When your Fairphone 5 stops ringing, it can feel like you're suddenly disconnected from the world. This is a common Android headache with a surprisingly long list of potential culprits, from a simple toggle you accidentally switched to deeper network gremlins. The good news is that with its modular design and clean Android 14 software, you can tackle most of these issues yourself without too much fuss.
Before we get into the weeds, let's run through the quick checks. These solve the problem more often than you'd think.
First, pull down the notification shade and make sure Airplane Mode isn't active. Give the mobile data and Wi-Fi toggles a quick off-and-on cycle too. Take a glance at your signal bars in the top corner. If you're down to one or none, that's likely the issue.
A simple restart is your next best friend. Just press and hold the power button for a few seconds and tap restart. If your phone is completely frozen, you can force a restart by holding the power button for over 10 seconds until it reboots.
Check Your Do Not Disturb and Focus Modes
Android's Do Not Disturb and Focus modes are incredibly useful, until they silently block your calls. Swipe down from the top of your screen twice to open the full Quick Settings panel and look for the Do Not Disturb icon. If it's highlighted, tap it to turn it off.
For more control, go into Settings > Sound & vibration > Do Not Disturb. Here, you can see if any schedules are active and check which exceptions, like calls from contacts, are allowed. I'd make sure "Calls" are set to "Allow calls from" at least your contacts.
Review Call Blocking and Spam Settings
The Phone app on your Fairphone 5 has built-in spam protection that can sometimes be a little overzealous. Open your Phone app, tap the three-dot menu in the top right, and go to Settings > Caller ID & spam.
You can toggle "Filter spam calls" off temporarily to see if that's the blocker. Also, tap on "Blocked numbers" to see if any important contacts have accidentally ended up on the list. It's worth a quick scan.
Investigate Call Forwarding and Barring
Call forwarding is a feature that redirects your calls to another number, and if it's enabled by mistake, your phone will never ring. To check, open the Phone app, tap the three-dot menu, and go to Settings > Calling accounts > [Your Carrier].
Look for "Call forwarding" or "Supplementary services." Tap into it and ensure all forwarding options (like when busy, unanswered, or unreachable) are set to "Turn off" or your own number. While you're here, also check for "Call barring" settings to make sure incoming calls aren't barred.
Examine Your SIM Card
Since the Fairphone 5 has a user-replaceable back, checking the SIM is straightforward. Power the phone off completely. Pop off the back cover by releasing the two clips on the bottom edge, then gently lift it off.
Take out the SIM tray using the included tool or a paperclip, remove the SIM card, and give the gold contacts a quick wipe with a soft, dry cloth. Reinsert the SIM, making sure it's seated correctly in the tray, and pop everything back in. This physical reset can clear up a lot of weird network issues.
Reset Your Network Settings
If you're still having trouble, resetting all network settings can wipe out any corrupted configurations. This will erase saved Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth pairings, and mobile data settings, so be prepared to reconnect to your Wi-Fi afterward.
Go to Settings > System > Reset options. Tap on Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth and confirm. Your phone will reboot. After it comes back on, you'll need to reconnect to your cellular network and your home Wi-Fi.
Clear the Phone App's Cache and Data
Sometimes the problem is isolated to the Phone app itself. Corrupted cache or data can cause it to misbehave. Don't worry, clearing data won't delete your contacts or call history from your Google account.
Head to Settings > Apps > See all apps. Find and tap on "Phone." Go into Storage & cache. Tap "Clear cache" first and test. If the problem persists, come back and tap "Clear storage" or "Clear data." This will reset the app to its default state.
Ensure Your Software is Up to Date
One of the Fairphone 5's biggest strengths is its long-term software support. Bugs that affect calling can be patched in system updates. Keeping your phone updated is crucial.
Go to Settings > System > System update and tap "Check for update." If an update is available, download and install it. It's a good habit to plug your phone into its 30W charger during this process to ensure it doesn't run out of power.
Check for Problematic Third-Party Apps
An app you recently installed could be interfering with telephony services. Think about any call-related apps, dialers, spam blockers, or battery savers you've added. Try booting your phone into Safe Mode to disable all third-party apps temporarily.
Press and hold the power button until the power menu appears. Then, press and hold the "Power off" option on the screen until you see a prompt to reboot to Safe Mode. Tap "OK." If your calls work fine in Safe Mode, a downloaded app is the culprit. You'll need to uninstall them one by one to find the offender.
Contact Your Mobile Carrier
The issue might not be your Fairphone 5 at all. There could be a network outage in your area, a problem with your account, or your SIM card could be faulty. Use another phone to call your carrier's customer service.
They can check for outages, reprovision your line on their network, and run diagnostics on your SIM. They might also suggest updating your carrier settings, which can sometimes be pushed to your phone remotely. It's a step worth taking before more drastic measures.