Help Should my proximity sensor be on when using google?

[Nikke10000]

So my proximity sensor turns on every time I do an google search and turns off after I click on a page. Should this be happening and if not how do I fix it? I'm using an Samsung galaxy s3.

 

[lunatic59]

I'm not sure I understand. The proximity sensor is what turns the screen off when you hold the phone close to your ear so you don't accidentally press a key while on a call. I didn't think there was any indication in was on except the screen going black.

 

[Nikke10000]

I'm not sure I understand. The proximity sensor is what turns the screen off when you hold the phone close to your ear so you don't accidentally press a key while on a call. I didn't think there was any indication in was on except the screen going black.

Isn't the red light next to the front camera an indication that the sensor is on

 

[lunatic59]

Okay I found a few references to make sure SmartStay is off (it tries to detect your eyes to keep the screen on as long as you are looking at it) and if you are a Viber user, turn it off.

Yeah, that appears to be an indicator that the proximity sensor is on.

 

[Nikke10000]

Okay I found a few references to make sure SmartStay is off (it tries to detect your eyes to keep the screen on as long as you are looking at it) and if you are a Viber user, turn it off.

Yeah, that appears to be an indicator that the proximity sensor is on.

I don't have SmartStay on and I've never used viber.

 

[svim]

The proximity sensor has no indicator light, its function is what lunatic59 stated -- it senses proximity

Isn't the red light next to the front camera an indication that the sensor is on

On my S3 the LED indicator is red only when I'm charging it. From what I recall steady red is charging, blinking red is if the battery is running low. I'm not even aware there was any indicator light change for the proximity sensor, just an eyeball icon that (very) sporadically shows up in the Notifications bar when Smart Stay is activating itself.

 

[Nikke10000]

The proximity sensor has no indicator light, its function is what lunatic59 stated -- it senses proximity

On my S3 the LED indicator is red only when I'm charging it. From what I recall steady red is charging, blinking red is if the battery is running low. I'm not even aware there was any indicator light change for the proximity sensor, just an eyeball icon that (very) sporadically shows up in the Notifications bar when Smart Stay is activating itself.

I didn't mean the LED on the left side of the phone I ment the small very dim light on the right side of the phone close to the front camera.

 

[lunatic59]

My wife has an S3 and I checked hers. Even when the proximity sensor is on, i don't see a light, so I'm not entirely sure what's going on with yours. Just for argument's sake, when you open a search and the light comes on, if you put your hand over the sensor, does the screen go blank?

 

[AZgl1500]

I have the S5 and Note 4, the only time I have seen a RED light is when it is on charge.
I don't recall seeing a light in any other position other than the standard location top left corner of the phone.

Now that the Proximity Sensor thought has been mentioned, I can't find any way to disable that thing, it irritates me that it turns the screen black when I don't want it to, or wakes it up when I don't want it to. I prefer to manually control the screen...

I have all Motion sensors turned OFF.

I just now did a Google Search but I can't tell if anything unusual changed on the phone, other than the wallpaper disappeared and Google's search turned the whole page white.

 

[svim]

Now that the Proximity Sensor thought has been mentioned, I can't find any way to disable that thing, it irritates me that it turns the screen black when I don't want it to, or wakes it up when I don't want it to. I prefer to manually control the screen...

Try taking a look at Settings >> My device >> Smart screen and uncheck the 'Smart stay' option.

 

[AZgl1500]

hmmmm, there is no "My Device" on my Verizon Note 4

I used the 'smart search' and when 'stay' was typed in, "Smart stay" showed up and it is unchecked already... and I noticed that it said "as long as" I am looking at the screen.

so, I went to Settings/Display and that is where it is on my phone, and I had unchecked it long ago it seems.

Settings/Display/Smart stay (Check Box available here)

 

[Nikke10000]

My wife has an S3 and I checked hers. Even when the proximity sensor is on, i don't see a light, so I'm not entirely sure what's going on with yours. Just for argument's sake, when you open a search and the light comes on, if you put your hand over the sensor, does the screen go blank?

No the screen doesn't go black.

 

[Nikke10000]

I have the S5 and Note 4, the only time I have seen a RED light is when it is on charge.
I don't recall seeing a light in any other position other than the standard location top left corner of the phone.

Now that the Proximity Sensor thought has been mentioned, I can't find any way to disable that thing, it irritates me that it turns the screen black when I don't want it to, or wakes it up when I don't want it to. I prefer to manually control the screen...

I have all Motion sensors turned OFF.

I just now did a Google Search but I can't tell if anything unusual changed on the phone, other than the wallpaper disappeared and Google's search turned the whole page white.

The camera didn't pick it up but the light should be there

 

[chanchan05]

Now that the Proximity Sensor thought has been mentioned, I can't find any way to disable that thing, it irritates me that it turns the screen black when I don't want it to, or wakes it up when I don't want it to. I prefer to manually control the screen...

The only time the screen should go black with the proximity sensor is during a call, and when you have keep screen off active and it's in a pocker or purse where there is something in close proximity ot the sensor. If it's going black in other instances than that, then it's not the sensor's fault.

Turning the sensor off will be more of an annoyance then not. The reason it's there is to prevent butt dials and your cheek inadvertently cancelling the call you are on because the screen is active when you place it on your face during a call.

 

[AZgl1500]

For me, it is not an annoyance, I toggle the power button to black the screen during a phone call anyway. The annoyance is when the damn thing lights up and then my fingers hit an icon I don't want.

I use BT almost exclusively on phone calls, and the screen does not go black unless I tell it to.

 

[girolez]

The sensor is on all the time. There is a VERY dim red light which is a by-product of the infra red emitter which is used by the sensor - most of them work by detecting reflected back InfraRed . The output from the sensor is only used when an app (eg dialer or smart stay) asks for it. I'm not aware of any way of deliberately disabling the sensor (probably is a way if rooted!)

 

[lunatic59]

Hmm. I did notice on the S3 in particular that there are two openings for the proximity sensor ... one for the emitter and one for the receiver. Is that unique to the S3? I haven't seen that on other phones, not that I've looked that closely.

 

[chanchan05]

Hmm. I did notice on the S3 in particular that there are two openings for the proximity sensor ... one for the emitter and one for the receiver. Is that unique to the S3? I haven't seen that on other phones, not that I've looked that closely.

The S7 Edge and my old Note 2 had 2 openings as well.

 

[girolez]

Note 4 has 2.. in fact all 5 devices I have in the house have 2

 

[AZgl1500]

Note 4 has 2.. in fact all 5 devices I have in the house have 2

I had to get a magnifying glass out to see, and you guys are right, there are two tiny openings buried deep down behind the glass.

as my Note 4 has Gorilla Glass on it, that obscured it even more.

I can use the old works everywhere, Bright Highbeam Headlight killer.
a piece of black electric tape. that will stop that thing from working.

My '74 Chevy Suburban had the Brightest Blue highbeam lamp you ever saw, it lit up the entire interior of the truck. I put black tape over that damn thing fast.

 

[lunatic59]

You put black tape on it, your screen will never wake up after a call. It's a problem with some screen protectors being too reflective.