Missing approximation sensor in Xiaomi settings: a complete guide to elimination

When the Xiaomi smartphone screen doesn't go out while you're talking, and the user's face accidentally pushes buttons, that's familiar to many owners of budget and mid-range models. Often users find that the calibration item has gone missing in the engineering menu or the developer's settings, or the sensor itself has stopped responding. This is not just an inconvenience, but also the reason for resetting calls or accidentally activating functions.

The problem can be either a software failure of the MIUI shell or HyperOS, or a physical damage to the protective film or display module. It is important to understand that the absence of a visible switch in the standard menu does not mean that the system is completely inoperable. In most cases, the touchpad is functional, but requires software activation or reset of accumulated calibration errors.

In this article, we will look at all the possible causes of the sensor’s failure and offer step-by-step solutions, learn how to use hidden codes to check whether to change the security glass and what system files can block Proximity Sensor. We will not use complex flashing methods unless urgently necessary.

⚠️ Before you start any manipulation of the engineering menu, make sure that the battery is more than 50%. interruption of the calibration process may lead to incorrect screen operation in the future.

Why the setting is missing and how it affects the work

The disappearance of the proximity sensor control point is often due to operating system updates. Xiaomi engineers periodically hide access to deep settings in new versions of Android to prevent accidental system failure by inexperienced users.

Physically, the sensor is an infrared emitter and receiver located at the top of the display. If the software stops receiving signals from it or interprets them incorrectly, the screen stops blocking when it is brought to the ear, which causes the cheek or hair to activate the speaker, reset a call or start a voice recorder.

It’s worth noting that some Redmi and Poco models use a virtual sensor that relies on artificial intelligence algorithms and accelerometer data. If the classic switch is missing from the settings, it may have switched to a virtual sensor that doesn’t require manual calibration but can work less accurately under certain lighting conditions.

Diagnostics: checking the state of the sensor

Before you look for missing settings, you need to make sure that the component is physically healthy. There is a universal method of checking through the engineering menu, which works on most devices with a MIUI shell. To do this, open the Phone app and type the combination ##6484##.

Once you enter the code, the CIT (Customer Information Test) menu will open. You will need to find the "Proximity Sensor" or "Proximity Sensor" item in the test list. You will click on it and see the current distance to the object. Close the top of the screen with your palm, and the value should change from "5.0" (or "Far") to "0.0" (or "Near").

• 🔍 If the values change but the screen doesn’t go out, the problem is with software calibration or application conflict.
• 🚫 If the value is constantly “5.0” even with the area of the speaker closed by the palm, the sensor is physically defective or disabled by the plume.
• ⚡ If you're on the menu CIT not open, perhaps the device has a global firmware with a stripped down functionality or damaged system partition.

It's also worth checking if the sensor is closed by foreign objects. High-sided covers or improperly pasted protective film often overlap the IR beam. In models with an Under-display camera or hidden sensor, even a greasy spot from the finger can play a role.

Including methods through engineering menus and codes

If the standard path is hidden, you can try activating the sensor through alternative codes. Some firmware versions use code ##77265226##, which forcefully includes approximation testing. However, a more effective method is to reset the calibration through the CIT menu described above.

When you enter the Proximity Sensor test, press the Calibration button. The screen may go out, and you will need to close and open the top of the smartphone several times with your palm, following the instructions on the display.

In cases where automatic calibration doesn't work, you can try manually resetting settings, and sometimes the "Disable" option followed by "Enable" is available in the test menu, which restarts the device driver without fully restarting the smartphone, and if that doesn't work, the system configuration file may have been damaged.

⚠️ Note: Do not try to calibrate repeatedly if the test consistently shows Fail, which may indicate a hardware defect, and software methods will only make the situation worse by writing incorrect data to the controller's memory.

Setup through the Developer Menu

In some cases, sensor management can be accessed through the developer's hidden menu. To get there, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the MIUI version seven times. A new section will appear in the advanced settings.

Inside the Developer menu, scroll down to the Enter or Sensors section, and there may be a Quickly Disable Nearby Sensor switch, make sure it's off. This option indirectly confirms that the system sees the sensor but blocks it from working.

Also in this section, you should pay attention to the option “Show surface updates”, which allows you to see how the system redraws the screen. If the screen flashes when you call, but does not go out completely, this may indicate a conflict of display layers, which is solved by resetting the interface settings.