How to disable automatic screen blanking when making a call on Android: all methods

During a phone call, the screen of your Android smartphone suddenly goes dark, and you have to constantly touch the display to get the image back? This battery-saving feature can often be a nuisance—especially when you need to dial an additional number, turn on speakerphone, or use other options during a call. Fortunately, disable automatic screen dimming it is possible in several ways - both through standard system settings and using third-party applications.

The problem is relevant for most modern smartphones based on Android 10–14, including devices Samsung Galaxy, Xiaomi Redmi/POCO, Huawei/Honor, Google Pixel i others. In this article we will analyze all the working methods - from simple settings to hidden developer options. It is important to consider that the interface may differ slightly depending on the firmware version and the manufacturer's shell (One UI, MIUI, EMUI etc.).

If you often make calls for work, use your smartphone as a handset for IP telephony, or just want to have full control over the display during a call, these instructions will help you configure the device to suit your needs. Let's start with the simplest solutions and gradually move on to more advanced ones.

1. Screen settings in call settings (standard method)

Many manufacturers add a screen control option directly to the phone settings menu. This method works on most devices without the need to install additional software. Here's how to find this option:

Open the application "Phone" (usually with a green handset icon) and go to its settings. The path may look like this:

• 📱 Samsung: Phone → ⚙️ Settings → Additional features → Screen during a call
• 📱 Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO: Phone → ⚙️ Settings → Call settings → Screen during a call
• 📱 Huawei/Honor: Phone → ⚙️ Settings → More → Screen during a call
• 📱 Google Pixel: Phone → ⚙️ Settings → Sounds and vibration → Screen during a call

In this menu you will find parameters like "Do not turn off the screen", "Backlight is always on" or "Screen turn off delay". Select option "Never" or "Always enabled"to keep the display on during a call. If there is no such item, go to the next method.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmwares (for example, ColorOS from Oppo/Realme) this option may be hidden. In this case, try using Developer mode (described in section 3) or third-party applications.

2. Using Do Not Disturb mode with exceptions

If there is no direct option in your phone settings to control the screen during a call, you can take a workaround - through the mode Do Not Disturb (DND). This method is suitable for devices where screen blanking is associated with energy saving during an active call.

Action algorithm:

1. Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Do not disturb (or Settings → Notifications → Do not disturb on some firmware).
2. Activate mode "Do not disturb" and select "Customize" or "Exceptions".
3. Find the section "Calls" and set the resolution to "All calls" or "Favorite contacts".
4. Return to the main mode settings and disable the option “Turn off the screen during notifications” (if it is yes).

This method indirectly affects the behavior of the screen, since the system may perceive an active call as an “exception” to the energy saving rules. However, it does not work on all devices - for example, on Samsung Galaxy c One UI 5.0+ the effectiveness of the method is about 60%.

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3. Activating developer mode and hidden parameters

For advanced users, there is a way to disable screen blanking via developer menu. This method is universal, but requires caution - incorrect settings can affect the stability of the system.

How to enable developer mode:

1. Go to Settings → About phone (or Settings → System → About phone).
2. Find item "Build number" (or "MIUI Version" on Xiaomi).
3. Tap on it 7 times in a rowuntil a notification appears "You have become a developer!".

Now go back to the main settings and open a new section "For developers" (usually at the end of the list). Here we are interested in two parameters:

• 🔧 Do not turn off the screen — enable this option.
• 🔧 USB debugging —not necessary, but may be necessary for other settings (be careful, this reduces security!).

On some firmware (for example, EMUI from Huawei) there is a separate item in the developer menu The screen is always on during charging and calls - its activation solves the blanking problem. If there is no such item, try a combination with the option Do not turn off the screen + disable Adaptive brightness in the main display settings.

⚠️ Attention: Developer mode provides access to critical system settings. Do not change settings whose purpose you do not know - this may lead to malfunctions of the smartphone or security vulnerabilities.

4. Third-party applications for controlling the screen

If standard methods do not work. worked, specialized utilities from Google Playwill come to the rescue. They allow you to flexibly customize the behavior of the screen, including its operation during calls. Here are the top 3 tested applications:

Application	Functional	Compatibility	Rating
Keep Screen On	Keeps the screen on during calls, charging, running specific applications	Android 5.0+	4.6 ⭐
Screen On - No Screen Off	Flexible rules for the screen (including calls), activity timer, exceptions for applications	Android 6.0+	4.4 ⭐
Caffeine	Simple backlight control via the notification panel (turns on/off mode)	Android 7.0+	4.3 ⭐

How to set up Keep Screen On (using an example):

1. Install the application from Google Play and open it.
2. In the section "Rules" select "During calls".
3. Activate the switch and set the timeout "Never".
4. Give the application permission on “Overlay on top of other windows” (in Android settings).

The advantage of this method is flexibility. For example, you can set the screen so that it does not go dark only during outgoing calls or only when talking with favorite contacts. However, please note that the background operation of such utilities may slightly increase battery consumption (by 2-5% per hour).

5. Problems on specific models and their solutions

Some smartphones have unique firmware features that interfere with standard methods. Let's look at the features of popular brands:

Samsung Galaxy (One UI)

On devices with One UI 4.0–6.0 (Android) 12–14) blanking the screen during a call is often associated with the function "Adaptive battery saving". To disable it:

1. Go to Settings → Device maintenance → Battery.
2. Disable "Adaptive battery" and "Power consumption optimization" for the application "Phone".
3. Go back to the phone settings and check the item "Screen during a call" (as in section 1).

Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO (MIUI)

On MIUI 12–14 the problem may be related to "Super Battery Wall". Solution:

• 🔋 Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Super Battery Wall.
• 🔋 Find the application "Phone" in the list and disable for it "Background limiting".
• 🔋 Reboot the device.

Huawei/Honor (EMUI/Magic UI)

On these devices, screen blanking is controlled by the service "Smart management". To disable its influence:

1. Go to Settings → Smart management → Battery management.
2. Select "Applications" and find "Phone".
3. Disable options "Smart close" and "Launch limitation".

If after these manipulations the screen still goes blank, try resetting the application settings "Phone":

1. Open Settings → Applications → Phone → Storage.
2. Click "Reset" (do not delete data!).
3. Reboot your smartphone.

Why does the screen go blank on Honor Magic 5 even after all settings?

Some Honor flagships (Magic 4/5 series) have an additional function "Eco screen mode"that ignores the standard settings. To disable it, go to Settings → Display → Eco mode and deactivate the option "Adaptive dimming for calls". If the item is not there, update the firmware to the latest version via Settings → System → Software update.

6. Alternative solutions: gestures and accessories

If software methods do not help, consider hardware or behavioral alternatives:

• 👆 Double tap to wake: On many smartphones (for example, Samsung, Google Pixel), you can enable the option Double tap to wake in the screen settings. This will allow you to quickly wake up the display during a call without pressing the power button.
• 🔊 Default speakerphone: Set your phone so that all calls automatically switch to speakerphone. To do this, in the phone settings, find "Answering machine" or "Speakerphone" and activate the option "Always use the speaker".
• 🎧 Using a headset: Connect wired or wireless headphones - when the audio device is active, the screen of many smartphones does not turn off (this depends on the model).
• 🔋 External battery with stand: If the screen does not turn off when charging, use a powerbank with a screen hold function (for example, Anker PowerCore with mode «Display Hold»).

For owners Samsung Galaxy with support DeX there is an unusual solution: connect the smartphone to the monitor via HDMI adapter. In DeX mode, the phone screen will not go dark during calls, and calls can be controlled from the large screen.

7. If all else fails: reset and contact service

In rare cases, the screen going blank during a call may be caused by a software glitch or a firmware conflict. If none of the described methods worked, try the following. steps:

1. Reset the settings of the “Phone” application:
   • Go to Settings → Applications → Phone → Storage.
   • Click "Reset" (not delete call data!).
   • Reboot the device.
2. Clearing the system cache:
   • Log in recovery mode (turn off the phone, then hold Power + Volume up).
   • Select «Wipe Cache Partition» (do not confuse with «Factory Reset»!).
   • Reboot your smartphone.

Firmware update: Check for updates in Settings → System → Software update. Sometimes screen bugs are fixed in new versions.

If the problem persists, it is possible it is connected with hardware defect of the proximity sensor (it is responsible for turning off the screen when you bring the phone to your ear). In this case:

• 🛠️ Check the operation of the sensor using the engineering menu (enter the code #0# in the dialer). and select «Sensor Test»).
• 🛠️ If the sensor does not respond, contact the service center. Replacing the proximity sensor costs 1,500–3,000 rubles (depending on the model).

⚠️ Attention: Before resetting or updating the firmware, make a backup copy of important data (contacts, SMS, photos). data-i="271">or third-party utilities like Settings → Google → Backup or third party utilities like Swift Backup.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions

Why does the screen go blank only during outgoing calls, and for incoming calls - no?

This is due to different call processing scenarios in Android. When incoming call the system believes that you need to see who is calling, so the screen remains on longer. When outgoing - it is assumed that you already know who you are calling, and the screen can be turned off to save battery.

Solution: use methods from section 3 (developer mode) or section 4 (third-party applications), where you can configure the screen behavior separately for outgoing and incoming calls.

Is it possible to disable screen blanking only for specific contacts?

Yes, but not using standard Android tools. You will need an application like Tasker or MacroDroid, which allows you to create automatic rules. For example:

1. Create a macro with the condition "Incoming call from [contact]".
2. Add an action "Set screen brightness to 100%" + "Disable screen timeout".
3. Set the action "Return screen settings" after the call ends.

B MacroDroid there are ready-made templates for such scenarios - search by request «Screen on for specific calls».

Will the battery drain faster if the screen does not go off during calls?

Depends on the type of screen and the duration of calls:

• 📱 AMOLED screens (Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus): consumption is minimal (0.5–1.5% per hour), since black areas do not consume energy.
• 📱 IPS/LCD screens (most Xiaomi, budget models): consumption is higher (2–4% per hour), since the backlight covers the entire area.

For comparison: 1 hour of conversation with the screen on Samsung Galaxy S23 (AMOLED) will draw ~1% of the charge, and on Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 (IPS) - up to 3%. If you call for 2-3 hours a day, there will be a difference. noticeable only after a few days.

After updating Android, the screen began to go dark again. What should I do?

Updates often reset user settings, especially if they were made through mode. developer or ADB commands. Try:

1. Repeat the settings from section 1 (standard call parameters).
2. If you used Keep Screen On or analogs - reinstall the application and grant it permissions again.
3. Check if new items have appeared in the menu "Energy Saving" or "Adaptive Battery".

On Samsung after major updates (for example, from One UI 5.0 to 6.0) may be required resetting the Phone application (see section 7).

Is there a way to disable screen blanking without root access?

Yes, all the methods in this article work without root access. Root may only be needed for:

• Deep modification of system files (for example, editing build.prop).
• Removing standard applications that can affect the behavior of the screen (for example, Device Health Services on some Xiaomi).

For the average user, this is enough:

• 🔧 Standard settings (section 1).
• 🔧 Developer mode (section 3).
• 🔧 Third-party applications (section 4).

Root gives more capabilities, but it voids the guarantee and increases the security risk. It is not needed to solve this problem.