In one embodiment, a touch sensor controller includes a processor and a monitoring component coupled to the processor. The monitoring component is configured to perform operations comprising receiving, from an impact sensor, an output signal. The output signal is indicative of a plurality of impacts detected by the impact sensor to a surface of a housing of a device. The monitoring component is further configured to perform operations comprising initiating, based on the output signal corresponding to a predefined impact pattern, a transition of the touch sensor from a first power mode to a second power mode.