Fairphone 5 bricked by faulty Android 15 update

The Fairphone 5 is a modular smartphone produced by Fairphone, a Dutch company that markets its devices as sustainable, repairable, and ethically sourced, with long-term software support.^{[citation needed (6 Apr 2026)]} In July 2025, some Fairphone 5 users reported their devices no longer being able to start up after they updated to Android 15.^[1]

Following the Android 15 update, users of devices with broken fingerprint sensors reported getting stuck on the boot animation and could not complete startup.^[1][2] There were unsuccessful attempts from users to recover affected devices through standard troubleshooting methods, which includes forced reboots and attempts to downgrade firmware.^[1]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for reporting this and for your patience as we looked into it.

We’ve now identified the root cause of the issue: it only affects Fairphone 5 devices with broken fingerprint sensors. Android 15 introduces stricter hardware checks during boot, and if the fingerprint sensor is faulty, the phone is unable to start.

The good news is that the issue is reversible:

You can safely downgrade back to Android 14 without losing data by following a specific set of steps.

If your device is frozen on the boot animation:

1. To force a reboot, press and hold the power button for around 15 seconds.
2. If the device returns to the boot screen, continue to repeat this process until it fully boots into Android (can be up to 7-8 times)

Edit 2 by yvmuell as it was insisted thats could be important (I havent faced the issue myself so dont know)

Hello from Germany. I’ve finally managed to do it after 20 reboots. My problem was that I waited too long. I only restarted as soon as the “I” was displayed.

Try this: Hold down the on/off switch until the screen goes black. As soon as the word “Fairphone” appears in green and the Android logo below it, hold down the on/off switch until the screen goes black again. You do this about 7-8 times. At some point I was suddenly back in.

Good luck!

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

If you need further assistance, please reach out to our Customer Support team: https://support.fairphone.com.

From there, you have two options:

• Send your phone in for repair (to replace the fingerprint sensor) this will fully resolve the issue and allow you to update to Android 15.

Edit by yvmuell:

Thanks for your question!

Please follow this trouble shooting tool > Fairphone 5 > Fairphone 5 only: my device is stuck after Android 15 update

You will receive an automated email then our customer support team will reach out within a few days and will guide you and share the instructions and shipping label.

Please be mindful to follow the steps, reply accurately, and read all the provided text and questions carefully. We want to avoid incorrect responses, as they will slow down the resolution of each request, even for people affected by other issues. Thanks a lot

• Wait for a software workaround our partners are currently exploring a patch that would allow Android 15 to boot even if the fingerprint sensor is broken. Please note: if this patch becomes available, the fingerprint sensor itself will still not function, but you’ll be able to use the rest of the OS.

We’re doing everything we can to support you now and will keep you updated as soon as there’s progress on the software workaround.

If you suspect that your root cause is not fingerprint sensor related, we encourage you to reach out to our customer support team.

Thanks again for your understanding and support.

Edit 3 by yvmuell:

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your patience and for sharing your experiences regarding the FP5 boot issue following the Android 15 update.

What we’ve discovered

From our diagnostics, it seems that:

• In some cases, the fingerprint sensor was working intermittently, which allowed the update to Android 15 to complete and the phone to boot at least once.
• If the fingerprint sensor then stopped working afterward, the device is recognized as having successfully installed and started Android 15.
• This means a rollback to Android 14 is no longer possible once Android 15 has been initialized.

What this means for affected devices

For devices in this situation:

• Repair is the only option if the phone can no longer boot.
• Even if we release a future fix, users whose phones are already stuck on A15 without booting will not be able to simply install it as a normal update.
• The only ways to apply the fix will be either:
  1. Sending the device for repair.
  2. Manually installing the update.

Both options require a factory reset and will result in data loss.

Next steps

• Our teams are actively working on a long-term solution so this issue won’t recur in future updates.
• We’re monitoring this thread closely and forwarding all details you share to our internal teams.

We know this is not the experience you expect or that we want to deliver, and we’re truly sorry for the frustration it has caused. Your reports here are vital to helping us resolve the issue and prevent similar cases in the future.

Thank you again for your support and for being part of the Fairphone community.

Edit 4

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your patience while we continue to address the booting issue some of you have faced after updating to Android 15.

The problem is linked to a faulty fingerprint sensor. During the staged rollout, we closely monitored reports and confirmed that the real underlying issue was hardware-related. Because of this, we have now put a dedicated processes in place:

Faster identification: our Customer Support agents are trained to recognize this case quickly.

Chatbot support: our website chatbot now collects the necessary information, including address, to speed up the repair process.

Advanced replacements: we’ve also introduced an advanced replacement process for anyone whose device is affected, so they don’t have to wait for a full repair cycle.

In parallel, we have been working with our partner T2M on a software fix. We need to ensure that there are no unintended impacts, so this is taking some time. We will keep you updated on the progress and ability to release a fix.

This way, we’re addressing both the immediate impact (through faster repair and replacement processes) and the longer-term solution (through the software update).

I will post on the forum as soon as I know more.

Thanks for your understanding

Sarah

Edit 5

Update on this matter:

There is a new software update for FP5. SPL: 5.09.2025

A bit unusually released on Sunday.

FP5.VT2E.C.059 Release date: 05 October 2025

Android version: 15

Security patch level: September 2025

Changes:

• Fixed an issue that prevented devices with a malfunctioning fingerprint sensor from booting into Android 15.
• Security patch level.

Important patch for those suffering from a malfunctioning fingerprint^[2]

Hi all, today I noticed that Android 15 was rolled out to the FP5. I downloaded and updated the Phone. After the update it started, first with a Green “fairphone” text. After that the whole background became green and there was a light green text “fairphone”. I assume that is the boot animation, but after the text collapsed into only a green l in the middle of the screen nothing is working. I cannot do anything with it. The only thing the phone can do is: Enter fastboot (after foceshutdown…

Fingers crossed it will work out smoothly for those concerned. PS. The installation went smoothly

On 5th of October 2025, Fairphone released a patch that fixes the Android 15 booting issue affecting devices with broken fingerprint sensors.^[2] Before this patch, they directed users to its authorized repair partner, Cordon Group. This is because the repair required a Qualcomm EDL firehose file, and Fairphone does not publicly distribute it.^{[citation needed (6 Apr 2026)]}

• A user could replace the fingerprint sensor module, but that may not be available for individual retail purchase in all regions depending on company policy and stock availability.^{[citation needed (6 Apr 2026)]}

• Advanced recovery via Qualcomm Emergency Download (EDL) mode requires a device/soc-specific firehose programmer file is a functional solution, but only an authorized Fairphone repair partner can do the repair.^{[citation needed (6 Apr 2026)]}
• There was an OEM flashing command fastboot oem allow-flashing but is no longer accessible^[when?].^{[citation needed (6 Apr 2026)]}

Some consumers have raised concerns that restricting access to firmware recovery tools and certain replacement components conflicts with Fairphone’s repairability and sustainability positioning.^{[citation needed (6 Apr 2026)]} Criticisms include:

• The required device/soc-specific firehose programmer file for the recovery is not publicly distributed, as it's only available to a Fairphone authorized repair partner. As a result, affected devices cannot be repaired without authorized service intervention, even if the hardware is otherwise functional.^{[citation needed (6 Apr 2026)]}
• The issue demonstrates dependence on a single authorized service provider for firmware restoration.
• The fingerprint sensor module is not consistently available for direct consumer purchase in all regions.^{[citation needed (6 Apr 2026)]}
• Environmental impact of shipping devices internationally for minor hardware repairs raised sustainability concerns.^{[citation needed (6 Apr 2026)]}
• The incident has been referenced in broader discussions about right-to-repair policy, firmware control, and manufacturer-imposed repair limitations.^{[citation needed (6 Apr 2026)]}

• Because Fairphone is marketed as fully modular and repairable, some users have characterized the incident as an example of “repairability-washing”, because it describes a situation where the key repair pathways remain restricted for devices presumed repairable through its marketing.^{[citation needed (6 Apr 2026)]}