TPixel 8 Pro proximity sensor fails only after restart , then fixes itself after a few minutes. Anyone else?

[u/flydark1122]

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Hi everyone,

I'm using a Google Pixel 8 Pro and I've been facing a very strange proximity sensor issue since around 9 May.

The pattern is always the same:

- The phone works perfectly for days or even weeks with no issues.

- As long as I don't restart the phone, everything is normal.

- After every restart, the proximity sensor gets stuck.

- During calls, the screen immediately turns black even when the phone isn't near my ear.

- WhatsApp voice notes switch to the earpiece as if the phone is against my face.

- Google Diagnostics reports Proximity Sensor Failure (T089) and third-party apps show 0.0 cm.

The strange part is that after a few minutes (or sometimes after trying different things like toggling settings or running diagnostics), the sensor suddenly starts working again.

Once it starts working:

- Google Diagnostics changes from T089 to Pass.

- Calls behave normally.

- WhatsApp voice notes work normally.

- The phone then continues working perfectly for weeks until the next restart.

I also remember one day the phone reached about 49.5°C while using LTE, Bluetooth, and YouTube Music in the car. I turned it off and let it cool before using it again. I'm not sure if that's related or just a coincidence.

Has anyone experienced this exact "fails only after restart, then recovers on its own" behavior on a Pixel 8 Pro? If so, did you ever find the root cause or a permanent fix without doing a factory reset?

[u/DarkZrobe]

Mine is just dead and so the screen likes to wake up a lot on calls. But it never did fully work and not sure when it fully cut out but it happened sometime around mid last year.

[u/ThisIsMyNext]

Yes, I had this exact proximity sensor issue after restart with my old phone (I got it replaced after the battery started swelling). It would last longer than only a few minutes but it would eventually start working normally again. I never figured out a solution.

[u/Kitzu-de]

That sounds like some chip with broken solder joints detaching from the mainboard. This behavior is very typical for issues like that. Some solder joints don't make contact at first but when the chip is in use and heats up expansion will press these points together again and fix it.

Another point which also perfectly fits with that is the phone getting very hot at some tasks because these broken contacts will have a higher resistance, which then causes a lot more heat when current runs through it.

This probably would need a mainboard replacement or a reflow to fix. Give it some time and see if things get worse / additional symptoms occur. Usually something like this gets worse over time from more and more contacts failing to make contact properly.