If your phone meets an error during a software update or gets stuck while installing, you can resolve the issue with a few quick troubleshooting steps.

Applies to

Fairphone 3, Fairphone 4, Fairphone 5, and the Fairphone (Gen. 6) running official Fairphone OS.

What you need before you begin

Before you begin troubleshooting, make sure to make a backup of your personal data so your information remains safe. Learn how to safeguard your files in our backup guide.

High server traffic or background system processing can occasionally pause the update sequence. If your screen shows issue while preparing to restart, allow up to 15 minutes for background tasks to finish. If the screen remains unresponsive after this time, proceed with the recovery steps below.

How to fix update errors

Follow these troubleshooting steps in order to complete your software update.

1. Check network connection and perform a restart

• Ensure your phone is connected to a stable WiFi network and has at least 50% battery power.
• Press and hold the power button for 15 seconds to force your phone to restart. This safely clears temporary system memory without deleting your data.

2. Check available storage space

1. Go to Settings > Storage and ensure your phone has at least 5GB of free internal storage.
2. If storage space is limited, delete unnecessary files or apps, then attempt the update again.

3. Clear system cache data

1. Go to Settings > Apps > See all apps.
2. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the screen and tap Show system.
3. Select Google Play Services > Storage & cache > Clear cache.
4. Return to Settings > System > System update and select Check for update.

4. Install using Safe mode

If your phone remains frozen during install or stuck optimizing apps, a third-party application may be interfering with the installation.

1. Press and hold the power button until the power options appear on your screen.
2. Touch and hold Power off until the prompt to restart in Safe mode appears, then tap OK.
3. Once your phone turns on in Safe mode, go to Settings > System > System update to run the update.

4. After the update completes, restart your phone (power off and power on) normally to exit Safe mode.

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Still need help?

First try our self-service portal and then reach out to our customer support team. You can also open a support request directly through the My Fairphone app pre-installed on your device.