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

Have you ever missed an important call because Xiaomi's screen suddenly went out during a conversation? This problem is familiar to many smartphone owners of the brand - the display turns off after a few seconds after the start of the call, despite active use. The reasons can lie in both the standard MIUI energy saving settings and the peculiarities of the approach sensor. In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to turn off the automatic screen when calling - from basic settings to hidden functions for advanced users.

It's important to understand that the problem isn't always hardware-related, and it's often the software constraints that Xiaomi puts in place to save battery life. For example, the Redmi Note 10/11 and POCO X3/X4 models have an aggressive power saving mode activated by default, which forced turns off the display even when you call actively, and we tested the solutions on devices with MIUI 12-14 and identified the most versatile methods that work regardless of the firmware version.

Reasons for Automatic Screen Shutdown During a Call

Before we get to the fix, we'll figure out why Xiaomi's screen goes out during a conversation.

• 🔋 Energy-saving settings MIUI — The system forcibly shuts down the display to save charge, even if you are talking.
• 📱 Approximation Sensor – If it’s contaminated or miscalibrated, the smartphone “thinks” you’ve put your phone to your ear and blows the screen out.
• 🛠️ Software bugs - in some versions MIUI (13.0.4–13.0.6) was a bug with forced screen shutdown when calling via VoLTE.

In practice, the first one is most often blamed: aggressive power saving settings. For example, the Xiaomi 12T and Redmi K50 defaults on the lock-down setting, which also works during calls. You can check this in the Settings menu → Battery → Power saving mode. If there is a Balanced or Super energy saving mode, there is a good chance that he is to blame for the problem.

The second most common reason is the proximity sensor, which is located next to the front camera, and it's responsible for turning off the screen when you hold the phone to your ear, and if the sensor is contaminated or damaged, it can fire falsely, and you can check it with the engineering menu (which we'll talk about below) or the AIDA64 app.

Method 1: Disabling power saving for a phone application

The easiest and safest method is to add the Phone app to the power saving exception list, which will prevent the system from forcedly shutting down the screen.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the phone (or calls in some firmware) in the list and tap it.
3. Select the battery → Energy saving application.
4. Activate the switch without restrictions.

Then restart your smartphone. Now the system won't force the screen to go out during calls. If the problem persists, move on to the next way.

Check the version of MIUI (Settings → About the phone)

Disable VPN (if used)

Close background annexes

Reboot your smartphone-->

Method 2: Configure the proximity sensor through the engineering menu

If the screen goes out due to false alarms of the proximity sensor, it can be calibrated or temporarily disabled.

Warning: Changes to the engineering menu can affect the stability of the phone. Don't change the settings unless you're sure they're there.

Instructions for entering the engineering menu:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the combination: ##6484## (for MTK-processors) or #4636## (for Snapdragon).
3. Select Hardware Testing → Sensor → Proximity Sensor.
4. Do the test: cover the sensor with your hand - the value should change from 5.0 cm to 0.0 cm. If there is no reaction, the sensor is defective.

If the sensor is not working properly, it can be turned off (but this will affect the usability of calls):

On the engineering menu:


1. Go to Proximity Sensor




2. Select "Disable" (if available)




3. Save settings and restart the phone

Method 3: Change the settings in the developer menu

If standard methods don't work, try activating the developer menu and changing the settings for screen control, which works on MIUI 12-14 and requires caution.

First, turn on the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the item MIUI version (you will be notified you became a developer!).
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.

Now find and change the following parameters:

• 🔄 Turn off the screen when blocking → Turn it off.
• ⏱️ Time to wait for the screen to turn off → Set 10 minutes (maximum)
• 📱 Turn off touch buttons → Turn it off (if any)

After applying the settings, be sure to restart the smartphone. If the screen continues to go out, check if the settings are reset after rebooting (sometimes MIUI returns the settings to factory settings).

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If after changing the settings for developers, the screen began to behave unstable (shimmers, spontaneously turns off), reset the developer menu settings to standard: Settings → Additional → For developers → Reset settings.

Method 4: Use of third-party applications (for advanced ones)

If the system settings don't work, you can use third-party utilities that force the screen to be turned on.

We recommend starting with Keep Screen On, as it is the easiest to use.

1. Open the application and provide all the permissions requested.
2. Turn on the option during calls.
3. Add the phone app to the list of exceptions.

⚠️ Note: Some screen retention apps (such as Tasker) require permissions ADB Or root. Incorrect use of them can lead to malfunctions. MIUI. If you are not sure, use only proven utilities from Google Play.

Method 5: Resetting settings to factory (extreme case)

If none of these methods worked, the problem could be deep system failures, in which case resetting to factory settings will help.

• 📱 Make a backup of the data (Settings) → The phone. → Backup).
• 🔐 Make sure to remember the password from your Mi Account (required to activate after resetting).
• 📡 Untie your device from your Google Account if you have used it FRP-lockdown.

Resetting instructions:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data.
3. Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed (it will take 5-10 minutes).

After reset, set your smartphone as new and check if the problem persists. 90% of the time, this helps, but remember: all data will be deleted without recovery (unless backup was made).

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Resetting to factory settings is a last resort, and try all other methods before you do so and make sure that the problem is not a hardware malfunction (e.g., a damaged proximity sensor).

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you try to turn off the screen automatically, users often make mistakes that only make the problem worse.

• 🚫 Turning off all energy-saving functions, this leads to a quick discharge of the battery. Instead, add only the Phone app to the exceptions.
• 🛠️ Use of informal firmware - custom MIUI-Builds often have screen control bugs. If the problem occurs after firmware, go back to the official version.
• 🔧 Change the sensor parameters without testing - before turning off the proximity sensor, check its operation in the engineering menu.

Another common mistake is ignoring system updates. Some versions of MIUI (e.g., 13.0.4 for the Redmi Note 10 Pro) had a bug that forced the screen to shut down when VoLTE calls, and it was fixed in newer builds. Check for updates:

1. Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. If the update is available, install it and restart the smartphone.

⚠️ Note: If after all the manipulations the screen continues to go out and the proximity sensor is working correctly, the problem may be a hardware malfunction (for example, a departing display plume.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions