Screen lock and Personal Safety
A screen lock can prevent others from unlocking your Fairphone, and helps protect against unauthorised access.
ⓘ Some of these steps only work if your Fairphone has Android 13 or above. Find out How to check and update your software version.
- How to set up a screen lock
- How to unlock your Fairphone
- How to add text to your lock screen
- How to set up Personal Safety
How to set up a screen lock
To set up a screen lock, follow these steps:
- On your Fairphone, go to Settings → Security (& privacy).
- Tap Screen lock (found under Device unlock on Android 15 and up).
- Choose from:
- None: No protection.
- Swipe: No protection.
- Pattern: Draw a pattern with your finger.
- PIN: Secure your phone with 4 or more numbers. A longer PIN is more secure.
- Password: Secure your phone with letters or numbers. A longer password is more secure.
- Follow the setup process.
Tip: Use a screen lock with protection to prevent others from accessing your Fairphone.
How to unlock your Fairphone
If you've set up a screen lock with protection, you'll be asked to draw a pattern, enter a PIN, or enter a password every time you want to unlock your Fairphone.
You have a limited amount of tries to unlock your Fairphone. If you forget your pattern, PIN or password, you'll need to reset your Fairphone. Read more about what to do if you can't unlock your Fairphone: Can't unlock your Android device.
Note: A screen lock is different from your SIM card's PIN. Contact your network operator for support with unlocking your SIM's PIN.
How to add text to your lock screen
You can add text to your lock screen, which others can use to contact you if your Fairphone is lost or left unattended.
To add text to the lock screen, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings → Display → Lock screen.
- Tap Add text on lock screen.
Tip: Add your email address or an alternative phone number. - Tap Save.
How to set up Personal Safety
If you need to access your Fairphone in an emergency, Personal Safety can help you save and quickly share important information.
Important: You may need to install or enable the Personal Safety app to use some of these features.
To set up Personal Safety, follow these steps:
- On your Fairphone, go to Settings → Safety & emergency.
- Add medical information, emergency contacts, and more.
Anyone can access this information without having to unlock your Fairphone, just swipe up to reveal the screen lock and tap Emergency.