Here’s How Your Phone Uses Sensors All Day, Every Day

Android phones are complex devices, considering everything that goes into making them work as they do. Under the hood, there’s a lot of innovative technology operating behind the scenes day and night, including sensors that monitor everything from the phone’s direction and location to ambient lighting in your environment.

Sensors are in use around the clock, even when you don’t open apps that use them, and some sensors work together to provide better accuracy across the operating system. Most people use their phones without any awareness of how they work. These are the most unexpected ways your Android phone sensors are constantly used.

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8 Accelerometers track your phone’s movements

Your phone needs to detect motion for loads of features

The accelerometer and gravity sensor work hand-in-hand on your Android phone. The former tracks its motion and the effects of gravity, while the latter measures the direction and intensity of gravity. Combined, that data fuels several useful tools on your handset.

Thanks to these sensors, your phone recognizes when you turn its orientation from landscape to portrait, and adjusts the display accordingly (when you turn on the Auto-rotate screen setting). It tracks your steps in apps like Pacer and Google Fit. It also detects when you flip, tilt, or move your phone for certain system features, like Google Pixel’s Flip to Shh or Motorola’s Shake to Flashlight.

They also enable motion-controlled interactions in certain mobile apps and games, and facilitate safety features like fall detection and car crash detection on some devices.

7 A gyroscope monitors stabilization

All sorts of apps make use of the gyroscope

Source: Unsplash

Android phones’ gyroscopes measure the rotational speed of the smartphone, and often work in conjunction with other sensors like the accelerometer and magnetometer.

When you use navigation apps like Google Maps or Citymapper, your smartphone’s gyroscope points you in the right direction by telling you which way you’re facing. Another way it’s used is in the camera app. When you snap photos, it stabilizes the shot to reduce hand shakes and blur. In mobile games, the gyroscope allows you to control gameplay using the phone’s movements, like tilting it to control steering in a racing game. In augmented reality apps, the gyroscope accurately places virtual objects onto images of the real world.

6 The GPS pinpoints your location

You’ll never get lost thanks to GPS

Did you know your smartphone’s GPS works by measuring the distance between the device and orbiting satellites? There are several ways it uses that information day-to-day.

Firstly, it can pinpoint your location on a map, help you find your way to a destination, or share your location with other devices. Certain location-based services also use that data. For example, Google Search tailors your results to include local spots and personalized recommendations, and your camera app adds a location tag to your photos. Many third-party apps use the GPS, including mobile games like Pokémon Go and fitness-tracking apps like Strava and Runna.

5 A magnetometer determines orientation

This sensor is basically a compass

Your phone’s magnetometer determines its direction relative to the Earth’s magnetic field, figuring out its orientation with respect to north. It often works with other sensors, like the accelerometer and gyroscope, and is particularly useful for navigation. It’s also the driving force behind the compass app because it accurately determines which direction is north.

4 The proximity sensor knows when you’re on a phone call

It detects when you put your handset to your ear

Usually located near the front-facing camera at the top of your phone’s screen, the proximity sensor detects when you hold your device to your ear to take a call. It turns off the display while you’re on the phone, preventing accidental button presses and conserving battery life.

3 A light sensor continuously monitors your surroundings

It dims your phone screen at night and brightens it in the day

Throughout the day, your phone automatically adjusts the screen’s brightness levels. It has the light sensor to thank for that. The light sensor constantly measures the ambient lighting in your environment and alters the screen accordingly. For example, it makes it dimmer in the evening and brighter under sunlight.

The light sensor helps protect your eyes and increase readability, and it extends battery life by avoiding wasting power on an unnecessarily bright display.

2 Microphones are constantly listening out for your voice

Gemini is ready and waiting for a prompt

Android phones have built-in smart assistants that answer your questions, help you write messages, tell you about the weather forecast, and more. To access the assistant, say the wake word, such as “Hey Google,” and the assistant appears. For that to happen, your phone’s microphones must always listen for a prompt. You can manage these permissions in your phone’s Settings app if you do not want that feature switched on.

You can make use of this in other ways. For example, by enabling Voice Access. This accessibility tool allows you to control your handset hands-free, opening apps and browsing the web by voice.

1 The NFC sensor is always waiting to be activated

You can use it to make payments and transfer files

Source: Motorola

The NFC sensor is always ready to jump into action. NFC is a method of wireless communication between devices that uses radio waves to make contactless payments, quickly share data and files between devices, and pair devices with one another. Your smartphone must be within a couple of centimeters of the receiver to work, and it’s always looking for devices to connect to. This is why you need to hold your phone near a card reader or another compatible device to activate it.

There are a few ways to categorize sensors

Android phones use all sorts of sensors for all sorts of reasons. Some are motion sensors, which usually work together to create an exact picture of how and where your phone moves. These provide accurate navigation, detailed control in mobile games, precise augmented reality tools, thorough fitness tracking, and more. Others are environmental sensors, capturing information about the world around you. The ambient light sensor tracks how bright your surroundings are, the proximity sensor knows when you’re on the phone, and the GPS captures your location using satellites.

There are other sensors worth noting. The NFC sensor is useful for making payments and file transfers, but it only works when it detects a compatible receiver. The fingerprint sensor appears when you unlock the screen or access a secure app.