If your Fairphone 5 suddenly goes quiet or the volume is much lower than it should be, the first thing to try is a simple restart. Press and hold the power button until the power menu appears, then tap "Restart". This clears out temporary software glitches that can mess with the audio system. I've found this fixes the problem about half the time, especially if the sound cut out after installing an app or an update.
Check All the Volume Levels
Android, especially on a clean device like the Fairphone, has several independent volume sliders. The buttons on the side usually only control one at a time. While you're playing music or a video, press the volume up button to make sure media volume is maxed out.
For a complete check, go into Settings > Sound & vibration and tap "Volume". You'll see separate sliders for Media, Call, Ring, Notification, and System. Make sure none of them are all the way down. It's easy for a notification slider to get muted and make you think the whole phone is silent.
Disconnect Any Bluetooth Devices
Your Fairphone might be trying to send audio to a paired speaker, headset, or car system. Even if that device is off or out of range, it can sometimes hijack the audio stream. Open Settings > Connected devices and look under "Previously connected devices".
Tap the settings icon next to any audio device like headphones or speakers and select "Forget". Then, toggle the main Bluetooth switch off at the top of the screen. Now try playing some audio from your phone's speaker again to see if that was the culprit.
Inspect and Clean the Speaker Grilles
The Fairphone 5's modular design means the bottom speaker grille is a separate part. Over time, pocket lint, dust, or debris can get packed in there, physically blocking the sound. Take a close look at the grille on the bottom edge of the phone.
Use a soft, dry toothbrush or a clean, dry paintbrush to gently flick debris out of the holes. You can also use a can of compressed air, but hold it upright and use very short bursts from a few inches away. Never poke anything metal like a SIM tool into the grille, as you can easily damage the speaker behind it.
Review Do Not Disturb and Sound Modes
Check your quick settings panel by swiping down twice from the top of the screen. If you see a crescent moon icon, "Do Not Disturb" is active and will silence most sounds. Tap the icon to turn it off. For more control, go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Do Not Disturb.
Also, look at the sound mode. In Settings > Sound & vibration, ensure the sound mode is set to "Sound", not "Vibrate" or "Silent". The icon at the top should look like a speaker, not a vibrating phone or a crossed-out speaker.
Test in Safe Mode
This is the best way to figure out if a third-party app you installed is causing the audio problem. Safe mode temporarily disables all downloaded apps. To boot into it, press and hold the power button until the power menu appears.
Then, tap and hold the "Power off" option on your screen. A prompt will ask if you want to reboot into Safe Mode. Tap "OK". Your phone will restart, and you'll see "Safe mode" in the bottom corner. Try playing a video or some music. If the sound works perfectly here, you know an app is to blame.
Restart your phone normally to exit Safe Mode and start uninstalling recent apps one by one, testing the sound after each one.
Check for a Software Update
Fairphone is committed to long-term support, and they regularly push updates that fix bugs. A sound issue could be a known glitch they've already patched. Go to Settings > System > System update and tap "Check for update".
If an update is available, download and install it. It's a good idea to plug your phone into power first, as the process can take a while. After the update completes, see if your sound has returned to normal.
Clear the Cache for Troubled Apps
If the sound issue is only happening in one app, like Spotify or YouTube, that app's stored data might be corrupted. Go to Settings > Apps and select "See all apps". Find the problematic app in the list and tap on it.
Tap Storage & cache and then tap "Clear cache". This deletes temporary files without touching your login info or saved data. Don't select "Clear storage" or "Clear data" unless you're prepared to sign back in and reconfigure the app. After clearing the cache, open the app and test the sound again.
Perform a Forced Restart or Battery Pull
If your phone is completely frozen with no sound, a normal restart might not be possible. For a forced restart, press and hold the power button for at least 10 seconds until you feel a vibration and see the Fairphone logo. This is like cutting the power and is more effective than a soft restart for deeper glitches.
Because it's a Fairphone, you have another unique option. If the phone is completely unresponsive, you can power it down, pop off the back cover, and gently remove the battery for about 30 seconds. Reinsert it, put the cover back on, and power up. This is a guaranteed full power cycle and can resolve hardware communication errors that affect the audio chip.
