Stock fp3(+) (factory reset) boot loop (workarounds in first post)

[Stefaz1]

Same here. Started a few hours ago. Just waiting seems to be the best option for now as I’ve read all the posts. But this really sucks

[JohnLBevan]

I’ve found a way to get logs from my phone (details here) - this involved enabling developer mode on your phone, so probably best only done by those with a Tech background (as this can be a security risk / enable options which if set accidentally can cause issues).

This is from after a factory reset, but there are some entries from before / the first entries in the log are:

[11-11 06:55:21.712 3103:3103 F/libc]
Fatal signal 6 (SIGABRT), code -1 (SI_QUEUE) in tid 3103 (init), pid 3103 (init)

[11-11 06:55:21.753 3103:3103 F/libc]
crash_dump helper failed to exec

[11-11 06:56:48.281 9478:9478 E/AndroidRuntime]
FATAL EXCEPTION: main
Process: com.qualcomm.qti.qms.service.trustzoneaccess, PID: 9478
java.lang.UnsatisfiedLinkError: dlopen failed: library "libnative-api.so" not found
	at java.lang.Runtime.loadLibrary0(Runtime.java:1087)
	at java.lang.Runtime.loadLibrary0(Runtime.java:1008)
	at java.lang.System.loadLibrary(System.java:1664)
	at com.qualcomm.qti.qms.service.trustzoneaccess.TZAccessService.<clinit>(TZAccessService.java:15)
	at java.lang.Class.newInstance(Native Method)
	at android.app.AppComponentFactory.instantiateService(AppComponentFactory.java:129)
	at android.app.ActivityThread.handleCreateService(ActivityThread.java:4178)
	at android.app.ActivityThread.access$1500(ActivityThread.java:238)
	at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1933)
	at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:106)
	at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:223)
	at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:7705)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
	at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:592)
	at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:952)

Hope that’s helpful… Sadly I didn’t spot anything obvious related to the Google Play Services / location components (until long after the factory reset; so I assume those are unrelated).

[Kommissarmartin]

Alright, thanks for the quick answer!
(Sorry I deleted my previous post, was an accident)

[bekassine]

I’m having this issue as well since this morning. I’m in Austria, FP3, provider “Yesss!”, did not install any updates recently.

[MartinRgt]

Hi, same here, from France, FP3+, provider Free Mobile.
Every firmware update bricks my phone, in one way or the other. Am I supposed to get an emergency Chinese phone to switch to whenever (every six months) an update makes my phone unuseable?

[Nikke]

I had the same factory reset loop problem on my FP 3+. “Fixed” it by replacing the FP stock OS with /e/OS. The replacement operation was difficult because I needed to get the serial number from and unlock the bootloader of the phone when it was shutting down after 10-20 seconds after startup.

[anon9989719]

Hi Martin and welcome to the forum

Apart from the facts that the updates occur far more regularly than six months how often you get them is a bit of a mix in that Fairphone have to checked with the carrier before sending it, so in some cases it may well be six months.

But it would seem that if you phone is bricked every time, how do you get to use it?

[Alan_Pritchard]

Same here. This happened to me overnight.

And the problem is that none of the instructions for restoring the phone after a factory reset work.
Why? I cannot log in to my google account to restore it on the phone, because it has 2 factor authentication, which uses SMS sent to the phone - but I cannot access SMS in the dialogue I am in which is setting up the phone again - I am in effect locked out of the phone’s functionality, which prevents me logging into to google to restore my phone.

Of course, I can’t simply turn off two factor authentication via my PC, since that also requires a 2FA - via the phone - to turn it off.

What the heck do I do now? My phone is basically unusable!

[JohnLBevan]

@Alan_Pritchard

ich uses SMS sent to the phone - but I cannot access SMS in the dialogue I am in which is setting up the phone again - I am in effect locked out of the phone’s functionality, which prevents me logging into to google to r

I also had to solve an MFA SMS challenge to log in. I had to tell the phone to use this challenge instead of normal MFA, then the SMS was sent to my device which automatically read and completed the challenge (without my needing to access the messages screen). I’ve had the issue a few times now, and on one of the resets the SMS piece seemed to not work (i.e. I’d request a challenge, but not text seemed to come)… I waited an hour then tried again and all was good - I suspect maybe the services were down or overloaded on my first attempts? Hope that’s some help.

[Alan_Pritchard]

My phone isn’t doing the auto-read thing (for some reason). It may be that I have just hit the same problem you had once.
I will perhaps try to chill and try again later. With phone stuck on reset until then. Can’t undo the factory reset now …

Interesting that this has been going on for days, but only hit some of us later now (network push delays?).

I have a FP3+ on Telenor in Sweden.

[MartinRgt]

Hi amoun, thanks for your reply

I really don’t mind if the updates occur every six months or less. The point is that every time my FP receives a firmware update, I have trouble using it even when I wait one month before installing it.

Since September 2021, after receiving an update I’ve been experiencing either minor bugs (the screen backlight wouldn’t work; the system would ask me to pick a launcher everytime i hit the home button) or having to factory reset it twice (may happen again, from what I’m reading here) to get it to work.

And I do get to use it spending hours in restoring it, logging in my apps again, manually restoring my Authenticator app and losing data. I’m glad it didn’t happen while I was abroad without my PC.

I stick to it because I love the project and want it to work, but it requires time and patience, which I don’t always have.

[Alan_Pritchard]

Some progress. Managed to turn off MFA. Now just to navigate the rest of the restart after factory, and hope it does not just go back into the loop…
Thanks for the help JohnLBevan and all the advice on the forum here!

[chrislale]

Also the same problem in UK using Tesco Mobile(O2). The reset menu appeared overnight (11/12 November) quoting version fp3 11/8901.4.A.0017.3/gms-15368f27.

I’ll raise a ticket.

[punkt]

Hi, as a suggestion: If you have another phone, switch over the SIM card to be able to receive SMS. If not, configure your FP3 completely w/o google interaction, just phone functionality. So you can receive SMS and configure alternate MFA methods to your Google account (most ‘low tech’ variant is “10 backup codes”)

[anon9989719]

@MartinRgt

the system would ask me to pick a launcher everytime i hit the home button

This was found to be related the Digital Wellbeing app, that if disabled would stop that.

Keeps asking which launcher to use

hi again, I started seeing a pattern that issue occurs around my Digital Wellbeing bedtime settings (evening and morning) and started suspecting the app. I’m not clear how much this is a standalone app and how much part of the system settings, but what helps me is to go to Google Play and click ‘Uninstall’. It will not uninstall it fully, but will leave ‘Update’ button available. I don’t click it, but at some point Google will update it again. Until Google does, I no longer get launcher prompts…

[GioCa]

Same problem. FP3, Italy, operator is Fastweb.
It happened overnight just like in the opening post of this thread.

[GioCa]

I reset to factory mode and the FP works as long as GooglePlay is installing all apps from the backup. Once it is finished, the phone reboots just a few seconds after I unlocck.
Hence I performed another factory reset and while the Play store was reinstalling all apps I managed to disable automatic updates from the Play store itself [Play Store->Your profile picture → Settings → Network preferences → Auto-update and Download preferences], then had just enough time to clear the Play store cache [Settings → Apps → Seel all apps → scroll to Google Play Services → Storage → Clear Cache].

It rebooted.

It works only if I disable Google Play Services.

[anon9989719]

• This doesn’t seem to be related to the last update, which was on 27th Sept.
• Further there are reports of people with the 0016.6 having the same issue
• It could be an app update as it seems to occur even after a Safe mode start
• It seems to cover a few carriers, O2 and Vodafone being big players

So maybe google has guffed up or one of their apps may have been hacked.

[Elli1]

Hi there, just wanted to let you know that I am experiencing the same issue. FP3 with vodafone Germany, approx. 2 years old.
I opened a ticket with fairphone but haven’t tried much else since I am not experienced with those issues and don’t feel good trying to do things in those 8 seconds. I hope they will resolve the issue soon.

[duboism]

Hello,

Same here:

• Started yesterday while my phone was standing still charging
• Provider: Orange (France)
• Removing SIM card didn’t help

Note that phone calls work (I receive SMS too but can’t read them since reboot usually happens before the Messages app is able to start).