Many smartphone users are concerned about battery life, making it important to preserve their phone’s energy. One way to do this is by having the screen turn off when the phone is face down, which reduces screen time when idle. iPhones can do this, but most Android devices lack this feature. However, there are apps available that can enable this function on Android.
iPhone
iPhones have a phone facedown detection feature. This feature detects when your phone is lying face down and turns the screen off. The feature also prevents the screen from lighting up when you receive any notifications. Instead, the phone will notify you using sound and vibration.
However, only the newer models, specifically the ones after the iPhone 5s, has this feature. These models have particular hardware requirements that can support facedown detection. The screen will turn off even if the phone is face down, fully or partially in the air.
The iPhone uses motion tracking units, light, and proximity sensors to perform this function. The use of the motion coprocessor suggests that the phone screen will turn off even when they are face down on transparent surfaces.
However, if you wish to turn this feature off, you can do that using the following steps:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Look for the “Privacy” option.
- Furthermore, inside the “Privacy” menu, locate and open the “Motion and Fitness” settings.
- You will see the “Fitness Tracking” toggle. You can turn off the Facedown Detection feature by disabling this toggle.
If you face any trouble using this feature, there may be an issue with your phone’s motion sensors. In such a case, contact customer support.
Android
As we mentioned earlier, most Android phones do not have the option to turn their screen off when face down. However, several Android phones make use of their facedown detection differently.
For example, Pixel phones have a “flip to shhh” feature. With this feature, you can put the phone in do not disturb mode by turning it face down.
Additionally, just because your phone does not have this feature doesn’t mean you can not use it. You can download various apps to turn your screen off when putting it face down.
Popular apps include Gravity Screen and Black Screen of Life. Your phone needs to possess motion sensors and light sensors for these apps to work. However, since most newer models have these features, you should not have to worry.
Facedown Apps for Android
Let us discuss Gravity Screen and Black Screen of Life more in detail.
Gravity Screen
Gravity Screen is a handy app for ease of use on your smartphone. Plus, one of its biggest perks is how its feature can help preserve your phone battery. This app can turn your screen on and off by analyzing your phone’s orientation. Moreover, it uses various phone sensors to turn your screen off:
- The app turns the screen off when you set the phone face down on a surface.
- Gravity Screen uses your phone’s proximity sensor to turn it on and off when taken from or put into a pocket.
- You can also turn off the screen by turning your phone upside down. The app does so using the phone’s gravity sensor.
The app has a premium version with more settings. Unfortunately, you need to pay for the prime version. You can use all these features but with limited settings. This downside is not enough to keep you from using this app.
You can download Gravity Screen directly from the Google Play store or use this link.
Black Screen of Life
Black Screen of Life has a whopping five stars on Google Play. This app can help you save up to 65% of your battery life. This app has an extra benefit, one-upping its predecessors. Black Screen of Life allows you to listen to videos, from any platform, with your screen off.
To add to its benefits, the developer of this app has created an informative official website. The website has a link to an official tutorial video and steps on how to use the app.
Various download options are available for this app, marking its presence across several websites. You can download Black Screen of Life directly from the website, Google Play store, or use this link.
Summary
If you have ever wondered whether there is a way to turn off the screen simply by putting a phone face down, we have answers for you right here. You can now save your battery life with the facedown detection feature on your iPhone. However, don’t worry if you are an Android user.
While Android does not have a function to directly turn off your screen by placing your phone face down, you can use several apps. Gravity Screen and Black Screen of Life are two of the most popular apps used for this.
Facedown detection uses several of your phone’s features, like proximity, light, and gravity sensors, to function. So whether you are an Android user or an iPhone user, start using this function and save your phone’s battery life today.
