…and the Boot Loop is back.
Only difference to Yesterday: we but the sim card back into the Fairphone this morning
I’ve got the exact same problem since 2 days…happened on Saturday, 12th november, around 2:30 pm EST.
Is anyone here having the issue in Toronto (Canada)?
(If that may have something to do with the location?!)
I already deleted the Google Play Store app, the spotify app, took off my SIM cards, my battery, tried safe mode, tried fast boot mode etc… but nothing worked 
I am trying out the USB debugging in the developer mode but the few seconds are never enough, it takes so many tries…
I really hope that FAIRPHONE can help us because it seems as if a lot of people are meeting the exact same problem!
1 Like
You may find an option to uninstall the latest Google Play Services which is what the Play Store updates and causes the issue.
Use the three dots top right, see image below. However this may not be enough sometimes those updates are only a day or two appart and this has been going on for a week or two.
Just to confirm that is the version I have and haven’t experienced this issue, but then I have the Google Play Store uninstalled
1 Like
So a reminder for everyone who is blinded by all that technical ADB stuff …
The quickest way to solve the issue
… (should work for everyone who is not using “Find my device” by Google), is still:
- Preparation
- Start your device
- Unlock SIM card (but NOT yet the phone!)
- Draw down the quick settings from the top of the lockscreen with your finger
- Touch the “Settings” gear icon
- Ready, set…
- … NOW unlock phone (Attention: Time is running now!)
- In the “settings” screen that should open automatically…
- “Apps & Notifications” (3rd from top)
- “SHOW ALL xxx APPS” (in turquoise, in the middle of the screen)
- One or two very (!) fast (!) slides with your finger to fly down to “G”
- “Google Play services”
- Upper right three point menu
- “Uninstall updates”
- “OK”
If you get the second part done within 20 seconds (which is doable, after some attempts you will get faster and remember the steps by heart. Try it!), chances are you will be able to solve the issue.
If you get an error message or some button is greyed out, you have to resort to ADB instead - or wait 'til Fairphone solves the issue.
Once your phone is working again (or if you are not affected yet), think about doing this procedure to prevent it from (re-)appearing. You don’t have to, but the issue will return within hours or days if you don’t do anything. Anyway, of course, with the steps above (in this post) you can fix it within 20 seconds (and no more! 
), should it reappear…
8 Likes
Hi everyone,
Thanks to the tech savvy among you who have already been working on and sharing some workarounds. We are doing our best to have this resolved permanently as soon as possible. In the meantime though, the following workaround should resolve the issue in the short term:
Deinstall recent Google Play Services updates
- Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > See all XX apps
- Find Google Play Services
- Tap the 3-vertical-dot button in the top right corner
- Tap Uninstall Updates
- Tap OK
Disable automatic Google Play Services updates
- Open Google Play Store >Tap on your profile picture > Settings > Network preferences > Auto update apps > Don’t auto-update apps.
- Open Google Play Store >Tap on your profile picture > Settings > Network preferences > App download preferences > Ask me every time.
Note: The only data being removed is the updates to Google Play Store
Once we have released a permanent solution, we’ll pop another comment below and ask you to reinstall all Google Play Services updates once more.
Apologies once again for the inconvenience and thanks for your patience so far! 
15 Likes
Hello everyone!
My phone is having the same issue as stated by everyone else.
However, I am unfortunately not able to use the workaround provided by Fairphone staff.
(FYI my issue: the ‘three dots’ I need to tap, are always getting hidden by a popup about my data limits being reached. When the popup finally dissapears, the phone restarts. If I click on the message first instead, I get redirected to my data screen and I do not have enough time to do the workaround after that.)
This means I would have to use the ADB workaround. Unfortunately I am not very gifted when it comes to understanding programmers lingo. Is there a way someone could explain the process to me, or is there a tutorial somewhere with screenshots?
I would greatly appreciate!
Hi and welcome to the forum.
For adb to work you will first have the enable USB debugging, which can take a few seconds, as you have the enable Developer options first. Do one then the other next time if the phone reboots in between.
Talk about the use of adb if you get that far
All the best.
So first job is
2 Likes
Thanks for the workaround, but it is impossible to do it in time, the phone restarts within ten seconds :-(.
2 Likes
Hi rae, thanks for the feedback. I find it impossible to complete the suggested steps in a 5-10 sec time frame between unlocking and rebooting of the Fairphone… Just loading of screen and list of apps after unlocking the phone eats up all the time before even opening Google Play Services. Looking forward to other solutions! Thanks.
2 Likes
You could try starting in safe mode as it doesn’t load your custom apps, it may save a few seconds ???
2 Likes
Thank you very much Amoun! That was very clear and helpful. It took me a while, as I need to translate all the used options into my own language, but I got there. Thanks again! I will now check the comment by Pilo11.
I have the same problem.
See photo. Sorry for the blurryness.
It says:
Android Recovery
Fairphone/FP3/FP3
11/8901.4.A.0016.6/gms-f0c20986
And then some user instructions.
I only get 2 options:
- Try again
- Reset to factorysettings
When trying again (and again and again and again…) I am able to startup my phone normally (enter pincode etc.) and it seemingly starts. Only to crash again after 30-90 seconds (the time varies with every try).
I used to get another error message, about LocationServices stops every time (literal translation), but that message has disappeared after I removed my SD card. Other than that, the problem still persist and I can still not start my phone.
I’ve also tried with a removed SIM card, and still the same problem.
I truly hope this can be solved without having to reset to factory settings.
Any help will be greatly appreaciated.
Thanks!
Thanks @anon9989719 for all your ideas and contributions - much appreciated! Unfortunately not a sec quicker in safe mode. Strangely even slower in loading the list of apps…
1 Like
You are most likely hit by this issue, so I moved your post here, please read above
I was fast enough to click uninstall the Google Play services, but then I see for a sec “Can’t uninstall the update” and the phone rebooted.
Can it be blocked by smth?
Thanks @Jonibhoni! My phone gives me max. 8-10sec between unlocking and rebooting. Even hard training doesn’t bring me to the Google Play Services in the given time…
1 Like
I must and can confirm that the downgrade of the Google Mobile Service + disable of the Google Play Store has been the working transitional solution for me consistently for 2 days now. It is not necessary to completely remove the Play Store. But without disabling the Play Store after the downgrade, the whole “fun” starts all over again.
6 Likes
What if you follow my precise steps mentioned here ?
It’s the same thing as @formerFP.Com.Manager wrote just with some shortcut.
a) You can save some seconds by don’t making a detour over the launcher / home screen. You can unlock the phone right by pressing the settings icon in the quick settings drawer. This way you don’t need to wait until your apps and widgets are painted on the home screen…
b) Sometimes you can even reach the Google Play services app info by a long (long!) press on the “Nearby Share” quick toggle in the quick settings drawer (kudos to @vyacheslav). It strangely doesn’t work every time though. Sometimes you will also reach the Nearby Share settings instead, but once I pressed “back” there and also arrived at Google Play services app info.
Also, I guess the issue will return as long as you don’t deactivate Play Store. I am quite sure just deativating updates won’t be enough. But I’m experimenting with that at the moment.
3 Likes
Also, people, mind the old thing that just “removing” some app’s icon from the homescreen is not uninstalling or deactivating it. See here for how to deactivate it properly.
1 Like