How to disable the proximity sensor on Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite: the full guide

The proximity sensor on the Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite is a useful feature that automatically turns off the screen during a phone call when you hold the device to your ear. However, many users face problems: the screen does not turn back on after the call is completed, the sensor reacts with a delay or fires falsely, in some cases, the sensor completely stops working correctly after a firmware update or mechanical damage.

If you notice that during a conversation, the screen goes out too early, does not respond to the distance of the phone or, conversely, remains active in your ear - the problem is the proximity sensor. In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to turn it off, including standard Android settings, engineering menus and ADB commands. It is important to understand that completely disabling the sensor can lead to inconvenience when calling (for example, accidental tapping the screen with your cheek), so weigh the pros and cons before changing the settings.

Also note that on the Mi A2 Lite (Daisy model), the proximity sensor is combined with the light sensor, so some methods may affect its operation, and if after manipulation, the automatic brightness adjustment stopped functioning, this is a side effect that can be eliminated by resetting the sensor settings.

Before you start shutting down, check if the problem is caused by sensor contamination (dust, greasy traces) or protective film/glass. Often, it is enough to wipe the area above the display (to the left of the speaker) with an alcohol wipe to restore the correct operation.

1. Disable the proximity sensor through Android settings

The easiest and safest way to do this is to use the built-in options. On the Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite with pure Android One, this method works consistently, but requires a section called "Developers" if you haven't already activated it, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone.

2. Find the item build number and tap it 7 times in a row, will appear the notification "You became a developer!".

3. Go back to the main settings menu, and a new section for developers will appear there.

Now you can start to disconnect the sensor:

Activate Developer Mode (if not enabled)|Open Settings → System system → For developers|Disable proximity sensor (or Disable proximity sensor)|Reboot your phone to apply changes-->

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Note: Some firmware versions may call the option differently, such as Show Presses or Enable USB Debugging. If you don't find a direct mention of the proximity sensor, move on to the next method.

If after turning off the screen stopped fading during calls, but there were false alarms of the sensor (for example, random taps with the ear), return the settings to the original state or try calibrating the sensor (more about this in the next section).

Calibration of the proximity sensor through the engineering menu

Often the problem is not with the sensor itself, but with its incorrect calibration. The Engineer Mode allows you to reset the sensor or re-tuning it. It doesn't require root rights, but it requires caution -- don't change other parameters unless you're sure they're there.

Instructions for Mi A2 Lite:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##6484## (or #3646633## for the alternative menu).
2. Select Proximity Sensor (approximation sensor).
3. Press Calibrate and follow the instructions on the screen – usually you need to bring and withdraw your hand from the sensor several times.
4. After calibration, check the sensor in the Test section.

If there is no Proximity Sensor in the engineering menu, try the alternative code: ##4636##, then go to the Hardware testing → Sensors tab.

Often, after each update |Sometimes, every few months |Rarely, 1-2 times during the entire use |Never had a problem-->

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Note: Do not change the settings associated with Radio Band, Network Mode or Hardware Version in the engineering menu, which can lead to network loss or unstable operation of the communication module.

If calibration doesn’t help and the sensor still doesn’t work properly, move on to more radical methods – disabling through ADB or editing system files (requires root).

3. Disconnect the sensor via ADB (no root)

Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a powerful tool for controlling your device through your computer, and you can turn off the proximity sensor without getting root permissions, but you need to enable USB Debugging and install ADB drivers on your PC.

Step-by-step:

1. Download Platform Tools (the official Google package) and unpack the archive.
2. On your phone, activate Debugging over USB in the Developer section.
3. Connect Mi. A2 Lite to the computer via USB-cable (original or qualitative analogue).
4. Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (macOS/Linux) file ADB and execute the commands: adb devices (should appear your device) adb shell settings put system proximity_delay 2500 (Increases the delay of the sensor to 2.5 adb shell settings put system proximity_offset 1 (Disables the sensor completely, but may not work on all firmware)

To completely disable the sensor, use the command:

adb shell settings put secure proximity_sensor_enabled 0

After you've done the commands, restart your phone. If the sensor is still active, try an alternative method:

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Attention: Teams ADB They can reset after a firmware update, and some manufacturers also block the change in parameters. proximity_* At the core level, only root will help.

4. editing system files (root required)

If previous methods have failed and the proximity sensor is still annoying with false positives, it remains to disable it at the system file level, which requires root rights and data backup, since incorrect changes can lead to the loss of the phone’s performance.

Instructions for experienced users:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /system/usr/keylayout.
3. Find the daisy-keypad.kl file (or similar for your model) and open it in the text editor.
4. Add a line: key 213 PROXIMITY_VIRTUAL Replace your existing line with proximity with #key. 213 PROXIMITY (the # character comments on the string by turning off the sensor).
5. Save the file, set the rights to 644 (rw-r--r---) and restart the phone.

If the light sensor also stopped working after editing, return the original content of the file or use an alternative method:

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Before you edit your system files, back them up! Copy the original files into a folder on your memory card or cloud, and it can quickly restore functionality if something goes wrong.

On some firmware (e.g. custom LineageOS builds), the proximity sensor is controlled via the file /system/vendor/build.prop. Add the string persist.sys.proximity.disabled=1 to it and restart the device.

5. Use of third-party applications

If you don't want to dig into settings or use ADB, you can use specialized apps from Google Play, which allow you to disable the proximity sensor without root, but require permission to access system functions.

Top.-3 applications for Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite:

• 🔧 Proximity Sensor Reset — resets the sensor and tests it. Suitable for eliminating false positives.
• 📱 Sensor Disabler – Disables the proximity sensor and other sensors (requires) ADB-permitting).
• 🛠️ Proximity Fix – fixes sensor freezes after calls (works on most Xiaomi).

Check reviews before installing, some apps may contain ads or request unnecessary permissions, and note that after an Android update, apps may stop working.

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Note: Apps like the Sensor Box or CPU-Z only show the state of the sensors, but they can't turn them off. Real sensor management requires superuser-enabled utilities, or ADBs.

Hardware problems and their solutions

If the software methods did not help, the reason may lie in a hardware malfunction:

• 🔌 Oxidation of the sensor contacts often occurs after moisture is injected. Solution: disassembling the phone and cleaning with alcohol.
• 💥 Mechanical damage - cracks in the glass above the sensor or detachment of the plume. Solution: replacement of the sensor or display module.
• 🔋 Firmware problems - after a failed update, the sensor may not work correctly.Solution: Fastboot flashing.

To diagnose hardware problems, use the sensor test in the engineering menu (##6484##). If the Proximity Sensor values always show 0 or 1 (no change when you put your hand up), the sensor is faulty.

The cost of repairing the proximity sensor on the Mi A2 Lite in service centers:

If the phone is warranty, do not try to repair it yourself - contact the authorized service center Xiaomi.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the proximity sensor on the Mi A2 Lite

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Disabling the proximity sensor on the Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite can solve the problem of false positives, but will lead to inconvenience during calls. We recommend that you first try calibrating or cleaning the sensor, and leave radical methods (ADB, root) for an emergency.