Proximity sensor always active - screen turns off randomly?

[bitnick]

I first thought there was some problem with my Pinephone's screen or its driver since it turns off randomly, e.g. while web browsing. After a while I realised that this happens when I have my fingers close to the top front of the phone - i.e. this is caused by the proximity sensor.

Has anyone else noticed this? Shouldn't the proximity sensor only be active during a phone call?

[AmazingNutria]

I first thought there was some problem with my Pinephone's screen or its driver since it turns off randomly, e.g. while web browsing. After a while I realised that this happens when I have my fingers close to the top front of the phone - i.e. this is caused by the proximity sensor.

Has anyone else noticed this? Shouldn't the proximity sensor only be active during a phone call?

I haven't noticed this but ill keep my eye out for it for sure! Might be a good one to add to the daily tests Im doing



EDIT/
I do see the same issue. the proximity sensor is always on

[Boern]

I remember that we used the proximity sensor on the N900 as a button. Good times.

[bitnick]

This is a known issue in Phosh: https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/phosh/-/issues/273

Seems like the solution is to add a signal of some sort (dbus?) to let the calls app enable the sensor when it makes sense to do so.

[daniel]

I first thought there was some problem with my Pinephone's screen or its driver since it turns off randomly, e.g. while web browsing. After a while I realised that this happens when I have my fingers close to the top front of the phone - i.e. this is caused by the proximity sensor.

Has anyone else noticed this? Shouldn't the proximity sensor only be active during a phone call?

Sorry, I don't get how do you trigger this problem

I have been browsing and trying to get this effect, but it never turned it off.

Is this happening all the time? I cannot reproduce it.

thanks

[bitnick]

With the phone in portrait mode, if I have my fingers near the front top left area (left of the ear speaker, above the screen), the screen blanks. This is really not an issue in portrait mode, but in landscape mode my index finger often ends up there at rest. So it's quite annoying.

[daniel]

I see now, yes it is very annoying. The link @bitnik provided is 6 months old and it doesn't look anything is done. I don't think to turn the sensor off should be the option if this also blocks fading when is need it.

[ergo owl]

I have the same issue on pinephone CE with all the latest updates as of today. Anything hovering over the top left corner of the phone will activate the proximity sensor and dim the screen to black. The proximity censor should only be activated during an active phone call right?

[a-wai]

The proximity censor should only be activated during an active phone call right?

It *should* be that way yes, but for now phosh can't tell whether there's an active phone call or not.

[bitnick]

The proximity censor should only be activated during an active phone call right?

As the bug report says, the issue is a bit more complex than that. The sensor should be activated during a phone call, but not if using a headset or speaker phone. So only the call app knows when the sensor should be activated -> phosh needs to implement a signal of some sort which allows the call app to activate the sensor, and the call app needs to be made to send such a signal.

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For those of us not using the phone for phonecalls, the sensor can apparently be set to be always disabled: https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?...6#pid77266 (I haven't had time to try it myself.)

Edit: Seems to work. Note that this most likely also disabled the ambient light sensor.