics).
And I happen to know the owner of an electronics assembly company.
So I asked him if I could place my main board in their SMD oven, and he was fine with it (as long as I took the responsibility for a broken board af course ;-)).
After cooling down the phone booted, but it was extremely slow (like indicated by aborland).
Luckily this improved over time, and after one day it’s almost back to normal.
Only apps I open for the first time after baking it are slow.
So probably all cache was cleared during baking (or because of the fact it has the battery disconnected for almost a full day).
And until now the phone did not show the issue anymore.
So hopefully I can use the phone now for an even longer time (I got one of the first Fairphone 2’s so it’s 5 years old already, and still going strong (running lineageOS 17)
Thanks all for pointing me to this solution!
Jan Pieter
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Thanks Jan for posting your story, very encouraging. Please update us if the issue returns.
I have been trying to find somewhere in London that might have a professional reflow oven to try and correct my faulty core module.
Do you happen to know what temperature(s) the SMD oven you used and for how long?
Hi RJF,
I still haven’t seen the issue again.
So I think it’s safe to say that resoldering fixed the issue.
Yesterday I also replaced the screen and bottom module, because they had some issues too.
Now my phone is like new 
I don’t have the profile, they just used their normal profile they always use (for lead free).
Also note that it was a Vapor Phase oven, not a reflow oven.
Not that it would matter that much, but just to be clear.
If you want I can ask them the profile they used.
Jan Pieter de Ruiter
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