Missing calls on your Fairphone 5 is a real problem, especially when you're expecting something important. You check your screen and see the missed call notification, but you never heard a sound. The good news is that this is almost always a software setting or a simple glitch you can fix yourself.
Check Your Volume and Silent Mode
First, unlock your phone and press the volume up button on the side. You should see a volume slider appear on the screen. Make sure it's set to a high level. If you see a bell icon with a line through it, your phone is in silent or vibrate-only mode. Tap that icon to switch it back to ring mode.
You can also adjust this in your settings. Go to Settings > Sound & vibration. Here, you can slide the "Ring volume" up to the maximum. While you're there, tap on "Ringtone" to make sure a sound is actually selected and test it.
Review Do Not Disturb and Focus Modes
Android's Do Not Disturb and Focus modes are common culprits. Swipe down from the top of your screen twice to open the full Quick Settings panel. Look for an icon that looks like a circle with a line through it or says "Do Not Disturb." If it's highlighted, tap it to turn it off.
For a more detailed check, go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Do Not Disturb. Make sure the main toggle is off. Also, look at any schedules or rules that might be turning it on automatically, like during your bedtime.
Disconnect Any Bluetooth Accessories
If your Fairphone 5 is connected to a Bluetooth speaker, headphones, or your car, incoming call audio might be routed there instead of your phone's speaker. The quickest fix is to turn Bluetooth off entirely to test.
Swipe down your notification shade and tap the Bluetooth icon to disable it. You can also go to Settings > Connected devices and toggle Bluetooth off. Try a test call with Bluetooth disabled to see if the ringtone plays through the phone.
Check for Blocked Numbers and Call Settings
It's worth verifying you haven't accidentally blocked the person trying to call you. Open your Phone app, tap the three-dot menu in the top right, and go to Settings > Blocked numbers. See if any numbers are listed there that shouldn't be.
Another setting to check is call forwarding. Open the Phone app, go to Settings > Calls > Call forwarding. Make sure all the options are set to "Turn off" or your carrier's default. If calls are forwarded, your phone won't ring.
Inspect Your App Notifications
Sometimes, the issue is specific to your phone app's notification settings. Go to Settings > Apps > See all apps. Find and tap on your "Phone" app (this might be called "Dialer" or be your carrier's phone app).
Tap Notifications. Look for a notification category called "Incoming calls" or something similar. Make sure it's set to "Allow" and that the sound is set to your preferred ringtone, not "Silent."
Restart Your Fairphone 5
A simple restart clears out temporary software glitches that can mess with the ringer. Press and hold the power button until the power menu appears, then tap "Restart." If your phone is unresponsive, you can force a restart by pressing and holding the power button for about 10 seconds until the screen goes black and it reboots.
Given the Fairphone 5's modular design, some users have reported that simply removing and reinserting the battery can resolve odd behaviors after a restart. It's an easy step if you're comfortable doing it.
Update Your Software
Fairphone is committed to long-term updates, and a bug fix in a new update could resolve your ringer issue. Connect to Wi-Fi, then go to Settings > System > System update. Download and install any available updates. I've seen minor Android updates fix similar audio problems on other devices.
Try a Different Ringtone
It sounds too simple, but sometimes the specific audio file for your ringtone can get corrupted. Go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Phone ringtone. Select a completely different tone, preferably one of the system defaults, and have a friend call you to test it.
Reset App Preferences or Network Settings
If the problem seems linked to your phone or contacts app, resetting app preferences can help without deleting your data. Go to Settings > System > Reset options. Tap Reset app preferences. This resets notification settings and app defaults.
For issues with carrier calls or VoIP apps like WhatsApp not ringing, try resetting network settings. In the same Reset options menu, choose Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth. You'll need to reconnect to Wi-Fi networks afterward.
Check for Interference from Other Apps
Some third-party apps for battery saving, cleaning, or "performance boosting" can aggressively manage notifications and sound. If you've installed any such apps recently, try temporarily disabling them or adjusting their permissions. Go to Settings > Apps, find the app, and see if it has permissions related to "Do Not Disturb" or notification control.
Verify SIM Card and Carrier Services
An issue with your SIM card or carrier profile can sometimes affect call handling. Try removing the SIM card tray, taking out the SIM, and reinserting it firmly. You can also check for carrier settings updates by going to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs and looking for an update option.
If you use a carrier-specific app for voicemail or services (like Verizon's Message+ or T-Mobile's Visual Voicemail), make sure that app is updated and not interfering.
Boot in Safe Mode
Booting into Safe Mode temporarily disables all third-party apps. If your ringer works in Safe Mode, a recently installed app is likely the cause. To enter Safe Mode, press and hold the power button until the power menu appears, then long-press the "Power off" option. Tap "OK" when prompted to reboot to Safe Mode.
Test a call in this mode. If it rings normally, restart your phone to exit Safe Mode and start uninstalling apps you installed around the time the problem began.
Reset All Settings
This is a more thorough step that resets all your system settings (like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and sound settings) to default but doesn't touch your personal data. Go to Settings > System > Reset options. Tap Reset all settings and confirm. You'll need to reconfigure your preferences afterward.
Consider a Factory Reset
As an absolute last resort, you can perform a factory reset. This will erase all data on your phone, so you must back up everything important first. Go to Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset). After the reset, set up the phone as new (without restoring a backup initially) to see if the ringer works on a clean system.