When a smartphone rings, the screen lights up, but you can't physically press the reset or call, it causes panic. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices face this problem regularly, and often the reason is not a break in the speaker, but a software failure of the interface. MIUI or HyperOS system can block touch buttons on top of the call window, creating the illusion of a broken touchscreen at a critical moment.
Before you bring your gadget to the service center, you should check the software settings and system status. In most cases, the problem is solved by resetting the call settings or turning off specific optimization functions. We will analyze all possible causes, from simple screen contamination to deep system conflicts.
A critical feature of MIUI is the aggressive energy saving, which can “freeze” the telephony process, making the interface immune to touch at the time of the incoming signal.
Checking the physical condition of the sensor and screen
The first thing to rule out is mechanical obstructions, and if you can't answer the phone, it's probably not the software that's the problem, but the physical contact of the finger with the surface of the display, and dirt, greasy spots, or water droplets can disrupt the capacitive layer, making certain areas of the screen insensitive.
Special attention should be paid to protective glass. Cheap treads often have the wrong thickness or gaps at the edges that block the sensor's range. If the glass is unstuck in corners or has a crack just above the response button, the system will ignore your presses.
Try to wipe the screen with a soft microfiber cloth. If the problem persists, remove the protective glass and check the sensor in clean mode. Sometimes even a thin film of dust under protection creates a “dead zones” effect.
- 🧼 Wipe the screen with an alcohol wipe to remove fat.
- 📱 Remove the protective glass or film to check the sensor.
- 🔌 Turn off the charger if it causes interference.
- 🧤 Remove a case that can press on the edges of the display.
In rare cases, static electricity from the charger can disrupt the touchscreen. Try answering the call by disconnecting the phone from the network, or use the original cable.
Configure incoming calls in MIUI
Xiaomi shells have their own interface settings that may conflict with standard Android behavior. If you can't swipe your answer or the button doesn't click, check the theme and font settings. Some third-party themes don't display call controls correctly.
Go to your system settings and find the section that controls the lock screen and passwords. Make sure that the "Show incoming calls" option is enabled on the lock screen. If this feature is disabled, the call window may appear on top of other applications, but the touch buttons will be blocked by the security system.
It's also worth checking the font size. If you set up a very large font to improve readability, the call control buttons could shift out of the visible area or overlap with other interface elements.
⚠️ Attention! Using unofficial themes from third-party sources can cause the answer buttons to disappear completely. Return to the standard theme "Classic" or "Standard" in the Topics app».
Use the engineering menu code or hidden commands to access advanced call settings, but be careful. Changing the parameters in the engineering menu without understanding their purpose can lead to unstable operation of the communication module.
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If after changing the topic, the answer buttons are missing, reset the theme settings in the Themes app → Profile → Settings → Reset the settings.
Resetting the settings of the application “Phone” and “Contacts”
The most effective software solution is to clean the cache and data of the system applications of telephony. Over time, errors accumulate in the database of calls that block the correct display of the incoming call interface, which will not delete your contacts, but reset the display settings.
To do this, go to your device’s settings menu. Find the Apps section, then select All Apps. In the list, look for the Phone system app (may be called Calls or have a green handset icon).
Click on it and select "Clean" where you need to choose "Clean everything" or "Reset settings" instead of just "Clear cache." Repeat the same procedure for the Contacts and System Interface app (if any).
☑️ Checklist of application resets
Once the data is cleaned, the phone can run a little slower on the first dial, because the system needs to re-index the contact database. That's normal behavior.
| Action. | The result | Security of data |
|---|---|---|
| Clearing the cache | Deletion of temporary files | Safe, contact will remain. |
| Telephone data cleanup | Resetting the call settings | Safe, call history may clear |
| Clearing the Contacts data | Resetting synchronization | ⚠️ Loss of local numbers without synchronization |
| Resetting network settings | Update of SIM parameters | Securely, Wi-Fi passwords will be deleted |
Disabling the function “Respond with movement” and sensors
Xiaomi smartphones have smart controls that allow you to answer calls by holding your phone to your ear or shaking it. If the proximity sensor is contaminated or not working properly, it can lock the screen when you call, thinking that the phone is already in your ear.
Turn off these features to see if the problem goes away. Go to the Phone app, click on the three dots in the corner (menu) and select Settings. Find the Incoming Calls section.
You have to turn off the "Respond with Motion," "Flip for Silence," and "Put to Your Ear for Answer." Once you turn off these functions, try making a test call. If the buttons show up, the sensor was the problem.
The proximity sensor is often in a narrow strip above the screen. Wipe this area. If you have a black-framed protective glass, make sure it doesn't overlap the sensor. In some cases, calibrating the sensor through an engineering menu helps.
⚠️ Attention! Do not glue the top of the screen with tight stickers or decorative elements. This leads to false alarms of the sensor and locking the screen during a conversation.
How to enter the engineering menu to check the sensors?
Conflicts with third-party applications and antiviruses
Often, third-party callers, number detectors, or antiviruses are the reason for blocking response buttons, and applications like Truecaller, GetContact, or various memory cleaners can intercept call management and not give it back to the system in time.
If you have recently installed such an application, try to delete it. If you cannot delete it or want to leave the program, go to the battery settings and allow it to “Start” and work in the background, but turn off the display over other windows if you have such an option.
Antiviruses that scan incoming numbers in real time are particularly aggressive, and when you check the number, the call interface may freeze, try to temporarily turn off the protection in real time and check the phone's performance.
- 📞 Remove third-party number detectors (Truecaller and analogues).
- 🛡️ Check the permissions of the applications in the section "Privacy».
- 🔋 Turn off Advanced Battery Optimization for the Phone app».
- 🚫 Temporarily turn off antivirus protection.
It's also worth checking whether Do Not Disturb or On the Plane is on, and sometimes the system won't answer a call if it's seen as an interruption to an important mode, although it's usually dropped.
Deep Diagnostics: Safe Mode and Reset
If none of the above methods worked, there may have been a deep software failure in the system. To diagnose, run your smartphone in Safe Mode. In this mode, only system applications are downloaded.
To enter Safe Mode on Xiaomi, you usually need to press the off button and then hold the "Stop" (or "Disable") option on the screen for a long time until the prompt to go to Safe Mode appears. After the reboot, check the incoming call.
If the buttons are running in Safe Mode, it means that one of the apps you installed is to blame. Start removing newly installed programs. If the problem persists even in Safe Mode, the last resort is a complete factory reset.
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If the problem has disappeared in Safe Mode, look for the culprit among the apps you installed, not on the Android system.
Before a complete reset, make sure to back up all important data to your computer or to the Mi Cloud/Google Drive cloud.
⚠️ WARNING! A full Wipe Data reset will delete all photos, contacts and apps. Make sure you have an up-to-date copy of your important data before performing this procedure.