To rotate your iPhone screen, make sure the rotation lock is off, then turn the iPhone sideways in an app that supports landscape. Open Control Center (swipe down from the top-right corner, or up from the bottom on an iPhone with a Home button) and look for the button with a padlock inside a circular arrow. If it’s red, tap it to turn the lock off. The screen will now follow the way you hold the phone.
Apple’s current iPhone User Guide calls this control the Lock Rotation button. Apple’s support article and older versions of iOS call it Portrait Orientation Lock. They’re the same control.
Contents
- Turn auto-rotate on or off
- What the rotation lock does
- Add the rotation lock to Control Center
- Apps that don’t rotate
- Does the Home Screen rotate?
- Rotate the screen without Control Center
- Fix a screen that won’t rotate
- Frequently asked questions
Turn auto-rotate on or off
These steps match Apple’s iPhone User Guide for iOS 27, released in September 2026. The steps are the same in iOS 18 and iOS 26.
To let the screen rotate (auto-rotate on):
- Open Control Center. On an iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom edge.
- Find the Lock Rotation button. It shows a padlock with a circular arrow around it.
- If the button is red, tap it. It turns gray, which means the lock is off. A short message may appear at the top of the screen saying the orientation lock is off.
- Close Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of the screen (Face ID models) or pressing the Home button.
- Open an app that supports landscape, such as Safari or Calculator, and turn your iPhone sideways. The screen turns to match.
To stop the screen from rotating (auto-rotate off):
- Hold the iPhone upright in portrait.
- Open Control Center.
- Tap the Lock Rotation button so it turns red.
Apple says that when the orientation is locked, a small lock icon appears in the status bar at the top of the screen on supported models. On iPhone models with Face ID, the status bar area is small, so you may only see the icon when Control Center is open.
Apple’s instructions use Control Center for this. There’s no rotation switch in the main Display settings, so use Control Center or the accessibility option described later.
What the rotation lock does
The lock stops the screen from changing orientation when you turn the iPhone. On iPhone, it keeps the screen in portrait. That’s why Apple’s support article calls it Portrait Orientation Lock. If an app is in landscape when you turn the lock on, the screen switches back to portrait.
You can’t use this button to lock the screen in landscape. Apps that are built only for landscape, such as many games and some video players, stay in landscape whatever the lock is set to.
The lock is useful when you read in bed or lie on your side and don’t want the screen to flip. Turn it off again when you want to watch videos full-screen sideways.
Add the rotation lock to Control Center
The Lock Rotation button is in Control Center by default. If you removed it, add it back:
- Open Control Center.
- Tap the add button (a plus sign) near the top of Control Center. The editing view opens.
- Tap Add a Control at the bottom of the screen. The controls gallery opens.
- Find Lock Rotation in the gallery (use the search field if one appears) and tap it.
- Drag the control where you want it, then swipe up from the bottom of the screen to finish.
If Control Center doesn’t open while you’re in an app, go to Settings > Control Center and turn on Access Within Apps.
Apps that don’t rotate
Apple notes that some apps don’t support rotation, so the screen might not turn even when the lock is off. Each app’s developer decides which orientations it supports.
- Portrait-only apps stay upright when you turn the iPhone. Some social media and short-video apps work this way, and some system screens, such as parts of Settings, do too.
- Landscape-only apps, such as many games, stay sideways.
- Apps that support both follow the phone when the lock is off. Safari, Messages, Mail, Notes, Calculator, and Photos all support landscape. Apple has added landscape layouts to more of its own apps over time, so this list changes between iOS versions.
- Video players often switch to full-screen landscape when you turn the phone sideways or tap the full-screen button.
To test whether the problem is the app or the iPhone, Apple suggests opening an app that works in landscape, such as Calculator or Safari, and turning the phone.
Rotating the screen is different from rotating a photo or a map. To turn a picture itself, see how to rotate a picture on iPhone. To turn only the map inside Google Maps, see our guide on how to rotate Google Maps.
Does the Home Screen rotate?
On most iPhones, no. The Home Screen stays in portrait even when the rotation lock is off. Apple’s guide doesn’t list which models rotate the Home Screen, so this section is based on how the models behave as described by Apple Community answers and long-standing user reports.
| iPhone model | Home Screen in landscape? |
|---|---|
| iPhone 6 Plus, 6s Plus, 7 Plus, 8 Plus | Yes, when Display Zoom is set to the standard (Default) view. With the zoomed (Larger Text) view, it stays in portrait. |
| Other iPhones with a Home button (iPhone 8 and earlier non-Plus models, all iPhone SE models) | No |
| iPhones with Face ID (iPhone X and later, including Plus, Pro Max, and Air models) | No |
To check Display Zoom on a Plus model, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Display Zoom.
If your Home Screen doesn’t turn, that’s normal for your model. Apps that support landscape will still rotate.
Rotate the screen without Control Center
If you can’t swipe to open Control Center, you can use AssistiveTouch, an accessibility feature that adds an on-screen menu button.
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch.
- Turn on AssistiveTouch. A gray menu button appears on the screen.
- Under Custom Actions, tap Single-Tap, Double-Tap, or Long Press.
- Choose Lock Rotation from the list, if your version shows it.
- Go back to an app and use that tap on the AssistiveTouch button to turn the lock on or off.
Apple’s AssistiveTouch guide confirms you can assign custom actions to these taps but doesn’t list every action, so the label may differ slightly on your iPhone. You can also tap the AssistiveTouch button, then Control Center, to reach the Lock Rotation button.
Fix a screen that won’t rotate
Work through these in order. Most rotation problems are solved by the first two.
- Check the lock. Open Control Center. If the Lock Rotation button is red, tap it.
- Try another app. Open Safari or Calculator and turn the phone. If those rotate, the first app doesn’t support landscape.
- Close and reopen the app. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause (or double-click the Home button), swipe the app up to close it, then open it again.
- Turn the phone fully sideways. Hold it upright, not flat on a table. The iPhone uses its motion sensors to detect orientation, and lying flat can confuse it.
- Check the motion sensor with the Measure app. Apple suggests opening Measure, tapping Level, and tilting the iPhone. If the level responds, the sensor is detecting movement.
- Restart the iPhone. Apple recommends this if the screen still won’t rotate.
- Update iOS. Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
- Check Display Zoom (Plus models only). If the Home Screen won’t turn on an iPhone 6 Plus to 8 Plus, set Display Zoom to the standard view.
If the level in Measure doesn’t move and a restart doesn’t help, contact Apple Support. The motion sensor may need service.
Frequently asked questions
Where is auto-rotate in iPhone Settings?
Apple’s guide doesn’t describe an auto-rotate switch in Settings. Rotation is controlled by the Lock Rotation button in Control Center. When the button is gray, auto-rotate is on. When it’s red, the screen is locked in portrait.
Can I lock my iPhone screen in landscape?
Not with the built-in lock, which keeps the screen in portrait. Apps that only run in landscape stay in landscape on their own.
Why does my iPhone rotate in some apps but not others?
Each app decides which orientations it supports. If one app stays upright while Safari rotates, that app doesn’t support landscape, and there’s no setting to force it.
Why can’t I find the Portrait Orientation Lock button?
On current versions of iOS, Apple’s guide labels it Lock Rotation. If it isn’t in Control Center, add it back using the steps in the Control Center section above.
Does rotation lock affect videos?
Many video apps switch to landscape when you tap the full-screen button, even with the lock on. Others only go landscape when the lock is off and you turn the phone.
Is screen rotation the same as rotating a photo?
No. Screen rotation changes how the whole display is shown. Rotating a photo changes the photo itself and is done with the Photos app’s editing tools.
Next step
For the full set of Control Center options, see Apple’s guide to rotating your iPhone screen and its troubleshooting article, Rotate the screen on your iPhone or iPod touch.
Matthew Simpson has been creating online tutorial for computers and smartphones since 2010. His work has been read millions of times and helped people to solve a number of various tech problems. His specialties include Windows, iPhones, and Google apps.