Software update: 8901.4.A.0019.1-gms-edfd6a4e

@Rigol @jdanielp Have you installed today’s update? I am not asking rhetorically. Actually, I wonder if the wording of the change is misleading. And while I have an FP3 here on which I installed the update, I cannot really (because I only ever use that device for testing and not every day) compare to before to find out in which direction the brightness change actually works out.

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This has been an issue for years.

  • Too dark so if using adaptive brighteness In that if the screenbrightness has dropped to a very low level, set manually and even sometimes with adaptive it does not nor cannot be ‘brightened’ in strong daylight as the controls are not visible.

  • A brightness that is uncomfortable in the dark as the lowest setting is not what some people want.

Seems fine with this release but some may not agree.

I’ll check very late, during one of my waking periods. As I reside in the woods there is no external lighting, the moon is only a quarter. I have sensitive eyes that I wear tinted spectacles that also adapt.

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Indeed I have not updated yet, mainly because of the mentioned change to the minimum brightness. I want to be able to use my FP in the dark (totally blacked out room with a very dim nightlight) without a screen dimmer app (security reasons, also screenshots don’t really work due to the gray overlay).

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I would love a solution like an additional check box to get an ultra dim backligt, you know? Those who don’t want the minimal brightness to be too dim could Just opt out (or vice versa).

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Sadly I hadn’t given it much thought as I have 2 FP3s and could have updated one and compared : :frowning:

It would be useful to have a one click Undo Update

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I feel like having a problem with the data. It was working well until now :cry:

Orange - Belgium

Have you tried another restart ?

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I hadn’t, but I have now. Fortunately it doesn’t seem too much brighter at the lowest setting, although I think it might have changed a bit… Interested to hear what other people perceive.

Edit: Actually, it is definitely noticeably brighter now that I have had the opportunity to try it a few times over the course of the night. Oh well.

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Yes, I’m one of those worried about minimun brightness being increased. And I confirm: after this update, the minimum brightness of the screen has gone up slightly.

I adjust the brightness in manual mode. I was happy with the minimum brightness level before this update, as it allowed me to use it in the dark… and if I was in a bright environment, I have the gesture to turn it up memorised, so it’s not a problem for me. However, I understand that it is a problem for others… in the same way that it is a problem for me not to be able to lower it, in any way, more than what the minimum allows. And this cannot be fixed, neither by going back to a bright place, nor by being in a dark place!

It’s frustrating for me, especially when I’ve been able to turn down the brightness for weeks (on two different occasions), and now I can’t do it again. Because, if I remember correctly, this is the second time an update has lowered the minimum brightness, and the next one has raised it. I was hoping that, after lowering it in the last or penultimate update, it would stay fixed… but no. It’s strange and a bit annoying (at least for me) that these things keep changing three years after the release of FP3.

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Thanks Amoun, the problem disappeared after a second reboot.

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Overall there seem to be an issue with adaptive brightness not working properly sometimes in the sun… I have Iode OS installed and minimum is really dark, in the sun you would not see anything, however I have never seen it going down in bright light.
All this back and forth is most likely because FP tries to make everyone happy and it seems to be impossible…

And maybe the issue on the FP4 not going down automatically to minimum is actually a feature, because those using adaptive brightness will not have an issue with too dark in the sun and those needing it darker at night can set this manually.

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Alright… thank you all for the detailed information on the change in screen brightness. This is enough reason for me to definitely reject this update. I will not update. I am so, so satisfied with the minimum brightness as it is right now - just perfect for usage in the dark, also for road navigation in the car when it’s completely dark out.

After the last update I was happy that Fairphone finally, after almost there years(!), managed to fix this issue in a satisfactory matter. I definitely do not want this to change for the worse now again.

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I think the issue was more the difficulty that may arise in bright light and as most use is in the day the lowest brightness had to be set so that the screen could be usable for most users most of the time.

There is the option of using apps to ‘dim’ or grey the screen but none that can increase the brightness especially as in the situation of bright light with a dark screen no user app can be selected.

This only happens for those using adaptive brightness, but I was outside one day using manual brightness. I tried the darkest setting and then could not navigate back to any visual setting. Restarting the phone didn’t change anything and I had to find a very dark place in a bright day to see anything, rendering the phone unusable, so I can see and am happy that that will not occur again.

At the opposite end a bit brighter than is wanted at night doesn’t ‘disable’ the phone and there are workarounds.

All the best

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As I see it, it’s the other way around: being able to choose a lower minimum screen brightness, as it was in the update before this one, allows you to choose it or not. Not being able to choose it simply prevents you from using the FP3 comfortably in certain dark situations (such as for reading at night, or as a navigator in the car in dark areas).

Those apps that ‘dim’ the screen are an alternative, but they are not ‘the solution’, at least for me: they offer a worse experience than the native one, they mean having more apps installed and running, they don’t reduce the smartphone’s power consumption, and they don’t allow you to take screenshots properly either.

I understand the problem with adaptive brightness not working properly and dimming the screen when it’s not supposed to do that; but once that’s fixed, what’s the problem with (voluntarily) allowing to choose a lower brightness? I know that in some specific cases you may have to cover the phone or move to a darker area, but you are still able to do so… (In fact, as I have the brightness set to manual mode, I have had to do this on a few occasions and I have been able to increase the brightness by moving to a darker area or by covering the screen with my jacket, without any major problems)

As someone commented above, I suppose an ideal solution for everyone could be to allow the user to choose, via the display settings, the actual minimum brightness value you want for your screen, or set the minimum value you can lower it to from the quick settings menu in the top bar.

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I had a feature request that the brightness would brighten up a bit on using the power and give a couple of seconds via the pull down menu, but all this fussing is abit much for the dev teams as I imagine they have more demanding jobs, so they settle for that which the majority are happy with. That’s democracy, others’ can install their own OS and tweak the setting to their own person ideals.

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Is the change in minimum brightness the only change that causes inconveniences so far or ar there other minor or major bugs, like the ones in the August’s update?

I’ve seen no changes apart from a small increase in the minimum screen brightness.

It’s strange that you ask, as I would imagine a) any that would have been seen would have been noted, presumably you have read the topic fully and b) that nothing has been mentioned of course doesn’t mean that one won’t be discovered, but as none has been it is an indication that there’s not much of a problem.

Don’t forget most user do not even come to the forum so such minor issues are either not noticed or tolerated by the large majority.

So update and then update here with what you experience :slight_smile:

Have fun

All the best

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What?? I celebrated the improvement last time the brightness level was (finally) updated, though it was still a tad to bright. I assumed it was a ‘first step in the right direction’ kind of thing, so rather disappointed now.

Glad I checked before updating, will now wait until after the holidays…

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Apart from havin g different eye sensitivities, which is the norm, maybe you have a brighter screen than it common.

The issue as I se it is that when it is very bright it is possible to see the screen and turn it down, whereas I had it so dark sometimes I couldn’t navigate to brighten it and I asked other people to help and they couldn’t see the user interface.

I can’t imagine it’s going to change again.

My problem is with the lowest brightness, which obviously can’t be turned down any further. I use my phone sometimes in complete darkness, and I’d like to do it without waking up my partner (or having to hide underneath the duvet :slight_smile: . Hence also waiting to install this update until after the holidays, as this will be a more frequent issue during this period).

There was one version when the lowest level was just perfect, and yes, I think there were a few times when I was in regular lighting conditions and couldn’t see the screen (but I had managed to increase brightness), so I can see how that would be a problem for some people. I like the idea someone posted on this thread of having a choice of opting in (or out) of having the maximum dimming option available. If that’s technically possible, that’s a win for everyone :slight_smile:

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