A smartphone’s basic functions are supported by several of its components, one of which is the proximity sensor. Without this component, your smartphone’s display won’t turn off during a telephone conversation or turn back on afterwards. It’s also responsible for identifying your face to unlock your smartphone.
This guide will help you fix an Android’s proximity sensor not working. Your device could stop recognizing your face to unlock the screen or stop performing other functions that depend on the proximity sensor. In that case, pay attention to the techniques I’ll describe below to fix an Android’s proximity sensor not working.
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How Can You Fix an Android’s Proximity Sensor Not Working?
If the proximity sensor on your Android phone stops working, it can result in pocket dials or face unlock failures. Here are some ways to fix an Android’s proximity sensor and get it working fine again
Clean Dirt and Dust Near the Sensor
Dust and grime may not appear to be major issues at first, but if they begin to accumulate, they can be harmful to your phone. If dust gets in the way of your proximity sensor, it won’t be able to recognize your face properly.
To fix an Android’s proximity sensor not working, gently clean the top part of your phone that holds the sensor, using a clean cloth or ear swab. The proximity sensor is always situated alongside the top speaker, regardless of phone type.
After cleaning it, check to see if it works. Also check for cracks or scratches near it, as they might also prevent proper functioning. If these are present, take your device to a repair shop.
Remove the Case or Screen Protector
Cases and screen protectors could also prevent a proximity sensor from working properly. If the glass is too thick or not sized correctly for your phone, it may cause detection issues. If you recently installed a new screen guard, carefully remove it from your touchscreen and clean it down.
This suggestion may help fix an Android’s proximity sensor not working. Also, when purchasing screen accessories, make sure to get one that is designed exclusively for your phone model and test it thoroughly.
Enable Accidental Touch Protection in Settings
Your proximity sensor could also have its functionality disabled thereby causing accidental touch protection to stop working on your device. It’s easy to correct this to fix an Android’s proximity sensor not working.
On Samsung phones, you can enable this option by heading to Settings > Display, scrolling down, and selecting Accidental touch protection . When activated, your phone will ignore any accidental touch while in your pocket.
When the feature is activated, the screen will show “Your phone is being protected from accidental touches.” When you take your phone out of your pocket, you’ll notice an option to to slide your device to dismiss the protection and continue using it normally.
Update Your Phone
Smartphones sometimes experience bugs or other issues due to incompatible software updates or short-term problems (these tend to go away on their own). It’s therefore necessary to constantly update your smartphone since phone manufacturers release updates to fix these bugs.
Go to Settings > System > Advanced > System Update to see if your phone needs any upgrades. You can locate it under Settings > Software update > Download and install on Samsung mobile devices. Check afterward to see if the update helps fix an Android’s proximity sensors not working.
Recalibrate the Proximity Sensor
Problems arising from the action of bugs or glitches can be fixed by recalibrating your phone’s sensors. Calibration is crucial since it ensures that the data being read by your sensors is accurate.
Recalibrations work like resets — they help ensure proper device operation. To recalibrate your Android’s proximity sensor, you’ll find the Proximity Sensor Reset/Fix app useful. You can download the app for free from the Google Play Store. Once you’re done, check to see if the recalibration worked to fix an Android’s proximity sensor not working.
Reset Your Device
Resetting your device deletes all your data and returns the device to its original state. This can get rid of any bugs that the other solutions could not fix.
Make sure to backup your data and sync all of your information to your Google account before the reset. You won’t lose any data this way, and Google will restore it all once the reset is complete.
Dealing with proximity sensor issues can be frustrating, but by following the easy methods outlined above, you can easily fix an Android phone’s proximity sensor not working. If everything else fails, I recommend taking your smartphone to an approved repair center for specialists to handle it.
