There is now an app for this in the Market specifically for the HTC Hero. Uses the light sensor to lock and unlock the screen during a call. Proximity Sensor v1.0 Application for Android | Tools
Awesome find! Have you played with it much? How well does it work? I wonder how it works vs the auto screen disable which seems to occur after a couple minutes. Oh, and I hate the self adjustment backlight settings on the Hero (way too low indoors and jumps around) so I leave it disabled. Do you know if it has to be enabled, or will it work independent of that?
Great Find! I'm testing now. Wait, you guys don't use bakligt sensor? wy not, works great!! saes battery too!
I agree with you guys, love this app but wish auto brightness had a minimum set level. I emailed the developer to see if his app could bypass haaving to have auto brightness set to initiate the light sensor. Hope it is possible.
now how well does this work if you're on a call while it's pitch black out? would the light sensor assume youre in a call because its completely black?
The developer made it so that you can hit the back button on your phone to unlock the screen when it is dark outside and the light sensor doesn't know the phone has moved from your face. Useful App despite its one limitation (not working in a dark room). I wonder if the G sensor could be incorporated into the app. Maybe the phone could sense the ambient light level before the call is answered and if it senses no light it could go to a backup mode using the G sensor if the phone is upright to your ear screen is locked. You bring it down screen facing up and screen unlocks.
Thats a great idea. Email the dev and suggest it. He's asking for suggestions..... Home | Tom Reay - Android Applications
Thank you . I have sent him an email explaining my idea. Man I wish I had some background in programming and Linux. I would be playing around with stuff like this all day.
I find it to be too annoying and overly sensitive. In the office where the light doesn't hit it directly or in places where there are shadows, it gets way too dim - to an uncomfortable degree. I disabled it on day 1.
Ok, I feel stupid now. I downloaded it and installed it. I covered the light sensor with the test like it told me to do. I made a test call and the screen did NOT turn off. It just showed the green circle and said, "Screen locked! Press back to unlock screen and disable the proximity sensor for this call." Is that the app working?
seems more like there'd be a way for an app to shut the screen off the instant a call is answered (when you press the green button or slide down to answer), with something like the menu button being a trigger to unlock the screen again...rather than using the light sensor. Or is this just me?
I agree with you, that the IDEAL functionality would be to darken the screen as soon as it's held to the head. I haven't tried this out yet (working graveyard shift), but if it locks the screen but allows the screen to turn off in 30 seconds anyway, I can live with that. The point would be that I am not calling anyone else, dialing, bringing up the notification shade, etc.
I guess I just haven't had any problems with hitting the screen during a call. The only thing I've ever done is bring the notification bar down with my ear, and that certainly doesn't bother me since it just shows the notification that I'm in a call anyway
yes it works with screebl installed. To you earlier posters now griping that it doesn't turn the screen off... ARE YOU SERIOUS. Yesterday morning we were all still mad that the phone screen stayed up allowing accidental dialing and disconnects. NOW THIS APP solves that by displaying a "screen locked" image on the screen and you're griping b/c it doesn't turn the screen off???? WTF!? Whine whine whine, you guys are worse than my two year old child!!!
Agreed, what difference is it that the screen isnt turned completely off....all most of you wanted was a way to stop hitting the buttons and this does indeed stop that from happening!
Some people are just never happy. I see now why phone manufacturers can never satisfy the crowds. The do all kinds of quality testing, and probably make a ton of adjustments to improve devices. But guess what, as soon as those items are fixed people find new issues to bitch and gripe about. Good gracious!!!
Not sure if this unwarranted immature shot was directed at me or not, but if it was.... I am not upset about the screen not turning off during the call, I was just making sure I was doing this correctly. I interpreted that the screen would turn off while on a call, and when it didn't I figured I was doing something wrong.
I wasn't whining. I don't even use the app since I don't have a problem with hitting buttons in a call. I was just pointing out that there might be a more effective way other than using the light sensor.
