How to disable the proximity sensor on Xiaomi Redmi: step-by-step instructions

Many owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones face an intrusive and sometimes annoying situation: during a phone conversation, the screen suddenly goes out, stops responding to touches, and you can not press the hands-free button or open the dialer.

This is not a software glitch, but a proximity sensor that saves battery and prevents accidental cheekstrokes, but in budget models and with protective glass, this feature often works incorrectly, blocking the interface at the most inopportune time.

In this article, we will discuss in detail why this happens, what hidden settings exist in MIUI and HyperOS, and how to forcefully disable this feature if standard methods do not help to regain control of the device.

The principle of operation of the proximity sensor in the MIUI shell

So, first of all, we need to understand what we're fighting against, and the proximity sensor is an infrared sensor that sits at the top of the screen, next to the speaker, and the main task is to determine the distance between the smartphone and the user's ear, and when you bring the phone to the face, the sensor picks up the infrared reflection and tells the system to turn off the display.

Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco have different types of sensors. Top-end models often use a virtual sensor that relies on front-facing camera image analysis algorithms to make it more accurate. Budget series like the Redmi Note or Redmi A often have physical infrared sensors that get contaminated or overlapped.

The problem is compounded by aggressive optimization of the battery in the MIUI shell. The system may react too early to the slightest dimming of the sensor area, considering it a touch to the ear, which is why users are looking for a way to deactivate this mechanism so that the screen remains active forever.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling the proximity sensor completely will cause the screen to burn constantly during a conversation, which can cause occasional cheek presses and significantly speed up battery discharge.

Standard Call Settings: The First Step to Solving

Before you go to the engineering menu or use third-party software, you need to check the basic settings of the system. Xiaomi developers have provided the ability to control the behavior of the screen, although they hid it obscurely. First of all, check whether the feature is included in the Pocket mode, which can lock the screen when the phone is in the bag.

Go to the call settings through the standard Phone app. Some firmware versions have a "Mode in your pocket" or similar option, and disabling this option can solve the problem of false positives when the phone is lying on the table next to the keys.

You should also pay attention to the theme settings. Some third-party themes downloaded from the GetThemes store may conflict with the sensor management system services. If the problem occurs after the change of design, return the standard theme.

• 📱 Open the phone app and click on three dots in the corner.
• ⚙️ Go to "Settings" →"Incoming challenges".
• 🚫 Find the "Mode in your pocket" switch and turn it off.
• 🔄 Restart the device to apply changes.

CIT Engineering Menu: Hidden Diagnostic Opportunities

The most reliable way to test and, in some cases, affect sensor performance is by entering the CIT (Customer Integration Test) engineering menu, which is designed for factory diagnostics, but is also available to ordinary users, and you can see the real state of the sensor digitally.

Most Redmi and Xiaomi devices use a special dial code to enter the diagnostic menu, and it's important to enter it carefully, without spaces. If the code doesn't work, your version of the carrier may be blocking it. USSD-request.

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Once you enter the code, you'll see a list of tests. You'll find the Proximity Sensor. You'll see the distance value when you click on it. If you put your finger to the top of the screen, it'll change (usually from 5.0 to 0.0 or vice versa). If the values jump randomly even without touching, the sensor will be physically malfunctioning or contaminated.

Disconnection through ADB: a method for advanced users

If the software settings don't work, you can try disabling the sensor service over the ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a technique that requires connecting your smartphone to your computer and having basic command line knowledge, and it allows you to deactivate the system service that handles the sensor data.

Before you start, you need to activate the developer mode, and you can quickly click on the build number in the About Phone section seven times. Then, in the Developer menu, turn on USB Debugging. Connect the phone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission on your smartphone screen.

Using ADB gives deep access to the system, but requires caution. Wrong commands can lead to unstable operation of other functions related to lighting or autobrightness.

To disable the function, a command is often used that prevents the system from using a specific sensor. However, there is no universal command for all Xiaomi models, since the names of the sensors may differ, most often trying to influence the proximity service.

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.providers.sensor

It is important to understand that in modern versions of Android and MIUI, direct disabling of the sensor through ADB can be blocked by security policies, in which case the command simply fails or returns an error. The alternative is to use commands to reset the calibration, which sometimes eliminates false positives.

⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB This can lead to loss of warranty or disruption of the system, all actions you perform at your own risk.

Third-party applications and calibration

There are many tools in the Google Play store that promise to solve the proximity sensor problem, and the most popular ones, such as Proximity Sensor Reset/Fix or Phone Sensor, allow software calibration, and the essence of the method is to repeatedly close and open the sensor according to the application instructions.

Calibration helps the system re-determine the zero point and the maximum removal point, which is especially true if a new protective glass has been pasted on the phone, which has changed the optical properties of the surface above the sensor.

There are also redefinition applications that force the screen to be turned on while the call is being made, ignoring the sensor signals, such as the "Proximity OFF" application, which runs on top of the system and requires constant permissions to be displayed on top of other windows.

Physical Causes and Hardware Solutions

Often the problem is not the software, but the physical obstruction. Redmi owners often use tight cases with high sideways or thick protective glass. If the glass covers the area of the sensor (even a partially transparent area), the infrared ray will reflect off it, and the phone will think it is near the ear.

Try to wipe the top of the screen with an alcohol napkin. Fat stains from your fingers can distort the sensor readings. If you've recently changed the glass, make sure it has a special sensor cutout, typical of your Xiaomi model.

In rare cases, the sensor may be physically damaged after falling or getting moisture. If the CIT engineering menu shows a constant value of "0" or "5" regardless of the action, and the software methods do not help, you will probably need to replace the plume module in the service center.

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When buying a security glass, choose options with a black bezel that exactly matches the design of your Xiaomi.This ensures that the sensor area remains free or is properly shaded.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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In most cases, the problem is solved by replacing the protective glass with a better or simple cleaning of the top of the screen from fat and dirt.