Get help if your smartphone screen freezes, remains completely black, or does not respond to your touch. You can try a few quick software workarounds or restart your device in Safe mode to isolate the issue.

Quick software workarounds

Before checking your hardware, try these quick software steps to resolve temporary system freezes:

• Lock and unlock the screen: Press the power button to lock your device, then press it again to unlock it. This often resolves temporary touch unresponsiveness.
• Check your storage space: System freezes can happen if your phone storage is nearly completely full. Try deleting a few unused apps, old videos, or photos to free up space.
• Check for overheating: If the phone feels very warm to the touch, give the device 5–10 minutes to cool down. The system may be temporarily struggling with heavy background processes.

Advanced troubleshooting steps

If your screen remains completely unresponsive after trying the workarounds above, the issue might be related to an app conflict or a physical connection.

Restart in Safe mode

If your phone continues to freeze, a third-party application you downloaded might be causing the issue. You can restart your phone in Safe mode, which temporarily disables all downloaded apps to help you isolate the problem.

How to turn on Safe mode

1. Press and hold the Power button on your phone until the power menu appears on your screen.
2. Tap and hold the Restart or Power off option on the screen until the Reboot to safe mode prompt appears.
3. Tap OK to confirm. Your phone will turn off and restart.
4. Once your phone turns on, you will see a Safe mode watermark at the bottom of your screen.

Test your phone in Safe mode

Use your phone normally for a few hours while it is in Safe mode to see if it still freezes or lags.

• If the problem stops: A downloaded app is causing the issue. Restart your phone normally to exit Safe mode, then uninstall recently downloaded apps one by one until the system runs smoothly.
• If the problem continues: The issue is likely related to the system software or your phone hardware. Move on to the physical hardware verification steps.

Still need help?

If your issues persist, 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.