Installing /e/OS on Fairphone (Gen. 6+) with stock Android 16 - which build, and is relocking safe?

/e/OS Foundation & Community Data Privacy
1

Hello everyone,

I just received a Fairphone (Gen. 6+) with the Google Android version by mistake, and I would like to install /e/OS on it myself. I’m a beginner, so I want to be careful before flashing anything.

My phone:

  • Model: The Fairphone (Gen. 6+)
  • Stock OS: Android 16
  • Stock build: FP6.QREL.16.82.0
  • Android security update (SPL): 5 June 2026
  • Bootloader: still locked, nothing has been modified yet
  • I have NOT updated the stock OS since I received it

My questions:

  1. Is the official /e/OS build for the FP6 (the install page at doc.e.foundation/devices/FP6/) compatible with the Gen. 6+ on Android 16?
  2. Which /e/OS version should I flash, given my SPL of 5 June 2026?
  3. Is it safe to relock the bootloader afterwards, or should I leave it unlocked to avoid any risk of bricking?
  4. Is there anything specific to the 6+ that I should do differently from the FP6 guide?

I will use the command-line method from a Mac (adb/fastboot). Thank you very much for your help!

2

Hello @epnsayr, Welcome to the /e/ users forum.

include macOS tips : [HOWTO] a Safe Guide to install "IMG-e-builds" even if the /e/ web installer fails

3

Hello piero,

Thank you very much for the welcome and for the guide with the macOS tips, that is really helpful!

Before I start, I would like to ask a few more precise questions, because I am a beginner and my phone is the new Fairphone (Gen. 6+), not the Gen. 6:

  1. Has anyone here successfully installed /e/OS on a Fairphone (Gen. 6+) with the manual method (the flash_FP6_factory.sh script)? I found a recent topic called “[FP6+] Break after install /e/os - QUSB_BULK_CID” where a 6+ stopped booting after the web installer, and it worries me a bit. I will NOT use the web installer.
  2. The official FP6 download is based on Android 15, while my 6+ came with Android 16 (build FP6.QREL.16.82.0, security patch 5 June 2026). Is the official FP6 build safe to flash on the 6+ hardware (12 GB RAM, Snapdragon 7s Gen 4)? Or is there a different build I should use?
  3. I plan to leave the bootloader unlocked after the installation and NOT relock it, to avoid any risk of bricking. Can you confirm that this is the safest choice in my case?
  4. Is there anything specific to the 6+ that I should do differently from the FP6 guide?

My setup, in case it helps: MacBook (Apple silicon), platform-tools downloaded and adb tested, bootloader still locked, stock OS not updated, no Google account on the phone.

Thank you again for your time, and I will report back here after the installation to share how it went!

4

Especially for first Custom ROM install one must read the install page as many times as is required to get a full understanding.

The install page Install /e/OS on a Fairphone - The Fairphone (Gen. 6/Gen. 6+) - "FP6" | /e/OS documentation is headed

Install /e/OS on a Fairphone - The Fairphone (Gen. 6/Gen. 6+)

The download link on that page is to Android 16.

The anti-rollback rollback hazard is clearly explained on that page. You have done correct in not updating your Fairphone original. Android SPL of 5 June 2026 puts you in an ideal position for locking.

Choose the most recent available download.
Double check the Android SPL of your download from Releases · e / os / 🚀 Releases · GitLab and search for section

:warning: Security fixes

If you choose to lock do so as per install page.

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