Signal-android: Disable proximity sensor for video calls

[riyapenn]

I have:

• [X] searched open and closed issues for duplicates
• [X] read https://github.com/WhisperSystems/Signal-Android/wiki/Submitting-useful-bug-reports

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Bug description

On a video call, screen turns black (proximity sensor trigger) if phone/sensor is held very close to the face/hand/object

Steps to reproduce

• Place Signal (audio) webrtc call
• Test proximity sensor, works as expected where screen turns off regardless of landscape or portrait mode
• Toggle video call
• Test proximity sensor

Actual result: Screen turns black, can not view video call
Expected result: Screen never turns off for video call unless phone is (manually) locked -- this is if either end has triggered the video track. (WA video call screen auto locks if on video call and app is not in focus on iOS, have not tested other apps or other platforms)

Screenshots

N/A

Device info

Device: Moto X
Android version: 5.2
Signal version: 3.29.1

Link to debug log

https://gist.github.com/bb8429fa788dc5205ef4f3665f556d8c

[johanw666]

Why is this unwanted? Normal calls do this too, at least on the Android devices I've been using.

[moxie0]

I agree, this is the intended behavior. I can't think why you'd want the screen to be that close to your face and still be on?

[RiseT]

I can't think why you'd want the screen to be that close to your face and still be on?

Perhaps "hand" or "object" is the actual problem here rather than "face" (applies to video calls only).

if phone/sensor is held very close to the face/hand/object

[flothemaker]

Why is this unwanted? Normal calls do this too, at least on the Android devices I've been using.

You don't need the display for normal calls, but you will need it for video calls so it should be active.

[ruicruzpt]

I can reproduce this. This should be considered a bug.

Other popular video/audio calling systems like WhatsApp and Skype disable this when video call is active.

[anarcat]

I have been very happy to try out Signal's new video feature yesterday, but the most notable usability issue for my friends used to Facetime and Skype is exactly this bug: the screen (and, from their perspective, the camera, as they lost visual feedback) would turn off when they would reach out to the phone. I had to explain what the proximity sensor was, they didn't understand what was going on at all.

Video calls are different than phone calls: you do not hold the phone to your ear in video calls like you do in phone calls, therefore there's no reason why the proximity sensor should be working.

[moxie0]

What if we disable the proximity sensor only when your video stream is enabled? I'm thinking that you could have your phone up to your ear when the other party enables video, and then you'd still want the proximity sensor to be on. Would that satisfy folks?

[zigzampow]

That could work

[RiseT]

How does Signal iOS currently behave in that regard? I would guess that it makes sense if both clients behaved the same way. @charlesmchen