What is happening FairPhone?

Dear Fair Phone, what is happening to you?
Ever since I have purchased the FP2 (had to, my FP1 got stolen), I have been experiencing problems, app-related, software-related. I always think, ‘It will pass’, but alas. It brings frustration.
With every update, be it in the FP OS or app-updates, there is a problem. I know that the occasional bug will lead to a small software issue, but not every week, let alone, every day.

  • screen freezes when charging battery
  • instagram app stops functioning, freezes or pauzes (want to quit or wait?)
  • whatsapp - freezes phone completely
  • whatsapp looses connection (yes, wi-fi is functioning)
  • fair phone launcher does not react (quit or wait?)
  • phone suddenly reboots - just like that
  • memory card (sandisk) still does not work (believe me, I tried every suggesion on the forum)
  • mms still does not work (cannot be bothered any longer)

So, I was a very happy FP1 user, and I am a true believer: we need a fair phone, but this is not working for me, any longer. You need to step up the game, really; paying good money for a phone that does not work or does only half what it promises, … that just does not work.

Best regards,
Sven

1 Like

Well Sven,
i can’t confirm that. 5 of my customers use FP2 as a daily driver with Fairphone OS GMS or Fairphone Open. Even with SailfishOS - anything is working fine.

I think you problems are - software related. You think, you has installed some app(s) which is misbehaving and after each update it gets more worse.

Backup your data, make a clean install of Fairphone OS or Fairphone open with fastboot, install all your apps.
You will see - anything will work fine. But it must be a clean install!

Not an update on top of your dirty android installation

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Well, thanks for your quick reply, but that is a very harsch solution :slight_smile: … But I will give it a try.
Is there a step-by-step plan? How to back up and clean install?
Cheerio!
Sven

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The best thing is - you backup all your Data with MyPhoneExplorer

http://www.fjsoft.at/en/

Afterwards follow this manual:

begin here:
4. Flash the binary images from a computer

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Any mac-related apps for back up?

You can use Helium with a Mac.

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What @explit suggests sounds reasonable, nonetheless there is a chance that the problems are not only software related (even though most of them sound like it); it is always possible that a hardware defect could play a role as well - at least with some of your issues: Since there were some users describing similar issues (random reboots, screen problems while charging), I wouldn’t categorically exclude the possibility of a hardware defect.

In some cases, users reported problems with the connectors, so when setting up the phone, I would also try to disassemble the phone and clean the contact before reassembling - just to make sure.
I would also suggest that right after the reset, it may make sense to the test the phone a bit before installing all apps again and playing in all backups. This way you can see if there is a deeper problem (i.e. a hardware problem). It is possible that when using the same apps again, or when playing in the backups, that you also copy again the problem causing instance. If the phone runs smooth without your apps/backups, you know you have to look for a troublesome app. If the problems (e.g. reboot) occur also without apps installed, then it looks very much like you could have a hardware problem and need to get it fixed under warranty.

This sounds like you could have the wrong APN settings.

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memory card (sandisk) still does not work (believe me, I tried every suggesion on the forum)

Reformat the card as FAT32 or exFAT (if bigger than 64GB) on a Windows PC.
MacOS should also have this possibilities.

Thanks, sir!
Still, I am no tech-wizard and most of what you write sounds like Chinese to me.
Anywho, I’ll give it a shot,
cheerz!
Sven

Update: as the day progresses, the phone gets worse - freezes after 5’. Says ‘Facebook has stopped’, and FB is not even running.

Hi! I experience the same problems as Sven, at least the following ones :

  • screen freezes when charging battery
  • whatsapp - freezes phone completely
  • whatsapp looses connection (yes, wi-fi is functioning)
  • fair phone launcher does not react (quit or wait?)
  • phone suddenly reboots - just like that

I have also other problems :

  • Phone reboots when I try to use the option of selecting the SIM for outgoing calls
  • Impossible to wake up the screen after a call (I saw others have the same problem)

Except Whatsapp, I quite have no other app installed on my FP2. So I think the problem is coming from Whatsapp or it is a hardware problem.

I also have an other problem, I have tried to send a question to the support for a few days but the support page doesn’t seem to send you my question. Is there an other way to contact you?

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Hey Paul, Helium: no connection, although USB-connected.

Since its last update, the Facebook app seems to cause severe problems. If you can get so far, uninstall it.

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Hey Irina, could FB be the cause of all the issues? I have deleted it. Rebooted. Hope this will have solved the issue.

Maybe not the cause of all your issues, but other users reported as well problems like freezes, crashes of Facebook and Instagram, battery drain etc. that stopped after uninstalling the FP app.

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Well, apparently it has solved my issues - so thanks for your post :smile:

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Same issues, same solution: uninstall FB app and everything will be solved!

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Closing this topic to avoid duplicates.
The discussion continues here: