It took Samsung months of a rigorous beta update cycles to bring out Android 8.0 Oreo, and for the majority of users, the wait seems to be worth it. But apart from bringing in a ton of new features like Picture-in-Picture mode and Notification Channels, Samsung has surprisingly gotten rid of some too.

One such discontinued feature with the Android 8.0 update seems to be the ability to keep the screen on during phone calls. It has been reported that the screen seems to turn off not just during Bluetooth calls, but even when the speaker is turned on. This doesn’t seem to be an error, but a purposeful omission by Samsung, so the only thing you can do it find a way around it.

Step 1: Use Keep Screen On app

It isn’t ideal that you have to get an app to use a basic feature like keeping the screen on during calls on your Galaxy S8. However, Keep Screen On app is a tried and tested solution that does what it promises and helps you get the feature the easy way.

  • Download Keep Screen On from the Google Play Store.
  • Grant the app usage access to run in the background and keep the screen turned on when requested.
  • Press the menu button at the bottom of the screen and select the Show system apps
  • Scroll to through the list of system apps to find Phone, and tap on all of the Phone app icons that you see to enable the feature of keeping the screen on when the apps are in use.

Step 2: Install Android Auto

The main reason it is essential for the device screen to stay turned on during phone calls is when you’re on the road. The best solution to this annoying issue on the Galaxy S8 is adopting Android Auto for your daily commute from A to B while being safe when on the phone.

Since Android Auto app is free to use and compatible with most of the modern Android devices you can put it to good use. For instance, the Google Assistant feature not only allows you to make calls and receive them hands-free but also listen and reply to text messages without moving a finger.

→ Download Android Auto

Don’t you think Samsung should simply bring back this tiny, yet essential feature back with an upcoming software update?