If your Fairphone is unable to download or install the latest software, follow these steps to resolve the issue.

Before you start

Make sure that your phone is up-to-date. If you are not running the latest software, or you are not sure, learn how to Check and update your software version.

Always back up your data before making any significant changes, like installing a new software version: How to back up or restore my data?

If the update is not available

If your Fairphone is connected to the internet, you'll get a notification as soon as an update is available for you. If you don't get a notification:

1. Go to Settings → System → System update.
2. Tap Check for update to check if an update is available.
3. If an update appears, tap the Update button.

Depending on your country and network operator, the availability of some updates may be delayed by up to a few weeks while we carry out testing.

If there's not enough space available

If there's not enough space available, you'll need to free up some space before you can start downloading the latest software version: Free up space.

If the update won't download or install

If the update won't download, make sure your Fairphone is connected to the internet. For the best results, connect to a reliable Wi-Fi network: How to connect to a Wi-Fi network?

If the update won't install, it may be stuck. In most cases a simple reboot is enough to resolve the issue.

If your Fairphone is frozen or won't react

If your Fairphone is frozen or won't react, try rebooting your Fairphone:

1. On your Fairphone, press and hold the power button for at least 15 seconds.
   (Or, remove the battery for at least 5 seconds, and then put it back.)
2. Try to install the software update again.

If your Fairphone is stuck optimizing apps

If your Fairphone is stuck optimizing apps, try rebooting into safe mode: Reboot into safe mode.

While your Fairphone is in safe mode, try to install the software update again by going to Settings → System → System update → Update. 

If there was an issue while preparing to restart

If you receive this message while trying to update your Fairphone, wait at least a few hours, then try to install the software update again.

If your Fairphone still won't update

If you've tried the steps above and your Fairphone still won't update, try our Repair Request Portal or contact our Customer Support team.