Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a novel solution which leverages peripheral resources used during the performance of system wake events to detect the presence of gesture input provided by a user during power saving operations (e.g., sleep modes). During the occurrence of a system wake event, embodiments of the present invention utilize proximity detection capabilities of the mobile device to determine if a user is within a detectable distance of the device to provide possible gesture input. When a positive detection comes in, embodiments of the present invention may use the light intensity (e.g., brightness level) measuring capabilities of the mobile device to further determine whether the user is attempting to engage the device to provide gesture input or if the device was unintentionally engaged.