Why does my screen turn black during phone calls on my galaxy s9?

[Android Central Question]

I'll be talking or trying to put in information while I'm using the phone but my screen turns black very quickly. How can I stop it from doing that on my Samsung Galaxy s9?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! You're probably triggering the proximity sensor, which causes the screen to turn off because it thinks you're putting your phone up against your ear. The proximity sensor is near the front-facing camera, so stay aware from that area when you're entering information into the phone while on a call.

 

[Rukbat]

If it's just black all the time, it's a bad proximity detector, but that's covered under the warranty. (Be sure to back up everything [see Backing up an Android Device) because most repair facilities wipe the phone as a first step. [Bad for you? Not really. It means that they can't "accidentally" get any of your data.])

 

[bbgpsuser]

It sounds like the same thing that happens on the Note 8. When using the phone as a speakerphone the display goes blank. You can bring the screen back to life by clicking the power button or pressing the home button area. I have not been able to find a setting to change that behavior.

 

[ssj100]

When I use speakerphone, my display goes blank after 30 seconds if I'm not using the phone for anything else - pretty sure this is standard for all Samsung phones? There doesn't seem to be any way to control this "time out". My actual "Screen timeout" is set at "After 2 minutes of inactivity".

 

[r511]

The app "Keep Screen On" fixes this issue 100% when using speakerphone.
It's in the Play Store.

 

[ssj100]

The app "Keep Screen On" fixes this issue 100% when using speakerphone.
It's in the Play Store.

Well, thanks for confirming that this is "normal" behaviour for the phone. I personally don't want to "fix" it hehe. It's a good behaviour, in my opinion, as it saves battery life.

 

[daniellepo]

Actually,it didn't work. I have a note 9 and the screen darkens seconds into the call while on speaker. I verified my settings and its still happens

 

[branmonkey79]

Actually,it didn't work. I have a note 9 and the screen darkens seconds into the call while on speaker. I verified my settings and its still happens

I just looked this up.

Go into your settings and search Smart Stay - turn it on. This will recognize your face and keep the screen on. Uhg, it still went off but not as fast.
This drives me crazy as I use this as a business phone.

 

[dercas79]

I just looked this up.

Go into your settings and search Smart Stay - turn it on. This will recognize your face and keep the screen on. Uhg, it still went off but not as fast.
This drives me crazy as I use this as a business phone.

Actually, that doesn't fix the problem with the screen turning off while in a call. I've just finished 40 minute a call with Samsung and we were unable to find a solution. I have an open ticket and will be giving them a call back tomorrow at an earlier time to be able to get assistance from their "specialist desk". I will try to update this post afterward.

 

[joann287]

What happened? My phone is still doing this.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! You're hopping onto a thread that was started a year ago, and there have been various potential issues discussed. It would help if you gave more details about your situation. Are you also using an S9? Have you already checked to see if the proximity sensor is blocked by anything, like a screen protector?

 

[waqqas31]

I'll be talking or trying to put in information while I'm using the phone but my screen turns black very quickly. How can I stop it from doing that on my Samsung Galaxy s9?

Mine turns all black in 2 scenarios:

1. When you hold it next to your face
2. When your display times out and the call is active.

I consider these part of normal behaviour.

 

[mustang7757]

Yeah ,I agree to it being normal like that

Mine turns all black in 2 scenarios:

1. When you hold it next to your face
2. When your display times out and the call is active.

I consider these part of normal behaviour.

 

[mustang7757]

https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=409154

I'll be talking or trying to put in information while I'm using the phone but my screen turns black very quickly. How can I stop it from doing that on my Samsung Galaxy s9?

 

[unwiredmedic]

Have the same issue on my Note 8. Isn't it amazing how it always goes dark right when you need to push a number on the keypad?

 

[ICSinUSA]

Mine turns all black in 2 scenarios:

1. When you hold it next to your face
2. When your display times out and the call is active.

I consider these part of normal behaviour.

Well, if the display timed out at it's assigned time, I would say it is normal behavior, but this is different on a number of levels.

1. The time-out time during a call on my S9+ is inconsistent but never more than 30 seconds after the call starts. Sometimes more like 10 seconds. My screen timeout time is set to 10 minutes.

2. if my screen times out any other time, I just have to touch my screen (if I'm near a trusted device) or swipe my screen and unlock it any other time. Touching and swiping don't work when I'm in a call and it times out. This is different because to get the screen back, I have to depress the power button. That would't be a big deal if it happened once, but every 10 seconds on a long call when you have to keep referring to other documents, emails, etc. is a pain in the neck.

On my phone, the proximity sensor works. The screen goes black when i put it to my ear, but then it comes back on just fine, all by itself when I look at the screen.

Also, I tried "Display Always On" mode, but that didn't fix the problem during a call and it cuts batter life in half.

This problem does seem solvable with an update.

BWD

 

[Dam384466]

Go to Settings-Battery-Power Saving Exclusions and scroll down to "Call Screen" and turn it on