Solved: Lumia 920 screen turns dark when calling

[chronos9L]

Try to take out the SIM card and use the dust blower, blow thru the SIM slot. That works for me, for now...

 

[ksbanderson]

First of all, I like my white Lumia 920, which i ordered from ATT four days ago. I have been using it. Everything is excellent: browsing internet, camera, nokia drive, etc. until today when I was making a phone call, the screen turned dark. The call was still on, but I just could not get the screen back on. After five minutes, the other end hanged up and my screen re-appeared. It happened several times this afternoon and was very frustrating. So, I decided to exchange to another one--tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I want to make phone call!

Before I went to ATT store to change my phone, I checked my phone again at home. The problem remained. However, when the sale rep asked me to show him what was the problem in store. Everything is fine--the screen did NOT turn dark. I tried several times, no problem at all. Very embarrassing!! During the way back, I started to suspect that the problem is about the light or sensor because the light in ATT store is very stong while the light at my home was dark. After I got home and browsed the internet, I found many people had the same problem and they traced the problem to the Proximity sensor, the lense at the upper position of Nokia sign.

So, I did some research: when the light is dark or when I use the hand to cover the senor, the screen turns dark. This senor is supposed to turn the screen dark when you make the phone call--your face will cover the senor. I suppose it can save battery of your phone--an smart idea. But this is exactly where the problem is. My wife and I even make a movie about it and were ready to show the sale rep at ATT next time. Accidently, I used the function of camera once. After the use of the camera, the screen did NOT turn dark anymore when I made the phone calls. Please note that the front camera uses the Proximity senor.

Now, everything is fine. My guess is that the Proximity senor needs to be re-set to solve the problem. One of the ways--at least worked for me--is to use the front camera once or twice to re-set the Proximity camera. I am not sure whether this sensor thing is necessary at. At least Nokia should give us option to turn this function off. Nonetheless, Lumia 920 is a great phone and I want to see more good phones from Nokia in the future.

I hope you find this post useful and enjoy your Lumia 920.

Don't you think it's more likely that the screen turns off so you don't accidentally HANG UP with the side of your face? (as opposed to saving battery life, although it would do that too)

 

[MS_SURVEYOR]

First of all, I like my white Lumia 920, which i ordered from ATT four days ago. I have been using it. Everything is excellent: browsing internet, camera, nokia drive, etc. until today when I was making a phone call, the screen turned dark. The call was still on, but I just could not get the screen back on. After five minutes, the other end hanged up and my screen re-appeared. It happened several times this afternoon and was very frustrating. So, I decided to exchange to another one--tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I want to make phone call!

Before I went to ATT store to change my phone, I checked my phone again at home. The problem remained. However, when the sale rep asked me to show him what was the problem in store. Everything is fine--the screen did NOT turn dark. I tried several times, no problem at all. Very embarrassing!! During the way back, I started to suspect that the problem is about the light or sensor because the light in ATT store is very stong while the light at my home was dark. After I got home and browsed the internet, I found many people had the same problem and they traced the problem to the Proximity sensor, the lense at the upper position of Nokia sign.

So, I did some research: when the light is dark or when I use the hand to cover the senor, the screen turns dark. This senor is supposed to turn the screen dark when you make the phone call--your face will cover the senor. I suppose it can save battery of your phone--an smart idea. But this is exactly where the problem is. My wife and I even make a movie about it and were ready to show the sale rep at ATT next time. Accidently, I used the function of camera once. After the use of the camera, the screen did NOT turn dark anymore when I made the phone calls. Please note that the front camera uses the Proximity senor.

Now, everything is fine. My guess is that the Proximity senor needs to be re-set to solve the problem. One of the ways--at least worked for me--is to use the front camera once or twice to re-set the Proximity camera. I am not sure whether this sensor thing is necessary at. At least Nokia should give us option to turn this function off. Nonetheless, Lumia 920 is a great phone and I want to see more good phones from Nokia in the future.

I hope you find this post useful and enjoy your Lumia 920.

Yea! I did a post just before my wife and I bought our phones, and taking a picture with the front facing camera was one of the steps to do just after a factory reset before using the phone. Must have worked. Don't have that problem.

 

[randomscandinavian]

I was expecting the Portico update to address this overly enthusiastic sensor, but it didn't. Nokia said they have a fix for this in their service shop but now after my last compressed air quick fix, I have to wait until the problem returns before I hand the phone in. And it always returns.

 

[nizzon]

Nokia Care refered me to the "blowing in the 3,5 hole trick" and told me to wait for the upcoming update, I havent gotten the update yet but now I have blown so hard into my phone that the speaker rattles when Im in a call and the screen-problem is worse than ever. Im sending my phone phone to repair. This sucks tbh.

 

[Infamy79]

Was hoping that the Portico update would fix this issue for me but no luck. Still the same problem.
No screen protector, blowing doesn't fix it, pressure on the top left corner doesn't fix it, there is no dust behind the screen I can see. I fixed it once by restarting in a dark room but it came back and now that fix doesn't work anymore
Really don't want to have to take the phone back as its not like Apple where they just hand you a replacement phone.
It really does feel like a software problem to me

 

[NTSzlovak]

Hy i have the same problem with my 920. The problem on mine was the screen protector which covers the proximity sensor. So i get a new screen protector and i cut the top right corner off then put it on the phone and is working fine.
Other remark if you in a call and you turn on the speaker phone the screen will stay on permanently!
One more thing If you in a call press and hold the upper left corner of the glass just between the speaker and the upper left corner. This is only temporary but works for me.

 

[johninsj]

Was hoping that the Portico update would fix this issue for me but no luck. Still the same problem.
No screen protector, blowing doesn't fix it, pressure on the top left corner doesn't fix it, there is no dust behind the screen I can see. I fixed it once by restarting in a dark room but it came back and now that fix doesn't work anymore
Really don't want to have to take the phone back as its not like Apple where they just hand you a replacement phone.
It really does feel like a software problem to me

It's probably the hardware issue where the connecting cable has come loose. Is your font facing camera working?

 

[randomscandinavian]

I got a notice to pick up mine today after four days in the repair shop, which was pretty good. Very strange because the paperwork lists specifically that they have changed some parts, but I received a new phone! No explanation. The question now is if the new one will begin to show the same problems or not down the line. At the moment it is new and of course completely dust free.

 

[Lmuggs-]

I previously did not have any issues with the proximity sensor or screen going dark when the phone was not next to my face. However the other day I was at the pool and just put sunscreen on and a call came in. I guess that the sunscreen got on the phone and blocked the sensor. Even though I thought I wiped it clean, I couldn't get the screen to come back on. I have since cleaned the face of the phone with a micro fiber cloth and all seems "normal" again.

 

[ololmarc]

i got really fed up with this issue so i sent my phone off for warranty at rogers. hopefully they realize that i had a HUGE amount of dust under my FFC and this issue.

here goes a 2-3 weeks without the lumia now im stuck with this z10

 

[bmarley5780]

aaibrahim- any updates?

 

[avjain]

I have been having this issue as well for a while.... I work the phone with the double click on the lock button, that gives me a second window to switch off the phone or turn to speaker. Once speaker is on, the whole light shows and works fine...

But I think Nokia should come with an immediate fix, and till then come up with a 2 button press on a call to get it to light up. Like maybe triple click the lock button/ hold camera and lock button together to get it to light up.

this way it wont be an accidental press as well and can help people adjust to the sensor issue.

 

[nellie_96]

I was worrying too an then I was reading these comments (yeah I took the time lol) and I turned the camera then cleaned the sensor and problem solved

 

[Mrkclack]

I had this dark screen during calls issue with my Lumia 920 on EE in UK, but I have since installed the 1308 update and this has sorted out the issue! Now works perfectly! Also, the windows buttons at the bottom of the phone now light up which they werent previously! So happy now!

 

[xH4RRYx]

I had this dark screen during calls issue with my Lumia 920 on EE in UK, but I have since installed the 1308 update and this has sorted out the issue! Now works perfectly! Also, the windows buttons at the bottom of the phone now light up which they werent previously! So happy now!

same here! Also a little thing which i noticed, if you call you're voicemail it puts the keyboard up while you're in call so you can navigate the menus quicker

 

[Soniya Sing]

thankyou very much, i checked it and found it true that pressing near the sensor worked. but for permanent solution how do i do it myself. my phone is in warranty and my nokia care people are saying that phone's board is damaged, that is why they are not covering it. so please tell me what to do.

 

[Nenad Moskic]

I fix the problem with my L520.
Problem was that I put screen protector, and i cover that sensor with that Screen Protector film / foil.
When i remove that protector, L520 work without problem.
So if somebody have DARK SCREEN during calling and if you put that screen protector over sensor, there is problem.

 

[Mary Tampakes]

THANK YOU! i found this thread when i googled "nokia lumia 521 screen turns black during calls". and i feel pretty stupid after learning what the problem was. i just got this phone, was having no issues with the screen going out during calls until today...when i put a screen protector on it. yes, it is a laser cut screen protector and because this phone has NO actual buttons, its pretty much just a rectangle screen protector - except for a little oval next to the nokia logo at the top. i realize you are discussing the 920 in this thread, so if you don't know, the 521 DOES NOT have a front camera. so from your thread, i problem solved. when i put the screen protector on, there are (like usual) THREE layers. you peel the first one off, put the screen protector on the phone and then peel the top layer off. a few of the little oval pieces came right out, but it turns out, i had left one on which covered this sensor you are speaking of. picking at it until it came off did the trick! perhaps most of you are not as silly and dumb as me, but if you have this problem after you add a screen protector, check that you didn't leave any parts of the screen protector over the oval voila!

 

[antonyjon]

thank this worked great but would just like to add if you have a screen cover on check the top right corner as they don't sit well on the screen because of the screen not being flat and I found the little bit of dust stuck on the underside of the screen protector was the problem for my phone so I grabbed the scissors and carfuly cut the top right bit of the screen protector off and this fixed it so if you tried the camera fix and still not working try tis if you have a screen protector on
:smile::smile: