You listen to a WhatsApp voice message on a Xiaomi smartphone, and suddenly the screen goes out even though the sound continues to play? This problem is familiar to many owners of Redmi, Poco and Mi devices — especially after the updates to MIUI or the messenger itself. Most of the time, the fault is in the power saving settings, application conflicts or optimization errors.
In this article, we’ll look at 7 main reasons why the screen shuts down while you play voice messages, and give you step-by-step instructions for each of them. You’ll learn how to set up a turnaround, turn off aggressive power saving for WhatsApp, reset the display settings, and even manually roll back the update if the problem comes after it. And for the most difficult cases, we’ll detail how to check for hardware malfunctions (such as a proximity sensor) without visiting a service center.
Important: Some solutions require permission to install from unknown sources or developer rights, and if you're not sure what you're doing, skip those steps and turn to simpler methods.
1. Check the autorotation settings and the proximity sensor
Most often, the screen goes out because the proximity sensor is triggered - it thinks you've held your phone to your ear like when you were ringing. WhatsApp doesn't work properly, especially if you're holding your smartphone at an angle or lying on your side.
How to check:
- 🔍 Open the Settings. → Display. → Turn it around and make sure it's on. If it's not, turn it on and restart the phone.
- 📱 When you play a voice message, try to change the angle of the phone slightly. If the screen lights up, the sensor is a problem.
- 🛠️ Run the sensor test through the engineering menu (code ##6484## for most Xiaomi). In the Proximity Sensor section, the value should change from 5 (far) to 0 (close) when you put your hand up.
If the sensor does not respond or shows incorrect values, it will have to be calibrated or cleaned (for more information, see the section on hardware malfunctions).
2. Turn off power saving for WhatsApp
MIUI aggressively optimizes background processes, and WhatsApp may be subject to restrictions, which makes it think the app is not active and shuts down the screen, so the solution is to add the messenger to the battery exclusion list.
Instructions:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → WhatsApp.
- Choose Energy Saving and install Without Limits.
- Go back and open AutoRun – turn it on for WhatsApp.
- In Settings → Battery → Battery Mode, select Performance (if available).
After this, check if the problem persists. If so, move on to the next step.
Install "No Limits" for WhatsApp |Enable AutoRun |Switch Battery Mode to "Performance" |Reboot phone-->
3. Update WhatsApp and MIUI to the latest version
The screen-off error often appears after updates, but is also often fixed in the following versions.
| Component | How to update | Minimum version |
|---|---|---|
| Open Google Play → Find the App → Update | 2.23.17.76 or later | |
| MIUI | Settings → About the phone → System update | Depends on the model (e.g. Redmi Note 12 – MIUI 14.0.5+) |
| Google Play Services | Settings → Applications → All Apps → Google Play Services → Update | 23.30.14 or later |
If there is no update, but the problem is critical, try to roll back to the previous version of WhatsApp via APKMirror.
- Remove the current version of the messenger.
- Download APK from APKMirror (e.g. version 2.23.12.78).
- Install the file by allowing installation from unknown sources.
⚠️ Warning: Reverse version may result in loss of unsaved chats. pre-backup via WhatsApp Settings → chat → Backup copy.
4.Reset the display and sensor settings
If the problem isn't WhatsApp, it's the system settings of the screen, resetting the display will help, and it will go back to factory values.
- Brightness and screen timeout
- Autoturn settings
- Calibration of sensors (including proximity sensor)
How to reset:
- Go to Settings → System → Resetting settings.
- Select Reset Display Settings (not to be confused with a full reset!).
- Confirm the action and restart the phone.
After the reset, check if the problem persists. If so, move to the next section.
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If the reset didn't work, try manually calibrating the proximity sensor through the engineering menu (code ##6484##).In the Proximity Sensor section, press Calibrate and follow the instructions.
5. Check conflicts with other applications
Some programs (especially optimizers, antiviruses or launchers) can block WhatsApp from working in the background, for example, Clean Master, DU Speed Booster or MIUI Optimizer sometimes force the messenger to sleep.
How to find the culprit:
- 🔍 Launch your phone in Safe Mode (press the power button) → long-tail → Safe Mode: If the problem has disappeared, the third-party app is to blame.
- 📊 Check the list of recently installed programs. remove suspicious ones (especially optimizers and cleaners»).
- 🛡️ Turn it off. MIUI Optimization in Developer Settings (how to enable – see below).
To enable the Developer Mode:
- Go to Settings. → The phone.
- Slip 7 times on the MIUI version.
- Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
- Find MIUI Optimization and turn it off.
⚠️ Attention: Disconnection MIUI Optimization can cause some features to function unstable (such as gestures or a dark theme.
Hardware malfunctions: proximity sensor and plume
If the software methods did not help, the problem may be a physical breakdown:
- 🔧 Contaminated or damaged proximity sensor (located next to the front camera).
- 🔌 Display plume is gone – a common problem after falls or disassembly of the phone.
- 🔋 The power controller of the screen is defective (in this case, the screen may go out in other applications).
How to diagnose:
- Check the sensor: Illuminate the flashlight into the area next to the front camera. If the sensor is contaminated, gently wipe it with an alcohol tampon (do not use sharp objects!).
- Train test: With a slight press of your finger, press the screen in the upper frame, and if the screen starts to work steadily, the plume is to blame.
- Controller check: If the screen goes out and when watching video or in other applications - a hardware malfunction, and repair is needed.
For a temporary solution, you can turn off the proximity sensor completely (but this will affect calls):
Settings → Special features → Approximation sensor → DisableWhat if the screen goes out because of the plume?
7.Alternative solutions: gestures, third-party players and backup
If nothing helps, try the roundabouts:
- 🎧 Play voice through headphones: Connect wired or Bluetooth headphones – the screen won’t go out as the system “understands” that you’re listening to content.
- 🔄 Use an alternative player: Save a voice message to the device and open it through VLC or MX Player.
- 📱 Enable Permanent Notification: Go to Settings on WhatsApp → Notifications → Pop-up notifications and select Always Show. This will keep the screen on longer.
- ☁️ Move the chats to another messenger: Export history through Settings → chat → Export chat and use Telegram or Signal temporarily.
Critical information: If the problem occurred after the MIUI 14 update on the Redmi Note 11/12 or Poco X4/X5 model, the most likely cause is a firmware error, in which case only a pullback on MIUI 13 or waiting for a patch from Xiaomi will help.
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If the screen goes off only on WhatsApp, the application settings or conflict with MIUI are to blame. If the problem in all applications is a hardware malfunction (sensor, plume or controller).