Auto Rotate Not Working on Android? Try These Fixes

Is auto rotate not working on your Android phone no matter how many times you turn your phone?

Although this is not an issue that will ruin your Android experience, it can be really frustrating when you’re trying to watch a video in landscape mode and your phone won’t rotate.

So in this guide, we’ll go over the possible reasons behind Android auto-rotate malfunction and a few easy fixes to get your Android screen to rotate again.

Now that you have caught up with the causes behind the malfunction of the auto-rotate function on Android, it is time to draw your focus on the possible fixes.  

Check this out: How to fix Samsung not registered on network

Auto-rotate is not a default feature, you need to manually enable it. So, you shouldn’t be expecting your Android screen to auto-rotate without activating it in the first place.  

Now, enabling Auto-Rotate on Android is a simple task. Just swipe down the Android Quick Settings Panel and tap on the Auto-Rotate option to enable it.

If you cannot find the Auto-Rotate option, then it is likely that the feature is disabled. So, you need to look for the Portrait option. 

Tap on the Portrait option to enable Auto-Rotate on your Android mobile.  

Well, that’s what you’re going to do. Reboot your Android device if auto-rotate isn’t working.

Hold the Power button, located at the side of your Android smartphone, and wait for the Power Menu to appear on the screen. Tap on the Restart option.    

After the device has been restarted, auto-rotate should start functioning as it was supposed to. If it is not, don’t worry. We have listed more fixes for you to check out.

What happens is that the screen gets auto-locked when it’s touched by your fingers. The same is applicable if you are doing any gestures. 

So, you need to hold the phone by its edge. None of your fingers should be touching the screen directly or even, partially.

If it’s still not working and you think that sensors are registering taps even when you are not touching the screen. You may have to recalibrate the Android sensors. 

But if you feel a calibration of the touch screen sensors is necessary, there are several 3rd party apps that make it easy to do that.

We have two recommendations, Touchscreen Calibration and Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite. Both apps are available on the Google Play Store and you can download them for free to calibrate your Android phone touchscreen sensors.    

There is no need to worry as you are just having a customization issue. If the auto-rotate feature is working on its default settings, then it won’t rotate the Voice Call or Home screen. You’ll need to enable these additional functions, manually. 

• Just tap and hold the Auto-Rotate option in the Android Quick Settings Panel.
• A new menu will appear, flip the switches to enable Home Screen and Voice Call Screen rotation. 
• After that, tap on the Done button below. There are other options as well that you can look into.

If you want to be sure about the interference of the 3rd party applications, you need to reboot the device in Safe Mode. There are specific steps involved to put an Android device in Safe Mode. Let’s check out the steps. 

1. Hold the Power button at the side of the device and wait for the Power Menu. 

2. In the Power Menu, tap and hold the Power option. 
3. As soon as the Safe Mode appears on the screen, tap on it.

The device will immediately boot into the Safe Mode. Now, you need to check whether the auto-rotate function is working or not.

If it is working properly, then you know that an app was causing the interference which was making the auto-rotate not function properly. So, in order to fix the auto-rotate feature, you need to remove those apps from your phone.

Outdated firmware could be the reason you are having this issue. And, if you haven’t installed any Android system updates recently, then there’s more likely an update waiting to be installed on your smartphone.

Now, if you are not someone who skips Android updates, then it is less likely that you will find a new update. Still, it won’t hurt to try.

1. Launch the Settings app on Android.
2. Scroll down and tap on the Software Update option. 
3. Tap on the Download and Install option.  

A search for the latest Android update will be initiated immediately. If an update is available, it will be downloaded and you will be asked to tap on the Install option. 

On the other hand, if your smartphone is already up-to-date with the latest Android version, you’ll have to wait a while for the next update.

For questions, concerns, or if you know any troubleshooting tips that should have been in this guide, please use the comment section below.