Why Xiaomi Phone Picks Up Its Own Phone: 7 Reasons and How to Fix It

Introduction: When a smartphone starts to live its own life

You put Xiaomi on the table and it suddenly takes an incoming call without you, or worse, it makes outgoing calls while it’s in your pocket, and it’s not only annoying, it can lead to embarrassing moments or even financial losses (if it’s about paid numbers), a problem that’s found on models from the Redmi Note 10 Pro to the flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra, and the causes range from banal to serious.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible scenarios that Xiaomi’s phone picks up itself, from hardware malfunctions to software failures. You’ll learn how to diagnose a problem, what settings to check first, and when to contact the service center. And for those who like statistics, according to the 4PDA and MIUI Russia forums, about 12% of Xiaomi users are making a similar complaint on MIUI 13-14 firmware.

1. Accidental touches of the screen: the case or proximity sensor is to blame

The most common cause of spontaneous action is false touch screen activation, which occurs when the phone is lying up on the table, in a pocket or bag, and something presses on the display, and models with curved screens (such as the Xiaomi 12S Ultra or MIX Fold 2), where the edge areas are more likely to respond to touch, are especially vulnerable.

How to check:

• 📱 Place your phone on a flat surface with your screen down and call it from another device. If the problem is gone, it's the touch.
• 🧤 Check if you're wearing a magnetic lock case or metal inserts, which can interfere with the proximity sensor.
• 🔍 Turn on the settings. → Display. → Show touch (Developer mode) If white dots appear on the screen without you interacting, the screen needs to be calibrated or replaced.

Decisions:

• 🛡️ Use a case with high sides, protecting the screen from accidental pressing.
• 🔧 Turn off the function of lifting to wake up in Settings → Lock screen – it can be triggered by vibrations.
• 📲 Install the Touchscreen Test app from Google Play for detailed sensor diagnostics.

2.The proximity sensor failure: why the phone doesn't know what's on the table

The proximity sensor is responsible for turning off the screen while you hold your phone to your ear. If it doesn't work properly, the smartphone can "think" you're already saying and automatically receive incoming calls. This problem is common after falls or moisture, but can also occur on new devices (for example, on the POCO X5 Pro after upgrading to MIUI 14.0.5).

How to diagnose:

1. Dial ##6484## (on some models ##0*##) to enter the test menu.
2. Select the Proximity Sensor and cover the top of the phone with your hand. The value should change from 5 (far) to 0 (close), if the numbers don't change or jump randomly, the sensor is faulty.

Interim decisions:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone – sometimes the sensor “wilts” after a long work.
• 📱 Turn off Auto Response when you submit to Settings → Special facilities → Universal access.
• 🛠️ If the sensor is physically damaged (for example, after repairing the screen), it will have to be replaced.

3. Viruses and Malware: Who Controls Your Phone?

If the phone started answering calls after installing a new app or visiting a questionable site, the cause could be a virus or Trojan. Some types of malware specialize in making calls to pay numbers or sending SMS. According to Kaspersky, in 2023, one in five Android smartphones were infected with such threats.

Signs of infection:

• 📞 The phone itself calls to unfamiliar numbers (often starting with the phone). +79 or short codes of type 8800).
• 🔋 Quick battery discharge even in standby mode.
• 📱 Appearance of unknown applications in the menu or in the list of running processes.

How to clean your phone:

1. Remove suspicious apps: Go to Settings → Apps → Application Management and sort by installation date.
2. Run the scan using Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light.
3. If the virus is deeply embedded, reset to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Reset).Be sure to save data to your PC or cloud before reset - after the procedure, they will be deleted without recovery.

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Before installing apps, check their reputation on VirusTotal. download APK-File (even from Google Play) and scan it for threats.

4. Application conflict: who is preventing normal operation?

Sometimes the problem is a conflict between system and third-party applications, for example, some automation programs (such as Tasker or MacroDroid) may have rules that randomly trigger incoming calls.

• 📞 Call recording applications (e.g. Cube Call Recorder).
• 🔊 Programs to improve sound during calls.
• 📱 Launchers from third-party developers (for example, Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher).

How to find the culprit:

1. Load your phone in Safe Mode (press the power button → long tap on "Stop" → "Safe Mode"). This mode only runs system applications. If the problem disappears, one of the apps you installed is to blame.
2. Turn off applications with Call rights or Special features in Settings → Applications → Permissions.

Frequent culprits according to users:

5. Hardware malfunctions: when the "iron" is to blame

If the software methods didn't work, the problem could be the physical breakdown of the components, and the most common culprits are:

• 📱 Damaged screen plume – after falling or repairing, the plume can short-circuit, simulating touches.
• 🔋 Bloated battery – presses on motherboard, causing false signals.
• 🌡️ Overheating of the processor – on Xiaomi with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/2 (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro) may cause sensor malfunctions.

How to diagnose:

• 🔍 Check if the battery is swelling: put the phone on a flat surface with the screen down. If it swings like a pendulum, the battery needs to be replaced.
• 🌡️ Install the app AIDA64 Check the temperature of the processor if it's over 60.°C in simple – dust cleaning or replacement of thermopaste is required.
• 📱 Connect your phone to your PC and check logs with ADB: adb shell dumpsys input If events appear in the logs TOUCH_DOWN Without your interaction, the hardware problem.

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If the phone falls or gets wet, even a small amount of damage can occur in months, and 80 percent of the time, spontaneous calls after physical exposure are caused by microcracks on the motherboard.

⚠️ Warning: Don't try to disassemble your phone yourself if it's warranty-free! Opening the case will void Xiaomi's warranty obligations. Contact an authorized service center - diagnosis is usually free.

MIUI Updates: Why the Phone Is Living Its Life After the Update

Xiaomi users often encounter bugs after MIUI updates. For example, MIUI 14.0.3 for the Redmi Note 11 recorded a bug in which the phone itself received calls due to an error in the processing of signals from the proximity sensor. and MIUI 13.0.9 on the Xiaomi 11T Pro appeared “ghost” touches due to a conflict with the new sensor driver.

How to fix it:

• 🔄 Reverse to previous firmware version (if backup is available).
• 📱 Cleaning the cache of the system: Settings → The phone. → Memory. → Clear the cache.
• 🔧 Manual installation of the patch through MIUI bootloader (if you are confident in your skills).

If the problem has occurred after the upgrade, check the 4PDA or XDA Developers forums, which often publish temporary solutions. For example, for the POCO F4 GT, after upgrading to MIUI 14, users have found a workaround:

⚠️ Attention: Enable Developer Mode (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — tap 7 times), then turn off Windows animation and transition animation to Settings → Additionally. → For developers, it'll reduce the load on the processor and it can eliminate false positives.

7. non-standard scenarios: when the operator is to blame or SIM-map

Rarely, but there are times when the problem lies not in the phone, but in the phone. SIM-map or operator settings, for example:

• 📶 Service "Inspector" activated by the operator (for example, MTS or Beeline) Check the balance on short numbers - sometimes calls are forwarded without your knowledge.
• 🔄 Damaged. SIM-card - microcracks on the chip can cause false signals. SIM Or move your phone to another phone.
• 🌐 VoLTE problems – if the operator has incorrectly configured the voice service via 4G, The phone can take calls by itself. Turn off VoLTE in Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → A challenge through LTE.

How to check:

1. Call *111# (for MTS), *100# (for Beeline) or *105# (for MegaFon) and request information about active services.

Check the balance on short numbers | Turn off all paid services |Test SIM on another phone |Update the operator settings (send SMS with the text "123" to the number 0880 for MTS)

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What do you do if nothing helps?

If you’ve tried all the methods, but the Xiaomi phone still picks up the phone, there are two options:

1. Resetting to factory settings is a radical but effective way. Don't forget to back up your data via Mi Cloud or Google Drive.
2. Contacting the service center - if the problem is hardware (for example, a faulty motherboard), without professional diagnosis can not do. Average cost of repair: Replacement of the proximity sensor: 1200-2000 rubles. Repair of the screen plume: 2500-4000 rubles.

Before the service visit:

• 📋 Write down all symptoms (when it started, after what actions, phone models).
• 🔄 Try to reproduce the problem in front of the master - this will speed up the diagnosis.
• 📱 If the phone is warranty, do not think to disassemble it yourself!

FAQ: Frequent questions about spontaneous calls on Xiaomi