You're trying to connect your Fairphone 5 to Wi-Fi, but it just won't play ball. That spinning icon is frustrating, especially when you know you've got a solid signal. I've seen this happen a few times, and the good news is it's almost always a software hiccup you can fix yourself. Since you're running Android 14, these steps are tailored for your device's settings menu.
Toggle Wi-Fi and Restart Your Phone
Let's start with the simplest fix. Swipe down from the top of your screen to open the Quick Settings panel. Tap the Wi-Fi icon to turn it off, wait a solid five seconds, then tap it again to turn it back on. This forces the phone's radio to re-scan for networks, and it clears up a lot of temporary connection glitches.
If that doesn't do it, give your Fairphone 5 a full restart. Press and hold the power button until the power menu appears, then tap "Restart." For a more forceful reboot, you can also press and hold the power button for over 10 seconds until the screen goes black and the phone restarts. This is a great way to clear out any minor software bugs that are blocking the connection.
Use Airplane Mode to Reset Radios
This trick works on almost any phone. Pull down your notification shade again and tap the airplane icon to enable Airplane Mode. This shuts down all wireless communications, including Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth. Leave it on for about 15 to 20 seconds, then turn Airplane Mode off.
When you disable it, all the radios restart from scratch. This process can often resolve conflicts or stuck states that a simple Wi-Fi toggle won't fix. It's a quick and reliable step that's worth trying early on.
Forget the Problem Network
Your phone might be holding onto outdated or corrupted information for your home Wi-Fi. To clear it out, go to Settings > Network & internet > Internet. Find your network in the list and tap the settings gear icon next to it. At the bottom of the next screen, tap Forget.
This removes the network from your saved list. Now, go back to the main Wi-Fi list, tap on your network name again, and re-enter the password. This is particularly useful if you've recently changed your Wi-Fi password or gotten a new router.
Check for Simple Oversights
It sounds basic, but it's easy to miss. Make sure you're selecting the correct network name from the list, especially if you have a guest network or live near others with similar SSIDs. Double-check that you're entering the password correctly, paying close attention to capitalization and special characters.
Also, take a quick look at your router. Are other devices, like a laptop or tablet, able to connect to the Wi-Fi without issue? If everything else is disconnected too, the problem is almost certainly with your router or internet service, not your Fairphone.
Disable Adaptive Connectivity
Android has a feature designed to save battery by intelligently switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data. On the Fairphone 5, this can sometimes be too aggressive and prevent a stable Wi-Fi connection. To turn it off, head to Settings > Network & internet > Adaptive connectivity.
On this screen, you can toggle off "Adaptive connectivity." You might also see an option for "Intelligent Wi-Fi" or similar; disabling that can help as well. This tells your phone to stay firmly on Wi-Fi when you're connected, rather than second-guessing the signal strength.
Turn Off Battery Saver
When Battery Saver is active, it limits background activity to conserve power, and this can include network functions. If you see a battery icon in your status bar or have enabled this mode, it could be throttling your Wi-Fi. Go to Settings > Battery and make sure "Battery Saver" is switched off.
With the Fairphone's user-replaceable battery, you always have the option to carry a spare, so you might not need to rely on aggressive power-saving features as much. Turning this off often restores a full-speed connection immediately.
Update Your Software
One of the best things about the Fairphone 5 is its long-term software support. Bugs, including Wi-Fi connectivity issues, are frequently patched in system updates. To check, go to Settings > System > System update.
Tap "Check for update" and install any available updates. Fairphone promises over eight years of updates, so keeping your device current is a key part of maintaining its performance and stability, even if the hardware is designed to last.
Verify Date and Time Settings
An incorrect system time can break Wi-Fi authentication because security certificates rely on accurate timestamps. This is a common but overlooked cause. Navigate to Settings > System > Date & time.
Ensure that "Use network-provided time" or "Automatic date & time" is enabled. If it's already on, try turning it off and back on again to refresh the time sync. This small setting can be the key to finally getting connected.
Reset Your Network Settings
If you're still stuck, resetting network settings is a strong next step. This will erase all saved Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth pairings, and mobile network preferences, so you'll have to reconnect to everything afterward. Go to Settings > System > Reset options.
Tap Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth. Confirm the action. Once your phone reboots, try setting up your Wi-Fi connection from scratch. This clears out any deep-seated configuration errors that simpler steps can't touch.
Restart Your Router
Don't forget that the issue might not be your phone at all. Unplug your router and modem from their power sources. Wait a full 60 seconds, this is important to let the memory clear completely. Then, plug the modem back in, wait for it to fully boot up, and then plug the router back in.
Once all the lights are stable, try connecting your Fairphone 5 again. It's also a good idea to check if your router has a firmware update available through its admin page, as outdated router software can cause compatibility problems.
Boot Into Safe Mode
A third-party app could be interfering with your network connection. To test this, you need to boot into Safe Mode, which temporarily disables all downloaded apps. Press and hold the power button until the power menu appears. Then, tap and hold the "Power off" option on your screen.
You should see a prompt to reboot into Safe Mode. Tap "OK." If your Wi-Fi works perfectly in Safe Mode, you know a recently installed app is the culprit. You'll need to restart your phone to exit Safe Mode, then uninstall apps one by one to find the offender.
Perform a Factory Reset
Consider this your absolute last resort. A factory reset will wipe your phone back to its original out-of-the-box state. Before you do anything, ensure all your photos, contacts, and important data are backed up. You can use Google's backup service or manually transfer files to a computer.
To proceed, go to Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset). Follow the prompts to confirm. If your Wi-Fi still doesn't function after a complete factory reset, it could indicate a rare hardware issue with the phone's internal Wi-Fi antenna or module.