The proximity sensor is one of the key components of modern smartphones. It automatically turns off the screen during a call. To activate it, your ear must be close to it. With this feature, you will avoid accidentally pressing the screen. Sometimes the sensor may not work correctly or not respond to you at all.
What is a proximity sensor?
A proximity sensor is a small infrared device, an LED, and a photodiode, that are placed next to each other. When a user brings the phone close to them, light from the LED reflects off their skin and hits the photodiode. The sensor detects the change in light intensity and transmits a signal to the operating system. It interprets this signal as proximity and turns off the screen.
Why is the proximity sensor not working properly?
There are a number of reasons why the sensor may not work correctly:
- Sensor contamination – dust or dirt may block the light from the LED, causing it not to work on your smartphone;
- Damage to the sensor – if it was damaged as a result of a fall or impact, it may stop working correctly, which is why the screen does not turn off during a conversation;
- Incorrect Calibration – The sensor may be incorrectly configured or calibrated, causing it to not function properly.
Turn on the proximity sensor
The proximity sensor on modern smartphones usually turns on automatically. However, you can try the following steps:
- Check your operating system, it is important that it is the latest version;
- Go to “Settings”;
- Find the Display section;
- We need the item “Auto screen off” or “Proximity sensor”;
- Move the slider to the active state.
Disabling the proximity sensor
To turn off this feature, do the following:
- Open “Options/Settings”;
- Find the “Display/Screen” item;
- Select the section “Auto screen off/Proximity sensor”;
- Move the slider to the opposite side.
Please note that disabling the proximity sensor may result in accidental presses during calls as the screen will remain on.
Proximity sensor calibration
If you encounter a problem and do not know how to configure the proximity sensor, there are several calibration methods. Try one of the following.
Using the operating system
In modern smartphones based on the Android operating system, it is possible to calibrate the proximity sensor without using special applications.
- Go to your smartphone settings;
- We need the “System” section;
- Find the “Accessibility” or “Screen” subsection;
- Select the “Calibrate Proximity Sensor” option;
- Follow the instructions on the screen, move your hand closer to the device and move it away from you;
- Click OK to apply the changes.
After performing the correct actions, a system message will appear.
Using the engineering menu
If you consider yourself an advanced user and have experience with technical settings, then try calibration on your device using the Engineering Mode service menu. It is designed for testing the system and configuring parameters by developers.
The main thing to remember is that making changes to the device may affect its operation. Press the wrong button and errors may appear that are difficult to resolve. Therefore, we recommend backing up your data before the procedure.
To enter the menu, use the USSD request – enter it in the dialing field. Different models have their own combinations, so it is worth googling how to open this menu for your smartphone. After entering the numbers, a menu with various options will appear on the screen. To manually perform the calibration procedure, follow these steps:
- Dial the command *#*#6484#*#* (Xiaomi);
- In the menu that opens, go to Hardware Testing — Sensor — Light/Proximity Sensor;
- Find and click PS Calibration — Calibration — Calculate min value;
- The message Calculate succeed should appear at the bottom of the screen, bring any object to the sensor and press Calculate max value;
- Now we interact with the Do calibration button;
- Reboot your device to apply changes.
Using applications
There is an easier way to calibrate the proximity sensor, which is suitable even for inexperienced users. In the official Google Play store, you can find specialized software, for example, the program “Proximity Sensor: Reset”. This program is installed on Android and is suitable for devices with root rights. After installation, follow these steps:
- Open the program on your smartphone;
- Click “Calibrate Sensor”;
- Cover the display with your hand or an object and press “Next”;
- Remove what you covered it with and click “Next” again;
- Tap on “Calibrate” and “Confirm”;
- Grant root rights when prompted by the program;
- Restart your device.
Manual or software calibration can only help with technical failures. If the problem is due to mechanical damage to the element, adjustment will not solve it.
In such a situation, you can reset the data to the original settings or take extreme measures – reflash the smartphone. However, it is worth considering that third-party firmware does not always work or does not support all the functions of the device.