Phone stuck on a black screen during or after a call? Here’s the Fix

Have you found yourself getting stuck on your telephone calls? Is your phone showing a black screen after finishing a conversation and not allowing you to end calls? Do you hear your keys being pressed when talking on your phone? Does the person that you’re talking to have to end the call because your phone won’t let you? Do you have to press your power key to unlock your phone after every call? Here are some possible causes and better yet some solutions to fix this issue on your cell phone.

Reason

The most common reason for this issue is that the proximity sensor on your phone is not working correctly. The proximity sensor is a small little sensor, usually on the top of the phone next the logo or speaker you hold up to your ear. The sensor is supposed to recognize when you hold your phone up to your ear, so that the phone will lock (turns on the black screen), then you won’t accidently press keys with your cheek when talking to other people on the phone. After you’re done with your conversation and remove the phone from your ear the sensor is then supposed to unlock your screen and allow you to end the call.

Testing your phones sensor

Try and run a proximity test on the device. Here are some codes that might give you the option to run a test on the sensor if you’re having this issue on a Smartphone. Go to your dial pad as though you are going to type a telephone number but instead of a telephone number try typing these codes.

*#7353# will access the Device Diagnostic Tool on Samsung phones and some other Smartphones excluding HTC often there is a proximity sensor test option shown here.

*#*#3424#*#* can be used to open the Device Diagnostic Tool on an HTC Android phone, some HTC phones show an option to test the proximity sensor through this diagnostic tool, some HTC phones don’t.

*#*#0588#*#* will also run a Proximity Sensor Test on some Smartphones.

If you’re interested in other fun codes for your smartphone you can check out Some Useful and Interesting Codes for Smartphones.

If none of these codes worked on your phone, or you’re not sure if the sensor passed the test, or if you’re still getting a black screen after phone calls or cant end calls, then just make a call and hold your hand over the top of the display and see if the screen locks or turns into a black screen. Then remove your hand from the top of the phone and see if the screen comes back, if it does your sensor is working.

Just keep an eye on the top area of the phone above the display. If the sensor has oil from your skin or makeup covering it then it might not work correctly. Also make sure if you have a case, especially one that might not be made specifically for the phone you’re using, make sure it’s not covering the sensor either.

Other possible reasons

If your sensors clean and doesn’t have anything obstructing its view then it could be something like a bug, glitch, or maybe even virus on the phone that’s causing these problems. What I recommend is that you do a full backup on your phone, save your pictures, contacts, text messages etc then once your information is saved perform a full wipe on the phone. This usually fixes weird phone issues like this, because it basically sets the phone to how it was when it was new right of the shelf.

Doing a backup and reset isn’t too much of a chore but it might seem overwhelming if you have a Smartphone and have not done it yet.

If you have a phone that uses the Android Operating System and would like help with the backup and reset process then you can click here for a step by step guide. Once you do the backup and reset it should resolve your issue. If not, and your phone is still having issues then you might want to check out some of these additional options that might be available.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading this article. I hope that it has helped you fix this annoying issue on your cell phone. If you have any questions or would simply like to leave a friendly remark then don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.

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36 thoughts on “Phone stuck on a black screen during or after a call? Here’s the Fix”

    1. I am glad you found it helpful

      Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice comment on my site. I appreciate it and I am glad that you found it helpful.

    2. Phone stuck on black screen before or after a call?
      I have an LG G4 and it started doing this after I installed a glass scratch guard over the screen. Removed it and no longer have the problem! Apparently it was affecting the proximity sensor.

    1. Testing the proximity sensor on an Android cell phone

      Hi Joe,

      All Android phones that I have ever seen have a proximity sensor, but not every cell phone is guaranteed to have a diagnostic tool that can be used to directly test it.

  1. Solution??
    Thanks for the diagnosis: my proximity sensor is broken, is there a solution to keep the screen on??

    1. Try using the power button

      You can often just tap the power key to toggle the screen on (or off) which isn’t a horrible position to be in.

      You probably won’t want the screen to remain on as you might accidently hang up on the person if your cheek taps that part of the phone during a conversation or you might press something else unexpectedly like the headset feature or a number key (which would produce a loud BEEP for both you and the person your speaking to), or it might mute the conversation, or put it on speakerphone for the world to hear. None of which would be desirable and all of which would probably be more annoying than having to press the power key to see the screen in order to end the call or input a number for a computerized message prompt or to select and activate one of the features discussed earlier.

      1. Solution found

        For me it would have been better to keep the screen ON (if it was possible) : as soon as I picked up the phone the screen went black (proximity=0cm) and it never woke up again (!) even after my correspondent hung up! The only thing to do was remove battery or start a computer connection by plugging in the usb cable.

        The solution for me was : factory reset (I am not sure this was absolutely necessary) and after that go into the hidden menu and change the proximity sensor distance, and then do a proximity sensor test. After that the sensor that was first totally dead came back to life (for LG G3 international model the hidden menu can be accessed by dialing 3845#*855# But use caution : it is possible to screw things up.!)

        1. Glad to hear that you were able to get it working properly

          Thanks Kurt for posting a follow up. Usually a hard reset is a last resort when it comes to troubleshooting but a factory reset can resolve many issues that are the result of a software problem. I am happy to hear that you were able to adjust your proximity sensor to get it to work correctly again.

          Thanks for posting advice for other people as well; your right by the way when you mentioned to use caution. The LG’s Hidden Menu or Diagnostics Tool can be a tricky thing to utilize and sometimes even navigate or exit from SO USE CAUTION if you choose to utilize this feature on your LG smartphone.

          That being said thanks again Kurt enjoy your working proximity sensor and enjoy being able to end calls and use the calling features on your cell phone.

  2. I have a nexus 5 and a couple of weeks ago my phone fell…
    Hello, I have a nexus 5 and a couple of weeks ago my phone fell on the ground and the screen cracked. After that I’ve been having a black screen when calling and the only way I found to end a call is to connect my earplugs. I have tried the codes you provided, but no menu seems to pop up, so I was wondering whether there was something else i might be able to do. I also wonder whether it’s the proximity sensor that’s broken or the broken glass that is in front of it and if there’s a way to check this. This way I know whether I also should have the sensor fixed and not just the screen.

    1. Sensor or cracked screen…

      Hello John,

      Sorry to hear about your Nexus 5. Since you cannot get the codes to work (these star codes are available on fewer and fewer smartphones) here is what I would do…

      I would go to a well lit location with plenty of light and then I would make a call and set the phone on a flat surface facing upwards towards the light.

      You should be able to see the options on the screen as you would not have held the phone up to your ear yet. Then I would hover my hand over that proximity sensory (and only that sensor) to see if the screen goes black. If it does then I would remove my hand from the sensor to let the light hit it again. If the sensor works well enough to recognize that you have blocked the light with your hand it should be able to recognize that you have removed your hand as well.

      Now if your phone was dropped with enough force to crack the screen then it is very possible that the sensor itself was damaged. Or like you mentioned, it could possibly be caused by a crack over the sensor.

      If you end up replacing parts on the phone then you may want to start out by replacing the screen first (as you already know that the screen needs replacing) and if the phone still has issues then you can move onto replacing the sensor.

      It’s hard to say for certain John. Sorry that I couldn’t give you a definitive answer but try using just your hand to see if you have any luck testing that sensor and make sure that you have plenty of light to work with. A poorly lit or dim room wouldn’t be the best place to try this experiment.

      1. Thank you very much for the advice

        Thank you very much for the advice. I have tried calling in a well lighted place, but my screens turns black instantly, perhaps because it isn’t getting any signal from the sensor. Do you also think this might be the case or could there be another reason for this?

        1. It’s very possible

          Yeah, that sounds very probable. The crack might not be letting the sensor work properly and its causing your screen to turn black instantly.

  3. Thanks so very very much!!!
    Thanks so very very much!!! I thought I had to buy a new phone. The problem started around the same time that my protective case cracked, but it never occurred to me they were related. I took the case off and it is working fine. The loose plastic must have been activating the sensor.

  4. Yuphoria shows black screen after boot
    When I power on my Yuphoria phone it boots and then immediately after the Cyanogen screen it goes to a black screen.

  5. Screen blackout during a call
    Hi
    I am using an LG L7Dual Sim P715 phone, for the last few weeks I am facing a problem of having the screen blackout during a call. I am not able to cut the phone even from the power button until and unless the other side person cuts the phone.
    Please suggest to me what I can do.

  6. I had that problem for years.
    I had that problem for years. After trying several apps, I solved that problem installing the free app “AutoScreen OnOff”. Now, the proximity sensor works like a charm.
    My Phone: THL T11

  7. My Tecno Camon C8 went blank…
    My Tecno Camon C8 went blank. Its just displaying a white screen. How can I get it back to its normal screen and use it?

  8. Thank You
    Thank you very much, your information really helped my phone. It is now working perfectly fine. I am so grateful.

  9. Black screen after tapping send/during call
    I had the same problem on my LGg4. Brand new. Couldn’t for the life of me get to the menu. I have the 6.0 update. So…I took the phone out of its Otterbox removed the screen protector and wouldn’t ya know, the problem was fixed. The screen protector covered the FULL screen including the light & proximity sensors. I cut the part off covering that, put the protector back on the phone & put the Otterbox back together. Works great now. Hopefully this will help out anyone else having this problem!!

  10. Cleaned proximity sensor.
    Cleaned proximity sensor. All good. Thought it was a bug with the drivers because I flashed a ROM but I guess it got dirty while I was flashing.

  11. Black screen when making and recieving calls
    Went to staples and asked a tech guy… it was a screen protector problem. We took it off and it fixed this problem.

  12. Your post resolved my issue
    I had the same issue with my Lenovo S860. The screen always turned black when making phone calls. I was planning to return it where I recently bought it but after I read your post, I discovered that the cause was the nylon screen protector still covering the phone which I had not removed. After I removed it the problem was solved. It happens that the nylon covering on the screen isn’t compatible with the proximity sensor of the phone. Thanks very much!

  13. App for software issues in proximity sensor
    Proximity sensor reset repair is a good app to solve this problem… if it is only a software issue… it solved my problem.

  14. Screen becomes black and screen becomes normal for a few seconds
    My Panasonic Eluga S, went black and after pressing the power button the screen may become normal for a few seconds but then goes dark after. Sometimes it remains normal for 5 to 10 minutes. I had reset the phone too but the problem remains the same. Please help me to solve my problem.

  15. Sometimes this problem…
    Sometimes this problem is due to the screen protector.
    The cut on the screen protector of the front speaker sometimes slip to the sensor… You can fit the protector back to its place or remove the protector. This worked for me.

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