My iPhone Screen Won't Rotate: Here's How To Fix It!

Part 1: Turn off screen rotation lock

One of the most common mistakes that iPhone users make is not checking the screen rotation status of their device. If the screen rotation of the iPhone is locked, then it won't turn sideways. There are lots of users who keep the screen rotation locked as per their convenience. Though, after a while, they simply forget to check the screen lock status of their device.

Therefore, if your iPhone screen won't rotate, then start by checking its screen rotation status. To do this, check the steps below:

Turn off the screen rotation lock on iPhone with the home button

1. Swipe up from the bottom edge of your phone screen to open the Control Center on your device.

2. Check if the screen rotation lock button is enabled or not. By default, it is the right-most button. If it is enabled, then tap it again to turn it off.

3. Now, exit the Control Center and try to rotate your phone to fix iPhone won't turn sideways problem.

Turn off the screen rotation lock on iPhone without the home button

1. Open the Control center: Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen.

2. Make sure that the rotation lock turns white from red.

3. Exit the control center, turn your iPhone sideways. And the phone screen should rotate now.

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Part 2: Check if screen rotation works on other apps

After disabling the Portrait Orientation Mode, the chances are that you would be able to fix the iPhone screen won't rotate the problem.  Nevertheless, there are times when my iPhone screen won't rotate even after disabling the screen rotation lock. This is because not every app supports landscape mode. There are a few iOS applications that run only on Portrait mode.

At the same time, you would find plenty of applications that work on Landscape mode only. These applications can be used to check whether the screen rotation feature on your device is working properly or not. One can also find different kinds of dedicated apps regarding the screen rotation feature of your phone. For instance, the Rotate on Shake app can be used to rotate your phone's screen by simply shaking it.

Furthermore, you can check the functioning of your phone's screen rotation feature by playing various games. There are different iOS games (like Super Mario, Need for Speed, and more) that only work in the Landscape mode. Simply launch an app like this and check if it can rotate your phone's screen or not. Whenever my iPhone screen won't rotate, I launch an app like this to check whether it is functioning properly or not.

Part 3: Turn off Display Zoom

If the Display Zoom feature is turned on, then it might interfere with the natural rotation of your screen. There are times when users turn on the Display Zoom feature to enhance the overall visibility of apps on their device's home screen. After turning on the Display Zoom feature, you will realize that the icon size would be increased, and the padding between icons would be reduced.

Though, this would automatically overwrite the screen rotation feature on your device. Most of the time, even when the Display Zoom feature is turned on, users are not able to notice it beforehand. If your iPhone won't turn sideways even after turning off the Portrait Orientation Lock, then you can follow this solution. Just follow these steps to fix the screen rotation problem on your device by disabling its Display Zoom.

1. To start with, visit your phone's Settings and select the "Display & Brightness" section.

2. Under the Display & Brightness tab, you can see a "Display Zoom" feature. Just tap on the "View" button to access this option. From here, you can check if the Display Zoom feature is enabled or not (that is, if it is set on Standard or Zoomed mode).

3. If it is zoomed, then select the "Standard" option to turn off the Display Zoom feature. Once you are done, tap on the "Set" button to save your selection.

4. You might get an additional pop-up message on your phone's screen to confirm your selection. Just tap on the "Use Standard" button to implement the Standard Mode.

After saving your selection, your phone would be restarted in the Standard mode. Once it is done, check if you can resolve the iPhone won't turn sideways issue or not.

Part 4: Is it a hardware problem if the screen still does not rotate?

If, after following all the above-mentioned solutions, you are still not able to resolve the iPhone screen won't rotate problem, then the chances are that there could be a hardware-related issue with your device. The screen rotation feature on an iPhone is controlled by its accelerometer. It is a sensor that tracks the overall movement of the device. Therefore, if your iPhone's accelerometer is malfunctioning or broken, then it won't be able to detect the rotation of your phone.

Additionally, if you are using an iPad, then ensure the functioning of the Side Switch. In some devices, it can be used to control the screen rotation feature. If there is a hardware-related issue on your phone, then you should try not to experiment with it yourself. To resolve this problem, we recommend that you should visit a nearby Apple Store or an authentic iPhone service center. This will help you overcome this setback without much trouble.