How to Turn Off Screen Darkening When Calling on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Have you ever missed an important call because Xiaomi’s screen went out at the most inopportune moment?The automatic shutdown feature of the display during a conversation is one of the most controversial features of MIUI. On the one hand, it saves battery power, on the other, it creates a lot of inconvenience: you can’t use touch buttons, watch the time or switch to speakerphone without unlocking.

In this article, we will analyze all possible ways to disable screen dimming when calling on Xiaomi, Redmi and other smartphones. POCO — From standard settings to hidden developer settings, you'll learn why this feature even exists, how it works across different versions. MIUI (12 to 14), and what are the nuances that are important to consider before changing settings. AMOLED-screens where the problem is most often.

Why does Xiaomi turn off the screen during a call?

Automatic dimming of the display when you call is not a bug, but a feature, and the developers of MIUI implemented it for several purposes:

• 🔋 Battery savings – the screen consumes up to 30% energy, and its disconnection extends the conversation time 10-15%.
• ❌ Avoiding accidental tapping – when the phone is pressed against the ear, the touch screen can respond to touching the cheek or hair.
• 👁️ Vision protection – bright display in the dark can blind during night calls.
• 📱 Optimization for proximity sensor – on some models (Xiaomi 12 Pro, Redmi Note 11) the screen goes out only when a face is detected next to the screen.

However, in practice, this feature often works incorrectly: the screen goes out too quickly (after 1-2 seconds), does not respond to the phone’s withdrawal from the ear or does not turn back on at all, especially on budget models (Redmi 9A, POCO M3), where the proximity sensor works with delays.

Interesting fact: in the early versions MIUI (Before 11th, this function didn't exist. It came along with optimizations for the AMOLED-The screens that began to be massively installed in Xiaomi smartphones since 2019. IPS-matrices (Redmi 8, Mi) A3) problem.

Method 1: Standard MIUI settings (without root)

The easiest method is to use the built-in system options, which is suitable for most MIUI 12-14 models and does not require superuser rights.

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to Always on screen and lock (on some firmware - Lock screen).
3. Select Lock as you approach (or Approach Sensor).
4. Turn off the slider next to the option to turn off the screen during the call.

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Make sure the proximity sensor is not covered by a film or cover

Battery charge not lower than 20% (on some models, the settings are reset when discharged)

Backup settings in Settings → Additional → Backup

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If there is no such item, try an alternative path:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, enter the Phone and select the standard call app.
3. Go to Permits. → Additional authorizations.
4. Find the option to Change system settings and turn it on.
5. Go back to your phone settings and repeat the steps from the first instruction.

Important! On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 13 Global for Xiaomi 11T), the option is hidden, in which case only the developer-specific method will help (see next section).

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If the screen still goes out after the feature is turned off, try calibrating the proximity sensor. To do this, dial the code ##6484## in the phone number and follow the instructions on the screen.

Method 2: Developer settings (hidden settings)

When standard options don’t work, developer options come to the rescue, a method that works on 90% of Xiaomi models, but requires care – making incorrect changes can cause a phone to crash.

First, you need to activate the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the MIUI version string and tap it 7 times in a row.
3. Enter a password/pattern lock if required.
4. You will be notified that you have become a developer.

Now, follow the following steps:

1. Return to the main Settings menu and open a new section Additional → Developer options.
2. Scroll down to the Debugging block.
3. Find the option to turn off the screen when approaching (or Disable proximity sensor for calls in English firmware).
4. Turn it off by moving the slider to the left.
5. Restart your phone to apply the changes.

Critical Feature: Some firmware (MIUI 14 China) may stop automatically adjusting the brightness after this option is turned off. To return it, you will have to reset the sensor settings in Settings → Screen → Autobrightness → Reset.

Method 3: Engineering menu (for power users)

When neither the standard settings nor the developer settings help, there is an engineering menu, which requires caution — wrong actions can cause sensors to crash or even overheat the phone.

Instructions for entering the engineering menu:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the combination: ##4636###.
3. Select Phone Information (or Phone Information).
4. Scroll down to the Sensors block.
5. Find the Proximity Sensor string.
6. Slip it and in the window that appears, select Disable during call.

Warning: Some models (Xiaomi Mi 10, Redmi K40) may have the engineering menu blocked, in which case try the alternative codes:

• #36446337## - Test equipment.
• ##6484## is a test of the proximity sensor.
• #2664## is a touch screen test.

If after the changes the sensor stopped working completely, reset its calibration:

1. Back to the engineering menu.
2. Select Sensors → Proximity Sensor → Calibrate.
3. Place your phone on a flat surface and wait for the process to be completed (10-15 seconds).

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The engineering menu is a powerful tool, but it's dangerous. Never change parameters that you don't know what they're supposed to be, for example, changing the values in the Battery Information section can lead to a wrong charge indication.

Method 4: Third-party applications (if nothing helps)

When all the built-in techniques are exhausted, Google Play apps come to the rescue, mimicking taps or blocking proximity sensor signals.

• 📱 Proximity Sensor Fix — intercepts sensor signals and forces the screen to turn on. runs on Android 10–13.
• 🔄 Screen On During Call is a simple utility with one activation button.
• 🛠️ Tasker is for advanced users, and it allows you to create a rule: "If you call, you call." → turn on the screen at full brightness".
• 🔋 Keep Screen On is a universal solution, but it can conflict with energy-saving modes. MIUI.

How to set up Tasker for this task:

1. Install the application and provide all the permissions requested.
2. Create a new profile (+ → Status → Phone → Call).
3. As an action, select Display → Brightness of the display → Set to 100%.
4. Add the second action: Display → screen timeout → Disable.
5. Save the profile and activate it.

⚠️ Note: Apps like Proximity Sensor Fix can increase battery consumption by 5 to 10 percent because they force the screen to be turned on. AMOLED-Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Redmi K60 Pro) this will also accelerate the wear of the matrix.

If you are using POCO Launcher or custom firmware (xiaomi.eu, PixelExperience), check for app compatibility. Some utilities (such as Screen On During Call) do not work on firmware without Google Mobile Services (GMS).

Method 5: Editing System Files (for Advanced)

It is an extreme method that requires root rights and knowledge of the structure of Android, and is suitable for custom firmware users or those willing to risk the stability of the system.

Instructions for devices with Magisk:

1. Install Root Explorer or FX File Explorer with root support.
2. Go to /system/usr/keylayout.
3. Find Generic.kl or qwerty.kl (depending on the model).
4. Open it in the text editor and add a line: key 217 PROXIMITY_WAKE
5. Save the file and restart the phone.

For TWRP devices, you can edit the build.prop file:

1. Back up your current build.prop (located in /system).
2. Add a line to the end of the file: ro.lge.proximity.delay=255
3. Set permissions 644 for the file.
4. Reboot.

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect editing of system files can lead to bootloop. RAM Expansion (Xiaomi 12S Ultra, Redmi Note 11 Pro+) It can also disrupt virtual memory.

If the phone has stopped booting after the changes, use Fastboot to restore the original build.prop:

fastboot flash system system.img


fastboot reboot

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after the screen dimming function is turned off, users experience side effects.

On models with an infrared proximity sensor (Xiaomi Mix 4, Redmi K50 Gaming), the problem may be due to interference from glass or film. Try temporarily removing the protective glass and check the sensor.

If nothing works, the last option is to roll back the firmware. For example, on the Xiaomi 11T Pro, many users note that the feature worked correctly on MIUI 12.5, but became buggy after upgrading to MIUI 13.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions