Installing e/os on Fairphone: is the android version important?

/e/OS Devices Fairphone
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Hi everyone,

After getting stuck in a bootloop and having my Fairphone repaired, I am going to try to install e/os again, this time being more careful. I know now that I have to be especially careful checking the security patch. My Fairphone says that it has android version 14 and security update januari 5, 2025. When I have to choose which e/os to download (on this website: Install /e/OS on a Fairphone FP5 - “FP5”) I can choose from these 2 options:
image

I am guessing I should choose the one with Security patch 2025-01-05, however, when I click on that one I can only choose from Android 13 options. Is that a problem?

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And if not, which one should I choose?

Thanks in advance!

2

I had the same FP5 with Android 14 and Jan security update.

I successfully installed 2.8-t-20250219470165-official-FP5

I haven’t relocked though, I don’t see a reason I couldn’t, except it would cause a factory reset and I’d have to re-setup the phone.

I also got into a boot loop when I first tried, was able to get out of it using fastboot, but did have me in a cold sweat, another reason I haven’t relocked.

But to answer your question the Android version doesn’t seem to matter just the security update date, and only if you want to lock. I don’t think the line about the android version is clear enough in the install guide considering the potential ramifications.

1 Like
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This is what I followed as web installer didn’t work for me;

https://doc.e.foundation/devices/FP5/install

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Thanks for the reply! Good to know that the Android version does not seem to matter as much as the security update date. I think I will use the same file that you did then, although I am a bit scared still since I do want to relock it and you did not test that part.

When I tried to install the first tie everything was also perfectly fine until trying to relock it. When I relocked everything went to shit… so cold sweats here now too.

I agree that the line about the android version could be a bit more clear!

1 Like
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If when you relock you hit a problem post here as I was able to use fastboot to unlock and could then re-flash the image, so it may not be as bad as you think.

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I’d like to weigh in as I recently went through the same problems and the same scare.

The built-in “anti-rollback feature” indeed only triggers the moment you lock the bootloader again. This “feature” keeps track of the latest Security Patch that was ever installed on your phone (in my case that was also the Jan. 5, 2025). If on re-locking the SP version you are currently running is lower than the version that was stored by the anti-rollback feature, you’ll get a Black Screen of Death saying your device is corrupted. From then on you can only boot into the bootloader anymore and trying to flash again will not work as the bootloader appears to be locked.

So, if I am understanding all this correctly now, you’ll be fine with installing T official as it has the same SP. You’ll indeed be running Android 13 though. Me myself, I installed the U community version (at that time only SP Dec. 2024), so I’m waiting another month for them to catch up to 2025-01-05 as well and only then I’ll try re-locking.

I read about people having to send in their bricked Fairphone and pay to have it reset, but as @barrysatan mentions, it not that hard to unbrick it yourself.

How I managed on my Fairphone 5:

  • Download the image of the FairphoneOS version you were originally running.
  • Alter the install script to skip some security checks (INTEGRITY_CHECK and is_unlocked)
  • Connect your phone with a USB cable again and go back to fastboot as explained in the docs posted above.
  • Allow flashing of the locked device with the command fastboot oem allow-flashing
  • Run the altered install script. If all went well it should start to flash and your phone will reboot with factory settings.
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Thanks so much for your reply! Honestly, I am freaking a little bit and cannot oversee the whole thing. I have asked fairphone if I can return the fairphone I bought and buy the fairphone with e/os preinstalled instead. If not, I will have to try this again…

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Hi @MrRobot ,

Just install e/os on FP5 with Android 14 with the latest e/os release official and I have tried relocking the bootloader.

I can use my phone so I think this was ok. Not too sure how to confirm if I have been relocking correctly tbh :joy:

Device state is locked on bootloader so hopefully I’m done.

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I did check the result from “fastboot flashing get_unlock_ability" on adb and the result was 1.