Screen turned off (goes black) during phone call and won't wake up

I also have this problem.

Symptoms:

1) iPhone 6 s (but I think I also had it with my 6). ATT is the provider.

2) Screen is black and unresponsive

3) Can still hear prompts and hold music

4) There is a particular problem getting the number 1 to work for prompts

Basically it only happens when I am

1) put on a hold line

2) going through a phone tree

3) leaving a voicemail

Solution:

Do a hard reset by holding down the the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons simultaneously for at least 10 seconds, until you see the Apple logo.

Real Solution:

Apple needs to figure out that this is a software problem and come up with a fix. Hey how about it Apple? You have a lot of smart people there. Are you up to the task?

I am having the same problem. Screen goes dark during a call and I cannot get it back. Phone has no glare or screen protector. Only way to get control of phone is to reset with power and home button. Help please.

Hi natgeoff,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities.

I can imagine it would be frustrating to have multiple devices with the same proximity issue, where the screen remains black while on a call. Take a look at the article linked below and try the suggestions provided, like testing the iPhone without a protective case.

iPhone: Hardware troubleshooting

After finishing a call the display remains black

1. If the iPhone is in a protective case, remove it from the case.
2. If there is a protective or antiglare film on the display, remove the film.
3. Clean the screen, especially around the receiver, with a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth.
4. Try turning iPhone off and then on again.

I hope this helps,

-Jason

Same problem here. No case, no screen protector. iPhone 6 laying on its back in speakerphone mode on my desk. After a few minutes talking, screen went dark. Couldn't get control of the phone back until a few minutes after the other person had hung up. I did notice the phone got quite hot. No other processes-just the speakerphone conversation at the time. 64GB, iOS 8.02

I have an Iphone 6 running the latest 8.1.3 and I've had this happen to me twice. I called Verizon and they reset the network on their end. Told them I'd wait and see if it happens again. If it does I want a replacement. Never had this happen before on any IOS device. Also opened a ticket with Apple but I need to reset everything as part of the troubleshooting and I just am not near a machine that maintains my Itunes so I put that on hold for now.

Has anyone gotten a better response from Apple on this or has anyone found anything published as to why this is happening.

Beginning to lose faith in Apple.

This began happening to me after I installed 8.3.

The first time I was on a call that required me to press a number to continue and not being able to - the message kept looping around telling me to choose an option for a half an hour until the phone finally disconnected. Suddenly about ten minutes later the screen came on and worked as if nothing happened. Meanwhile my minutes were eaten up.

Very frustrating!!!!

It has since gone black three more times.

I didn't know about the option to hold power and home button. I'll try that next time.

Removing the case seems like a cop out if you ask me. Just something to keep you busy until the screen decides to come back on.

Why are they not responding with a better answer to our complaints?????????????????

I'm also having this problem. It started happening a few months ago. It only happened once a month or so. But now it's happening more frequently. The good thing is that I don't make a lot of phone calls with it. But its' extremely annoying.

It seems to happen most when I reach an automatic recording and need to choose options with the keypad. When I take the phone away from my ear, the screen is blank. I can't touch anything, return to home screen, or EVEN RESTART the phone! I have to wait for the caller on the other end to hang up or just for the phone call to end before the home screen comes back.

This makes me hesitant to make calls on my phone, the minimum feature a phone should have. I'm looking for solutions, Apple Customer Support!

Folks

With 8.1.3 on a 16GB iPhone 6 a hard reboot with the power restored the phone for a black screen. Judging by the response from Apple and Verizon they don't know why this occurred or what to do to fix it.

The reset method from Apple is a just start over solution. This occurred on a support call where press 4 was the option. Removing the case and powering down got the phone back. I could then return the Spigen case. I didn't remove the tempered glass protection.

I will wait to see if this happens again before calling Apple Tech support.

I am having this same problem. Thankfully it isn't just me, BUT obviously Apple doesn't have a fix???

Phone: iPhone 6, 64g black

Doesn't matter if case is on or not, and mine doesn't only happen if I have to press a "number key" for support. Sometimes it just happens when I am only talking. Has happened both on a call with phone to ear, and on speaker with phone laying flat on desk.

ALSO: I've noticed if I'm on a speaker call, my phone will randomly go to contacts and start dialing other numbers - as if its on a voice command. Yet I haven't found any voice command option that is on. 😟

I am beginning to wonder why I switched back to Apple product.

Same problem for me. Not sure when it started but definitely has been around since upgrading to iOs 8. When the screen goes dark during a call or even when leaving a voicemail, there doesn't seem to be anyway to restore it. Hoping Apple does something about this.

Same issue for me - and clearly part of one of the recent updates. This was never the iPhone's behavior in the past. The biggest problem for me is taking conference calls and being on mute. If the screen goes black and I now need to suddenly take myself off mute to answer a question, etc., I have to first unlock the phone and turn off mute - which introduces a very awkward delay in my responsiveness.

I would highly encourage Apple to revert back to the previous behavior and leave the call screen on 100% of the time. If battery consumption is the issue, users can always plug in their phone for lengthy calls (where feasible) or manually black the screen to help conserve power.

Well this issue could be caused by a few different things. Basics from the manual are restart, reset, restore. If the issue is still happening after a restore you have to investigate hardware issues. Is there a case on the phone that could be blocking the proximity sensor? If so remove the case and see if the issue persists. If the issue is unrelated to any sort of a case it's time to repair/replace the phone. Either set up an Apple store appointment, call Apple Care at 1-800-692-2273 or go to expresslane.apple.com.

siegelsn,

This really isn't the same problem as noted in this thread - just wanted to be clear in that distinction. The original post describes the screen going blank as the new default operation of the iPhone. What you describe does appear to be an issue with your phone - and perhaps the tips from iCensored could help you.

I think most everyone agrees that the new default operation is NOT the preferred behavior as far as users are concerned, for all of the reasons cited above.

Thanks.

I received a call on my iphone 6 on whats app and after ending the call, it just turned black. I thought it will be automatically fixed in some minutes. After an hour or so I checked the phone but all in vain. Display was not only dimmed but the touch screen was not also working. I went to Apple Store in San li tun, Beijing to get it fixed but they refused to replaced or even repair by saying that

1. it seems a hardware issue and

2. the phone was purchased from Sydney Australia. So I should get it repaired from Australia.

This is disappointing as I do not know what to do now. Should i

A. courier it to Sydney or

B. is there any other way to claim the warranty.

Can anyone please guide?

I have this problem to. A normal call is going on and the screen suddenly goes black and I'm unable to get a response from the phone - neither the touch screeen or the buttons will respond. I'm not using a case or a screen guard. My phone is running ios 8.4, the most recent release.

Since so many others seem to have this problem, I suspect it's related to a failed hardware component, otherwise Apple would have a fix. It seems odd that no one from Apple has even responded to this problem except for the very lame response Jason gave. Jason's fix hasn't help a sole.

I'm a computer tech, thoroughly familiar with the inner workings of the device. My solution, loose my phone and file an insurance claim.