How to turn off the proximity sensor on Xiaomi when calling

The proximity sensor problem on Xiaomi smartphones is a classic situation that many owners of this brand of devices are familiar with. You answer a call, hold the phone to your ear, and the screen suddenly goes out, blocking any action, or, on the contrary, continues to glow, putting your cheek on the buttons. Most often the culprit is the proximity sensor, which incorrectly reads the distance to the object, in such situations, the user has a natural desire to completely deactivate this function so that it does not interfere with normal communication.

But there's an important technical nuance to be cleared up right away: in the standard MIUI or HyperOS interface, there's no direct "Disable Sensor" button, and it's not designed to be harmful to developers, but for safety and ergonomics -- without it, the phone will be pressed up and make random calls or hang up. However, there are workarounds that allow you to either reconfigure the sensitivity or programmatically ignore the sensor. In this article, we'll look at all the available methods for solving the problem, from simple calibrating to using hidden engineering codes.

Before you start complex manipulations, you need to understand the nature of the malfunction. Often the problem is not hardware failure, but software failure or contamination. Infrared sensor located at the top of the screen can banally not see the light due to the protective glass of poor quality or stuck dirt. So the first step should always be a thorough cleaning of the speaker area and the upper frame of the device with soft cloth.

Why the approximation sensor is not working correctly on Xiaomi

The main reason for the sensor’s conflicts on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices is the design of the smartphone itself. Unlike many competitors using physical sensors, the Chinese giant often uses a virtual sensor built right into the display matrix. This allows for thin bezels, but creates calibration problems. If the software misinterprets data from the pixels, the screen will go out even when the phone is 5-10 centimeters from the face.

The second common cause is poor quality protective film or glass. If the accessory overrides the sensor or has too thick adhesive layer at the top, the infrared radiation is reflected incorrectly, as a result of which the system "thinks" that the phone is pressed to the ear, and locks the display. Also worth mentioning software bugs of the MIUI shell itself, which periodically occur after system updates and require resetting or flashing.

⚠️ Warning: If your phone falls or is exposed to moisture, the problem may be hardware, in which case software methods will not help, and you will need to replace the plume or display module at the service center.

And don't discount the impact of third-party apps. Some call management or conversation recording software can take over the sensor, causing conflicts. If you've had a recent problem, remember which apps you installed before. Sometimes you just need to remove suspicious software to make the touchpad work again.

Basic calibration through the engineering menu

The most efficient and safest way to try to fix a sensor without the root rights is to recalibrate it, and there's a special engineering menu in the MIUI shell that allows you to test all the modules of the device and reset them to factory values, which helps in 80 percent of cases when the problem is software-based.

To enter the test menu, you need to open a standard call and type a special code. Once you enter the last digit, the menu will open automatically. You will need to find the section responsible for checking the proximity sensor. Usually it is called Proximity Sensor or simply Sensor. Inside you will see the current reading: if the hand closes the top of the screen, the value should change from 5.0 to 0.0 (or vice versa, depending on the version).

The calibration process is as follows:

• 📱 Put your phone on a flat surface without covering the top of the screen.
• 🖐️ Press the Calibration button in the test menu.
• 🚫 Close the sensor with your palm (green screen will appear or numbers will change).
• ✅ Remove your hand and press the calibration button again to record the result.

Once the procedure is complete, be sure to restart the device, which is a critical step, as the new sensitivity settings are applied when the system starts. If the problem persists after the reboot, you can try resetting the data via the Wipe Data menu in the same engineering menu, but remember that this will delete all your files.

Using the Phone app to disable locking

If calibration didn't work, you can try to get around the problem by setting up the call app itself. The standard Google Phone or MIUI Dialer has features that can indirectly affect the behavior of the screen during a conversation. Although there is no direct shutdown button, changing some parameters can reduce sensitivity or change the logic of the operation.

Go to the phone settings and find the Apps section, then select All Apps. Search Phone (or Mi Dialer) in the list. Go to Other Permits or Additional. There may be a "Detect motion when you lift to your ear" option. If there is one (depending on the MIUI version), turning it off can solve the problem, although this option is often hidden on newer versions of Android.

It's also worth trying to clear the cache and the data of the Phone app, which won't delete your contacts, but will reset the call settings, including possible sensor errors. → Annexes → All applications → Phone. → Clean up → Clear everything. Then the phone can act like a new logic call.

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the phone application data can reset the call history and redirect settings. Make sure important numbers are saved in contacts or SIM-map before performing this operation.

In some cases, it helps to install alternative calls from Google Play, such as Truecaller or Simple Dialer. Third-party applications may have their own approach sensor processing algorithms that are more stable than standard ones. However, keep in mind that on new versions of MIUI with limited background mode, such applications may not work stable.

Disconnection method via ADB (for advanced users)

For those who are not afraid of the computer and the command line, there is a more radical method: with the help of the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) tool, you can send a command to the system to ignore the sensor readings, which requires debugging over USB and having a PC, but it gives the most control over the system without obtaining root rights.

First, you need to activate the developer mode. → About the phone and quickly press 7 times on the item "Version" MIUI" (or "Version". OS"). Then in the extended settings, turn on "Debugging by USB". Connect your phone to your computer, install drivers ADB Enter the following command at the terminal:

adb shell settings put system proximity_sensor_enabled 0

This command forcibly disables the system-level approach sensor signal processing. To get it back to normal, use a command with a value of 1 instead of 0. It is important to understand that after that, the screen will stop going out when you make any calls at all, and you will have to complete calls with a button on the screen or a volume button set to reset the tube.

Hidden Settings with Mi Hidden Settings

There are hidden menus deep inside MIUI that are usually closed, and Mi Hidden Settings (or similar tools like Activity Launcher) lets you open these hidden partitions, and sometimes you can find switches that are related to the behavior of the screen and sensors that are not displayed in the usual settings interface.

Download the app from a trusted source and search for the word "Proximity" or "Sensor." If the system allows, you can see advanced sensitivity settings. However, be careful: changing the parameters in hidden menus can lead to unstable phone operation. Changing the values in hidden engineering menus through third-party launchers can lead to software failure of the system if you are not sure about the purpose of the parameter.

Often, you'll find a "Force Proximity Sensor" option on these menus that force the sensor to turn on or off regardless of the screen condition, which can be a temporary solution if you need to make an important call, and the regular sensor behaves unpredictably. Remember to return the settings back after the conversation is over.

💡

Use Pocket Mode in your lock settings, which prevents accidental taps even if the proximity sensor is disabled by analyzing the nature of the touches.

Alternative solutions and button management

If software shutdown is not possible or desirable, consider alternative phone use cases during a call. The easiest way to avoid a cheek lock is to set the volume button to complete the call, a feature built into MIUI that allows you to avoid reaching for the screen.

To activate, go to Settings → Additional settings → Special facilities → Side button (or similar path depending on version). Also, in the settings of the call itself, look for the item "volume button completes call" which will save you from having to touch the display to reset the tube, which partially compensates for the lack of a working sensor.

Another option is to use a headset or hands-free. If the proximity sensor is faulty, the phone may not realize you've removed it from your ear, or turn on the screen. Using a Bluetooth headset or wired headphones completely eliminates the need to bring the phone to your face, bypassing the problem physically.

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Setting up the volume button to complete the call is the most reliable temporary solution if you don’t want to climb the engineering menu or use ADB.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)