Turn on the cell phone screen by passing your hand over it

If you spend time cooking, as a mechanic or in general with the busy, wet, or dirty hands, it may be difficult or impossible for you to touch the cell phone to turn on and see the time or some notification, WhatsApp or message. Precisely for those cases it was very useful «Air Gestures»A feature that Samsung first introduced in the Galaxy S4.

If your Android phone does not have an option similar to «air gestures»From Samsung in the settings of your cell phone (things like that are usually in the« Accessibility »,« Advanced »or« Gestures »menu), there are Applications very complete to put this feature on your computer. They will allow you turn on the screen by passing your hand over it, something they achieve by reading the data from the proximity sensor on Android devices.

The proximity sensor is usually not seen, but it is usually on the upper front bezel of the cell phone, at the height of the selfie camera. During a call WITHOUT speakerphone, you can cover that area with your hand and you will see that the screen turns off. That’s the proximity sensor acting.

WaveUp is probably the best app to turn on the screen by passing your hand over the cell phone, because it is exclusively designed for that, based on the reading of the proximity sensor and is completely free. You can set the number of times you must pass your hand and you have the option to turn on the screen when taking the cell phone out of the pocket.

You can also turn off the screen automatically and block it when detecting that the proximity sensor is covered (for example, when putting the mobile in the bag), based on conditions such as the time the sensor is covered, the device orientation o la application being used.

WaveUp, like other apps of this type (including those indicated below), have to keep reading the proximity sensor to function, something that can consume significant or insignificant battery, which will depend on the cell phone. If you have a modern device, you will most likely NOT notice battery usage. Anyway you can monitor the energy use on your Android to see what your case is.

KinScreen has a broader focus, focusing on the screen on and off based on various conditions. While you can do the same as WaveUp and turn on the screen by passing your hand, the option to adjust the number of times the hand is waved before turning on the screen is only available in the paid version, for example.

Despite what has been said, the paid version costs $2.63, which allows you to unlock many conditions from KinScreen that increase the possibilities offered by WaveUp. For example, once the hand is passed, the screen will turn on depending on how long it has been off, the cell phone tilt angle a yes the off button was used. You have options or similar conditions to turn off the screen automatically.

You can also keep the screen active while you are using it or is it moving, increase screen time with one hand swipe, depending on the cell phone angle, the applications used, calls O battery charge.

The option “Lying on your back»Gravity Screen allows you to turn on the screen by passing your hand over it. If you wave your hand again or cover the proximity sensor, you will leave the screen on for a longer time.

One of the pioneering and most prominent applications to control screen on and off. And yes, with it you can also turn on the screen by passing your hand. The Difference from Gravity Screen with KinScreen or WaveUp is that you cannot configure the number of times you must pass your hand to turn it on. However, as you see in the image you have the option of extend screen power time just passing the hand again. You can even leave it active for several minutes If you cover the proximity sensor for a second and a half.

Conclution

The only downside to the previous apps is that they only turn on the screen by sliding your hand over it, useful if you want to. see the time quickly while you are working, cooking or can’t touch the phone. However, the phone will not unlock if you are using a password or lock pin. There is no app that does such a thing.

For old versions of Android, Hovering controls lit up and I unlocked the screen by passing my hand. Unfortunately it only worked if you were using the “Swipe” security to unlock and apparently no longer works on current versions of Android. If your problem is the lock screen, you can automate its unlocking if you are using the phone or depending on where you are.

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