The Redmi Note 10 Pro’s failure to turn off the screen during a call or to block dialing is familiar to many owners, a classic symptom of a malfunctioning proximity sensor that is located under the display rather than in the top bezel, a design that makes the sensor vulnerable to software failures and miscalibration.
Unlike older smartphones, where the mechanical button or IR port was visible to the eye, it uses an optical sensor that reads the reflection of light through the screen glass. The slightest film, crack or driver failure can lead to malfunction. In 90% of cases, the problem is solved by software calibration through an engineering menu without requiring the opening of the case.
Before you bring a device to the service, you should eliminate software conflicts and contamination of the top of the screen. Often users themselves create interference to the sensor using inappropriate accessories or incorrectly configured system parameters. Let's look at all possible causes and ways to eliminate them.
The principle of operation of the optical sensor in the Redmi Note 10 Pro
Understanding the physics of the process helps to diagnose the problem faster. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro uses technology where the light and proximity sensor are combined and are directly under the control of the device. AMOLED-The system emits infrared light and analyzes its reflection from objects.
When you hold the phone to your ear, the light bounces off your head, and the system gets a signal to lock the screen. If there's a glass of protection in the path of the beam with poor transparency or contamination, the algorithm can go wrong. The false alarm often happens precisely because of a violation of the throughput of the glass above the sensor.
And MIUI software is constantly polling this module, and if the driver is "hanging" or getting incorrect data, the screen may go out in your pocket or not respond to the approach of the face, and it's important to distinguish between a physical breakdown and software desynchronization.
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Use only high-quality protective glass with cutouts or full transparency at the top of the screen so as not to block the path of infrared radiation.
The main causes of failures and false positives
There are several key factors that affect sensor stability, most often not hardware, but software or external factors, and analysis of the statistics of calls allows us to identify the most likely culprits.
The first is the low-quality protective films and glass, which can have a dimming in the speaker area where the sensor is hidden, and a common cause is the accumulation of fat or dirt at the top of the screen, which blocks the infrared radiation.
The second block of problems is related to MIUI updates. After changing the firmware version, the sensor configuration files can be reset or replaced with incorrect ones. Calibration is lost, and the phone no longer knows when the screen needs to be turned off.
Third, there's application conflict, where third-party callers or conversation recorders can take control of the sensor, ignoring Android system settings, and in these cases, cleaning the cache or removing questionable software can help.
Basic diagnostics and equipment inspection
The first step should always be simple visual and tactile diagnostics. You don't need special tools to check for obvious things. Start by carefully examining the top of the display in bright light.
Make sure there are no visible contaminants, greasy spots or air bubbles under the protective glass in the area of the speaker.Rub the screen with a microfiber dipped with a special remedy.Sometimes a simple cleaning brings the Redmi Note 10 Pro back to life.
Next, you can run the test through the engineering menu, which is a built-in diagnostic tool available on all Xiaomi devices, and it allows you to see raw data from the sensor in real time.
☑️ Checking the sensor in the engineering menu
In the test, you'll see a numerical value, usually 5.0 (object far away) and 0.0 (object close), if the value doesn't change when you close the top of the screen, it's possible that the sensor is physically disabled or the plume is damaged. If the values jump randomly, the problem may be the software.
Software calibration through the engineering menu
If the sensor is physically intact but not working properly, you need to calibrate it, which is a process where you train the phone to understand what is near and what is far. For Xiaomi, this is standard procedure.
Go to the engineering menu with code ##6484##. Find the Proximity sensor test on the list. Click on it. You'll see the screen with the current readings and, usually, the Calibrate button or instructions on the screen.
Follow the instructions on the screen: usually remove your hand from the phone (get a value of 5.0), and then close the sensor (get 0.0). After passing the test, press the confirmation button. The phone can restart or simply save the settings.
⚠️ Warning: If the problem persists after calibration in the engineering menu, do not repeat the procedure repeatedly in a row. This can lead to overflow of the settings buffer and aggravate the situation.
In some versions MIUI The calibration can be hidden or it can work differently, so you should try resetting the sensor settings through the ADB-This is a more advanced method, requiring you to connect to a computer.
Removing software conflicts and resetting settings
When calibration doesn't work, you dig deeper into the operating system, and conflicting applications are a common reason why the proximity sensor behaves strangely, especially when it comes to third-party calling apps.
Try running your phone in Safe Mode. This mode only downloads system applications. If the sensor is perfect in Safe Mode, it's the fault of some app you installed. Delete the recently installed software one by one.
Also worth checking for app permissions. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find the Phone app (or your caller). Click Permissions and make sure that sensor access is not blocked, although this is usually a system right.
| Method of decision | Efficiency | Risk of data loss | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen cleaning | High (with pollution) | No. | Low. |
| Calibration on the menu | Medium/High | No. | Low. |
| Safe regime | Diagnostic | No. | Medium |
| Full reset (Wipe) | Maximum | Yes (full) | Tall. |
If nothing works, the radical method is to completely reset to factory settings. Before you do that, make sure to back up all the important data to the cloud or to your computer. Reset will remove all the software errors that have accumulated over the course of use.
How to get into Safe Mode on Xiaomi?
Hardware malfunctions and sensor repair
If the software methods are powerless, it's hardware. In the Redmi Note 10 Pro, the proximity sensor is integrated into or below the display plume, and you can't replace it separately, either the entire screen changes or the micro component (less often) becomes soldered.
A common hardware problem is the plume pulling away after a fall, and a hit can disrupt the contact in the motherboard connector, which requires disassembling the device and reconnecting the display plume, and requires skills and tools.
It's also possible that the optical element itself will fail, which is less common, but it happens when it gets moisture or when it gets very hot, and if you put a sensor on the engineering menu that shows a constant 0 or 5 and it doesn't respond to movement, it's probably dead.
⚠️ Warning: Replacing the screen on the Redmi Note 10 Pro is difficult due to the adhesive base and the risk of damaging the frame.
The cost of replacing a display module can be high, so it's worth trying to reconnect the old plume before buying a new screen if you're confident in yourself. Sometimes the contact just oxidizes.
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If the engineering menu shows the unchanging values of the sensor even after reconnecting the plume, a replacement of the display module is necessary.