How to test your Android phone's speakers, sensors and buttons
Check that a phone's speakers, sensors and buttons work, with the maker's own diagnostics or Applore's free Hardware Test.
Short answer
Before you start
- A quiet room, so you can hear the loudspeaker and earpiece.
- Remove a thick case if it covers the sensors near the top of the screen.
- Set up a fingerprint in the phone’s settings if you want to test the fingerprint sensor.
- Turn the volume up. Allow Bluetooth permission if Applore asks.
Steps without Applore
Some phone makers include their own diagnostics.
- Samsung Galaxy: open the Samsung Members app, tap Support, then Phone diagnostics, and tap Test all or a single test. Samsung states that you must verify your Samsung account to use it. [1]
- Other makers: look in Settings for a support, diagnostics or “phone care” section, or in the maker’s support app. What is offered, and where, varies by manufacturer.
Steps with Applore
- Open Applore. On the Home tab, scroll to Device Information and tap Hardware Test.
- Tap a test in the grid. Each test switches something on or asks you to do one thing.
- Watch or listen, then tap Pass if it worked or Fail if it did not.
- You return to the grid, where the test shows a pass or fail badge. Repeat for the other tests.
- Write down or screenshot the results. The badges can reset when you open Hardware Test again.
The ten tests
| Test | What to do |
|---|---|
| Flashlight | Check that the torch lights up. |
| Loudspeaker | Listen for sound from the main speaker. |
| Ear Speaker | Hold the phone to your ear and listen to the earpiece. |
| Ear Proximity | Cover the top of the screen with your hand; the screen colour changes. |
| Light Sensor | Move the phone between light and shade; the reading changes. |
| Vibration | Feel the phone vibrate for a few seconds. |
| Bluetooth | Check that Bluetooth switches on. |
| Fingerprint | Touch the sensor with a finger you have set up. |
| Volume Up | Press the volume up button. |
| Volume Down | Press the volume down button. |
If a phone has no flash or no light sensor, Applore tells you it is not available. For more detail, Device Information lists the phone’s hardware, sensors, battery, storage and cameras. Applore Free shows ads outside the safety screens, including here.
Common problems
The proximity test fails with a screen protector
Some screen protectors and cases cover the proximity sensor near the earpiece. Remove the case, clean the top of the screen and try again before you mark it as failed.
The Bluetooth test fails
Allow Applore’s Bluetooth (nearby devices) permission if Android asks, and check that Airplane mode is off.
The fingerprint test says there is no fingerprint
Add a fingerprint in Settings › Security first. Menu names vary by manufacturer. Without an enrolled fingerprint, the test cannot run.
The loudspeaker is quiet
Turn the media volume up and check that the phone is not connected to Bluetooth headphones.
What stays private
The tests run on your phone, and the results are stored on your phone. The Hardware Test does not upload recordings, sensor readings or results.
Next steps
- Buying a second-hand phone? Use the checklist for testing a used Android phone.
- See what else is in device information and Hardware Test.
Questions
Does Applore test the display?
No. Applore's Hardware Test has no screen or touch test. It covers the flashlight, loudspeaker, earpiece, ear proximity sensor, light sensor, vibration, Bluetooth, fingerprint sensor and both volume buttons. To check a screen, look at a plain white and a plain black image for marks or dead pixels, and drag an app icon slowly across the whole screen.
Are the tests automatic?
No. Each test switches something on, such as the flashlight, a sound or vibration, or waits for you to press a button or cover a sensor. You decide whether it worked and tap Pass or Fail. That keeps the result honest, but it means you need to watch and listen during each test.
Sources
- How to use Samsung Members Diagnostics, Samsung Singapore. Checked 2026-09-15.