In this guide I’m going to explain which are the most common sensors in an Android phone and what steps you should follow to calibrate each one of them (whenever this procedure is possible). In this way, you will achieve greater precision in your device, whether when playing with the accelerometer or when receiving information about the battery. Don’t miss it!
- How to know which sensors your device has
- Is it necessary to calibrate sensors on Android?
- Recommended procedures for calibrating sensors
How to know which sensors your device has
Android phones generally come with a bunch of sensors . Although I’ll talk about this later, the truth is that it’s almost never necessary to calibrate them. It’s quite rare for them to lose the references established by the manufacturer and, therefore, give erroneous readings. In any case, here’s a list of the main sensors and their functions:
- Accelerometer . The accelerometer measures the linear acceleration of the device in three axes. For example, in a racing game, the accelerometer is used to control the direction of the vehicle by tilting the device left or right.
- Gyroscope . The gyroscope detects the angular orientation of the device. In augmented reality applications, the gyroscope is used to keep virtual objects stable relative to the real environment.
- Proximity sensor . This sensor detects the presence of objects near the device. For example, when you hold the phone to your ear during a call, the proximity sensor turns off the screen to prevent accidental touches.
- Battery sensor . Monitors the battery level of the device. It is very useful to control how long the terminal has autonomy and to adjust the settings in order to reduce consumption.
- Temperature sensor . Simply put, it measures the temperature of the device. It can be used to prevent the device from overheating and to adjust performance in extremely cold or hot environments.
- Barometer : Measures atmospheric pressure. Used in weather forecasting apps to provide accurate data on altitude and weather changes. Also useful in sports apps, especially those that track hiking trails and similar activities.
- Biometric sensor . Used for biometric authentication, such as fingerprint scanning, to unlock the device securely and quickly.
- Ambient light sensor . Detects the intensity of light in the surroundings. Automatically adjusts the brightness of the device screen based on lighting conditions for optimal viewing and power savings.
If you want to know all the sensors that your device includes, I recommend installing the Multitool Sensors app . Thanks to it, I have discovered that my device has a magnetic sensor that is triggered if I bring a metal object close to it. I have also been able to confirm that I have a barometer, just in case I want to go on a mountain hike.
All of these sensors can fail, just like any other piece of hardware. In fact, we’ve already told you what to do if your phone’s fingerprint reader is failing . There are also some methods to find out if your Android phone’s sensors have stopped working . What’s less likely is that you can fix a sensor that needs calibration with a simple app.
Is it necessary to calibrate sensors on Android?
There are plenty of apps on the Play Store that promise to calibrate Android sensors . To begin with, not all sensors need calibration as such. For example, if we are talking about the fingerprint reader, it is not considered necessary to adjust its parameters from time to time.
My opinion as a computer scientist is that Android sensors do not need to be calibrated. Likewise, if this method were necessary at a specific time, no app from the Play Store is really going to be able to definitively solve the problem . Why am I so convinced?
Sensor parameters are located in the operating system itself. To modify system files, an application needs to obtain superuser privileges or root access. Most of the tools in the Android store do not require root access, so it is unlikely that they are actually performing a real calibration method.
With this in mind, I personally do not recommend installing any application that promises to calibrate sensors on Android . The case of those that only take measurements with the sensors and detect them is very different, as is the case with the application I recommended in the previous section.
Recommended procedures for calibrating sensors
Just because I don’t recommend installing any app to calibrate sensors doesn’t mean that all methods are useless. In fact, there are some that I do recommend you try. They are the following:
- Calibration within specific apps . Some apps may include custom controls for calibrating sensors. This is useful, for example, in games that require high precision. But don’t be fooled: just because an app sets custom parameters for a particular sensor doesn’t mean they apply to the entire system.
- Compass calibration . Apps like Google Maps allow you to calibrate the compass to improve the accuracy of GPS navigation. This is usually done by moving the device in the air in the shape of an infinity symbol (∞).
- System update . It is possible that the manufacturer detects an anomaly in the sensors and, by means of a new version of the system, corrects the problem. In this case, parameters would be modified in protected files to which the brand has access.
- Improve battery percentage accuracy – Apparently there are a few methods that might work and make the remaining battery percentage more accurate. Basically, it involves charging the battery fully, letting it drain, forgetting about the device for a few hours, and charging it fully again with it turned off.
- Contact the manufacturer when there are problems . Finally, if a sensor does not work properly on your device, it is essential that you go to the manufacturer to take care of the repair. On the other hand, remember that if the device is less than 3 years old, this fault must be resolved by the brand at no cost to you.