Installed 3.0.2 official and tried to lock bootloader

[olli0371]

Hi,

i have installed e/os official since last year (comming from Fairphone OS) and i left the bootloader open since then. I installed all over the air updates since than (Android 13) till version 3.01.
Now i would like to lock the bootloader as an app complains about the open bootloader.
As locking the bootloader destroys the data anyway, i went ahead and installed the current version A14 3.02 official which has the same date for the security path as the A13 version 3.01.

Before locking the bootloader i tried this command in fastboot mode:

fastboot flashing get_unlock_ability

The result is :
(bootloader) get_unlock_ability: 0

Which means, that the bootloader should not be locked as it bricks the phone.

So than i went ahead and installed the latest Fairphone OS as a starting point, but this gave the same result. The security patch is with the latest fairphone os:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch: 2025-06-05

Does anybody has an idea why it says, that the bootloader should not be locked ?

Oliver

Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/OS the deGoogled mobile OS and online services

[piero]

You may upgrade to newest A15 based /e/OS that include 2025-06-05 SPL when it comes (soon as build for community branch has already been released).

[aibd]

@olli0371

fastboot flashing get_unlock_ability

Please can you show your source indicating that this command tells you anything about the lockability of an unlocked phone.

[olli0371]

Hi, i found it in this forum (second post here):

Fairphone 5 - locking bootloader

Usually your phone should start just fine with an unlocked bootloader, if the flashing went well. That’s what I did, in order to check everything and take the time because of the anti-rollback feature. You should NOT lock your bootloader, before being sure your /e/os version’s security patch has the same (or newer date) your stock android version had. There is a command to check, if it is safe to lock your bootloader. I’d have to look it up, or maybe someone here has it at hand. Locking your b…

Oliver

[aibd]

I am not quite sure @olli0371 you are reaching best conclusions but … does it help to read Can't flash stock FP4 ROM - #11 by Ingo - Fairphone 4 - Fairphone Community Forum followed by Cómo bloquear y desbloquear el bootloader  |  Android Open Source Project.

[olli0371]

Hi,
thank you. That is it. I did the mistake, that - after the flash i rebooted in the system and checked USB-debugging as i thought this was important for the flash process.

Now i have flashed the latest fairphone OS and did not reboot and i have got :

fastboot flashing get_unlock_ability
< waiting for any device >
(bootloader) get_unlock_ability: 1
OKAY [ 0.001s]
Finished. Total time: 0.001s

If somebody see this later - the Fairphone OS flash script automatically reboots after the flash is done.
If the bootloader is unlocked, there will be the ‘your bootloader is unlocked’ message that pauses the boot process for some time. Here i have pressed and hold down volume down and the power button and the phone comes to fastboot mode without starting the operating system.

Oliver

[ingolf]

@piero

You may upgrade to newest A15 based /e/OS that include 2025-06-05 SPL when it comes

Are you sure? I believe they announced 2025-06-01 rather than -05. That would still trigger the roll back protection, wouldn’t it?

[olli0371]

You are correct - i installed 3.04 now and didn’t close the bootloader for now. Have to wait for the next version. Also i made a request to give the complete date in the release notes instead of ‘As of June 2025’ to get this more clear.
Oliver