iPhone screen not rotating? 5 fixes to try

2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

When the picture stays upright although you turn the iPhone, the rotation lock is almost always on. Sometimes the app does not support landscape at all. A faulty sensor is rare.

Step by step

1. Turn off Portrait Orientation Lock

   Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to open Control Centre. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom edge. Tap the Portrait Orientation Lock button, a padlock inside a round arrow, so that it is no longer lit. Close Control Centre.

   Done

2. Turn the iPhone sideways

   Hold the iPhone upright in front of you and then turn it. If it is lying flat on a table, it cannot tell which way is up.

   Done

3. Test with another app

   Not every app supports rotation. Apple suggests testing with Safari or Calculator. If those turn, the first app has no landscape view, and nothing is wrong with the iPhone.

   Done

4. Check the sensor with the Level

   Open the Measure app and tap Level. Tilt the iPhone. If the numbers change as you move, the motion sensor works.

   Done

5. Restart the iPhone

   If the level seems stuck, switch the iPhone off and on again. If rotation still fails in every app afterwards, contact Apple Support.

   Done

Good to know

The lock button can be missing from Control Centre if it was removed. How to put it back: how to customise Control Centre on an iPhone.

A small padlock symbol with an arrow in the status bar or in Control Centre shows that the lock is on.

If the whole picture is enlarged and stuck, that is a different setting: iPhone screen zoomed in and stuck.

In short: Lock off in Control Centre, hold upright and turn, test in Safari, check the Level, restart.