Android Phone Won’t Auto Rotate? Here’s What To Do

A common problem with Android devices is when your Android phone won’t auto-rotate when you turn your phone sideways. Although there are numerous Android device manufacturers like Samsung, Google, Huawei, and others, this article’s steps will help you fix this screen rotation problem.

Reasons Why Your Android Phone Won’t Auto Rotate

If you are having auto-rotate issues with your Samsung Galaxy or another Android phone, there are several causes.

Some possible reasons why your phone won’t auto-rotate include:

• The auto-rotate option is turned off or not working
• The screen you’re using isn’t set to rotate automatically
• Recent apps are interfering with the auto-rotate function
• Your Android phone needs a  software update
• Your device’s G-sensor or accelerometer is faulty

Solutions to your Android auto-rotate issues

1. Enable the auto-rotate feature. This option is usually in your phone’s settings. Look for the icon of the phone with arrows around it. If it’s highlighted in blue, your auto-rotate feature is enabled. If not, tap the icon to enable it.
2. Don’t touch the screen while rotating it. Since smartphones are operated using a touchscreen, touching your phone’s screen will register as a touch gesture, and your auto-rotate feature won’t work.
3. Restart your smartphone. It might sound cliche, but restarting your phone can help you fix auto-rotate issues. When you restart your Android device, your device’s memory clears out and can fix slow performance and problems with auto-rotate settings. Please note: this should not be a hard device reset. Just turn your smartphone off, then turn it on again.
4. Update your Android phone. If you still can’t rotate the screen on your Android phone, you may need to do a software update. Often, these updates contain critical fixes to bugs and issues affecting your device, including problems with your phone’s G sensor or screen orientation.
5. Enable Home screen rotation. If you’re still unsuccessful when trying to rotate the screen, go to your phone’s settings and enable the Home screen, Lock screen, and Voice call screen in your rotation settings. While this may seem obvious, adjusting these auto-rotate settings on your Android phone can be a quick fix.
6. Calibrate your phone sensors. If the sensors for your phone’s accelerometer and G-sensor are malfunctioning, your phone may not respond to your movements when you rotate your device.
7. Uninstall any recently installed apps. Recent apps are another culprit to check when you’re having trouble with your Android’s apps orientation layout. Often, buggy apps can affect your phone’s rotating mode (portrait or landscape or software sensors like its G sensor or accelerometer.
8. Double-check your in-app rotation settings. Apps like Photos have their own specific rotation settings. If you enable auto-rotate settings in your Android phone’s main settings but are still having trouble with auto-rotate,  check the app-specific settings.
9. Take your phone into a repair shop. If you are still unable to rotate your home screen or desired screen, take your phone to a reputable local repair shop like ScreenWorks. Whether you have a Samsung Galaxy or another type of Android phone, our smartphone experts will get your phone’s auto-rotate feature working so you can use the portrait or landscape mode.