safari landscape mode not working

iPhone Screen Not Rotating to Landscape Mode? Here's How to Fix It

Can't put your iPhone in landscape mode despite rotating? Follow these troubleshooting steps and workarounds to fix the issue.

Most of us have been frustrated by how our phones handle auto-rotation at some point. Occasionally, your iPhone might not recognize that you've rotated it, leaving you with a less-than-optimal viewing experience.

If you're turning your iPhone and it's not going into landscape mode, there are several possible issues that we will go over. You might also want to know whether it's possible to force your iPhone into landscape mode, as you can do this with some iPhones but not others. So, let's get started.

Troubleshooting iPhone Landscape Mode Problems

Remember, although all the methods below will let you change the screen orientation on an iPhone, your phone should theoretically adjust itself whenever you physically rotate it. If it doesn't, here are a few troubleshooting tips to try:

1. Check the Portrait Orientation Lock

Are you sure that you haven't accidentally enabled the Portrait Orientation Lock? You'll find this toggle in the Control Center, which many iPhone users accidentally enable but realize much later when landscape mode isn't working.

On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access it. On an iPhone without a Home button, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen instead.

Here, tap on the Portrait Orientation Lock toggle (which looks like a lock with a circular arrow) to turn it on or off. The lock will remain in place until you disable it again.

2. Toggle Display Zoom

As we already mentioned, owners of an iPhone 6 Plus, 6S Plus, 7 Plus, or 8 Plus can rotate their Home Screen. If you have one of these models and it's not rotating, the Display Zoom feature might be to blame. To disable Display Zoom, follow the steps below:

• Open the Settings app.
• Go to Display and Brightness .
• Scroll down to Display Zoom .
• Go to View > Default .

Force Landscape Mode Using AssistiveTouch

You can use AssistiveTouch, an iOS feature that comes in handy when your iPhone's Home button isn't working , to force rotate your iPhone's screen into landscape mode, even if you're using the device in portrait mode. This is the only built-in way to force-rotate your iPhone screen.

To use AssistiveTouch, you first need to activate it in your iPhone's Settings:

• Go to Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch .
• Make sure the toggle at the top of the screen is in the On position.
• Tap one of the three options ( Single Tap , Double Tap , or Long Press ) and set it to Open Menu .
• Return to your iPhone's Home Screen.

You should now see a new floating Home button on the screen. Perform whichever action you set to Open Menu in the above steps, then go to Device > Rotate Screen . You can force-rotate left, right, or upside down.

If you're concerned about the new onscreen icon being distracting, don't worry. It will fade when not in use, and you can tap and drag it to move it around your screen. In case you're new to AssistiveTouch, you may want to learn how to use the virtual iPhone Home button .

Unfortunately, if you force iOS into landscape mode and then move your phone, the landscape setting will be overridden. So, you'll have to use this option each time it resets.

The force rotate feature will not work on apps that do not support landscape view. Only the iPhone 6 Plus, 6S Plus, 7 Plus, and 8 Plus can rotate the iOS Home Screen. Therefore, there's no possibility of a landscape Home Screen on iPhone X or later, likely due to the Face ID camera position.

Use a Video Rotation App

One of the main reasons people want to rotate the screen on their iPhones is to watch videos in the correct format. Of course, videos are naturally better in landscape mode, but the nature of smartphones means many people record their videos in portrait instead.

It's easy to rotate videos from the Edit option in the Photos app on your iPhone. But not everyone keeps their videos in this app. Thankfully, some third-party apps on the App Store allow you to rotate your iPhone videos from portrait to landscape and vice-versa. One of the best video rotation apps on iOS is Video Rotate + Flip. It's free to use with ads, which you can remove with a one-time fee of .99 cents.

Once you've converted your video from portrait to landscape in the app, it will export a copy to your iPhone's Camera Roll. You can force-rotate videos of any length, and the app does not leave watermarks. It also works with videos in your Files app or those you download from Google Drive.

Lastly, because the videos get rotated at the frame level, the output is compatible with all video players on your Mac or Windows PC. Since these videos are saved to your Photos app, you can access them from iCloud.

Download: Video Rotate + Flip (Free, premium version available)

Is Your iPhone's Accelerometer Broken?

If you've checked all the solutions above but still can't rotate your iPhone into landscape mode, it's possible your iPhone has a broken accelerometer. The accelerometer is what tells your device that it's been rotated and then rotates the screen to match.

The best way to check if your accelerometer is broken is to open an app that rotates like Notes and rotate it. If that doesn't switch to landscape mode as it should, and Rotation Lock is off, then you might have an accelerometer issue.

It's a possibility if you've eliminated every other probable cause. If you suspect this, you can make an Apple Store appointment at a Genius Bar to get it handled by experts. However, if you don't have an Apple Store nearby, you'll have to take your device to an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

If your iPhone is covered by Apple's one-year limited warranty or you pay for AppleCare+ , you can get its accelerometer repaired for free.

Is There Any Other Way to Rotate Your iPhone Screen?

Unfortunately, there is no other way to rotate your iPhone screen into landscape mode. This is Apple's choice, as it discontinued landscape mode on several devices.

Because of this, many apps won't support rotating screens either. While some do, if you're trying to rotate the screen in an app and it's not rotating, the app most likely doesn't support it.

While some potential fixes exist, like removing the Portrait Orientation Lock and using Assistive Touch, if you've tried all the methods here and your screen isn't rotating, a broken accelerometer might be the culprit.

How-To Geek

My iphone or ipad screen won't rotate. how do i fix it.

Is your iPhone stuck in portrait orientation?

Quick Links

Turn off orientation lock on iphone, turn off rotation lock on ipad, restart the app, restart the iphone or ipad, reset all settings, key takeaways.

• Swipe down from the top-right corner of the iPhone or iPad screen to open the Control Center, then tap the lock icon to allow for screen rotation.
• If the screen is stuck in portrait or landscape orientation, disable the Portrait Orientation Lock by tapping on the lock icon in the Control Center.
• If disabling the lock doesn't work, restart the app or restart the iPhone or iPad to see if that solves the issue.

The iPhone and the iPad screen rotates almost seamlessly based on how you're holding it. But if your display is stuck in portrait or landscape orientation, here are a couple of ways to fix it.

If your iPhone display is stuck in portrait and won't rotate to landscape even when you hold your handset sideways, the Portrait Orientation Lock might be the culprit. Fortunately, we can quickly disable this lock from the iOS Control Center.

If you're using an iPhone X-style device with a notch, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to reveal the Control Center.

If you're using an iPhone 8 or earlier device with a physical Home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to reveal the Control Center.

In the Control Center, spot the icon that looks like a lock with a circle around it. If the Portrait Orientation Lock is enabled, this icon will be shown with a white background. Tap on the "Portrait Orientation Lock" button to disable it.

You'll see a "Portrait Orientation Lock: Off" message at the top of the Control Center.

Now, when you turn your iPhone sideways, your iOS device should switch to the landscape format.

Unlike an iPhone, the iPad can be locked in both the landscape and portrait orientation. This is why the feature is called Rotation Lock on the iPad.

To turn off the Rotation Lock on the iPad, we will use the same method described above. Keep in mind that the process for accessing Control Center on the iPad differs based on the iOS (or iPadOS) version.

If you're using iOS 12, iPadOS 13, or newer, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen.

If you're using iOS 11, double-click the Home button to reveal the App Switcher and the Control Center area on the right. If you're using iOS 10 and earlier, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

Now, tap on the "Rotation Lock" button (the button has a lock icon with a circle around it) to toggle the rotation lock. Again, the button will be shown with a white background when enabled and a "Rotation Lock: Off" message will be displayed when disabled.

If you've disabled Orientation or Rotation Lock, and you're still facing the same issue, the next thing to check is the app you're using.

If the app in question is stuck or has crashed , you should quit and restart the app. To do this, you'll first need to access the App Switcher on your iPhone or iPad.

If you're using one of the newer iPhones or iPads without the Home button, swipe up from the Home bar and hold a second to reveal the App Switcher. If your iPhone or iPad has a Home button, double-click it.

Now, locate the app you want to quit and then swipe up on the preview.

Locate the app from the Home screen and open it again. If the issue was with the app, you should now be able to rotate the iPhone or iPad screen.

If the issue persists across multiple apps, it might be a bug with the iPhone or the iPad. Usually, a simple reboot takes care of such problems.

On your iPhone or iPad with the software Home bar, press and hold the "Volume Up" or "Volume Down" along with the "Side button" to bring up the "Slide to Power Off" menu.

iPhones and iPads with a physical Home button allow you to view the power menu by pressing and holding the "Sleep/Wake button." Swipe your finger on the "Slide to Power Off" slider to turn off the device.

Then, press the "Sleep/Wake button" or the "Side button" to turn on the iOS or iPadOS device. While you're at it, you might want to try force restarting your iPhone to see if it fixes the issue.

Once the iPhone or iPad reboots, the issue should (hopefully) be fixed.

If the issue persists, you can try resetting iOS or iPadOS settings as a second-to-last resort. The last resort is resetting the iPhone or the iPad itself .

By resetting all settings, you'll be resetting things like Wi-Fi connections and network settings. This is also an excellent way to take care of some quirks and unidentifiable iOS or iPadOS bugs---one of which is the rotation lock issue.

Open the Settings app and go to General > Reset.

Here, tap on "Reset All Settings."

From the next screen, enter your device passcode to confirm resetting all settings. Once your iPhone or iPad reboots, your screen rotation issue should be fixed.

If not, you can use the last resort we mentioned above. From the "Reset" menu, tap on "Erase All Content and Settings" to get started. When we say last resort, we really mean it. Using this option will erase all your personal data and apps. Don't take this step without making a backup first .

If your tech isn't limited to just iPhone, fixing a screen that won't rotate on Android is also easy.

• Accessories
• Meet the team
• Advertise with us
• Privacy Policy

iPhone rotation enables you to watch a video on full screen, use the device comfortably in bed, enable more options (like in the Calculator app), etc. If your iPhone screen is not rotating according to how you hold the device, here are the sure-shot solutions to fix this issue. Take a look.

• Turn off portrait orientation lock on iPhone
• Not all apps are designed to work in landscape mode!
• Force quit the iOS app
• Restart your iPhone
• Turn off display zoom view
• Reset all iPhone settings
• Did you drop your iPhone and broke its accelerometer?

1. Turn off portrait orientation lock on iPhone

This is the first thing to ensure the iPhone screen rotates. When portrait orientation lock is enabled, your iPhone screen will stay in portrait mode and not rotate to landscape mode (except in certain apps like YouTube with their additional rotating mechanism).

To turn off the screen rotation lock, follow the steps below.

• On iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top right of the screen.
• On iPhone with a front Home button, double-press it.
• Is the rotation lock icon red ? If yes, tap it to turn off the lock and enable free screen rotation.

2. Not all apps are designed to work in landscape mode!

Every app does not rotate. This includes Apple as well as third-party apps downloaded from the App Store.

For example, on my iPhone 11, inbuilt apps like Phone, Music, App Store, Weather, Reminder, Health, etc., do not rotate. But iMovie, Settings, Contacts, Safari, Messages, Calendar, Files, etc., rotate freely.

Interestingly, a few apps like Books do not rotate when you are inside them navigating the catalogs, etc. But when you are reading a book, the screen rotates.

The elements (buttons, options) in FaceTime do not rotate. But when you are on a call, the actual video rotates.

In the Camera app, the icons for switching cameras, flash, and photo thumbnail slightly rotate while the rest of the options stay as they are.

Let us now talk about third-party apps. WhatsApp, Gmail, Twitter, and more rotate into landscape mode. But my favorite payment app – Paytm, Microsoft Authenticator, Instagram, etc., do not rotate.

Thus, we can infer that there is no fixed rule for app rotation. It depends on the app developer if they allow you to rotate the screen or not.

Now, let us talk about Home Screen rotation. You can rotate the iPhone Home screen into landscape mode on Plus and Max models (like iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 12 Pro Max, etc.). But on the smaller models (like my iPhone 11 despite having a huge 6-inch screen or my tiny iPhone 6s), the Home Screen does not rotate.

Additionally, some apps like Settings rotate on my big iPhone 11 but not on the smaller iPhone 6s.

Conclusion : Screen rotation depends on the app and the iPhone model you are using. In general, most apps allow rotation. To check if screen rotation is working perfectly or not, open the Safari app (it is known to rotate on all iPhone models). Now, turn your iPhone. If it rotates, everything is ok.

3. Force quit the iOS app

Even after following the above solutions, iPhone screen rotation is not working? In this case, force quit the app and start afresh.

• On iPhone with a Home button , double-press it.
• Drag up the card of the app that does not rotate.

4. Restart your iPhone

This has helped me in the past to fix minor issues like iPhone not rotating the screen. To restart your iPhone , turn it off like you usually do. After a minute, switch it on. The problem of the iPhone screen not rotating will be resolved!

Tip : If your iPhone is not updated, ensure you download and install the latest available version of iOS .

5. Turn off display zoom view

Do you use zoomed display settings? If yes, certain apps won’t rotate unless you set the screen settings to standard. For example, on my iPhone 11, the Settings app screen won’t rotate when using the zoomed view. But other apps like Safari etc., rotate.

In short, to ensure that all compatible apps rotate freely, follow the steps below to turn off display zoom.

• Open iPhone Settings and tap Display & Brightness .
• Scroll to the bottom and tap View .
• Tap Standard .
• Tap Set → Use Standard .

6. Reset all iPhone settings

Did none of the solutions above help? In this case, go ahead and reset all iPhone settings. Once it completes, your iPhone screen should rotate flawlessly.

Note : Resetting all settings won’t delete personal photos, apps, music, videos, app data, and things like these. However, all settings you have ever added or changed will fall back to the default state. This includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, VPN, notification, keyboard, etc.

• Open iPhone Settings and tap General .
• Tap Reset from the bottom.
• Tap Reset All Settings and proceed.

7. Did you drop your iPhone and broke its accelerometer?

You followed all the above fixes, and still no luck! Do you remember dropping your iPhone recently on a hard surface? If yes, the problem may not be limited to software (else, the above fixes would have helped). It is possible that your iPhone’s accelerometer – the sensor that reads your physical device rotation, may have been broken. To correct this, contact Apple support and schedule an appointment at the nearest Apple Store or authorized service center.

I hope you were able to fix the screen rotation problem on your iPhone. It isn’t a big issue unless it’s a hardware problem. If you still have some queries, share them in the comments below.

More interesting posts for you:

• How to change or lock screen orientation on iPhone or iPad
• How to rotate a video on iPhone and iPad
• Steps to change app icons on iPhone Home Screen
• Proximity sensor not working on iPhone? How to fix it

Mahit is an engineer by Education with a corporate stint to his name. He ditched the corporate boardroom wars in favor of the technology battleground. For the better part of a decade, he has worked for popular publishing outlets, including Dennis Publishing, BGR India, AppStorm, MakeUseOf, and iPhonehacks.

View all posts

🗣️ Our site is supported by our readers like you. When you purchase through our links, we earn a small commission. Read Disclaimer .

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related Articles

How to stop “verification required” when installing free apps, how to make a voice memo a ringtone on iphone (2024 guide), how to install homebrew on mac m1, m2, m3 (2024 updated), how to know if someone has blocked you on imessage (2024).

We explain and teach technology, solve tech problems and help you make gadget buying decisions.

8 Ways to Fix Auto Rotate Not Working on iPhone

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer from Ahmedabad, India. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides on Android, iOS, Windows, and the Web at Guiding Tech. When time permits, he also writes at MakeUseOf and Techwiser. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he's a disciplined footfall fan and continues to plan his international travels with his wife.

Being able to rotate your iPhone’s screen brings convenience to the table. Whether viewing photos, watching videos, or playing games, transitioning to landscape mode feels intuitive. But what if the screen rotation feature fails to work as expected on your iPhone?

Depending on your situation, fixing the problem could be as easy as turning off the screen rotation lock or as demanding as resetting your iPhone . If you don’t know what’s causing the problem, work through the following tips to fix it.

Why Won’t My iPhone Screen Rotate

Your iPhone’s screen may fail to rotate if the rotation lock or the Display Zoom feature is enabled. Additionally, if an app lacks support for screen rotation, it can prevent your iPhone’s screen from changing its orientation. Notably, several popular apps, such as Snapchat, Adobe Photoshop Express, Google Authenticator, and others, do not offer screen rotation functionality.

Besides the above, bugs and temporary iOS glitches can also cause the auto-rotate feature to malfunction on your iPhone.

What to Do When Your iPhone Screen Won’t Rotate

Now that you are familiar with the typical causes of the problem, let’s explore some potential solutions to address it.

1. Turn off the Screen Rotation Lock

First, ensure that the rotation lock is turned off on your iPhone.

To unlock auto-rotate on your iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner of the screen and tap the Rotation Lock button (one that looks like a lock with an arrow circling it). As you do that, a message will appear at the top that reads ‘Portrait Orientation Lock: Off’.

Now, turn your iPhone sideways and check if the screen orientation changes.

2. Check Auto Rotation on Other Apps

If your iPhone won’t change screen orientation even when the rotation lock is off, check if the issue persists across all apps. As mentioned earlier, there are several apps on iOS specifically designed to function only in portrait or landscape mode.

You can test the auto-rotate feature in apps like Safari or Notes to see if it is working fine.

3. Restart the App

Occasionally, apps on iPhones can become unresponsive, causing the screen to remain locked in one orientation. If the problem is specific to a particular app, restart it to see if that helps.

To close the problematic app, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and swipe up on its app card. Then, reopen the app and check if the issue is still there.

4. Restart Your Phone

Another thing you can do to fix this particular issue is restart your iPhone.

• For iPhone X or later : Press and hold either of the volume buttons along with the Sleep/Wake button.
• Old iPhone users : Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button to bring up the power slider. Move the slider from left to right to power off your iPhone.

Wait for it to shut down completely, then press and hold the Sleep/Wake button to turn on your iPhone.

5. Turn off Display Zoom

Display Zoom is a nifty setting to enlarge the texts and icons on your device’s screen to improve readability. However, this feature can affect the rotation of the home screen layout on the Plus-size iPhones and iPhone Max models. Hence, it’s best to turn it off.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to Display & Brightness.

Step 2: Scroll down to tap on Display Zoom. Select Default and tap Done in the top right corner.

Once you complete the above steps, your iPhone will restart with a new zoom setting. Following that, your iPhone’s screen should rotate as before.

6. Install iOS Updates

Software updates can also go wrong at times. If the auto-rotate problem is caused by a bug within iOS, installing pending updates should help.

Step 1 : Open the Settings app and navigate to General > Software Updates.

Step 2 : Wait for your iPhone to check for pending updates and install them if available.

7. Reset All Settings

If the above tips don’t help, resetting your iPhone may be your best option. Doing so will reset all your custom settings to their default values. Don’t worry; this won’t affect your personal data.

Step 1: Open the Settings menu and navigate to General > ‘Transfer or Reset iPhone’.

Step 2: Tap the Reset option at the bottom and select Reset All Settings.

8. Contact Apple Support

Lastly, if all the above fixes prove ineffective, the issue is likely hardware-related. This can happen if the accelerometer on your iPhone is malfunctioning. In that case, your best option is to contact Apple support or visit the nearest Apple store for further assistance.

FAQs on Auto Rotate Not Working on iPhone

You can easily rotate videos on your iPhone using the Photos app or the iMovie app.

To enable or disable the rotation lock without opening the Control Center, you can configure the Back Tap feature on your iPhone to toggle the rotation lock.

Portrait or Landscape

It can be frustrating when your iPhone’s screen fails to rotate. In most cases, misconfigured settings or compatibility issues cause the problem. We hope one of the above methods has helped you fix the problem and that things are back to normal.

Was this helpful?

Last updated on 04 March, 2024

The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The article above may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. The content remains unbiased and authentic and will never affect our editorial integrity.

DID YOU KNOW

Pankil Shah

More in ios.

Top 6 Fixes for ‘Not All Contacts Were Deleted’ Error on iPhone

6 Best Ways to Fix iPhone Weather Showing Wrong Temperature

Join the newsletter.

Get Guiding Tech articles delivered to your inbox.

Rotate the screen on your iPhone or iPod touch

The screen on your iPhone and iPod touch can rotate so that you can see apps in portrait or landscape mode. Find out how to rotate the screen on your iPhone or iPod touch, or get help if this feature isn't working as expected.

Some apps don't support rotation, so your screen may not rotate even if Portrait Orientation Lock is turned off.

Rotate the screen on an iPhone that doesn't have a Home button

Swipe down from the top right-hand corner of your screen to open Control Centre .

Turn your iPhone sideways.

If the screen still doesn't rotate, try a different app, such as Safari or Messages, that is known to work in landscape mode.

Find out how to rotate the screen on your iPad .

Rotate the screen on an iPhone or iPod touch that has a Home button

Swipe up from the bottom edge of your screen to open Control Centre.

Turn your iPhone or iPod touch sideways.

If the screen still won't rotate, try another app, such as Safari or Messages, that is known to work in landscape mode.

Still need help?

Contact Apple Support about your iPhone or iPod touch.

Related topics

Contact Apple Support

Need more help? Save time by starting your support request online and we'll connect you to an expert.

Safari stuck in landscape mode

Posted on Nov 12, 2023 9:01 AM

Similar questions

• Safari display issue Safari is regularly, but not always, displaying a page with the left side out of the window. I can reload the page, but this is getting tiresome. On my other devices (iPad and iPhone), there is no obvious way to correct it but to rotate the device into landscape mode. I had expected a fix by now, but there still are no updates. 469 9
• orientation lock how do i put safari on landscape mode 80 1
• Safari or any app won’t rotate upside down. Landscape seems to be working just fine. anyone having issues with apps not rotating upside down. 1171 4

Loading page content

Page content loaded

There are no replies.