Screen turns on during phone calls

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Level 1

9 points

Screen turns on during phone calls

During phone phone calls the display will come on if a text message, email or alert comes in. This causes unintended muting and cheek dialing, which is not only annoying and frustrating, it's just incredibly bad software behavior. Sometimes, the display won't turn off after taking the phone away from the ear, then bringing to back to continue the call.

I brought the phone into numerous Apple stores and had meetings with a variety of geniuses, all of who say the device should not operate this way. I've been consistently told that that once the screen is off during a call it should stay that way until the device is raised away from the head. I've taken videos of what happens, which leads the techs to believe there's an issue with the proximity sensor, but even replacing the entire touchscreen panel hasn't fixed the problem.

I just switched carries and got new a new device, but the problem is still happening so I know it's not just a bad device. This is definitely an iOS issue and seriously makes no sense at all.

Anyone have any remedies as to fix this issue????

Posted on Feb 28, 2015 7:05 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 28, 2015 10:38 AM in response to Puckology

that's what it does. it has to do that to alert you.

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Answer 2

Puckology Author

Level 1

9 points

Feb 28, 2015 11:33 AM in response to jackmarcus435

While you're in a call and the phone is pressed up to your ear? No, that's not what supposed to happen. And besides, the alert doesn't even show up on the screen when it happens, if it's supposed to.

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Answer 3

Feb 28, 2015 11:47 AM in response to Puckology

It's not an iOS issue. The iOS, when working properly, will allow the proximity sensor to detect when you're holding the phone that way and make the touch screen inoperative temporarily.

Is the device in a case? Does it do this when restored as new?

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Answer 4

Puckology Author

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Feb 28, 2015 2:50 PM in response to TJBUSMC1973

As stated above, I've had this issue on 2 different iPhone 6's (one on AT&T and the other on Verizon). I also had this on an iPhone 6+ on AT&T.

None of these have been in cases and nothing interferes with the proximity sensor. When I'm in a call with the phone to my ear, the display is off until a notification or email arrives, which then turns it on. I am careful to make sure that the device hasn't moved away from my head and in many instances it's pressed pretty hard to my ear. Sometimes, I will take it away from my ear, then bring it back, which will activate the sensor and the display will turn off. There are other times when doing this does not result in the display turning off. Again, multiple devices all with the same results. And again, I've had the entire panel and sensor replaced on one of the devices, which did not do anything to correct the issue.

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Answer 5

Mar 1, 2015 5:08 AM in response to Puckology

And yet, none of my devices operate that way, and they're running the same operating system.

It is either a hardware or setting issue. It is not an iOS issue. Your version of the iOS is no different than anyone else's. However, your hardware and/or settings may be.

If it was an iOS issue, then it would be happening to many, many more people. And it is not.

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Answer 6

Puckology Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 1, 2015 5:26 AM in response to TJBUSMC1973

I do know others that have this issue as well, so it's definitely not isolated to me. I've also tried setting up the devices from scratch since I thought maybe it had to do with a setting from a previous backup, but that hasn't changed anything.

So your screen never turns on when you're in a call and it's pressed up to your ear? That never happens?

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Answer 7

Mar 1, 2015 6:07 AM in response to Puckology

Puckology wrote:

I do know others that have this issue as well, so it's definitely not isolated to me. I've also tried setting up the devices from scratch since I thought maybe it had to do with a setting from a previous backup, but that hasn't changed anything.

So your screen never turns on when you're in a call and it's pressed up to your ear? That never happens?

I never said it was isolated to you. What I said is that the iOS is not the root cause.

And if you had set up a device as new and tested it, then there wouldn't be any notifications at all.

I have only had a proximity sensor fail once on a single unit out of all my units (personal and the ones I manage). That was the only occurrence of this issue/symptom, and it was resolved by getting the device replaced.

And for reference, that was 1 out of 335 units.

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Answer 8

Puckology Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 1, 2015 7:28 AM in response to TJBUSMC1973

It definitely has something to do with the way alerts are being handled. I don't think it's the proximity sensor since, but why it consistently happens to some and not others is certainly perplexing.

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