Hello friends! Smartphones have a lot of sensors with which they detect external conditions to act in different situations. A clear example is the one that measures the lighting. Thanks to this sensor, the screen adjusts the automatic brightness so that its content can be seen at any time of the day. It also helps to reduce battery consumption. A second, related sensor is usually located next to it: the proximity sensor. You are probably having problems when making and receiving calls with your Xiaomi, Redmi, or Poco. If the screen is activated and you end up hanging up the call, putting it on hold, or opening any other app. In this case, likely, your phone’s proximity sensor is not working properly. Therefore, in this post, we will teach you how to know if the proximity sensor of your Xiaomi, Redmi, or Poco is working properly.
Proximity sensor or ultrasound sensor?
Generally, phones include an infrared sensor under the glass of the screen. This sensor is responsible for detecting the proximity of the face. It achieves this by emitting infrared light to capture it back: only when there is something nearby that reflects it (the face) the proximity sensor detects it; telling the phone to turn off the screen. This sensor is usually quite simple and is very rare to fail.
Xiaomi has now changed the proximity detection mechanism in its latest phones, especially those of the Redmi Note family (from the Redmi Note 10 onwards). We can also see how the Poco F3 features an ultrasonic sensor. Instead of including an infrared transmitter and receiver, Xiaomi makes use of the phone’s earpiece to emit ultrasounds, imperceptible to the human ear. If your face is close, the ultrasounds will bounce off your face, allowing the phone to capture them back to trigger the screen to turn off. Normally for this detection system to be activated, it is necessary to lift the phone. For this reason, it is usually not very accurate and tends to fail quite a lot. Since it can give the feeling that it has been damaged, it is best to check that it is working properly before sending it for repair, follow the steps below:
First step
Open the phone app in your Xiaomi, Redmi or Poco
Second step
Then type *#*#6484#*#*
Third step
After that, find the “Proximity sensor” option and tap on it to test the proximity detection. A menu should appear with a “Pass” and “Fail” in the bottom area. Also, some numbers are headed by a 5.
Fourth step
Finally, place the phone on a flat surface and bring the palm of your hand close to the top of the phone. When it is one or two centimeters away, the number should change to 0. If you move your hand closer and the 5 changes to 0, the proximity detection is correct. In case the 5 does not change, even if you cover the entire top of the phone with your hand, it means that it is not working properly.
Conclusion
Most probably, if your phone has ultrasonic proximity detection, you may experience the screen turning on during calls more than once because its operation is somewhat inaccurate. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do about it: you won’t be able to correct or calibrate it. One way to minimize these screen flares is to pay more attention to how you hold the phone. Hopefully, the Asian manufacturer will stop using this alternative which is usually not the most effective. Thanks for reading us. Bye!
