Phone app. Activating buttons with my ear/cheek

/e/OS Devices Fairphone
#1

Hi,

I’m finding it difficult getting used to the native phone app on my /e/ native FP3+.

I keep putting the call on mute or suspending it with my ear.

I read most phones have a proximity sensor that should detect when the face is close to the screen and deactivate it. If there is one, it doesn’t work and I can’t find the parameter to turn it on, or anything in the documentation

Should I change the app, or does the Fairphone 3+ lack the sensor?

Thanks!

Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/ the unGoogled mobile OS and online servicesphone

#2

Welcome to the /e/ community. :slight_smile:

The FP3+ has a proximity sensor (it’s a somewhat violet sensor a bit more than 1 cm to the left of the earspeaker), and under normal circumstances it should automatically black out the screen and switch off touch sensitivity in situations you describe. I don’t know how you can fix it, but as a workaround, you could simply press the power button on the left side of the FP3+ at the start of a call to achieve the same effect (just make sure you haven’t activated “Power button ends call” in Accessibility settings).

1 Like
#3

I may need to change the way I hold the phone. I tend to keep my mouth close to the mike so my ear may be too low to be sensed. I didn’t have this issue with my previous phones, but they were smaller.

If it’s awkward, your workaround seems like a good fix.

Thanks for the quick and complete reply! :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like
#4

I’m encountering the same issue with my FP3

#5

You can check whether the proximity sensor works with sensor Apps like SatStat.

In case of SatStat: Slide to (or tap) the sensor pane with the proximity reading in the bottom right, cover the top of the phone with your hand, check whether the proximity reading gives “0,0” for this, remove your hand, check whether the proximity reading gives “5,0” for this. (At least that’s how it works for me.)