Install /e/OS on a Fairphone - FP3/3+ FP3

This guide installs /e/OS on your FP3. Read it through once before you start, so you don’t hit surprises partway in. Flashing is done at your own risk: /e/OS builds are provided as best effort, without any guarantee, and the /e/OS project takes no responsibility for the consequences.

Requirements

  • Back up your important data to an external storage device — some of the steps below format the phone, wiping any backup left on it.
  • Charge your phone above 50%.
  • Enable adb and fastboot on your PC — setup instructions .
  • Download every file listed in the Downloads section below before you start.
  • Use a real data cable — some cables only charge and can’t transfer data.
  • Get your bootloader unlock code here before continuing.
  • Enable USB debugging on your device — instructions .
  • Confirm your exact model in the Device Selector : where shown, hover the device name for the supported model number, and check it matches yours exactly.
  • Boot the stock OS at least once and check everything works — SMS, calls, and both over WiFi and LTE if available (some devices need VoLTE/VoWiFi used once on stock to provision IMS). Whatever’s broken on stock stays broken on /e/OS.
Warning: Log out of any accounts (Google, Samsung, Mi Account, etc.) set on the stock ROM before proceeding. Most vendors enable Factory Reset Protection (FRP): after a factory reset, a device that's still signed in will ask for the credentials of that account before it can be used again. Also remove any screen locks.

Downloads for FP3

official /e/OS A15

Not sure which one to pick? See official vs. community builds .

Unlocking the bootloader

These steps only need to be run once per device. Unlocking the bootloader will erase all data on your device — make sure anything you want to keep is backed up (see Requirements above). Not sure what unlocking changes on your device? See Bootloader relocking .

  1. On the device, boot it

  2. On the device, enable and connect Wifi

  3. On the device, enable Developer options

  4. On the device, from developer options, enable OEM unlock and enter your unlock code (see Requirements above)

  5. On your PC, reboot the device into fastboot:

    adb reboot bootloader

  6. On your PC, ask for unlock:

    fastboot flashing unlock

  7. On the device, approve with Volume Up then Power

    • The device proceeds with a factory reset, and automatically reboots

  8. On the device, reboot again into bootloader

  9. On your PC, unlock critical:

    fastboot flashing unlock_critical

  10. On the device, approve with Volume Up then Power

    • The device proceeds with a factory reset, and automatically reboots

Installing /e/OS

Windows users: run these commands in Git Bash , not in the default command prompt.

Let’s proceed with the installation:

  1. Unzip the file you downloaded from the link in the Downloads for FP3 section above.

    unzip <fileyoudownloaded>

    Replace <fileyoudownloaded> with the name of the file you downloaded. You can also unzip it using a File Manager/File Explorer.

  2. Confirm that the folder where you unzipped the files contains the following:

    • bin-linux-x86 directory - which contains linux tools including fastboot and adb
    • bin-msys directory - which contains Windows tools including fastboot and adb
    • .img files - The .img files that are to be flashed onto the device.
    • flash_FP3_factory.sh - The installer script.

  3. Boot your FP3 into bootloader/fastboot mode:

    • With the device powered off
    • hold Volume Down + Power

  4. Open a terminal (Linux) or Git Bash (Windows) in the folder that contains flash_FP3_factory.sh — right-click inside the folder and choose “Open terminal here” / “Open Git Bash here”. Then make the script executable and run it:

    chmod +x flash_FP3_factory.sh && ./flash_FP3_factory.sh

    The chmod step may require root/sudo privileges.

  5. The device reboots automatically once all the required files have been installed.

Locking the Bootloader

After you have completed the installation and verified it starts up successfully, you can lock the bootloader on your FP3. This is only possible on official builds — the procedure will not work on community builds. See Bootloader relocking for what this protects, and what it does not.

Warning: Running the commands below will factory reset your device and wipe all data.

  1. Reboot your device into bootloader, via a key combination:

    • With the device powered off
    • hold Volume Down + Power

  2. Lock the critical partition:

    fastboot flashing lock_critical

    Approve with Volume Up then Power.

  3. Lock the device:

    fastboot flashing lock

    Approve with Volume Up then Power.

Success: Congratulations! Your phone should now be booting into /e/OS.

Still need help to complete the installation ?

Check out this document: An install Guide for the FP3

Please share your experience , suggest tips or changes to this install guide documentation by visiting the FP3/3+ specific topic on our community forum . To report issues in /e/OS please refer this guide