Skip It or Flip It: What to Do If Your Tablet Won’t Auto-Rotate

Isn’t it annoying when you’re trying to watch a YouTube video or play a game on your tablet but it won’t auto-rotate, no matter what you try? Other than not connecting to Wi-Fi, problems with screen rotations are among the biggest nuisances to deal with.

It might not seem like a big issue to some, but not being able to auto-rotate can hinder activities. On-screen buttons might change orientation, making you accidentally press things like the Back or Home button when you don’t intend to.

It’s a common issue, and you might not have the savviness to know what to do. In this guide, you’ll learn how to fix your screen rotation.

Once you’re ready, read on and find out more.

1. Basic Auto-Rotate Solutions

If you haven’t done anything to fix your tablet yet, let’s start by getting the basic solutions out of the way. In some cases, a simple reboot can fix your problem. But if that doesn’t work, look at the screen rotation option and check whether it’s active.

If the screen rotation option is already active, try tapping on it twice. This will turn it off then on once more. It’s easy to locate since you can usually see it from the top of the display after swiping down.

You can also access it by going to your Settings. Select the Display option and look for Screen Rotation.

2. Check the G-Sensor and Accelerometer

One possible reason your Android tablet isn’t rotating is due to a malfunction with the G-Sensor or the accelerometer. A good first step is to run some tests to ascertain whether your tablet’s sensors are malfunctioning. It’s easy to do since all you need to do is to look for apps in the Google Play Store that test your tablet’s sensors.

Once you’re certain that your sensors aren’t working as intended, try re-calibrating your tablet. You can either use an integrated feature or a third-party app that you can find in the Play Store. Take note, some phones will let you re-calibrate your tablet using integrated features, but others won’t.

For example, Sony allows their products to have sensor calibrations but LG won’t. If all these things sound like jargon to you, you can always get a technician to repair it instead. With almost 50% of Canadian adults owning a tablet, it’s no surprise that there are a lot of reputable repair shops that can help you.

3. Look Whether a Third-Party App is a Cause

A lot of poorly-written apps can cause all types of problems for your tablet. That’s why you need to think of the last app you installed before the rotation feature stopped working. If you uninstall it and the rotate feature works again, then it means something within its code causes it to stop.

If you don’t remember the apps you installed during that time, continue uninstalling apps that can be the culprit. Don’t worry about whether you remember the name of the apps. A good alternative is to put your device into safe mode. Doing this depends on the device you’re using.

Here are the common steps that work on most phones and tablets:

• Turn off the tablet
• Long-press the Power button
• Let go after seeing the logo and press volume down button
• Keep pressing until tablet reboots

When the phone turns on, you’ll now be in Safe Mode. To confirm that it worked, make sure to check the Safe Mod logo on the bottom of your tablet’s display.

Recovering Your Uninstalled Apps

If the apps aren’t the reason why your rotation stopped working, you can recover them. If you don’t remember the apps’ names anymore, you can see them using your Google Play app. Tap the hamburger icon to look at the options.

Once you’re there, go to My Apps & Games and pick the Library tab. There, you’ll see a list of all the apps you uninstalled. Just tap on the Install button to re-install them.

4. Install a Rotation Control App

Do you think that your rotation button is the reason for your problem? If it’s malfunctioning, you can always change the method of accessing this feature. A good alternative is to install rotation control apps.

This app is great since it will help prevent other apps from tampering with your screen’s orientation. With it, you’ll have the means of avoiding conflict whenever more apps try accessing the auto-rotate feature.

Some apps will allow you to access it from your device’s top display. There, you’ll have the means of changing whether the app auto-rotates or stays in a specific orientation.

5. Send Your Tablet for Repair

If you tried all of these methods and the device won’t rotate, it’s time to call in professionals. As stated before, the growing number of adults with tablets made it possible for more reputable repair shops to flourish. Taking it in for a repair means the professionals can check whether your tablet has hardware issues.

Unless you have technical experience, hardware-related problems are only fixable when handled by professionals. Even when you try to fix it on your own, you might end up voiding the warranty since you tampered with it. Remember, if your device is still under warranty, your manufacturer might still cover this.

Fix Your Tablet Today!

If your tablet won’t rotate between portrait and landscape modes, the most obvious problem is with the screen rotation settings. That’s why it’s important to tackle the more basic problems before you go with more complicated solutions.

But once you’re done with the basic auto-rotate solutions, you should start with all the other methods stated in this guide. The safest and the most cost-efficient way of doing this is by getting professional help.

Always look for reputable repair shops using search engines. But if you’re looking for a good repair shop in Oakville, Ontario, we encourage you to contact us today and let us help you out.