Many owners of Honor and Huawei smartphones are faced with the inexplicable appearance of a small eye symbol in the top status bar. This icon usually appears after updating the operating system or accidentally changing settings, causing confusion among users. Eye symbol indicates the activation of the Smart Screen or Smart Lock feature, which uses the front camera to control the display backlight.
Although this technology is useful for saving battery battery and increased security, its presence is not always convenient, since it can consume processor resources. In this article we will analyze in detail why this is needed, what models it affects and how to forcefully disable it through hidden menus or standard settings. Understanding the operation of indicator, which models it affects and how to forcefully disable it through hidden menus or standard settings. Understanding the work Face ID on Honor devices will help you better control the operation of the gadget.
You do not need to be an IT expert to understand this function. We have prepared a step-by-step guide that will allow you to remove the icon in a couple of minutes. It is important to understand that disabling this option will not affect the operation of other system processes, but will change the logic of the screen behavior when looking at it.
The main purpose of the eye indicator
The appearance of the eye icon in the status bar means that the sensor that tracks the position of your face relative to the device is activated. Smart Screen System analyzes the video stream from the front camera in real time. If you look at the screen, it stays on even if you don't touch the display. This prevents premature locking while reading long articles or browsing recipes in the kitchen.
In addition, this feature is responsible for automatically reducing the brightness if you look away. This intelligent control is designed to save battery energy. However, the constant scanning of the space by the front camera may raise privacy concerns for some users. That is why the eye icon serves as a visual indicator that the camera is active and working in the background.
It is worth noting that the algorithms for this function differ depending on the version of the shell Magic UI or EMUI. On older versions of Android, the functionality was simpler, while newer firmware uses neural networks to more accurately detect gaze. The eye icon appears only when the function is fully active and ready to work.
If you often read from your phone in the dark, leave the function turned on - it will prevent the screen from suddenly blanking out when you hold the phone motionless.
Smart Screen functionality
The technology behind the simple icon has a wide range of capabilities. First of all, this screen hold. While the camera “sees” your eyes, the lock timer does not start. This is especially useful when watching videos without Always On Display support or when navigating maps.
The second important function is smart dimming. If you place your phone face up on a table but continue to look at it, the brightness will not drop to minimum. Conversely, if you look away, the screen will go dark faster than the timer, which allows you to save battery power throughout the day.
The third function is Rotate the screen. On some Honor models, the image rotation occurs not according to the gravity sensor (accelerometer), but according to the position of the head. If you are lying on your side and looking at the phone, the screen will rotate in the desired direction, even if the phone itself is lying horizontally.
- 👁️ Attention control: The screen does not go dark while you look at it.
- 🔋 Energy saving: Instantly reduces brightness when when looking away.
- 🔄 Smart rotation: The orientation of the picture depends on the position of the eyes, not the body.
- 🔒 Security: Hide notifications if someone else is looking at the screen (in some models).
Impact on autonomy and performance
Users are often concerned about the question: how much does this icon and the corresponding function drain the battery? The constant operation of the front camera and processor to process the video stream really requires energy. However, modern algorithms are optimized to consume a minimum amount of resources.
If you Honor with a mid- or high-end processor, you will hardly notice the difference in battery life. But on budget models or devices with a worn-out battery, disabling unnecessary functions can add 10-15 minutes of active screen time. This is especially noticeable in standby mode when the phone is on the table.
⚠️ Attention: If you notice that the phone quickly discharges in standby mode and gets warm in the top part (where the camera is located), try turning off the smart screen function. The process may be stuck in the data processing loop.
It is also worth considering the load on the RAM. Although Smart Screen is not a heavy application, it takes up some of the system resources. For those who are used to keeping dozens of applications open, every megabyte counts. Disabling visual effects and background services is a classic optimization method. RAM on account. Disabling visual effects and background services is a classic optimization technique.
On modern Honor smartphones, the impact of the Smart Screen function on the battery is minimal (less than 2% per day), but on older models, disabling it can significantly extend the life of the device.
How to disable the eye icon through settings
The easiest and safest way to remove the annoying symbol is use the standard settings menu. The path may differ slightly depending on the version Magic UI, but the logic remains the same. You do not need superuser rights or a connection to a computer.
First, open the main application menu and find the “Settings” icon. Next, go to the section related to biometrics or screen. In new firmware versions this is often located in the “Special” menu. Features" or "System and Updates". Look for items with the words “Smart Screen”, “Smart Screen” or “Smart Lock”.
After finding the desired toggle switch, simply move it to the “Off” position. The eye icon should disappear from the status bar instantly. If this does not happen, try rebooting the device for the changes to take effect completely.
☑️ Algorithm for disabling the function
In some cases, the settings may be hidden in the “Screen and Brightness” menu. Please read all sub-clauses carefully. If you use Honor Magic series, the interface may be slightly changed, but the search principle remains the same - look for anything related to “Face” or “Eye”.
Hidden menus and engineering codes
If the standard path does not help or the menu item is missing (which happens on custom firmware), you can try deeper settings. However, caution is required here. Changing parameters in the engineering menu can lead to unstable operation of the system.
To access advanced settings, you often use special codes in the Phone application. For example, the code ##2846579## opens the project menu. There you can find the “Single-Step Mode” section or screen settings, but specific options depend on the processor model HiSilicon or Snapdragon.
##2846579## —entering the engineering menu (does not work on all models)Another way is to use applications to hide system icons, such as “SystemUI Tuner” or analogs. They allow you to control the visibility of status bar elements. However, on Honor shells this may require additional permissions via ADB.
⚠️ Attention: Do not change the values in the engineering menu if you are not sure of their purpose. Resetting the settings may require flashing the device.
For advanced users, it is possible to disable the service via ADB commands. By connecting your phone to your PC, you can execute a command to freeze the component responsible for the smart screen. This is guaranteed to remove the icon, but will require a computer and drivers.
Command for ADB (requires experience)
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.huawei.smartscreen (The name of the package may vary depending on the model and region).
Comparison of functions on different versions of Android
The implementation of the “Smart Screen” function varies significantly depending on the version of the operating system and shell. On older devices with Android 9 and EMUI 9, this was a simple presence sensor. New versions of Magic UI 6.0 and 7.0 use sophisticated machine learning algorithms.
Below is a table showing the differences in system behavior on different generations of Honor devices. This will help you understand what to expect from your gadget.
| System version | Function name | Battery consumption | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMUI 9 / Android 9 | Intelligent locking | Medium | Basic |
| Magic UI 3.1 / Android 10 | Smart Screen | Low | High |
| Magic UI 4.0 / Android 10 | Smart screen | Very low | Very high |
| Magic OS 7.0 / Android 13 | Eye Tracking Pro | Minimum | Maximum |
As can be seen from the table, with each new version optimization it gets better. If on older models the eye icon could indicate an active “devouring” of resources, then on the new Honor 90 or Magic 5 it is simply an indicator of the operation of an effective algorithm.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it safe to completely disable this function?
Yes, absolutely safe. Disabling the Smart Screen feature or removing the eye icon will not affect the stability of the operating system. You will simply lose automatic control of the backlight and screen rotation based on gaze.
Why did the eye icon appear on its own after the update?
When updating the firmware, system settings are often reset to default values. The developers could enable the Smart Screen feature by default in the new version, considering it useful for most users.
Is it possible to leave the function, but remove the icon from the status bar?
In standard Android settings, this option is rare. Usually the icon is a mandatory indicator of the camera's operation. You can hide it only through third-party system modifications or root access, which is not recommended for ordinary users.
Does the case affect the operation of the eye sensor?
Yes, a thick case with high sides can block the front camera or proximity sensor, which will lead to incorrect operation of the function. If the icon is lit, but the screen goes dark when you look at it, try removing the case to check.
Does this feature work in the dark?
Yes, modern Honor smartphones use an infrared sensor or increase the camera sensitivity in low light conditions. However, in complete darkness, the accuracy of gaze detection may be lower than in daylight.