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Capacitive Button Backlight

do any of you guys experience the issue where the capacitive buttons dont light up when theyre supposed to ? which is almost.... always ?
one really annoying thing for me :|

Yes, you're not the only one to have this but It's very intermittent for me.
Sent from my HTC Desire S using XDA App

In my brief time with the DS, the buttons lit up just once. In anything other than full light, they were useless.
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using XDA App

well tbh i dont have DS ...yet. im thinking if i should buy this or incredible S :| had optimus 2x in mind.... but its got issues lol.
any1 tried to play dungeon defenders on this phone ? if so ,does it work smoothly enough ? and btw, hows the loudspeaker ? good quality or still crappy -.- ?

My experience is that buttons backlighting simply doesn't work. Sometimes they light up (no matter if environment is dark or bright) but most of the time they don't. Completely sporadic behavior. Makes it difficult to use device in the dark. Engadget has highlighted this problem in their review of Desire S http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/10/htc-desire-s-review/

hm... looks like it works for me okay

Swapped the DS for an Incredible S, backlit buttons work perfectly. So suspect DS software issue?
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using XDA App

I haven't noticed any problems either, they are lit when they are supposed to.
Sent from my HTC Desire S using XDA Premium App

No problems here
Sent from my HTC Desire S using XDA App

xilw3r said:
do any of you guys experience the issue where the capacitive buttons dont light up when theyre supposed to ?|
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Works fine here.

Seems ok here.

Very bizarre - got rid of the DS after a day mostly for the wifi issue, but to a degree also because I could not see the buttons in anything other than full light! They literally came on once and that was when I connected it with my PC.
How can that be so when other folks don't have that issue. Different software versions?

Everything ok here.
DS S-OFF with superuser and BusyBox installed. (ROOT)
Maybe a hard reset would had helped.

There are well reported software issues with the buttons, basically the phone detects the background ambient light levels and decides whether our not to light up the buttons
Sometimes in a dark room the presence of a bright light source such as a window or a bright Tv stop them from lighting
unfortunately there us nothing we can do.
Although considering that the buttons don't change positions I always know where they are and which one is which so I can't see what the real problem is?
Sent from my HTC Desire S using XDA App

Ive had to get used to guessing where the buttons are as well.
As an aside you can force them on by putting your thumb over the front camera.
Not a solution but useful when your stuck.
Gordon

gordonendersby said:
As an aside you can force them on by putting your thumb over the front camera.
Gordon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Covering front camera doesn't help in my case IE buttons don't light up.

if you cover sensors on the top left of the screen (one cm to the left from HTC logo) the light should turn on after 2-3 seconds.

Its not the front camera that performs the light sensing it's another sensor thats located on the front face of the phone just to the left of the word hTC under the glass.
you can test this by covering the top left of your phone with your left finger/thumb and after 2-3 seconds the buttons should light up.
edit: sorry just realised that I said same as post above.
Sent from my HTC Desire S using XDA App

funny htc with all their adjustments ...

Haven't had any probe.. work on light sensor,so if there's light shining on phone then won't work,if in dim lit room then they light up..
Sent from my 7 Mozart using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

[Q] Dresire S - Proximity Sensor Problem

Got a brand new DS couple of days back and....right from opening the box..the first call..proximity sensor is playing up. Most times i have to pull out the battery to end the call.
Tried the following with no result
1) Installed DHD Proximity re-calibrator
2) Factory reset
3) Installed Vitrous Unity 1.27
4) Back to factory rom, blew hard between ear piece and sensors
5) Removed screen protector and tested
I have S- Off and really dont want to go through the pain of visiting HTC. Would greatly appreciate some help here ...as always !

did you press the back button in between the call?
this has happened to me on stock rom only if i press the back button during the call
i haven't tried it on LBC rom yet

sujitht said:
Got a brand new DS couple of days back and....right from opening the box..the first call..proximity sensor is playing up. Most times i have to pull out the battery to end the call.
Tried the following with no result
1) Installed DHD Proximity re-calibrator
2) Factory reset
3) Installed Vitrous Unity 1.27
4) Back to factory rom, blew hard between ear piece and sensors
5) Removed screen protector and tested
I have S- Off and really dont want to go through the pain of visiting HTC. Would greatly appreciate some help here ...as always !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed that only half the proximity sensor is visible, the other half is covered by what appears like black plastic part. Is this how it is supposed to be?

My proximity sensor is completely visible.

No..i haven't pressed the back button.

mikeyd85 said:
My proximity sensor is completely visible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it the left sensor of the two sensors?

I have exactly the same problem. The issue seems to be that Desire S proximity sensor active distance is 9cm, when on my older Desire ir is only 1cm.
When working with some Proximity sensor tools, I have discovered, that you need to put your phone like 25cm (have no idea, how many inches) away from any obstacle in 30degree radius. If that is followed, I haven't been able to recreate a battery pull ocasion of sensor failure. However in real life talking, it is impossible to guarantee.
That there must be some sensor configuration possibilities, so that we could decrease sensibility to minimum distance. Such change should solve this sensor bug, as it would be normal operation distance.
Maybe some dev knows, how to play with proximity sensor?

Yeah, I have had this problem a long time with this phone didn't happen that much at first then it became more and more apparent.

Found the problem and solution, it lies with the screen protector, yes it might be transparent but the sensor detects it. Using a sensor testing app from the market it suggested the sensor was covered almost all the time.
So the solution was replace the protector with new one but cut an arc at the top just big enough around the sensor at the top left, easy fix now in call screen is more responsive.
Sent from my HTC Desire S using XDA Premium App

Totaly plausable question,but where is the sensor?

bleach1 said:
Totaly plausable question,but where is the sensor?
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Click to collapse
Top left of the screen in opposite place to led, if you tily screen under light you should see the sensor reflect back at you
Sent from my HTC Desire S using XDA Premium App

Thanks will adapt my screen protector
Sent from my HTC Desire S using XDA Premium App

Proximity sensor
I've been having the same issue. I gave my DS to the HTC workshop and they said it was faulty hardware. They will be replacing the system board since the sensor is soldered to it (under waranty).
Before sending it in, I tried a few roms and hacks but it was never resolved. I recommend you visit your local HTC warranty center.

I have the same problem with the proximity. I installed an app called Anyunlock which seems to have solved the problem. It seems to be able to wake it when the screen turns off after a call. The app allows you to unlock with the volume key and replaces the lock screen with its own. I hope this keeps working

[Q] Backlit buttons not working correctly

Ok,
So my home row buttons (Menu, Home, Back, Search) do not light up as they should! if the room is dark they will not work at all! and ive never seen them work in a dark room! However every day in the late afternoon when im in my living room and the phone is charging they will just light up! (at first i though it was a refection or just ambient light in the room so i grabbed the phone and ran into my closet and WOW they light up!) so i figured it was something with my settings so i reset my phone to new and still same problem, then said WTH and rooted and updated to 2.3.4 (best thing ive done with it so far!) and have the exact same problem... So then i decided to try another charge (brand new out of the box 1 day old!) and the lights will do the same and light up when its moderately light in the room but then they wont turn off...
So a chat with samsung and they tell me that these phones dont have that feature! so off to verizon and lets test a few more devices!!! and what? at some point they lit up also in inappropriate lighting conditions, so after puzzled VZW people i consult samsung again and they tell me yet again that the featured isnt offered on this phone, so my guess is that its a software flaw?
any ideas?
anyone having lighting issues?
thanks

Wow, that's a lot of exclamation points. I don't know what you're talking about, mine work fine
Sent from my Droid Charge running Humble 1.4

Pictures
Here are 2 pictures that show what im talking about, i will try to get a few more

Odd, works fine for me. Is it possible that you have a screen protector covering your light sensor? In the day time the back lights are off, then if I cover the light sensor they come right on.

mtmcghee said:
Ok,
So my home row buttons (Menu, Home, Back, Search) do not light up as they should! if the room is dark they will not work at all! and ive never seen them work in a dark room! However every day in the late afternoon when im in my living room and the phone is charging they will just light up! (at first i though it was a refection or just ambient light in the room so i grabbed the phone and ran into my closet and WOW they light up!) so i figured it was something with my settings so i reset my phone to new and still same problem, then said WTH and rooted and updated to 2.3.4 (best thing ive done with it so far!) and have the exact same problem... So then i decided to try another charge (brand new out of the box 1 day old!) and the lights will do the same and light up when its moderately light in the room but then they wont turn off...
So a chat with samsung and they tell me that these phones dont have that feature! so off to verizon and lets test a few more devices!!! and what? at some point they lit up also in inappropriate lighting conditions, so after puzzled VZW people i consult samsung again and they tell me yet again that the featured isnt offered on this phone, so my guess is that its a software flaw?
any ideas?
anyone having lighting issues?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The light sensors (which controls auto brightness and the backlights on the hardkey) is broken in the kernel for Gingerbread..
If this is a huge issue for you you might want to consider going back to Froyo

kejar31 said:
The light sensors (which controls auto brightness and the backlights on the hardkey) is broken in the kernel for Gingerbread..
If this is a huge issue for you you might want to consider going back to Froyo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But he said it happened with the new phone and the verizon display one...?
Sent from my Droid Charge running Humble 1.42

It might even be broken on the stock Froyo. All the people who said it's working fine for them right now are running custom ROMs, kernels, firmwares and all that jazz. Maybe it was fixed through one of these custom updates. I dunno.

I just got a brand new Charge (thanks to the Fascinate swap program).
The bottom buttons do not light up. This is fresh out of the box.
I also do not see any way in which they would light up - the icons appear to be painted on to the physical buttons. No underlay for LED backlight.. but I suppose there is one if custom ROMs allow for it.
Which I will know shortly

reply
blarrick said:
Odd, works fine for me. Is it possible that you have a screen protector covering your light sensor? In the day time the back lights are off, then if I cover the light sensor they come right on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there is no screen protector or case on either of the phones, and both phones were cleaned well to make sure nothing was hindering the sensors.
[/QUOTE]The light sensors (which controls auto brightness and the backlights on the hardkey) is broken in the kernel for Gingerbread..
If this is a huge issue for you you might want to consider going back to Froyo[/QUOTE]
The problem is not only to the one that is rooted and flashed but also happens to the 2 at verizon that i inspected (brand new out of the box) and the 2nd one that i have that is also brand new with no mods
[/QUOTE]It might even be broken on the stock Froyo. All the people who said it's working fine for them right now are running custom ROMs, kernels, firmwares and all that jazz. Maybe it was fixed through one of these custom updates. I dunno.[/QUOTE]
I think that the kernel for this phone was just snatched and quickly edited (by samsung) from another product and this is one thing that they havent been able to fix and figure out, because the woman at samsung told me
(Ruby: As your phone has physical keypads, there is no light feature available for keys.
Visitor: the small row of buttons (4 to be exact) at the bottom of the phone should be back lit in low light situations, however they occasionally light up but only in moderately to brightly light rooms
Ruby: I am sorry, there is no feature available on your phone.
Visitor: im sorry but i can prove that this phone does have back lit keys
Ruby: I am sorry, your phone home key rows do not have light option)
but we all know that the button do actually have a lighting option and samsung is just trying to delete the function but isnt 100% successful..

I don't know what to say, they work properly for me. This includes when I was fully stock EE4, as well as now (deodexed, rooted ROM, PBJ kernel, voodoo enabled).

droid charge doesnt have backilights in the keys.. wth are you all talking about... no wait there they are! barely. what th! where did they go again?

Stock froyo from the factory... Daylight = button lights off; sensor covered (night) = button lights on.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App

[Q] capacitive button lights

I just got my phone back from a phone reaire store because my screen was cracked but i have noticed that the home menu back and search buttons are very dim and you almost cannot see the lights even in a dark room,what could the problem be? maybe led slid a little bit after they reassemled it?How can i fix it? I have had to bring it back to the store # times and they gave me my money back and the screen is fixed but would like this problem resolved?

If I recall, the lights are actually on the capacitance buttons. Could be a defective overlay on the screen, adhesive misplaced when removing or installing the new screen, or I guess they could be failing. You would have to tear it back apart to see what the issue actually is.

Okay thanks for your reply...I already know where the buttons are so I think I will just leave them
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using XDA App

[Q] Soft key backlight?

The lights for my three softkeys don't always turn on, unless i cover the front cam/light sensor with my finger. any way to fix this so that the backlight turns on when i'm using the phone?

usmelllikecheez said:
The lights for my three softkeys don't always turn on, unless i cover the front cam/light sensor with my finger. any way to fix this so that the backlight turns on when i'm using the phone?
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Click to collapse
its automatic with light sensor

yeah, i get that...
but, i'm sitting in complete darkness right now, and the soft key lights aren't coming on. the only way it does is if i cover the front camera with my finger.
does that mean it's faulty? or is there something i can do to make the lights come on when they're supposed to?

Mine are hit or miss. Most of the time I find myself covering the sensor like you said. Didn't see an option to adjust sensitivity or anything. Pretty lame.

I noticed this too. They should make settings option to be selected by user...miss the perfection of the NEXUS one

usmelllikecheez said:
yeah, i get that...
but, i'm sitting in complete darkness right now, and the soft key lights aren't coming on. the only way it does is if i cover the front camera with my finger.
does that mean it's faulty? or is there something i can do to make the lights come on when they're supposed to?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it is faulty, my key light is on whenever the surrounding light condition is poor. Don't think there is a setting for this but I might miss something here.
Bottom line, if you fully checked the setting cannot find anything, just exchange it.

Mine also seem to be inconsistent. Sometimes they come on immediately (like they should), sometimes I have to open an app, and sometimes they won't come on at all.
One wacky theory that I have is that the sensor is getting tricked by the reflection of the screen from my glasses. It may be in my head, but I feel like the issue comes up less when I am wearing contacts.

Maybe a solution
Have you tried this one? I did on my cm9-ed U8160, maybe it works on your devices too.

Mine are perfect, never have to cover the proximity sensor. Probably just a thing with different batches of devices. Got mine early summer around June.
Sent from my HTC VLE_U using xda app-developers app