Many Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners experience an intrusive and annoying feature when the screen goes out during a conversation, barely lifting the phone to the ear. It's not a software glitch as usual, but a routine approach sensor operation designed to save battery and prevent accidental cheekstrokes. However, in budget models and some versions of MIUI or HyperOS firmware, this sensor often works incorrectly, causing users to end the conversation in complete darkness or mistakenly put the caller on hold.
Making matters worse, Xiaomi has deliberately hidden the possibility of software disabling the feature from the standard settings menu. Android provides basic tools for managing the phone, but the Chinese shell tightly regulates the behavior of hardware components, which is why you have to resort to using third-party applications, engineering codes or even flashing the device to restore comfort when communicating.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all known ways to disable or reconfigure the speaker sensor on your device, you will learn about the hidden capabilities of the system, methods of calibrating the sensor and radical but effective solutions for cases where software methods do not help.
Why the screen goes out during a conversation on Xiaomi
The main reason for the sudden quenching of the display is the physical location of the sensor. On most Xiaomi smartphones, it is located at the top of the front panel, next to the speaker. Its task is to read infrared reflection from objects. When you bring the phone to the ear, the sensor detects the obstacle and gives the system a PROXIMITY signal, after which the screen turns off. The problem occurs when the sensor “sees” an obstacle where it is not, for example, due to pollution, protective glass or software error.
Often the culprit is a software conflict between the sensor driver and the MIUI shell. After another system update, the data processing algorithms may not work correctly, interpreting the slightest changes in light or touch as a signal to lock the screen, especially in models with a virtual sensor, where its role is performed by a software algorithm that analyzes the gyroscope and accelerometer data, rather than a physical element.
Cheap, black-framed protective glass or poor-quality cases can block the sensor’s work area, in which case the system receives a false positive signal that the phone is in your pocket or ear, and forcibly extinguishes the display, ignoring the user’s real actions.
⚠️ Warning: Complete software shutdown of the sensor can cause the screen to not go out in your pocket, which can lead to random calls or battery discharge.
Software Disconnection through Call Settings
The first step in the fight against an intrusive sensor should be to check the phone's standard settings. Although there is no direct "Disable Sensor" button here, there are related parameters that can affect its operation, and the first thing to do is check the settings of the Phone application, which often has its own sensor management priorities.
Open the Phone app and go to settings by tapping three dots or a gear in the corner of the screen. Find the Incoming Calls section. There may be an option called "Disable Approach Sensor" or "Disable screen when you touch your ear." If there is one (it is not available on all versions of MIUI), it must be deactivated. This is the most secure method, without needing additional software.
If you don't have the right option in the standard menu, try resetting the call app. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Phone. Select "Clean" and click "Clean All." This action will return the call settings to factory settings, which sometimes eliminates software errors that cause the sensor to falsely fire. After the reset, check the phone's hands-free.
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Before resetting the Phone app settings, make sure your contacts are synced with your Google account to avoid losing important numbers when clearing the data.
Using Sensor Sense to block
The most effective and popular solution for devices where standard settings don’t work is the use of a specialized Sensor Sense application, which allows you to intercept signals from hardware sensors and block their transmission to the system.
The setup process requires care, because you need to pinpoint the type of sensor in your device. Download the Sensor Sense app from the Google Play Store and launch it. From the main menu, select Sensor Blocker. The app will automatically scan the device and suggest a list of available sensors. You need to find Proximity Sensor or Approximation Sensor.
Activate the switch in front of the sensor you find. The interface changes, and the system will request permission to display on top of other windows, which is necessary for the blocker to work. Once confirmed, the screen may flash, and at the top there will be a notification that the sensor is locked. Now, when you hold the phone to your ear, the screen will stop turning off, and you can control the call visually.
- 📱 Download Sensor Sense from the official Google Play Store.
- 🔍 Find Proximity Sensor in the list of active sensors.
- 🚫 Activate the lock and give the necessary permissions to the system.
- ✅ Check the function by making a test call.
⚠️ Note: The Sensor Sense app can consume extra battery power as it runs in the background, constantly polling the sensor state.
☑️ Checking the work of Sensor Sense
Calibration of the sensor through the engineering menu
Before resorting to radical shutdown measures, it makes sense to try to calibrate the sensor. Often the problem lies not in the sensor itself, but in the wrong thresholds, which the system reads as “close.” Xiaomi’s engineering menu provides access to hidden hardware tests to reset these values.
To enter the test mode, open the Phone app and dial the combination ##6484##. The CIT (Customer Integration Test) menu will appear on the screen. In the test list, find the Proximity sensor (usually at the top of the list or in the Common section).
In the window that opens, you'll see two values: Raw (current reading) and Max (maximum). Palm the top of the phone and remove it. The numbers should change. If the values do not change or immediately show the maximum value, press the Calibration or Pass button (depending on the menu version), following the instructions on the screen. Usually you need to close and open the sensor several times. After successful calibration, press Back and exit the menu.
| Parameter | Description | Normal value. |
|---|---|---|
| Raw | Current sensor reading | 0 (open) / 5 (closed) |
| Max | Maximum sensitivity | Depends on the model. |
| Status | Status of the test | Pass / Fail |
| Calibration | Calibration reset button | Active on the test. |
What to do if the engineering menu is not opened?
Radical Methods: ADB and Root Rights
For advanced users who are not comfortable with temporary solutions, there is a method of completely disabling the sensor driver through USB debugging. This method requires connecting the smartphone to the computer and using the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) toolkit, which allows you to send a command to the system to ignore the signals of a particular hardware module.
First, activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on MIUI Version. Then go to Advanced Settings → Developer and turn on the USB Debugging Toggle. Connect the phone to the PC that has ADB installed and enter the command to check the connection: adb devices.
The command to disable the sensor is used to block the corresponding service, but there is no universal command, since the names of the services vary depending on the model of the processor (Snapdragon, MediaTek, Helio).
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.sensor.proximityIt's important to understand that this method can be unstable. Once the device is restarted, the service can start again. /system, where it can be renamed or deleted APK-The file that handles the sensor, which is a very risky operation.
⚠️ Attention: Use ADB Teams and interference with system processes can lead to unstable smartphone operation or loss of warranty.
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The ADB method is the most profound intervention in the system, but requires technical knowledge and a computer for each reboot unless root rights are obtained.
Frequent questions and problem-solving
Even after completing all the instructions, users may still have questions about specific models or situations, and the following are the answers to the most common queries that will help complete the device setup.