How To Guide Fairphone 4 - Root

[Eznaa]

Here's a quick guide for rooting your Fairphone 4.

DISCLAIMER

I'm not the author of this method, merely sharing the informations that can be found on fairphone community forums.
All credit goes to hirnsushi from fairphone community forum.

I will not be held responsible for any damage caused by this operation, flashing your device always implies a risk of manufacturing your very own plastic brick.


PREREQUISITES

- Unlocked bootloader
- Computer with adb & fastboot
- Magisk app installed on your device
- FP4's official stock boot.img


HOW TO ROOT

1. Copy the boot.img file on your device's internal memory
2. Patch the boot.img file using Magisk -> Installation -> Patch a file
3. Transfer the patched boot.img back to your computer
4. Reboot to fastboot: Power + vol up from off device OR adb reboot bootloader
5. Boot from the patched img by running: fastboot boot patched_boot.img where patched_boot.img is actually replaced with the path and name of your patched file
DO NOT FLASH THE PATCHED IMG. BOOT ONLY.
6. Your device will take much much more time to boot than usual, be patient.
7. Once booted, open Magisk, run a direct Install and reboot.

You are now rooted.
This will break your ability to use Google Pay. Though a workaround is described below.


[OPTIONAL]- PASS SAFETYNET AND GPAY CERTIFICATION

1. Download and enable the following Magisk mod:
- Riru module
- Riru’s universal SafetyNet’s fix 2.1.2
- SQLLite for ARM aarch64 devices
- GPay SQLLite Fix 2.5

2. Enable Magisk hide and hide Magisk from the following packages:
- Google Play Store
- Google Pay
- Google Play Services

3. Now the part that is very important to follow otherwise it will not work :
- Put your phone in Airplane mode
- Clear all data from:

• Google Play
• Google Pay
• Google Play Service: remember, clear ALL data, not just cache, even for this one

- Reboot
- Toggle Airplane mode off

You should now have a rooted device that can be used to pay for groceries. How cool is that.
If Pay app states device is not certified, there is high chances you did not follow exactly the described steps.

 

[hans3103]

I really like a rooted phone as always. I will wait till there is a way to reinstall the standard ROM. Then it will be safe for me to try.

 

[MKKLR21]

I'm on the latest update and not able to unlock the bootloader. I enabled OEM unlocking in developer options and rebooted to bootloader. On the first screen it says "Device status: Locked" and doesn't react on any fastboot command. When I enter recovery and start fastboot, each command will fail (command not present in this implementation). Any hints?

 

[MKKLR21]

Finally managed to unlock the bootloader. The trick was to use an USB2.0 port on my PC.

 

[Bobtheagent]

I live in US so don't have one in my hands yet. Has anyone done a .QCN dump of the phone yet? Do you program the phone with Firehose EDL? Are there qualcomm drivers? I have so many questions.

 

[citroniais]

I tried it with the latest boot.img avaliable here ('cause I have the A.094 ROM version on my phone)

Fairphone 4 Kernel Source Code — FAIRPHONE open source documentation

code.fairphone.com

https://storage.googleapis.com/fairphone-source/FP4/A.094-boot.img

And that works perfectly, that's my daily driving phone, and no problems

 

[Eznaa]

Generally speaking I can only but encourage you to register and browse the fairphone forum as there are much much more resources, guides and activity around the fairphone 4 than on xda.

 

[Thomas.swe]

I'm using latest magisk 24.1 and todays OTA fails. I tried with Zygisk on and off. In the magisk app under install there is a install to new slot thing but I feel like that's supposed to be used if it don't fail. will I brick my phone if i click it?


edit:
found this on fp forum

Fixing OTA after rooting

Because my FP is rooted, I couldn’t install the update right away. Message: Couldn't update, installation problem The problem is that the boot partition gets modified when you root your phone and this prevents the OTA package from installing. It’s described well on Quora. This is how I was...

forum.fairphone.com

 

[I_did_it_just_tmrrow]

I tried it with the latest boot.img avaliable here ('cause I have the A.094 ROM version on my phone)

Fairphone 4 Kernel Source Code — FAIRPHONE open source documentation

code.fairphone.com

https://storage.googleapis.com/fairphone-source/FP4/A.094-boot.img

And that works perfectly, that's my daily driving phone, and no problems

My Build-Number say I am on:
FP4.FP3R.A.099.20220112

So it seems my Bootloader version should be A.099 but there is no file like this:

https://storage.googleapis.com/fairphone-source/FP4/A.099-boot.img

Is it okay to take a older boot img or another?
Latest seems to be

https://storage.googleapis.com/fairphone-source/FP4/A.094-boot.img

and before that:

https://storage.googleapis.com/fairphone-source/FP4/A.091-boot.img

 

[Thomas.swe]

yes I used 094 to root 099 yesterday, just don't flash the 094 or the modded 094.

 

[Thomas.swe]

I'm using latest magisk and safetynet-fix-v2.2.1, GPay.SQLite.Fix.v2.5, SQLite for ARM aarch64 devices.

 

[I_did_it_just_tmrrow]

yes I used 094 to root 099 yesterday, just don't flash the 094 or the modded 094.

okay, so you are on a magisk-boot-v-A.094? I thought Magisk, run a direct Install then is only able to patch your current running patched-A.094 boot.

Am I wrong?

 

[Thomas.swe]

I have rooted 099 with latest magisk 24.1 you only boot with the 094 versions to root the 099.

 

[I_did_it_just_tmrrow]

I have rooted 099 with latest magisk 24.1 you only boot with the 094 versions to root the 099.

Yes that it true, you are have root now.

But I think you are on the bootloader version A.094.

 

[Thomas.swe]

the 099 came from OTA so why whould bootloader be 094?

 

[I_did_it_just_tmrrow]

the 099 came from OTA so why whould bootloader be 094?

I am just thinking that you are on 094. Perhaps I am wrong.

But in step 5 you boot the patched 094 img and with this 094 boot image you run the direct magisk install on step 7. If I a not wrong magisk used the current running boot-image. So magisk patched your 094.

Perhaps I am wrong, I am not sure.

EDIT:
You are right @Thomas.swe Sorry for confusing.
See here: https://forum.fairphone.com/t/fp4-root-access-is-possible-maybe-a-bit-risky/76839/144

EDIT2:
@Eznaa does "our device will take much much more time to boot than usual, be patient." mean more than 20 minutes?
EDIT3:
No I used the wrong bootloader. Iode OS has its own bootloader-image upsi

 

[Dakkaron]

I had root working using this method on A.116-boot.img. I then uninstalled Magisk, did an OTA (to A.128), did "Install Magisk to inactive Slot" (as I successfully did in older OTA updates), but it bootloops. If I `fastboot flash boot A.128-boot.img` it boots normally, but as expected, without root.

I tried an `adb wait-for-device shell magisk --remove-modules` to make sure no Magisk modules are causing the bootloop. I am on Magisk 25.1, btw.

Do you have any idea what could cause the Magisk-patched image to bootloop?

 

[citroniais]

Hi,
Did you try to patch A.128 and boot on it ?
fastboot boot [image]

Please note : the best way to find an answer about any issue related to Fairphone is in the "Fairphone Community Forum" : forum.fairphone.com - The Fairphone users are not using that much XDA

 

[beechwood45]

I am thinking of buying Fairphone 4 and need magisk. Can anyone answer a question about the installation instructions above? Magisk website says to flash the magisk patched boot image but here the instruction is to first boot from the magisk patched image, not flash it, and then once booted run a direct install from the magisk app. What is the reason for this extra step?

 

[h8Aramex]

Just a heads up. Root/Unlock voids FairPhone warranty unfortunately. Only reason I haven't bought this phone.