Ambient display not working

[Wolfpack_Lamb]

Has anyone else had the ambient display just stop working completely? I have it turned on but it doesn't work at all. It stopped working at some point over the weekend and I can't figure out why. I tried restarting the phone in safe mode and seeing if it worked there and no luck. Any ideas short of a factory reset or call to Google support?

 

[RTD212]

Try turning the setting off then on again

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[N4Newbie]

So, what do you mean by not working?

Do you mean you pick up the phone and the ambient display doesn't come on?

Or, someone sends you a text or email and the ambient display doesn't briefly turn on while the phone is just sitting there on your desk?

If the latter, check your Notifications settings.

 

[N4Newbie]

So, what do you mean by not working?

Do you mean you pick up the phone and the ambient display doesn't come on?

Or, someone sends you a text or email and the ambient display doesn't briefly turn on while the phone is just sitting there on your desk?

If the latter, check your Notifications settings.

 

[Wolfpack_Lamb]

So, what do you mean by not working?

Do you mean you pick up the phone and the ambient display doesn't come on?

Or, someone sends you a text or email and the ambient display doesn't briefly turn on while the phone is just sitting there on your desk?

If the latter, check your Notifications settings.

It doesn't come on when I pick up the phone or even come up briefly when I receive a text or email. I have checked notification settings and don't see anything that stands out but maybe I am missing something. It used to work and I don't think I have changed any settings.

 

[ajkam]

It doesn't come on when I pick up the phone or even come up briefly when I receive a text or email. I have checked notification settings and don't see anything that stands out but maybe I am missing something. It used to work and I don't think I have changed any settings.

Are you using a screen protector? An incorrectly designed screen protector that covers the proximity sensor under the top speaker will cause Ambient Display to malfunction.

 

[Wolfpack_Lamb]

Are you using a screen protector? An incorrectly designed screen protector that covers the proximity sensor under the top speaker will cause Ambient Display to malfunction.

I hadn't considered that. I did just get a screen protector this weekend so that very likely could be it. Would that cause the ambient display to not work even when receiving a message? It is one of those glass ones so it wasn't cheap. I hate to waste it but might have to. Any idea of a glass screen protector that doesn't cover that sensor.

 

[ajkam]

I hadn't considered that. I did just get a screen protector this weekend so that very likely could be it. Would that cause the ambient display to not work even when receiving a message? It is one of those glass ones so it wasn't cheap. I hate to waste it but might have to. Any idea of a glass screen protector that doesn't cover that sensor.

The screen protector needs to have a small notch cut out of the lower right of the top speaker cutout... Kind of like the L-shaped Tetris piece...or just an L, I guess.

When I was using a screen protector that did not have the cutout, Ambient Display did not work at all - not for incoming messages or when I picked up the phone.

Here's the one I'm using now after returning the first tempered glass screen protector I bought:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014UNPYE...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU4836768

Ambient Display works as advertised with this screen protector (but still falls short of what you get with Moto Display on the Moto X, but that has more to do with implementation and possibly hardware).

Another symptom of an obstructed proximity sensor is that the screen will not turn back on while in a call, no matter what you do.

 

[Wolfpack_Lamb]

Thanks for the help. After reading more I am convinced that is what it is. I've contacted the manufacturer of thd screen protector and they are refunding me my money. I just ordered a different brand off amazon with the proper cut outs. I would have never thought it was the screen protector until you mentioned it. So glad it isn't that my phone is broken.

 

[N4Newbie]

Screen protectors, like the LightFlow app, often cause all sorts of problems and rarely serve any useful purpose.

I haven't used a screen protector of any sort on any device since leaving behind my Palm PDAs and have never suffered a scratched or otherwise damaged screen.

 

[da1gr8romeo]

I posted a video tonight of my fix for this issue for the pixel, not sure if it works for the 6p though. It's basically changing the automatic lock timeout. Here's the link to the short video.

https://youtu.be/qIr8_vAEz3E