iPhone 5s proximity sensor stopped working

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Level 1

42 points

iPhone 5s proximity sensor stopped working

My iphone 5s is working normally except:

When I am on a phone call, the proximity sensor does not darken the screen. This results in my cheek hitting dial pad numbers, cutting off calls, etc.

I went through a full Restore in itunes to factory settings, and then restored the phone from a backup. This made no difference.

There is no screen protector blocking the sensor hole. The phone is mint clean, no scratches, etc. I am not aware of it being dropped any time recently. Itunes and iOS are up to date. The phone is not under warranty.

Any suggestions? Is there any point in trying a Restore again?

iPhone 5s, iOS 8.4.1

Posted on Jun 5, 2016 5:18 PM

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Answer 1

Jun 5, 2016 5:50 PM in response to Randysea

Take it to Apple for evaluation. An out-of-warranty replacement is about half the cost of a new phone.

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Answer 2

Randysea Author

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Jun 5, 2016 6:02 PM in response to Randysea

One more thing to add to my description of the problem: The front facing camera is working fine. I believe it is a unit and shares a cable with the proximity sensor. This eliminates the possible cause being a dislodged cable.

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Answer 3

Jun 5, 2016 6:03 PM in response to Randysea

If the proximity sensor has gone bad, no amount of restoring will fix it.

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Answer 4

Randysea Author

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42 points

Jun 5, 2016 6:09 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

How does one tell if the proximity sensor had "gone bad"? Is this a common problem?

Thanks.

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Answer 5

Jun 5, 2016 6:13 PM in response to Randysea

Randysea wrote:

How does one tell if the proximity sensor had "gone bad"? Is this a common problem?

When the screen doesn't go dark when you're on a call and you've tried all the software troubleshooting and there's nothing covering the sensor, it's a good guess. However, you'd need to take it to Apple to confirm. And, no, t's not common.

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Answer 6

Randysea Author

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42 points

Jun 5, 2016 6:19 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Ok, makes sense. Thank you.

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Answer 7

Jun 6, 2016 2:53 AM in response to Randysea

Randysea wrote:

How does one tell if the proximity sensor had "gone bad"? Is this a common problem?

Thanks.

The most common problem with the proximity sensor is a screen protector or case that is blocking it. Which isn't really a problem with the sensor itself.

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