How to Fix an iPhone Screen That Won't Rotate

If your iPhone's screen is not rotating, the Portrait Orientation Lock is probably active. This article explains what it is and how to turn it off.

Turn Off iPhone Screen Rotation

The Portrait Orientation Lock setting prevents your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from auto-rotating its screen no matter how you turn it. If your screen won't rotate, it could be because Portrait Orientation Lock is turned on.

Check in the Control Center for the rotation lock status on iPhones with a notch at the top of the screen. If your iPhone has a home button, look in the top right corner of the screen next to the battery indicator for an icon that looks like an arrow curving around a lock. If you see that icon, the rotation lock is turned on.

If the lock icon is visible, you can turn the screen rotation lock off by following these steps:

1. Open the iOS Control Center. The icon at the far left, the lock and arrow icon. is highlighted to indicate that it's turned on.

   On the iPhone X and later models, or on iPads running iPadOS 12 and later, swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center.

2. Tap the lock and arrow icon to turn off the rotation lock. A message at the top of the screen will read Portrait Orientation Lock: Off.

3. When you're done, close the Control Center, and you'll be back to your home screen.

With that done, try rotating your iPhone again. The screen should auto rotate when you change the position of the device. If it doesn't, move on to the next steps.

Does Your App Support Screen Rotation?

Not every app supports automatic screen rotation. Don't expect the screen to rotate if you're using an app that doesn't support that feature.

For example, the home screen on most iPhone and iPod touch models can't rotate (though it can on the Plus models with extra-large screens, like the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus), and some apps are designed to only work in one orientation.

If you turn your device and the screen doesn't rotate, and if the rotation lock isn't enabled, the app probably is designed not to rotate. Try an app you know supports rotation, like the iPhone's Safari web browser, to confirm that screen rotation is working.

Turn Off Display Zoom to Resume iPhone Screen Rotation

If you have an iPhone 6 Plus, 6S Plus, 7 Plus, 8 Plus, or any iPhone Max model, the layout of the home screen auto-rotates when you turn your phone. Display Zoom could be the culprit if the home screen won't rotate on these models and Screen Rotation Lock isn't on. 

Display Zoom enlarges the icons and text on these devices' larger screens to make them easier to see, but it also blocks screen rotation. If you can't rotate the home screen on these devices, disable Display Zoom by following these steps:

1. Tap Settings.

2. Tap Display & Brightness.

3. Tap View in the Display Zoom section.

4. Tap Standard.

5. Tap Set.

6. The phone will restart in the new zoom setting and the home screen will be able to rotate.

Restart Your Device

Another good, quick solution for an iOS device whose screen won't auto-rotate is to restart the iPhone or restart the iPad. If you've got a hardware problem, this won't fix it, but it will fix most software issues.

If Your iPhone Screen Won't Rotate, Your Accelerometer Could Be Broken

If the app you're using definitely supports screen auto-rotation, and orientation lock and Display Zoom on your device are off, but the screen still isn't rotating, there could be a problem with your device's hardware.

The device's accelerometer controls screen rotation, so if the accelerometer is broken, it won't be able to track movement or know when to rotate the screen. If you suspect a hardware problem with your phone, make an Apple Store Genius Bar appointment to have it checked out.

Using Screen Rotation Lock on the iPad

While the iPad runs a very similar operating system to the iPhone and iPod touch, its screen rotation works differently. For one, the home screen on all iPad models can rotate. For another, the setting is controlled a bit differently on some models.

iPads earlier than the iPad Air or the iPad mini 3

In the Settings app, tap General, and you'll find a setting called Use Side Switch to which lets you choose whether the small switch on the side above the volume buttons controls the mute feature or the rotation lock.

On newer iPad models (the iPad Air 2 and newer), use Control Center to control screen rotation as described earlier in the article.