The solution to the problem: the screen Xiaomi goes out when talking

The situation when during an important phone conversation suddenly goes out the display of a Xiaomi smartphone, familiar to many users: the screen stops responding to touch, the interlocutor hears silence, and you can not complete the call or put it on speakerphone, this is due to the operation of the proximity sensor, which mistakenly interprets the position of the phone in the ear.

Most often, it's not hardware failure, but software failure or contamination of the upper body. The MIUI or HyperOS system is set to the maximum sensitivity of the sensor by default, which in some cases leads to false positives even without physical contact. Understanding how this mechanism works will help to quickly eliminate discomfort.

In this article, we will discuss how to reduce sensitivity or completely reconfigure the sensor, and you will learn about hidden engineering menus, proper calibration methods, and ways to bypass system constraints that interfere with the normal operation of the device.

Causes of false alarm of the proximity sensor

The main culprit is an infrared sensor at the top of the smartphone that emits invisible light and reads its reflection. If there is an obstacle in the path of the beam, the system blocks the screen. In modern models without frames, this sensor is often hidden under the display, which increases the risk of errors.

Low-quality protective glass and film can be misaligned or have defects in the sensor area, even a microscopic crack or a greasy spot can distort the signal, and calibration will not help until the physical barrier is removed.

⚠️ Warning: Excessive pressure on the top of the screen during a conversation (such as the cheek) can artificially activate the sensor, even if it is in good working order.

Software conflicts are also important to consider. Once the firmware is updated, the sensor's data processing algorithms may change, and sometimes third-party applications that have access to the phone intercept the sensor's control, causing the display to behave in a chaotic manner.

Basic inspection and cleaning of the sensor

Before you get into the complicated settings, you need to eliminate the banal pollution. Rub the top of the body with a microfiber, paying attention to the area of the dynamic conversational speaker, often where dust and skin fat accumulate.

If you have a security glass on your phone, check if it's going to fit. Air bubbles or the edges that are peeling off in the sensor area are a common cause of problems. Remove the protection temporarily and check the screen when you call.

• 🧼 Carefully wipe the top frame and screen with a degreaser for glass.
• 📱 Remove a case that can overlap the sensor or press the screen.
• 🌡️ Check if the device is overheating, as heat can affect the sensors.

Once cleaned, run a test call, and if the problem persists, proceed to the software diagnostics via the engineering menu.

Diagnostics through CIT Engineering Menu

There is a built-in tool for checking hardware components in the MIUI shell. To get into it, open the Phone app and type the combination ##6484##. If the code doesn't work, try ##4636## or go through the settings.

In the CIT menu, find the item "Proximity sensor." Click on it to run the test. The screen will turn black and the system will wait for action. Hold your palm to the top of the phone and remove it. The indicator should change state from "Far" (far) to "Near" (close).

If the sensor is not performing properly in the test (e.g., showing “Near” without a hand), hardware testing or deep calibration is required, and if the test is successful, the problem lies in the system’s sensitivity settings.

Calibration of the proximity sensor

The most effective way to correct sensitivity is to perform manual calibration, and to do so, in the same CIT engineering menu, after selecting "Proximity sensor," press the "Calibration" button. Put the phone on a flat surface so that nothing covers the top.

Press Calibrate and wait until the process is complete. The system will write down the new reference values. After successful calibration, the message "Pass" will appear. Reboot the device so that the changes take effect.

In some cases, the standard calibration is reset after rebooting. If this happens, try doing the procedure 2-3 times in a row, and cleaning the cache of the Phone and Google Play services app before recalibrating also helps.

Disable the "In the pocket" mode

The Pocket Mode feature is designed to prevent accidental taps while the phone is in the bag, but it often conflicts with the proximity sensor, causing the screen to go out ahead of time, and disabling this option solves the problem 80 percent of the time.

To find the setting, go to Settings → Screen Lock. Find Mode in your pocket and turn it off. In newer versions of HyperOS, the path may be different: Settings → Always on screen and Lock → Mode in your pocket.

After the feature is turned off, the phone will stop blocking the screen when objects are approached easily, but be careful when putting the smartphone in narrow pockets.

Use of third-party applications for resetting

If the regular funds do not help, you can use specialized software. Reset/Fix» available on Google Play and allows you to force the restart of the sensor service.

Launch the app, press the Fix or Reset button, and it resets the sensor and force the system to reset, especially for the Xiaomi Redmi Note and Poco models, where software bugs are known.

⚠️ Attention: Using root-enabled apps to modify sensor system files can cause a complete touchscreen failure.

An alternative is to install the Sensor Box for Android app, which allows not only testing but also in some cases reassigning sensor priorities, although the functionality depends on the specific CPU model.

Hardware problems and repairs

When software methods are exhausted, there is a physical malfunction, and the proximity sensor can fail due to a fall, moisture, or industrial defect, in which case the screen goes out chaotically or does not light up at all.

Check the display plume. If the phone has recently opened or fallen, the contact may have moved away. Careful pressing of the top of the case sometimes temporarily restores work, which confirms the contact problem.

If the warranty period has not expired, it is better to contact an authorized center. Self-replacement of the sensor requires soldering skills and work with small components, since it is often integrated into the front camera plume or display module.

Frequently asked questions

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In 9 out of 10 cases, the problem is solved by removing the protective glass and recalibrating through the CIT engineering menu.