Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Jacoblee23

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 10, 2011
1,474
717
This is happening with my iphone 5, and also happened with my 4s. I wil be on the phone and all of a sudden I have hit my contacts or something else. It even sent a facetime request to someone in my contacts while I was on the phone. How do I prevent this from happening?
 

Redsew

macrumors newbie
Nov 3, 2012
12
0
Something's wrong with your face...
Naw, just messing.... But seems to be something wrong with your screen or the light detecting unit on your phone. When the phone sees no light then the screen automatically shuts off on a phone call, and when you put the phone away from your ear it detects light and will then turn the screen back on. You should first make sure if its the way you angle your phone, if you notice that there is no way that light is going to the phone, call apple support and they may fix it or swap it out with another phone. This is of course if you haven't dropped your phone or anything.
 

numberforty1

macrumors 6502
Oct 6, 2012
402
0
Canada
Proximity sensor is doing fine and well, just asked him.


Any useful suggestions?

My proximity sensor completely stayed on one time. My screen stayed completely black, and I couldn't even end the call!

What worked for me?

I did a hard restart on the phone, charged it back up to 100% and after that it's been fine since.
 

SnowDX

macrumors 6502
Jun 30, 2010
388
37
The Great White North
This used to happen to us all the time on our iPhone 4's if we were connected to Bluetooth. I'd be connected to Bluetooth in the vehicle, I'd get a call and answer on my phone (as the passenger, no access to the handsfree buttons which are on the steering wheel for the driver) and during the call my face would be muting the call, flipping to speakerphone and trying to FaceTime.

I was hoping this was resolved with the 5 but I haven't had opportunity to test it yet.
 

Eldiablojoe

macrumors 6502a
Dec 4, 2009
952
70
West Koast
This used to happen to us all the time on our iPhone 4's if we were connected to Bluetooth. I'd be connected to Bluetooth in the vehicle, I'd get a call and answer on my phone (as the passenger, no access to the handsfree buttons which are on the steering wheel for the driver) and during the call my face would be muting the call, flipping to speakerphone and trying to FaceTime.

I was hoping this was resolved with the 5 but I haven't had opportunity to test it yet.

Even without bluetooth enabled on my iPhone4, my proximity sensor wouldn't disable the call functions and my cheek was constantly hitting the mute button during calls. ****** frustrating (I know, First World Problems lol).
 

soldierblue

macrumors 6502
Mar 23, 2009
324
5
I had an iPhone 4 with that issue. It was a proximity sensor problem, took a warranty swap to correct.
 

yinz

macrumors 6502a
Apr 12, 2012
641
5
I don't understand this problem at all.

Why don't you people learn to hold the phone properly?

The screen doesn't have to be touching your face for the other side to hear you.
 

thatoneguy82

macrumors 68000
Jul 23, 2008
1,895
2
Beach Cities, CA
Do you not hold your phone closely to your face? Or do you lift the ear piece right above your ear so it's not right against it? If so, then you're really not holding it correctly. If you really HAVE to hold it like this. Press the home button after you make/receive a call, at least this way you can reduce the chances of doing something that may mess up the call.

----------

I don't understand this problem at all.

Why don't you people learn to hold the phone properly?

The screen doesn't have to be touching your face for the other side to hear you.


Screen? Yes, doesn't have to be.

Ear piece? It needs to be against your ear to turn off the screen.
 

yinz

macrumors 6502a
Apr 12, 2012
641
5
Do you not hold your phone closely to your face? Or do you lift the ear piece right above your ear so it's not right against it? If so, then you're really not holding it correctly. If you really HAVE to hold it like this. Press the home button after you make/receive a call, at least this way you can reduce the chances of doing something that may mess up the call.

----------




Screen? Yes, doesn't have to be.

Ear piece? It needs to be against your ear to turn off the screen.

Put the speaker up to your ear. Keep the microphone and screen away from your face. Technique... perfected. Seriously, I have not had any problems with talking on the phone. I just don't understand how people can accidentally press buttons while talking on their phones.

If you find that your iPhone's screen is oily after you talked on it, then you are doing it wrong.
 

Givmeabrek

macrumors 68040
Apr 20, 2009
3,464
1,161
NY
Like everyone says, check the proximity sensor. Make sure it is not covered by a case. Some screen protectors can cause a problem.

A lot of misleading info here. The ambient light theory from above would never work otherwise the phone wouldn't work in the dark or if the screen was off.

There is an infrared transmitter and receiver built into the sensor. When your face/ear is near the sensor the light reflects back into the receiver. When this infrared reflection is detected the display is disabled preventing your face from causing problems.
 

thatoneguy82

macrumors 68000
Jul 23, 2008
1,895
2
Beach Cities, CA
Put the speaker up to your ear. Keep the microphone and screen away from your face. Technique... perfected. Seriously, I have not had any problems with talking on the phone. I just don't understand how people can accidentally press buttons while talking on their phones.

If you find that your iPhone's screen is oily after you talked on it, then you are doing it wrong.

The screen being oily part hardly matters. Once the screen turns off, you can push the screen against your face. At times, this happens to me. All that matters is the proximity sensor by the speaker is against your ear to allow the screen to turn off.

----------

there is an infrared transmitter and receiver built into the sensor. When your face/ear is near the sensor the light reflects back into the receiver. When this infrared reflection is detected the display is disabled preventing your face from causing problems.

+1
 

yinz

macrumors 6502a
Apr 12, 2012
641
5
The screen being oily part hardly matters. Once the screen turns off, you can push the screen against your face. At times, this happens to me. All that matters is the proximity sensor by the speaker is against your ear to allow the screen to turn off.

----------



+1

The oily screen is an indication and not the cause. You are not misinterpreting me.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.