Where to turn on the proximity sensor on Xiaomi and how to check its performance

The proximity sensor in Xiaomi smartphones is a small but critical component that is responsible for turning off the screen during a phone call. When you hold the device to your ear, the sensor registers the obstacle and extinguishes the display, preventing accidental pressing and saving battery power. However, many users face the problem: the sensor either does not work out of the box or turns off after the MIUI update. In this article, we will analyze where exactly the proximity sensor is set up on different models of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO, and how to diagnose its malfunction.

It's important to understand that the location of the option may vary depending on the firmware version and device model. For example, on the Xiaomi 12T Pro, the path to setup is one, and on the Redmi Note 10 Pro, we'll look at the universal methods, as well as the nuances for specific lines. If you notice that the screen does not go out during a call or, on the contrary, it turns off too early, this instruction will help to return the sensor to working condition.

What is a proximity sensor and why you need it

The proximity sensor is an infrared sensor that detects the distance between a smartphone screen and an object (usually your ear or face) and its main function is to automatically turn off the display during a conversation to:

• 📵 Prevent accidental tapping of the screen with the cheek or ear (such as turning off a call or dialing a number).
• 🔋 Save battery power, as the backlight of the screen is one of the main consumers of energy.
• 👁️ Protect your eyes from unnecessary light in the dark.
• 📞 Extend service life AMOLED-matrices (constant burning of pixels reduces their resource).

On Xiaomi smartphones, the proximity sensor is usually located at the top of the screen, next to the front camera or speaker, and looks like a small circular hole (sometimes covered by a protective grid). Budget models (such as the Redmi 9A) can use software emulation of the sensor through the camera, but this is a less reliable option.

If the sensor fails, users face the following problems:

• 🚫 The screen does not go out during the call, which leads to occasional taps.
• 🔄 The display is shut down too early or with a delay.
• 📱 The sensor works even when the phone is on the table (false positives).

Where to find the proximity sensor setting in MIUI

In most Xiaomi smartphones, the option to activate the proximity sensor is hidden in the call settings menu. However, the path to it may differ depending on the version of MIUI (12, 13, 14 or HyperOS).

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the desktop).
2. Go to the Appendix section → Application management.
3. In the search bar, enter your Phone and select the standard call app.
4. Slip it on the Permit. → Additional (or Other Permits).
5. Find the Approximation Sensor and activate the switch.

If this is not the case, try an alternative route:

1. Go to Settings → System and device → More
2. Choose Special Opportunities → Physical buttons.
3. Scroll down to the section During the call and enable the option to turn off the screen when approaching.

On some devices (e.g., POCO X3 Pro), the setting can be located directly in the Phone app:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Press three points (⋮) top-right → Settings.
3. Go to Call Settings → Approximation sensor.

Why the proximity sensor may not work

If you've turned on the option in the settings, but the sensor is still not functioning, the reasons may be both software and hardware.

Especially often, problems arise after upgrading to MIUI 14 or HyperOS, where the manufacturer can change the logic of the sensors, for example, in some firmware, the proximity sensor is turned off by default to save energy, and it is worth checking whether applications like Second Space or Dual applications are installed on the device, which can block access to the sensors.

⚠️ Attention: If the proximity sensor stopped working after the screen was replaced, it is likely that the master damaged the sensor plume or installed an unoriginal spare part.

How to check the proximity sensor on Xiaomi without a call

You don't have to call someone to test the sensor, and MIUI has hidden engineering menus and codes that allow you to check the sensor manually, and here are two reliable ways to do this.

Method 1: Through the Engineering Menu (CIT)

This method works for most Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 11, POCO F4 and others:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the code ##6484##
3. Choose the Manual Test → Proximity Sensor.
4. Put your hand up to the top of the screen, and if the sensor is working, you'll see a change from 5 (far) to 0 (close).

Method 2: Through the application "Equipment Test"

On some devices (such as Xiaomi 13 Lite), the engineering menu may be blocked.

1. Install the MIUI Hidden Settings app (available on Google Play).
2. Open the Hardware Tests section → Proximity Sensor.
3. Press Start Test and hold your finger to the sensor, and the value should change from Far to Near.

If the sensor doesn't respond in both tests, the problem is precisely hardware, and if it does respond but doesn't work during the call, it's the settings or the firmware.

💡

If the engineering menu doesn’t open, try entering the code ##4636##, then select Phone Information → Equipment Check.

Features of setting up on popular Xiaomi models

Despite the general logic of MIUI, some models have unique nuances in the location of the proximity sensor settings.

Xiaomi 12/12 Pro/12T Series

On the flagships of 2022-2023, the path to customization is as follows:

1. Settings → Applications → Application management.
2. Find the phone → permissions → other permissions.
3. Activate the Approximation Sensor and Change System Settings.

These models may also need to enable the Smart Disconnect option in Settings → Screen → Lock and Protection.

Redmi Note 10/11/12 Series

In the budget line of Redmi Note, the setting is often hidden in the menu of special features:

1. Settings → Special features → Physical buttons.
2. Scroll to the section during the call.
3. Turn off the screen when approaching.

If you do not have an option, upgrade to the latest version of MIUI.

POCO F3/F4/F5 Series

On POCO devices with MIUI for POCO, the path may be different:

1. Open Settings → System and device → More
2. Select Call Settings → Approximation sensor.
3. Make sure the switch is active.

On POCO X5 Pro and later, also check the settings in the Phone app → Settings → Sensors.

How to Calibrate the Approximation Sensor on Xiaomi

If the sensor is working but is not operating in a stable way (for example, the screen goes off too early or does not turn back on), it can be calibrated.

1. Enter the phone code in the app: ##6484##
2. Choose the Manual Test → Proximity Sensor.
3. Press Calibration.
4. Place the phone on a flat surface and wait for the process to complete (usually 10-15 seconds).
5. Reset the device.

If the engineering menu is not available, use the Sensor Test app from Google Play:

1. Install and open the application.
2. Select Proximity Sensor.
3. Press Calibrate and follow the instructions on the screen.

⚠️ Attention: Poor calibration may worsen the sensor. If the problem worsens after the procedure, reset the settings via Settings → The phone. → Resetting settings.

On some models (e.g. Xiaomi Mi 11), the calibration can be reset after the firmware update, in which case you will have to repeat the procedure after each update.

💡

Calibration of the proximity sensor only helps in case of software failures, if the sensor is physically damaged (for example, after a fall), calibration will not work.

What to do if the proximity sensor does not work after the MIUI update

One of the most common causes of sensor failure is a firmware update failure, which is because newer versions of MIUI or HyperOS can change sensor drivers.

1. Reset the settings of the Phone application

Sometimes it is enough to reset the settings of the standard application for calls:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the phone and tap it.
3. Select Warehouse → Clear data and Clear cache.
4. Reboot the phone.

2. Roll back the firmware

If the problem has occurred after the update, try returning to the previous version of MIUI:

1. Download the old firmware from the official Xiaomi website (Support → MIUI Downloads section).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
3. Press three points (⋮) → Select a firmware file.
4. Specify the downloaded file and wait for the process to be completed.

3. Enable the sensor via ADB

For power users: If the setting is hidden in firmware, it can be enabled via ADB:

adb shell settings put global proximity_sensor_enabled 1

For this:

1. Install Platform Tools on your PC.
2. Turn on USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times according to version).
3. Connect the phone to the PC and execute the command above.

If none of the methods worked, you just have to wait for a patch from Xiaomi or install custom firmware (for example, LineageOS).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the proximity sensor on Xiaomi