Why do WhatsApp audio and any sound you play get cut off when you bring your phone close to your ear?
Have you ever started listening to WhatsApp audio but it stopped and the screen went black? It's a very common situation, but it has a logical explanation that doesn't mean your cell phone is broken: the proximity sensor in your smartphone detects that you are close to the cell phone, as if you were making a call, and the phone locks the screen. It is also possible to lower the volume by changing the speaker through which the sound is played to the one responsible for calls.
The proximity sensor on your mobile phone is one of the many sensors that smartphones include. In this case, it detects how close you are to the device and acts accordingly. In many cases, we bring the sound closer to our ear to hear it better, which causes the sensor to think you are on a call and block the screen, preventing you from pressing the touchpad with your ear.
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This sensor consists of two infrared LEDs. The first emits light while the second receives it. In this way, it is able to detect your presence nearby, although it also does so when there is a table or when you place your hand on it.
If the sound is cut off while listening to it, it may be due to the above. It is true that it can also be due to hardware or software failure or the mobile phone has problems, but the normal thing is that the proximity sensor causes this without malfunctions. It is also possible that you are using a case that covers it a lot, so before going out, test whether it works properly after removing the case.
- Disable proximity sensor
Is there a solution? Many people choose to disable the proximity sensor. This will prevent the mobile from locking when listening to audio, but be careful, as it will also prevent it from locking during a call, with the resulting involuntary touches.
It is not deactivated the same way on all mobile phones, but we will show you the instructions that usually work with most smartphones:
- Go to settings on your phone
- Select applications
- Click on System App Settings.
- Select connection settings.
- Specify incoming call settings.
- Click on the proximity sensor
- Disable proximity sensor
Although it appears that you are only deactivating it for calls, you do this in general, regardless of which app is using the sensor.
On the other hand, on iPhone, the panorama is different. On Apple phones, there is no direct option to deactivate or activate the proximity sensor. So, if your iPhone fails to hear sound, you will either have to reset its settings or take it for repair.