Annoyance - Screen turning off during call.

[mgillespie]

My main gripe, is that the display turns off during a call. My instinct has already been to push the On/Off button to turn the display back on, but this also hangs up the call. GRRRR...



I also find it VERY cumbersome that by default the numeric keypad is not there, a ALOT of calls are "push 1... push 2.... " type automated calls...

Am I missing something obvious?

 

[wuthton]

Press the menu key to turn the screen on, then press the keyboard button located bottom left.

 

[lekky]

Press the menu key to turn the screen on, then press the keyboard button located bottom left.

or home, either works I think

 

[philc387]

download shake awake from the market. it works by sensing the movement of your phone so that when you pull it away from your ear to look at the screen it unlocks and turns the screen back on, it works really well. just make sure you don't kill it if you have a task killer. for ages after i got the phone a kept hanging up on people as i also instinctively pushed the end button to wake the phone up. hope this helps

 

[andy d]

Their is a free app called shake awake that keeps your screen display on during a call.

 

[mgillespie]

Many thanks. Shake Awake seems perfect for the problem.

It's a shame the OS does not cater for this thou, as I see it as a MAJOR usability issue..

 

[bomber12]

Hi Mgillespie

Try an app called Screebl Lite. It's free, and personally I prefer it to the apps suggested above.

 

[lekky]

They catered for it using the menu, home buttons!

 

[Kayshart]

Many thanks. Shake Awake seems perfect for the problem.

It's a shame the OS does not cater for this thou, as I see it as a MAJOR usability issue..

Its not a usability issue... its designed with the thought in mind that when you have the phone at your ear, you won't be able to see the screen and you won't need to see it, so the proximity sensor shuts the display off to save battery. Its an essential function IMO.

 

[mgillespie]

Its not a usability issue... its designed with the thought in mind that when you have the phone at your ear, you won't be able to see the screen and you won't need to see it, so the proximity sensor shuts the display off to save battery. Its an essential function IMO.

That's all well and good but the screnn stays off when you move it away from your ear during a call. Very annoying, but the clear benefit of Android is that the Api allows low level stuff and apps can do things to change things like this, I don't think the iturd allows this

 

[westkc3]

Its not a usability issue... its designed with the thought in mind that when you have the phone at your ear, you won't be able to see the screen and you won't need to see it, so the proximity sensor shuts the display off to save battery. Its an essential function IMO.

Not to mention the screen being off prevents you from accidently clicking on something. I've found that when I trun the screen on while on a call. I can accidently click a digit with my ear which causes problems when trying to access bank accounts and such.

 

[SirGaz]

Its not a usability issue... its designed with the thought in mind that when you have the phone at your ear, you won't be able to see the screen and you won't need to see it, so the proximity sensor shuts the display off to save battery. Its an essential function IMO.

Actually that's rubbish as there is no proximity sensor on the hero.
The screen simply times out and switches off to save battery.

 

[wuthton]

Actually that's rubbish as there is no proximity sensor on the hero.
The screen simply times out and switches off to save battery.

The same sensor that controls the automatic screen brightness can be used as a proximity sensor.

 

[JimR123]

The same sensor that controls the automatic screen brightness can be used as a proximity sensor.

Not so sure about that. Otherwise the phone wouldn't work in the dark, would it?

The iPhone 3G onwards has a "proximity sensor" (their wording), and it also has a brightness sensor. I wouldn't have thought they'd include both if one could do the business on its own.

 

[JimR123]

I think the purpose of turning the screen off is so that you don't accidentally press something on it with your ear.

I know somebody with another touch-screen phone (not Android or iPhone) who constantly does random things with his phone when he's trying to talk to somebody over it.

 

[lopezpm]

So the hero doesn't have a proximity sensor, it just times out?

 

[bluenova]

So the hero doesn't have a proximity sensor, it just times out?

That's correct but there are 3rd party apps (such as Proximity Sensor) that can make use of the brightness sensor to turn the screen on/off as you move it towards and away from your ear, but that obviously doesn't work in low light conditions.

 

[lopezpm]

Thanks for the reply. I'm new here and it's all a bit overwhelming. Trying to learn about the ROMs and different thing you can do to the phone. I went from WM, to iPhone, to WebOS, and now here at Android. I can't wait to get the Hero. I actually expected to get attacked for asking such a basic question. I looked around the site a bit and have learned that you guys are more helpful and just have a better all around attitude then at the previous WebOS site I was at.

 

[bluenova]

Thanks for the reply. I'm new here and it's all a bit overwhelming. Trying to learn about the ROMs and different thing you can do to the phone. I went from WM, to iPhone, to WebOS, and now here at Android. I can't wait to get the Hero. I actually expected to get attacked for asking such a basic question. I looked around the site a bit and have learned that you guys are more helpful and just have a better all around attitude then at the previous WebOS site I was at.

Don't expect to be attacked here! All in all we are a friendly bunch . I'd say it's possibly due to the open source mentality.

 

[Spike760]

Please delete.

 

[AdKat]

Screebl Lite works brilliantly. Fixes one of my issues with android on the Captivate.