Recently, I updated my iPhone to OS 4. A lot of cool new features! My personal favorites being Multitasking and Folders. However, a few days after the update, something strange started to occur: I couldn’t use the landscape view. When I turned my iPhone, the display didn’t rotate with it. Very annoying!
At first, I didn’t understand why. Then, I saw an icon I had never seen before in the status bar (top right):
If the icon could speak, it would probably state my exact problem: the rotation is locked! I love icons that speak!
So I searched everywhere in the settings to try and find something related to the rotation. Nothing. Then I googled it. At first, the only things I found were apps allowing me to control the rotation, but this is not what I needed. It had to be something in the OS, not in an app.
Then I found this: How do I lock rotation with iOS 4 / iPhone OS 4?, Exactly what I needed!
It seems the option to lock the rotation is a new feature in OS 4. The only weird thing is where it is located. In my opinion, it should have been somewhere in the settings, but it’s not. It’s in multitasking view (click twice on the Home button), then swipe right to see something like this:
It’s the left icon, which is kind of confusing as it’s near the iPod controls. It looks more like something to “refresh” your iPod playlist… Anyway, now I know. Problem fixed!
Thanks, it is easy to turn the lock rotation feature on without realizing it.
You are very welcomed!
WOW… Thanks so much for this. I have been looking and trying to get mine rotate and could not figure it out… You saved me a few gray hairs
You are most welcomed !
Thank you. This has been driving me nuts!
Wow! thank you soooooo much, I couldnt’ figure out what happened!
Hi
Thank’s a mill. I’ve been searshing like mad for how to unlock rotating untill i foud your splendid explonation, Again THANK YOU
Thank u yr a life saver lol
x
thanks bro….
Thankyou! I couldn’t figure out what happenned. Now I resolved it.
Thank you very helpful. After reading this, it took less that a minute to fix the problem.
One of my ten thumbs must have hit it.
U R D man
Thanks much. And I agree this would be more intuitive in settings
Thanks for this! Very helpful! Mine stopped rotating and I couldn’t figure out why. I must have accidentally hit the lock button. Easy fix
That icon isn’t there on my iPod and it isn’t on or something! What now?!? Pleaze help!!!
experienced the same problem on iOS5 and i even installed RotationInhibitor thinking that would correct the issue. i feel stupid to not have realized how simple the solution is. THANKS ALOT!!!
Yes, I found this too, but please note, it does not work in ALL applications on the IPhone 4S. I even phoned Apple Support and this is what they told me too, that it will not work in all apps. It would be so much better in the screen rotated for everything. The keys are simply too close together.
You are a life saver!
Thank u!!!!!!!!! I’ve been trying to fig out wat happened for months now. I feel kinda dumb since it was such a sime fix but never the less you saved the day =}
Thank you Woodall much that was driving me NUTS!!
i tried, and still didnt fix..brand new phone too
Ok..it worked after i restarted phone…very lame to not havw ths option in settings
thanks for your info .now i,ve just unlock my i phone from locking the rotation on my i phone.