# Booloader relock limbo on Fairphone 5

**URL:** <https://community.iode.tech/t/booloader-relock-limbo-on-fairphone-5/7394>\
**Category:** Installation Help\
**Tags:** Fairphone5\
**Created:** [14 December 2025 17:21 UTC](https://community.iode.tech/t/booloader-relock-limbo-on-fairphone-5/7394 "2025-12-14T17:21:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 9

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rik](https://community.iode.tech/user_avatar/community.iode.tech/rik/32/1437_2.png) [@rik](https://community.iode.tech/u/rik)\
**Post date:** [14 January 2026 17:43 UTC](https://community.iode.tech/t/booloader-relock-limbo-on-fairphone-5/7394/9 "2026-01-14T17:43:11Z")

</div>

> [@AnonOnion](#):
>
> I don’t like to idea of walking around with the bootloader unlocked

I hear you, but personally I am still of the opinion that an unlocked bootloader only protects you from an “Evil Maid” (and even then I don’t know of any successful "evil maid’ exploits on Android):

> In my understanding, [an unlocked bootloader is only a risk to an “evil maid attack”](https://community.iode.tech/t/moto-g32-locking-issue/5795/14) - your data is encrypted and safe unless your unlock pattern / pin is compromised.

I am genuinely open to a simple explanation of how it is a credible risk for privacy concerns… admitting that yes deep-state-level actors may have ways to trigger an exploit, but is this just due to an unlocked bootloader or more likely to something else?

> [@AnonOnion](#):
>
> I think I’ll just wait for 7.2 and see if that changes anything 🙏

But to the issue, yes I hope future builds will have this fixed. As noted, we have confirmed issues with the FP4 that may possibly be related to this:

> **[That's not fair: Fairphone 4 owners report new update bricks their phone](https://www.androidauthority.com/fairphone-4-bricked-update-3627690/)**
>
> Fairphone has pulled a new software update for the Fairphone 4 after some owners suffered from bricked devices.

Our developers note the following about a question of whether that above post is related to our issue of FP4 users with locked bootloaders not able to upgrade to `v7.x`:

> yes, but the actual firmware is FP4.QREL.15.14.3… maybe there’s a problem with it too. Waiting for the new firmware FP4.SREL.15.14.4, not released on their website yet

So possibly FP is rolling out firmware updates across the line to address some issues. When they do they will be incorporated in our next builds following their release.

---

_[View the full topic](https://community.iode.tech/t/booloader-relock-limbo-on-fairphone-5/7394)._