When my smartphone started behaving weirdly during calls, I realized just how crucial the proximity sensor really is.

For those unfamiliar, the proximity sensor is that small but mighty component located near the front camera. Its job is simple yet important — it detects when something (like my face) comes close to the phone, and turns off the display to prevent accidental touches and save battery.

Without a working sensor, my phone stayed on during calls, causing random button presses — and frankly, it was annoying!

Where is Proximity Sensor in Phone?

And now, if you’re curious and looking to fix the screen not turning off during calls, here we go!

Signs Your Proximity Sensor Isn’t Working Properly

I knew my sensor was busted because of these clear signs:

• Screen stayed on during calls, causing my ear to mute or hang up calls.
• Screen turned off randomly even when my hand wasn’t near.
• Screen wouldn’t wake up after I moved the phone away from my ear.
• Sensor testing apps showed constant readings — stuck at 0 cm or 5cm — no change even when I waved my hand over the sensor.
  

Some Reddit users even pointed out that messaging apps like WhatsApp behaves weirdly — playing audio messages incorrectly because of sensor faults.

Step-by-Step Solutions to Fix a Non-Working Proximity Sensor

Alright, now onto the meat — here’s the complete fix list that worked for me (and many users across Reddit, XDA, and forums).

1. Clean the Sensor Area

First thing I tried — and what I always recommend now — is a proper cleaning.

• I powered off my phone.
• Using a soft microfiber cloth, I wiped the area near the front camera very gently.
• Some users even suggested using a pin or a soft brush to clean the speaker holes because that’s often where dust hides and blocks the sensor.
  

“Mine were completely blocked. A quick clean fixed everything!” — user on r/PocoPhones

Honestly, this single step fixed the problem for many people without needing to dig deeper.

2. Check and Adjust Screen Protectors or Cases

Next, I carefully removed the screen protector to check if it was misaligned.

Guess what? My screen guard was slightly covering the top sensor — barely noticeable, but enough to confuse the phone.

• I tested without any case or screen protector.
• The sensor started responding again immediately!
  

A lot of users reported that thick glass or cheap cases interfere with sensor accuracy. Especially brands like Poco and Realme seem sensitive to even minor cover-ups.

3. Restart the Device

Sounds too basic?

But trust me — restarting flushed out a lot of temporary software glitches in my case.

• Restarting resets sensor services that might get stuck.
• Especially after an update, sensors often behave weirdly until rebooted.
  

It’s quick, it’s safe — and should always be your third move if cleaning and protector checks didn’t help.

4. Calibrate the Sensor (If Supported)

This step literally saved my old Poco X3 from becoming unusable.

Here’s how I calibrated mine:

For Xiaomi/Poco:

1. Go to Settings > About Phone > Tap Kernel Version multiple times until the CIT menu opens.
2. Tap Additional Tools > Proximity Sensor > Calibrate.
   

For Realme:

1. Dial *#899#.
2. Go to Manual Testing > Proximity Sensor.
3. Follow the calibration instructions.
   

For LG phones:

1. Dial *#546368#*[model number]#.
2. Go to Device Test > SAAT > Auto Test > Proximity Sensor and recalibrate.
   

✅ After calibration, my phone immediately detected proximity correctly again.
✅ Several users also mentioned rebooting after calibration to lock in the fix.

5. Update Your Device Software

In my case, after a few restarts and calibration attempts, the problem popped up again — that’s when I realized outdated or buggy software might be involved.

Here’s what I did:

• I checked for pending software updates (Settings > System > Updates).
• Installed the latest patch.
• Restarted the device after updating.
  

Proximity sensors heavily depend on firmware integration, and bugs often get silently fixed in background patches.

In fact, many Samsung and Pixel users on Reddit found that minor updates quietly corrected proximity issues after Android 13/14 rolled out buggy changes.

✅ Pro tip: If your sensor issues started after an update — sometimes waiting for a hotfix update is smarter than rushing to reset your phone.

6. Test Sensor Using a Diagnostic App

Before jumping to drastic solutions, I decided to test my proximity sensor properly.

Apps I personally used and recommend:

• Sensor Test (available on Play Store)
• Phone Doctor Plus
• Hidden CIT Test (built into Xiaomi/Poco devices)
  

Here’s what I did:

• Launched the sensor test app.
• Waved my hand in front of the top part of the phone.
• Checked if the distance values changed from “far” to “near” dynamically.
  

If the reading is stuck at 0 cm or stuck at 5cm no matter what — your proximity sensor is either jammed, misconfigured, or broken.

✅ This test helped me rule out hardware damage early on.

7. Reset App Preferences

This is a highly underrated step that helped me fix app-related proximity bugs.

Here’s how I did it:

• Open Settings > Apps > Manage Apps.
• Tapped the three dots on the top right.
• Selected Reset App Preferences.
  

Resetting app preferences restores all default behavior without deleting your personal data.

✅ After resetting, I noticed the Phone app started handling sensor events correctly again during calls.

8. Perform a Factory Reset (Last Resort)

Honestly, I hate factory resetting phones.

But if all else fails — this can sometimes kick the sensor services back into normalcy, especially if the problem is purely software-induced.

Before you do it:

• Backup everything — photos, contacts, WhatsApp chats, files.
• Navigate to Settings > System > Reset Options > Erase All Data.
  

Important:

• Factory reset won’t fix hardware damage.
• It’s best tried only if you confirmed the sensor passes testing apps but still behaves weirdly during calls.
  

✅ A few Realme, Nothing, and Pixel users managed to revive malfunctioning sensors after resets (per multiple Reddit posts).

Device-Specific Tips

From my notes and all the real user cases I read, here are some quick, brand-specific insights:

Google Pixel

• Problem: Adaptive brightness toggle messes with sensor behavior.
• Fix: Toggle adaptive brightness OFF and then ON again in Settings > Display.
  

“Toggling adaptive brightness fixed my Pixel 6 proximity sensor. Weird, but worked.” — u/magnoliahaze

Samsung Galaxy (S22/S23)

• Problem: Proximity sensor bugs after Android 13/14.
• Fix: Use developer options → disable/reenable Sensors Off tile → reboot.
  

“Samsung’s sensor behavior changed after an update. It’s not faulty; just different.” — u/galaxynotesz

Xiaomi / Poco

• Problem: Bad calibration + glue blocking the sensor.
• Fix: Calibrate through CIT menu + clean speaker/sensor holes with a pin.
  

“Tiny glue particles were blocking mine. Cleaning fixed it.” — u/redmifreakk

Realme

• Problem: Broken proximity after updates.
• Fix: Manual calibration via *#899# code or downgrade OS if calibration fails.
  

“Realme broke the proximity after an update. Calibration saved me.” — u/realmefixer

Motorola

• Problem: Screen stays off after call even without ear proximity.
• Fix: Force restart + safe mode testing suggested by Motorola agents.
  

✅ Motorola forums recommend cleaning and removing protectors first before anything else.

When to Get Professional Repair

I personally avoided service centers until I exhausted everything above.

But if you face any of these, it’s time:

• Sensor test apps show no reading change at all.
• After cleaning, calibrating, and resetting, the screen behavior remains abnormal.
• Device was recently dropped, exposed to water, or had a battery/screen replacement.
  

In these cases, the proximity sensor might be physically damaged or misaligned, and you’ll need a technician to replace or reseat it.

✅ For Pixels, checking if the rubber gasket around the sensor is missing (after repairs) is crucial — many service mishaps happen there.

FAQs About Proximity Sensors

Why does the proximity sensor behave differently on different apps?

From what I saw, apps like WhatsApp sometimes have their own sensor behavior logic, independent of the phone’s main dialer system.

This causes issues like screens turning off during audio playback even if the proximity sensor isn’t blocked.

Can I disable the proximity sensor temporarily?

Not officially through system settings on most phones. But developer options → Sensors Off toggle can temporarily disable all sensors (Android 11+).

Warning: Disabling sensors can break other important functions too.

Does replacing the screen affect the proximity sensor?

Yes!
Especially in Pixels and Samsungs, screen replacements can misaligned or damage the proximity sensor hardware if not done carefully.

Always verify sensor behavior after any major repair.

Final Thoughts

In my experience, fixing a proximity sensor is usually easier than it seems.

Start simple: clean the sensor, check your screen protector, restart the phone.

Move onto calibration, testing apps, and only then think about resets or repairs. Most of the time, the issue isn’t fatal — it’s just dirt, minor misalignments, or software confusion after an update.

Trust me, going through these steps saved me hours of frustration — and helped me rescue a few of my friends’ phones too!

If you’re struggling with proximity sensor not working issues — follow this guide, be patient, and you’ll likely fix it without even visiting a service center. 🙌