How to Fix a Phone Screen That Stays On During Calls

Published 2026-10-16 · Marion Phone Repair

When you hold your phone to your ear during a call, the screen is supposed to turn off automatically so your cheek does not accidentally press buttons, mute the call, open the dial pad, or hang up. If the screen stays on during calls, your face touches the screen and causes random actions — ending the call, pressing mute, switching to speakerphone, or opening other apps during the conversation. This problem is caused by the proximity sensor not detecting that the phone is near your face. The proximity sensor is a small component near the top of the phone that emits infrared light and measures how much bounces back to determine if something is close to the screen.

Clean the proximity sensor area

The proximity sensor is located near the top of the phone, usually next to the front-facing camera, earpiece speaker, or in the notch or display cutout area. Dirt, grease, or a smudge directly over the sensor blocks the infrared signal:

Locate the sensor. On most phones, it is a small dark circle or slit near the top bezel, inside the notch, or behind a small area of the screen on phones with under-display sensors
Clean the area with a soft microfiber cloth. Use gentle circular motions directly over the sensor area. Even a thin film of oil from your skin or ear can interfere with the infrared signal
If the area has dried residue, dampen the cloth slightly with water or isopropyl alcohol and clean gently. Make sure no liquid enters the earpiece or any openings
After cleaning, make a test call and hold the phone to your ear to check if the screen now turns off properly

Check screen protector and case interference

A screen protector that covers the proximity sensor area is the most common cause of this problem. Tempered glass protectors are especially problematic because the glass thickness can block or scatter the infrared signal. Even clear protectors can interfere if they are not precisely cut to leave the sensor area exposed
Check your screen protector — does it have a cutout or clear window over the sensor area near the top of the phone? If the protector covers the sensor with no cutout, it is likely causing the problem. Remove the protector and test during a call. If the screen turns off properly without the protector, replace it with one that has the correct sensor cutouts for your phone model
Some phone cases with front covers or raised edges near the top of the screen can interfere with the sensor. Remove the case and test
Dark-colored or tinted screen protectors block more infrared light than clear ones. If you use a privacy screen protector, the tint may be blocking the proximity sensor permanently

Test the proximity sensor directly

Android

Open the Phone app and dial *#0*# (Samsung) or *#*#6484#*#* (Xiaomi) or search for the service menu code for your phone model. These codes open a hardware diagnostic screen
Select Proximity Sensor or Sensor test. The screen will display the sensor reading. Cover the sensor area with your finger — the reading should change from a high number to 0 or from Far to Near. If the reading does not change when you cover the sensor, the sensor is blocked or damaged
Alternative: download a sensor testing app like Sensor Test or Phone Check from the Play Store. These apps display real-time proximity sensor data

iPhone

iPhones do not have a built-in proximity sensor test mode. The most reliable test is to make a phone call and observe: hold the phone to your ear (not on speakerphone). If the screen goes black, the sensor works. If the screen stays lit, the sensor is not detecting proximity
During the test, try covering just the top portion of the phone with your palm. If the screen turns off when you cover the top but not when the phone is against your ear, the angle or distance when holding the phone normally is not triggering the sensor — the sensor may be partially blocked or misaligned

Check software settings

Android

Some Android phones have a setting to disable the proximity sensor during calls. Settings, Accessibility or Settings, Call Settings — look for Turn Off Screen During Calls or Proximity Sensor and make sure it is enabled
Samsung: Settings, Accessibility, Interaction and Dexterity — check that no setting is overriding the proximity sensor behavior
Some custom ROMs and third-party phone apps (like Google Phone on non-Pixel devices) have their own proximity sensor settings. Check the phone app settings: open the Phone app, tap the three-dot menu, Settings, and look for proximity or screen-off options

iPhone

iPhones do not have a user-accessible proximity sensor toggle — it is always active during phone and FaceTime calls. If the proximity sensor is not working on an iPhone, the cause is hardware (sensor damage or blockage) not a software setting
However, check for software glitches: Settings, General, Software Update — install any pending updates. Proximity sensor bugs have been reported in specific iOS versions and fixed in subsequent updates

Restart the phone

The proximity sensor driver can crash or enter an invalid state after a software update, app installation, or prolonged use. A restart reinitializes all sensor drivers
Force restart: hold the power button for 10 to 15 seconds (or power plus volume down depending on the phone) until the phone restarts. Then test the proximity sensor during a call immediately after boot

Recalibrate the sensor (Android)

Some Android manufacturers include a proximity sensor calibration tool in the service menu or Settings. Samsung: dial *#0*# in the phone app, select Proximity Sensor, and follow the calibration prompts. The phone will ask you to cover and uncover the sensor while it adjusts the detection threshold
After a screen replacement, the proximity sensor often needs recalibration because the new screen sits at a slightly different distance from the sensor. If this problem started after a screen repair, calibration is the most likely fix
Some third-party apps (Proximity Sensor Fix, Proximity Sensor Reset) can force a recalibration on phones that do not have a built-in calibration tool. These apps adjust the software threshold rather than the hardware

Hardware causes

Screen replacement: If the proximity sensor stopped working after a screen repair, the replacement screen may not have been connected to the sensor properly, or the sensor flex cable may have been damaged during the repair. Non-original screens sometimes lack the proper sensor integration — the infrared window in the replacement screen may not be aligned with the sensor
Drop damage: A drop can crack the proximity sensor or disconnect its flex cable from the motherboard. The sensor is small and fragile, and even a minor impact near the top of the phone can damage it
Water damage: Water reaching the proximity sensor causes corrosion on its electrical contacts. The sensor may work intermittently or not at all after water exposure. Corrosion often gets worse over time even after the phone dries out
Manufacturing defect: Some phone models have documented proximity sensor issues that affect certain production batches. If the problem existed from the day you got the phone, check online forums for your specific phone model to see if it is a known issue that may be covered under warranty

Workaround until repaired

Use speakerphone or earbuds/headphones for calls. This keeps the phone away from your face so the proximity sensor is not needed. The screen stays on but your face does not touch it
On Android, apps like Proximity Service or Screen Off During Call use the accelerometer instead of the proximity sensor to detect when the phone is raised to your ear, turning off the screen based on the tilt angle instead of infrared proximity
Press the power button once during a call to manually turn off the screen before putting the phone to your ear. This prevents accidental touches. Press the power button again to wake the screen when you need to end the call

Proximity sensor repair in Marion

If your phone screen stays on during calls and the troubleshooting above did not fix it, Marion Phone Repair can test the proximity sensor hardware, determine whether the issue is a blocked sensor, a damaged component, or a post-repair calibration problem, and fix it so the screen turns off reliably when you hold the phone to your ear.