Database Users

Proximity sensor Strange behaviour - not working if u get very close.

I dont know if this is an issue with other handsets.
I installed proximity screen off application . The purpose was to have the phone turn the screen off when i close my flip case.
However i found something strange.
When the flip case is very close to the screen the proximity sensor does not seem to detect that there is something covering it.
Is this an issue with every one ?
Any solution
Please see the videos
As you can see from the videos when i bring the shield very close the proximity sensor does not seem to detect the sheild.
Edit : However if u use ur finger this is not seen

I've noticed the same behavior, it's quite annoying because it kills one of NoLed's best features (screen off using prox. sensor).
[deleted]
Still really annoying that the original flip cover won't work with the proximity sensor. A workaround might be a third party flip case. A diy modification of to the original one won't work since if I close it AND hold whatever object that alone is enough for a positive result over the flip cover, the sensor will still not register positive [because a minimal distance between an object and the glass surface is required, see below].

mine works even with a finger...
I've done it a few times accidently when i was trying to access the notification bar while on the phone

ph00ny said:
mine works even with a finger...
I've done it a few times accidently when i was trying to access the notification bar while on the phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats the thing i was saying.
With finger i works great even if u touching the screen

Dial *#0*# and press sensor. If it vibrates, the proximity sensor is registering an object.
Maybe it comes in handy with testing.
It's working for me, thanks for the tip about the app!
edit:
Okay, I tested and found that indeed when you set the app to:
"Cover an hold to lock the screen" to say 5 seconds.
Close the flipcover.
It does not register.
However. If I set:
"Disable Accidental Lock" to .25 seconds.
Close the flipcover.
It works quite well.
Coming back to the sensor. It indeed does not register the flipcover when it's closed and touching the screen.
Weird thing is it does not register your hand anymore either.
Recreating issue:
Remove flipcover and lay it completely flat over the sensor.
Dial *#0*#.
Press "Sensor".
No registration.
Now hover your hand over where the proximity sensor is, and... How about that, no registration.
This indeed messes up NoLed's battery saving feature.
This can also be a problem when:
You set screen timeout to 10 min.
In the app's settings set "Disable in landscape" to on.
Then use an app in landscape mode.
Close flipcover while in landscape mode.
Then rotate to portrait. At this point it should start registering again and turn off screen..
The sensor does not register and screen stays on.
Drains battery.
It is a really cool idea, but it does not function properly.
It's too flaky, also when just handling your phone. I find myself accidentally turning off the screen.
Maybe if you use a case or some other cover with a different or thicker material it would work better.
I ordered a Zenuscase, I'll give it a try with that one.
Don't know how long it'll take to arrive though

reflective color
heey i found the problem , the sensor is working fine ... but when so close with any black object the light is not reflected back to the proximity sensor.(black color absorbs light).
Repeat your video with any white object and you will notice the difference..
Now i am using Autostart and it works great with samsung original flip cover (white flipcover).
you can use any white sticker on the black one.

ahmedtaha7 said:
heey i found the problem , the sensor is working fine ... but when so close with any black object the light is not reflected back to the proximity sensor.(black color absorbs light).
Repeat your video with any white object and you will notice the difference..
Now i am using Autostart and it works great with samsung original flip cover (white flipcover).
you can use any white sticker on the black one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ya correct, just few day back i have asked this issue to developer
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=22170417&postcount=5
But it will work perfact if you use proximity + light both sensor enabled.

Color has no influence, distance between an object and the proximity sensor is what matters. I've just tested this using pieces of paper, cloth, metal and wood in white and black colors. The sensor seems unable to correctly register anything that is less than approximately 1 mm away from the glass (it may report 0 cm or jump to 5 cm). Also it seems it only reports changes of a certain minimal distance between two readings, even if the reported value remains the same as the old one. Anything below the threshold of the 5 cm reading will always result in a reported value of 0 cm, but if the effective distance between reading A and reading B was below a certain threshold, the sensor will not report a new reading of 0 cm (thus an object hovering stable over the sensor will not produce a 2nd post). I'm not sure if the sensor has a state that can be read at any time. From my tests using AutomateIt Pro, it seems only new posts can be used by apps. And if the delta between two readings is to small to make the sensor post a "new" result, then this can be problematic under certain circumstances (like trying to turn the screen off after the flip cover got closed (prox. sensor = 0 for 0 sec) and stays closed (light sensor = 10 for 5 sec) while preventing the screen from going off after an accidental wipe over the prox. sensor e.g. with the hand).
@Dr. Ketan: I've tested Power Switch (again) and I'm quite certain that for the Note + Flip Cover it only works through the light sensor (which is unsatisfying since it then won't work correctly in the dark). Covering the proximity sensor only doesn't make the app reliably react.

Power switch works ok for me with the Samsung flip cover. I have the confirmation set to minimum Abe theactivation delay set to 0 seconds.
It doesn't always work from the lock screen but works fine from the home screen or apps
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

so is it a hardware issue of software?
might it be fixes in ICS? it's fu***ng annoying! just bought the flip cover(black) yesterday and also bought smart cover app, my note's screen keeps on turn off (when flip closed) then it turns back on (flip still closed)!
Any solution for gingerbread? like proximity calibrator perhaps? (while waiting for final version of ics to come out)

Power switch will work if you use proximity + light sensor both.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

dr.ketan said:
Power switch will work if you use proximity + light sensor both.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's so sensitive that the moment my finger move over the sensor, the shutdown menu pops up.
Any app that works with the flip cover?

Smart Rotate

Wondering if this is working for everyone? On my ALIE firmware the feature doesnt seem to function as described, i.e., my eyes/face rotating 45 degrees does not cause the screen to rotate at all.

keep the phone on a flat surface and rotate ur head it should work
press thanks if this helped

snakkarike said:
keep the phone on a flat surface and rotate ur head it should work
press thanks if this helped
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i wish it was that simple. Just doesnt work.

What are you trying to do?
Smart rotate is just for 90 degrees. Imho, it is for people lying down.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Premium HD app

Smart rotate doesn't check if your head rotated or not at random times, it only checks your heads/eyes position when the phone is rotated 90° (in other words, whenever the phone is supposed to rotate, it does an extra check before doing so)
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app

Doesn't these face detection gimmicks like smart rotate and smart stay use gobs of battery power since the front camera is active e?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

could be that your face is too ugly or disfigured for the feature to recognize it. sorry

iwin2000 said:
could be that your face is too ugly or disfigured for the feature to recognize it. sorry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LMAO hahahahaha. I shouldnt be laughing cause were not suppose to flame each other but I burst out laughing when I read this.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

Viper2005 said:
Doesn't these face detection gimmicks like smart rotate and smart stay use gobs of battery power since the front camera is active e?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It only checks every now and then.
In fact, I bet it only checks when the phone is rotated.
Regardless, the amount of power used by a quick camera check is minimal compared to the power needed to light the screen.
- Frank

Can confirm on mine, that this is to stop the screen rotating when you yourself rotate with the phone, for example when lying down.
It would seem it only checks when the screen attempts to rotate (you see an eye icon in the notification bar briefly). I do believe that this actually causes a slight delay when you do want to rotate the screen as it will need to do the check first.

i believe it needs to have a good clean shot of your face in portrait mode first, then it can detect your 2 eyes turning to landscape and thus do a rotate.
I need this feature when in bed at night (for reading mostly) but it doesnt work in the dark so its totally useless for me.
Samsung should have put in a small low power Infrared LED (which is a light source cameras can see but humans only see a dim red light) - this would have made the feature work in all situations or at least work in most situations.

sonhy said:
i believe it needs to have a good clean shot of your face in portrait mode first, then it can detect your 2 eyes turning to landscape and thus do a rotate.
I need this feature when in bed at night (for reading mostly) but it doesnt work in the dark so its totally useless for me.
Samsung should have put in a small low power Infrared LED (which is a light source cameras can see but humans only see a dim red light) - this would have made the feature work in all situations or at least work in most situations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check the phone in complete darkness .. there is a very feint red light emitted from the sensor area!

Mine would rotate normally whether I enabled or disabled the option. When I rotate the phone, the eye icon would appear on the notification bar. It takes about 1 to 3 seconds, and then it rotate no matter where I'm pointing the front camera to. It would even rotate in the dark.

apprentice said:
Check the phone in complete darkness .. there is a very feint red light emitted from the sensor area!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I've noticed that too.
Is it some kind of IR-light?

This feature is a hit and a miss.. really annoying when watching an youtube video.. even before enabling this feature samsung warned about lag or slow screen rotation... probably they might be working on this feature and might release an update fix soon...
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app

I9500 Palm motion Sensor problem

The sensor is responsible for the Palm Motion (screenshot capture with hand gesture in front of the sensor) and the "Mute/pause" by covering the sensor, doesn't work for me ... I guess it's sensor problem, but It could be also software problem...
Anyway I'm on S4 I9500 (what they call Octa core) I'm rooted (Cofface root) and my Android version is in attached image.
I'll be happy if you guys can check if it works in your device... just go to:
Settings> My device> motion and gestures, then turn on the "PALM MOTION" toggle...
And if you make a gesture above the screen from right to left or left to right and the device does not take a screenshot, you probably also have this problem ...
I'd be happy if you comment here and update us.
By the way - what is Samsung's secret dial-up codes to check the sensors?
Thank you!

By the way, I found some schematics for the I9500 and I see that the left sensor is a light sensor and not proximity/gesture sensor... but anyway, I've activated all Motion and gestures toggles, but Palm motion still doesn't work!
Quick glance does work perfectly and also other Gestures and auto brightness, so I don't understand why the palm motion doesn't work if it uses the same sensors?
http://www.boeboer.com/wp-content/u...9500-user-manual-keys-parts-device-layout.jpg
Any ideas?

Just so you know, I had a lot of trouble figuring out how to take a screenshot the "gesture" way and, unlike on the SGS3, it seems the side of your palm needs to be physically touching the screen as you swipe from left to right. At least it does for me!

Hi, 10x for your reply...
I tried all variations, but no luck... :\
And Palm mute/pause doesn't work too...

GadgetAvi said:
Hi, 10x for your reply...
I tried all variations, but no luck... :\
And Palm mute/pause doesn't work too...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Palm mute/pause doesn't work for me either. Hardly any of the gesture's work well enough to be useful

hhmmm... this is so weird... I tried it on my friend's S4 and everything works great!
I think this is a software problem, I think I'm gonna download the latest Firmware and flush it via odin and check it again on stock version! maybe something messed up when I rooted my phone, or my stock firmware is not the latest one? (chek my attached image) does your device runs the exact same firmware as mine dose?
10x.:good:

Update!:good:
Ok I think I found the problem, for those who have that same problem, relax, probably the hardware is fine, As I assumed, this is a software problem (specific Build I guess) I dialed #*#0* in the Dialer Aoo and it's launched the device sensors debugger... and there you guys can check if the sensors are fine!
I suggest to check these particular sensors:
1. light sensor
2. proximity sensor
3. gesture sensor > Direction
and there you can verify if it's a software issue or hardware issue...
hope this helps somebody.
cheers!

GadgetAvi said:
Update!:good:
Ok I think I found the problem, for those who have that same problem, relax, probably the hardware is fine, As I assumed, this is a software problem (specific Build I guess) I dialed #*#0* in the Dialer Aoo and it's launched the device sensors debugger... and there you guys can check if the sensors are fine!
I suggest to check these particular sensors:
1. light sensor
2. proximity sensor
3. gesture sensor > Direction
and there you can verify if it's a software issue or hardware issue...
hope this helps somebody.
cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That number doesn't work for me

Ooops...
My mistake, the right number is: *#0*# (star hashtag 0 star hashtag )
good luck !

Your hand has to physically touch the screen. Then both screen shot and mute work
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app

AIR
Meltus is right. Your palm needs to cover the screen physically in order to work. As for the screen shot, the palm needs to physically swipe the screen
GadgetAvi said:
Hi, 10x for your reply...
I tried all variations, but no luck... :\
And Palm mute/pause doesn't work too...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Screen locks immediately during calls - proximity sensor not working?

I have two SGS4's. On one, when I place a call, the call screen stays on and it turns off when I raise it to my ear. It then turns on when I pull it away.
On the other, as soon as I place I call the screen goes dark. The only way to get it back is to push the power button and unlock the phone.
The "Turn screen off during a call" setting is set on both phones.
Anyone have any idea what is causing this? Next step is to do a wipe, but that just sucks.
I'm on stock and not rooted.
Thanks!

Sadly I have the same issue on mine but not my wifes.... hope somebody knows something or maybe the rumored update thats going to be coming out will have a fix?? I dunno...

jprocket45 said:
Sadly I have the same issue on mine but not my wifes.... hope somebody knows something or maybe the rumored update thats going to be coming out will have a fix?? I dunno...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried doing a reset yet? I'm hesitant since it's a pain to restore everything the way I like it. Definitely a weekend task.

Sirchuk said:
Have you tried doing a reset yet? I'm hesitant since it's a pain to restore everything the way I like it. Definitely a weekend task.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have done a reset it solved it a little I guess but still having issues once in a great while all works well id blame it on the otterbox case but my wife has one so dunno if that could be the issue you have a case on urs never really played with the phone outside of the case lol
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

jprocket45 said:
I have done a reset it solved it a little I guess but still having issues once in a great while all works well id blame it on the otterbox case but my wife has one so dunno if that could be the issue you have a case on urs never really played with the phone outside of the case lol
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, mine is naked for now. I'll have to do a reset today/tomorrow and see if that solves my issue. If not, I'm taking back to the store for an exchange. It's only been a couple of weeks.

To late for me to take it back but suppose to be a update coming soon that does alot of fixes so we will see Good luck like I said reset I did notice fixed it a bit let me know how it goes I'm threw sprint just curious if you have them only reason I ask if it's just a carrier issue with software or something I doubt it but just figured to see who you had lol
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

Dial *#7353# and make a test
sent from my Galaxy

samersh72 said:
Dial *#7353# and make a test
sent from my Galaxy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I was looking for!
Sure enough,the proximity sensor was always on and wouldn't go off.
I'm with T-Mobile and they have a 30 return/exchange policy if you buy it outright, which I had, so it only took about 10 minutes for them to exchange it!
Thanks for the testing code! XDA comes through once again!

Same problem when I'm making a call, the screen goes blank when I put it to my head and when I remove it nothing happens.
I tried *#7353# and the proximity sensor goes of but will not stop..
I'm currently rooted, could it solve the problem to go back to stock?

Possible Fix
jprocket45 said:
Sadly I have the same issue on mine but not my wifes.... hope somebody knows something or maybe the rumored update thats going to be coming out will have a fix?? I dunno...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had the same problem over the last 3 weeks and decided to take a gamble. I tightened up all the screws on the device and squeezed real hard on the area where the prox sensor is and poof... it works. I have no idea what was up but I feel like the sensor is loose and the pressure resolved the issue. Many other post have talked about cleaning the area over the prox real good and it works but I think its the pressure that is actually fixing the issue. Anyone else have any ideas? Sorry if this was posted incorrectly, I have never posted before but I felt this issue is a PITA.

I have i9500. Unrooted with latest OTA update installed (Build XXUBMG1).
I've been having the same problem with proximity sensor. When proximity sensor is enabled during phone calls (both regular calls and Viber calls), the screen is disabled. Also, my screen sometimes remains on during the call until I place it to my ear and sometimes it turns off immediately during the call. It wasn't always like this, but I can't remember when it started happening, but I suspect it was since the last OTA update.
I've searched around online and have noticed several comments.
Apparently this is an issue with several Galaxy models over the years (sorry, I lost the reference) and this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2208440&page=2 mentions Galaxy Note 2 and SGS3 having the issue where there is something wrong with the threshold setting in the calibration settings. Mine appears to have the same issue where it always reads 0cm (i.e. always covered). However this thread also suggests a fix to input some code to adjust the calibration if your phone is rooted.
One suggestion is there is a misalignment of the sensor and so it might be partially covered by the phone's front fascia, causing the sensor to always read as covered or "1" or 0cm. But looking carefully at mine, it looks centred dead-on.
This thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2417401 indicates that the sensor is always on as can be seen through a digital camera LCD (but not with your naked eye). I've tried this with my DSLR and confirmed this also happens with mine, even when the option is set to turn it off during calls, and also even when air gesture (which uses the prox sensor) is turned off. Not sure if this affects the problem or not though.
Can't remember where I read this, but someone mentioned that when shining a bright light over the phone, it works. So I downloaded two sensor apps from Google Play: Android Sensor Box, and Proximity Sensor Finder. And also used the inbuilt *#7353* feature. All three report that my proximity sensor is always reading that something is constantly covering it..... EXCEPT when a bright light (the sun works) is shining on the light sensor - not the proximity sensor. I tested this by using a torch on both sensors. When blocking light from the light sensor, the problem persists, but not when I allow the light to shine on the sensor. So it appears that they both act in unison.
Similar issue with air gestures, which used to work when my phone was new, even in relatively ambient light (but obviously not in a dark room), but now doesn't under similar conditions, and again... EXCEPT when a bright light is shining on the light sensor, or when I'm out in the sun.
Anyway, I'm not willing to root my phone at this point, just to try the fix suggested in http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2208440&page=2 (my phone was bought overseas and returning it wouldn't be convenient for me). And since this wasn't always a problem with my phone, I suspect it is a software problem related to one of the recent OTA updates.
Edit: After further testing, it seems that air gestures use the front camera as well as the light and proximity sensors.

My proximity sensor works - when I go into diagnostic, it goes green when I bring a hand near the sensor - my issue is that it doesn't seem to notice when I remove my hand and there no longer is anything proximal - until I hit the back button to exit the test. Other than blowing out the earphone jack, does anyone have a suggestion?
Thx.
divche said:
I have i9500. Unrooted with latest OTA update installed (Build XXUBMG1).
I've been having the same problem with proximity sensor. When proximity sensor is enabled during phone calls (both regular calls and Viber calls), the screen is disabled. Also, my screen sometimes remains on during the call until I place it to my ear and sometimes it turns off immediately during the call. It wasn't always like this, but I can't remember when it started happening, but I suspect it was since the last OTA update.
I've searched around online and have noticed several comments.
Apparently this is an issue with several Galaxy models over the years (sorry, I lost the reference) and this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2208440&page=2 mentions Galaxy Note 2 and SGS3 having the issue where there is something wrong with the threshold setting in the calibration settings. Mine appears to have the same issue where it always reads 0cm (i.e. always covered). However this thread also suggests a fix to input some code to adjust the calibration if your phone is rooted.
One suggestion is there is a misalignment of the sensor and so it might be partially covered by the phone's front fascia, causing the sensor to always read as covered or "1" or 0cm. But looking carefully at mine, it looks centred dead-on.
This thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2417401 indicates that the sensor is always on as can be seen through a digital camera LCD (but not with your naked eye). I've tried this with my DSLR and confirmed this also happens with mine, even when the option is set to turn it off during calls, and also even when air gesture (which uses the prox sensor) is turned off. Not sure if this affects the problem or not though.
Can't remember where I read this, but someone mentioned that when shining a bright light over the phone, it works. So I downloaded two sensor apps from Google Play: Android Sensor Box, and Proximity Sensor Finder. And also used the inbuilt *#7353* feature. All three report that my proximity sensor is always reading that something is constantly covering it..... EXCEPT when a bright light (the sun works) is shining on the light sensor - not the proximity sensor. I tested this by using a torch on both sensors. When blocking light from the light sensor, the problem persists, but not when I allow the light to shine on the sensor. So it appears that they both act in unison.
Similar issue with air gestures, which used to work when my phone was new, even in relatively ambient light (but obviously not in a dark room), but now doesn't under similar conditions, and again... EXCEPT when a bright light is shining on the light sensor, or when I'm out in the sun.
Anyway, I'm not willing to root my phone at this point, just to try the fix suggested in http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2208440&page=2 (my phone was bought overseas and returning it wouldn't be convenient for me). And since this wasn't always a problem with my phone, I suspect it is a software problem related to one of the recent OTA updates.
Edit: After further testing, it seems that air gestures use the front camera as well as the light and proximity sensors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Proximity sensor
I had problem with proximity sensor in my galaxy s3 mini but my rear camera had error and fc also.I tried everything and nothing work.Finaly I open device and disconect camera and connect it again and camera started to work.But for my suprise proximity sensor now works perfect and I did not touch it.I can't explain what happend but I am happy.

I guess what it comes down to is.....for some you can reset the sensor, for some they can blow it out with compressed air, but others actually have to take apart their phone to fix this issue.
marduj5 said:
I had problem with proximity sensor in my galaxy s3 mini but my rear camera had error and fc also.I tried everything and nothing work.Finaly I open device and disconect camera and connect it again and camera started to work.But for my suprise proximity sensor now works perfect and I did not touch it.I can't explain what happend but I am happy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

hi
i have the same problem. any solution guys ?
( BTW - im on NB3 INS firmware )

I think I summarized the available solutions just before your post. There is no single thing which always works, you'll need to go through and see which fixes yours. This happens primarily because of hardware, with the sensor getting dirty - so it comes down to how invasive the procedure to clean it.
Shohat said:
i have the same problem. any solution guys ?
( BTW - im on NB3 INS firmware )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Hubris2 said:
I think I summarized the available solutions just before your post. There is no single thing which always works, you'll need to go through and see which fixes yours. This happens primarily because of hardware, with the sensor getting dirty - so it comes down to how invasive the procedure to clean it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm sorry. i already tried your first solution and it worked like charm ! thank you ! :good:

HOw to solve, none of this works. How cann i clean proximity?

Gesture to wake up gone :(

It is sad to see that gesture to wake up from theS9 was replaced in the S10 by Lift to wake, which is actually kinda useless, well we have double tap to wake, but gesture to wake was way more badass, you felt like a jedi waking up the screen of your phone.

I used to have it enabled too. I guess it's true there is no real proximity sensor anymore ?

latino147 said:
I used to have it enabled too. I guess it's true there is no real proximity sensor anymore ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Furthermore the option to just call a contact by putting the phone against your ear is now gone too.... I hate when Samsung remove features from their flagships.... How hard is it for them to just use a normal proximity sensor inside or next to the speaker? Major disappointment.