When you can't see who's calling on a Xiaomi smartphone, you get panic and irritation. You just don't know if you should pick up the phone or you miss an important business conversation. You often have a software failure on your MIUI or HyperOS shell that blocks the full-screen interface of your incoming call from being displayed. Instead of the usual window with photos and response buttons, you only see a standard system notification in the curtain or a black screen.
Owners of Redmi and Poco devices face this more often because of aggressive memory optimization, which can kill telephony processes. A critical system error prevents the Phone application from coming to the forefront on top of other running programs, and this is especially true for models with a small amount of RAM, where background processes are tighter than on flagships.
We'll look at all the possible causes and methods of troubleshooting, from simple reboots to deep permission settings. It's important not to ignore this failure, as it can signal more serious conflicts in the system. Proper diagnosis will help return full functionality to your gadget.
The main reasons for the disappearance of the call screen
The first thing to understand is that the problem is rarely hardware, and if the touch screen is working normally in other applications, it's software, and often the culprit is the phone app itself, which stops processing incoming signals correctly, and this can happen after a system update or installing third-party number detectors.
The second common cause is permission conflicts: Android requires that the application be allowed to display on top of other windows. If this permission was accidentally revoked by a user or antivirus, the call window simply cannot redraw the current interface.
Xiaomi’s aggressive power saving mode can freeze the background telephony processes, believing them to be inactive until the call arrives, and as a result, the system does not wake up the interface in time, especially when using third-party launchers or design themes that change the standard look of the system.
Configure permissions of the Phone application
The most effective way to solve this is to verify access rights: in modern versions of MIUI and HyperOS, the system strictly controls which applications can overlap the interface, and to correct this situation, you need to manually make sure that the standard "caller" has all the necessary privileges.
Go to the settings menu of your device, and you'll need to find the application management section, and the path may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same. Find the system application that handles the calls.
Inside the app menu, you are interested in the item “Other permissions”, which hides key settings, the absence of which leads to the fact that Xiaomi does not see who is calling. Pay special attention to the item “Master on top of other applications” – it must be activated.
☑️ Permit verification
Also check access to contacts and microphone. Without these basic permissions, the app may not work properly. If you use a third-party number detector (like Truecaller or Yandex), make sure it also has access to notifications, but does not intercept the call completely.
⚠️ Warning: If you turn off the microphone, you can see the call, but you can't talk.
Clearing the cache and resetting the call settings
Accumulated temporary files can cause malfunctions in any application, and Phone is no exception. Cache speeds up work, but when data is damaged, it gets in the way. Cleaning these files is safe and does not delete your contacts or call history, since they are stored in a database, not in temporary storage.
To do the cleaning, go to the phone app settings, look for "Storage" or "Memory," and you'll see two buttons, "Clear cache" and "Delete data." Start by clearing the cache. If the problem persists, you can try to delete the data, which will return the call settings to factory.
After the data reset, you may need to reconfigure the number determinant or select SIM-It's a normal procedure, and often resetting the application configuration eliminates bugs that have arisen after the firmware update.
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Before deleting your app data, make sure your contacts are synced to your Google account or Mi Account to avoid losing them when sync failures occur.
If you use the Google Phone app (standard for global versions), the procedure is similar, and in some cases, it helps to remove updates to this app through the settings menu, which will roll it back to the factory version, after which you can update again through the Play Market.
Conflicts with number identifiers and blockers
Often users install spam detection software without knowing it is in conflict with the system. Applications like GetContact, NumBuster, or built-in antiviruses can intercept a call. If they fail, the call interface may not show up, and the call will simply “hang” or pass as silent.
Check which apps have access to call management. Try temporarily disabling or removing third-party callers. If the problem disappears, it means that the conflict was in them, in such cases, it is worth looking for an alternative application or waiting for an update from the developer.
Also worth checking is the Do Not Disturb and Lock settings. MIUI has powerful built-in filtering tools. If Quiet or Sleep mode is accidentally activated, the screen may not light up when an incoming call is made, although the sound may be going.
How to check the blocker in MIUI?
Notice the Blacklist, and if a subscriber's number accidentally gets there, you won't see the call screen, and the caller will hear a reset or a beep, and checking that list is a must-have diagnostic step.
Problems with notifications and lock screen
Sometimes the interface itself prevents the call window from appearing on top of the locked screen, which often happens when the pocket or gesture mode is activated, which blocks random taps, and the system may mistakenly assume that the phone is in your pocket because of the proximity sensor.
Check the notification settings for the Phone app. Make sure you tick the lock screen and prioritize High or Urgent. On Android 12 and up, this is critical to making sure the call breaks through any barriers.
Turn off Simplified Mode or Senior Mode if it's activated. These modes change the interface and can hide the standard controls. Also try changing the theme to standard - some custom themes don't have proper in-call dialogue.
| Parameter | Standard value | Recommended value |
|---|---|---|
| Display over windows | Turned off (often) | Included. |
| Notices on lockdown | Hide contents | Show everything |
| Priority of notifications | Normal. | High/Urgent |
| Saving energy | No restrictions. | No restrictions. |
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Setting notification priority to High causes the system to interrupt any background tasks to display the call.
Deep Diagnostics and Network Settings Reset
If software methods fail, the problem may lie deeper in network settings: Network resets (not to be confused with a full phone reset!) will return APN, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi settings to their original settings, which helps if the failure is caused by an incorrect login on the operator’s network.
To do this, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile networks and Bluetooth. Once rebooted, the phone will re-register on the network. This often solves problems when the call arrives, but the screen does not light up due to the signal delay.
In extreme cases, if nothing works, it is worth checking the integrity of system files. On Xiaomi, this can be done through Recovery mode by selecting "Wipe Data" (with complete data deletion) or reinstalling the firmware. However, before you do, make sure that it is not a physical damage to the proximity sensor.
⚠️ Note: Resetting your network settings will remove saved passwords from Wi-Fi. remember them in advance or write them down.
Hardware problems and proximity sensor
You can't rule out a physical malfunction. If the proximity sensor (usually located near the speaker) is contaminated or closed with film, the screen will go out immediately when you bring the phone to your ear, or vice versa, do not turn on when you call.
Low-quality protective glass and film often overlap the sensor. Remove the protection and check if the situation has changed. Also check if the glass at the top of the display is broken - cracks can disrupt the sensor and sensors.
You can use the engineering menu to check the sensor. Type ##64663## (or #6484###), select "Proximity sensor" and cover the top of the screen with your hand. If the values change from 5.0 to 0.0, the sensor is good.