iPhone screen goes black during a call? 7 fixes

Why your iPhone screen goes black during calls

Every iPhone has a proximity sensor at the top of the front, inside the notch or Dynamic Island on newer models. It sends out invisible infrared light and checks whether something is close. When you lift the iPhone to your ear, the sensor sees your head and turns off the display so your cheek does not press buttons. When you move the phone away, the screen should come back within a second.

The problem comes when the sensor thinks something is still close. Dirt, a screen protector, a case edge or a software glitch can all fool it. Then the screen goes dark the moment a call starts and will not wake up, so you cannot hang up, use the keypad or switch to speaker.

Test the sensor in 30 seconds

1. Call someone or call your own voicemail.
2. Cover the top of the screen with your hand. The display should turn off.
3. Move your hand away. The display should turn on right away.

If the screen stays off with nothing near it, the sensor is blocked or faulty. If the screen never turns off when covered, the sensor is not seeing anything at all, which also points to a blockage or damage.

Clean the sensor area

Makeup, skin oil and pocket lint build up at the very top edge of the screen. Wipe the area above and around the notch or Dynamic Island with a soft microfiber cloth, slightly damp if needed. Do not spray liquid onto the phone. Check the earpiece grille too, since dirt there sits right next to the sensor.

Screen protectors and cases

This is the most common cause after a new purchase. Privacy screen protectors are the worst, because their dark filter blocks infrared light at certain angles. Thick tempered glass, bubbles near the top edge, or a protector that is not shaped for your model can all cover the sensor. Peel it off and test a call. If the problem disappears, buy a protector made for your exact iPhone model, ideally one with a clear area over the sensor. Some cases have a raised lip at the top that also gets in the way, so test without the case too.

Restart and update

A restart clears a stuck sensor reading. Press and hold the side button and a volume button, slide to power off, wait 30 seconds and turn it back on. Then check Settings › General › Software Update. Apple has fixed proximity sensor bugs in past iOS updates.

How to hang up when the screen stays black

• Press the side button once. This ends a regular phone call by default.
• If pressing the side button only locks the screen, check Settings › Accessibility › Touch › Prevent Lock to End Call and make sure it is off.
• Say "Hey Siri, hang up". Turn on Call Hang Up in Settings › Accessibility › Siri, or Settings › Siri on some versions.
• With wired or Bluetooth headphones, press the button on the cable or squeeze the stem on AirPods.

Workarounds while you wait for a fix

Use speakerphone or headphones. When the iPhone is not at your ear, the sensor is not involved as much. Set calls to start on speaker in Settings › Accessibility › Touch › Call Audio Routing › Speaker. On some iOS versions you can also use Back Tap or AssistiveTouch to reach controls without the screen.

Reset All Settings

If the problem started after an update or a settings change, go to Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Reset › Reset All Settings. This puts settings like Wi-Fi passwords, wallpaper and accessibility options back to default. It does not delete apps, photos or messages. If it still fails, a full restore is the last software step, but back up first.

After a drop, water or a screen repair

If the screen started going black after the iPhone fell, got wet or had its screen replaced, the sensor is likely damaged or was not moved over properly. Third party screen replacements are a common cause, because the proximity sensor sits on a flex cable that must be transferred carefully. Some cheap shops skip parts or damage them. Go back to the shop first. If that fails, an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider can test the sensor with their diagnostics.

What a repair costs

If the iPhone is under warranty and has no damage, Apple repairs the sensor for free. With AppleCare+, accidental damage repairs have a fixed service fee. Without coverage, a sensor fault on Face ID models can mean a screen or TrueDepth repair, which costs more. Ask for a quote at getsupport.apple.com before you agree. If you are weighing repair against replacing the iPhone, compare the quote with the value of a newer model.

Same problem on Android?

Samsung and Pixel phones use the same kind of sensor. The fixes are similar: clean the top edge, remove the screen protector and restart. On Samsung, the Phone app has a setting to turn off the screen during calls in some versions, and the Samsung Members app has a sensor test under Diagnostics.

If the screen does not respond to touches even outside calls, see iPhone touch screen not working.

Screen goes black during calls on speaker or FaceTime

The proximity sensor is used on regular calls and on some VoIP apps like WhatsApp when you hold the phone to your ear. If the screen goes black even on speaker or in FaceTime video calls, the sensor is reporting something close all the time. That points strongly to a protector, case or hardware fault, not your ear. Test without any accessories first.

Screen stays black after the call ends

If the display stays off after you hang up, press the side button to wake it. If it still will not wake, force restart: press and quickly release volume up, press and quickly release volume down, then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. This works on iPhone 8 and later. If the screen stays black outside calls too, the display itself may be failing.

Check Attention Aware and Auto-Lock

Sometimes the screen is not going black from the sensor at all. Auto-Lock can dim and lock the screen during a long call on speaker. Set a longer time in Settings › Display & Brightness › Auto-Lock. On Face ID models, Attention Aware Features in Settings › Face ID & Passcode dims the screen when you are not looking at it. Turning it off can help on long speakerphone calls.

Back up before a repair

Before you hand the iPhone in for repair, back it up to iCloud or a computer. Repairs on the front sensors usually do not erase data, but a replacement device or a restore during testing will. Turn off Find My only when the repair shop asks you to.

In most cases the cause is simple: dirt or a screen protector over the sensor. Start with those two, and you may not need a repair at all.

Does a case with a front lip cause this?

Rugged cases and wallet cases with a flap can sit right over the top edge of the screen. A flap folded behind the phone during a call can also touch the sensor area when you hold it. If your case has a cover, take the phone out and make a test call before you try anything else.