Fairphone 5 hard reboots to bootloader (fastboot)
- /e/ version: 2.3 (all earlier versions also affected)
- Device model(s): Fairphone 5
- Developer mode enabled: yes - but only to toggle ADB to allow charging
- Device rooted: no
- Trackers blocker enabled: yes
Summary
Occasionally, but with increasing frequency my Fairphone 5 will reboot by itself to the bootloader. This has happened approximately 8 or 9 times in the last year, but 3 of which in the last month.
The bootloader, or fastboot, for those that do not know, is a screen with just text on it with a big green banner that says "START". For more information, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fastboot
The problem
The problem happens at random. For me:
- It has happened when the phone is not being touched
- It has happened both whilst using and not using a case
- It has happened when the phone is being touched
Recent times this has happened:
- In the car, in the cradle (no buttons obscured). Navigation was being used and I was taking a call at the time over Bluetooth. I had been on the call for approximately a minute and the phone reset itself to fastboot. I was away from home so not connected to WiFi.
- At least twice recently, whilst browsing the Internet at random stuff the phone just went straight to Fastboot. No calls, Bluetooth turned off, on WiFi.
What is the current behavior? Random reboot to fastboot
What is the expected correct behavior? Never to randomly reboot to fastboot. This is dangerous behaviour that can encourage corruption of filesystems and therefore user data and settings.
Technical informations
Most likely a hardware issue. A software issue would have to be quite low down to trigger a reboot to the bootloader. I have never seen any other phone do this.
Currently, myself and two others have signalled they have had this problem (although to a lesser extent than I have)
Relevant screenshots N/A
Solutions
Workaround None
Possible fixes Replace hardware for not faulty device.