Why Xiaomi’s screen goes out when you call and how to fix it: the full guide

Have you ever encountered a situation where your Xiaomi screen suddenly goes out during a phone call? This is a common problem among users of Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi's MIUI-based smartphones. This happens on both incoming and outgoing calls, the display turns off after a few seconds, leaving you in blind control mode. At best it is annoying, at worst it leads to accidental taps and resets.

The reasons for this behavior lie in energy saving settings, proximity sensors, or even firmware, and fortunately, the problem is solvable — and doesn't always require complex manipulation. In this article, we’ll break down 5 proven ways to turn off the screen automatically when you call, including hidden settings. MIUI, Calibration of the sensor and even manual editing of configuration files for advanced users, and also to find out why on some models (for example, Redmi Note 10 Pro or Xiaomi). 12T) Standard methods don’t work – and what to do about it.

Why Xiaomi’s screen goes out during a call: the main reasons

Before we move on to fixing it, it's important to understand what's causing the problem, and 80 percent of the time, there are three things that are to blame:

• 🔋 Energy-saving settings — MIUI aggressively optimises battery consumption, including turning off the display when you are “inactivity” (even if you are talking).
• 👁️ Approximation Sensor – If it’s contaminated, damaged, or miscalibrated, your smartphone mistakenly “thinks” you’ve pinned your phone to your ear.
• 📱 Firmware or bugs MIUI — Some versions of the shell (especially) MIUI 12.5 and MIUI 13) contain errors in screen control during calls.

Less commonly, the problem is caused by a damaged sensor plume (relevant after falls or repairs) or by a conflict of third-party applications (e.g., battery managers or launchers). AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Ultra or POCO F5 Pro) can also trigger the Always-On Display function, interfering with normal sensor operation.

Interesting fact: on some devices (like the Redmi 9A), the screen only goes out when using wireless headphones, which is because the system mistakenly identifies the connected audio device as the “user’s ear.”

Method 1: Disabling the proximity sensor in the engineering menu

The most reliable method is to completely deactivate the proximity sensor through the engineering menu, which will solve the problem, but can lead to side effects (for example, the screen will not turn off when you actually approach the ear), suitable for most models on MIUI 11-14.

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and type the combination: ##6484## (some firmware runs ##4636###).
2. Select Proximity Sensor (Proximity Sensor).
3. In the window that opens, uncheck the Enable Proximity Sensor or set the Disabled value.
4. Reboot your smartphone.

If the combination does not work, try an alternative method:

1. Install the "EngineerMode" app from Google Play.


2. Launch it and go to the Hardware Testing section.




3. Select "Proximity Sensor."




4. Press Disable and confirm the action.

⚠️ Attention: Once the sensor is turned off, the screen will not automatically lock when approaching the face. This may lead to accidental taps during a conversation. If you care about this feature, skip this method and move on to the next one.

Method 2: Configure energy saving and screen waiting time

Often the problem lies in aggressive battery settings that force the display to be turned off to save charge, especially for models with a small battery (for example, the Redmi 10C or the POCO M4 Pro).

How to fix it:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Mode.
2. Choose Performance or Balanced (but not Energy Saving!) mode.
3. Return to the main settings and open Settings → Display → Sleep mode.
4. Set the maximum waiting time of 10 minutes or Never (if you have one).

For MIUI 14, check out:

• 🔄 B Settings → Annexes → Application management → Phones turn off battery optimization.
• 📵 B Settings → Display. → Autorotation make sure the function is on (sometimes affecting sensor performance).

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If the screen still goes out after the changes, try to turn off the Adaptive Brightness function in the display settings - sometimes it conflicts with the proximity sensor.

Method 3: Calibration of the proximity sensor

If the sensor doesn't work properly (e.g., it goes off too soon or later), it can be recalibrated, which helps in 60% of cases where the problem is not related to hardware failure.

For calibration:

1. Install the Proximity Sensor Reset or Sensor Test app from Google Play.
2. Run the proximity sensor test – the app will show the current values (usually from 0 to 5 cm).
3. If the values jump or show 5 cm even when nothing is closed by the sensor, calibrate through the application menu.
4. Reboot the phone.

Alternative method (for MIUI 12-14):

1. Enter in the phone app: ##284## (sensor test).


2. Select "Proximity Sensor."




3. Follow the instructions on the screen for calibration.




4 If the test fails, the sensor may be damaged.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g. Xiaomi Mi 11 or POCO F3) The proximity sensor is aligned with the light sensor, and if you calibrate it incorrectly, you can cause a malfunction in the automatic brightness control.

Method 4: Editing a configuration file (for advanced ones)

If standard methods don't work, you can manually edit the build.prop system file that handles the sensor parameters, which requires root rights and can cause system failures if you change it wrong!

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer).
2. Go to /system/build.prop and open the file in the text editor.
3. Add a line at the end of the file: ro.lge.proximity.delay=25 ro.lge.proximity.offset=1 (where 25 is a delay in milliseconds, 1 is sensitivity).
4. Save the file, set the rights 644 (rw-r--r---).
5. Reset the device.

For different models, the parameters may differ:

• 📱 Redmi Note 10/11: ro.lge.proximity.delay=35
• 📱 POCO X3/X4: ro.lge.proximity.offset=0
• 📱 Xiaomi 12/13: persist.vendor.proximity.calibration=5,5,5

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect editing build.prop can lead to bootloop ( looped download). Before changing, back up the file! If the phone doesn't turn on after editing, you need to flash it over Fastboot.

Method 5: Resetting settings or flashing

If neither method worked, the problem could be deep system settings or corrupted firmware files, in which case:

• 🔄 Reset to factory settings (save data before doing so!). Go to Settings → The phone. → Resetting settings.
• 📥 Update MIUI Check the latest version. → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🛠️ Fastboot Flash Firmware (for power users) download the official firmware from Xiaomi and run through the Mi Flash Tool.

On custom firmware models (such as LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the problem is often solved by installing an alternative kernel with the right sensor support.

1. Download a kernel compatible with your model (e.g. FrancoKernel or Kirisakura).
2. Squeeze through TWRP (recovery).
3. Do wipe cache/dalvik.

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If the problem occurred after the MIUI update, try rolling back to the previous firmware version. To do this, download the archive with the desired version and run through TWRP.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)