Hello, new kid in on the FP block so apologies if this has been covered. I love the physical Sensor Privacy switch but confused that I can override it when prompted, by tapping the screen. Isn’t that an “electronic” back door? Then if I tap the screen, the physical switch is out of position. I generally try to remember to use the physical switch to open the camera and mic, so I remember by its position that it’s off. I’m clearly not a specialist in this field, but interested enough to know what’s going on.
I’m not sure I actually understand the question, however the hardware switch is no privacy switch in FPOS. If you want to disable camera and mic use the software switches in the quick settings. Or do you use e/OS?
Yes the phone is running eOS. Its Sensor Privacy is one of the options in Switch action. I might be misunderstanding how physical switches work verses “electronic” touch screen buttons. I assumed the physical slide switch was more definite in terms of switching off certain functionality. I imagined a touch screen button action is easier to be hacked or overridden by untrustworthy app developers. Therefore, the ability to override the slide switch by tapping a button on the screen didn’t make sense. In my head anyway! 
I guess you would better address with Murena.
OK, I guess. This is not a big issue, just interested to know how it works. But it’s a little confusing and frustrating for customers to buy a product and then be told “oh that bit is nothing to do with us.” I bought a Fairphone, and this switch feature is heavily marketed by Fairphone, so that’s why I came here. Don’t get me wrong, I love the ethics of this company, and I’m very happy with this phone, it’s just unusual to hear from any company either direct (regarding a previous issue), or in a forum relating to the product you bought, that an issue or information is the responsibility of another company.
The programming is done by Murena for e/OS thus in this case indeed Fairphone has nothing to do with it and Fairphone does not market it as privacy tool. So I think this should be kept separated and addressed where it can be changed and in this case its not Fairphone in my eyes.
Fariphone is responsible for the hardware and their OS. Murena and FP are 2 different companies, they have a partnership not more not less.
So you can for sure mention it here, its just it will not get addressed by anyone who can change this. We here are user like you are.
I’m not wanting a change to the phone or the operating system, simply asking so I better understand how it functions. You are quite right about the marketing side, my mistake sorry. I’d read so much about the phone before buying, I’d forgotten that the privacy switch was mentioned on Murena’s website not Fairphone’s. For a newcomer to this product, it’s completely alien for this scenario of buying a thing from one company but part of it is dealt with by another. I get it now, but you can see how this confusion exists. Anyway, I appreciate your your responses, thank you.
Hi David!
As you have different options in FPOS and /e/OS, and you have options at all what that switch on the side of the phone does, one can be pretty sure that it is just software, like the drawer options at the top of the screen.
There’s no physical unconnect-the-camera through that switch.
So software all about, most likely makes no difference how you activate or deactivate things, that side-button is rather a convenience-choice
Thanks Jan, that makes sense.