IPhone stop screen rotating with orientation lock

This guide will show you the iPhone stop screen rotating trick when you turn the device on it’s side. On an iPhone the feature that you use to stop the screen rotating is Orientation Lock. Orientation lock has been available on the iPhone for years now. In every major version Apple decide to move the location of the icon. The icon is a padlock with an encompassing circle.

I have documented the changes in the location of the orientation lock over the years. This article now contains instructions for every major version of iOS. It shows the location of the feature over time.

How to stop iPhone rotating screen

In ios11 the portrait orientation lock is now on the dash screen. Here’s how to stop your iPhone screen rotating:

  • swipe up from the bottom of the screen to show the dash screen
  • You will see a lot of controls, including volume, brightness, music controls and others
  • under the icons for WiFi, Bluetooth and airplane mode you will see the padlock icon
  • click the padlock icon to toggle the orientation lock
  • when orientation lock is enabled, the icon will have a white background

To disable the iPhone Orientation lock click the icon again (it will have a transparent background).

I have added an image and a video below to help you.

ios11 screen rotation lock

iPhone stop screen rotating (ios10)

In ios10 the portrait orientation lock button is on the control-center screen.

  1. Swipe from the bottom of your screen upwards to show the control-center
    (opposite from what you do for the notification center at the top of your screen)
  2. You will now see the control center with lots of icons and options.
  3. If you see the music and volume controls, swipe to the screen on the left
  4. By default portrait orientation lock is the last icon in the first row.
  5. If its enabled it will have a red background. if it is disabled, it will have a transparent background

How to stop iPhone screen rotating with Portrait orientation lock in iOS

In ios7 the portrait orientation lock button has moved. It is on the control-center screen. This is the same for iOS 8 and iOS9.

To access the control-center:

  1. Swipe from the bottom of your screen upwards to show the control center
    (like you do for the notification center at the top of your screen)
  2. You will now see the control center with lots of icons and options.
  3. By default portrait orientation lock is the last icon in the first row.
  4. If its enabled it will have a white outline.

iphone stop screen flipping

iPhone stop screen rotating in iOS6 and Below

To engage orientation lock in iOS 6 and below; follow these simple instructions:

  1. Double click the home button
    the one with the square on it on your iPhone / iPad.
  2. This takes you to the ‘multitasking’ part.
  3. Swipe right on the icons at the bottom.
  4. The first icon has a padlock on it.
  5. Click it to engage orientation lock

iphone stop screen rotating

You can now use your iPhone without the screen flipping!!!! You can lock the screen using this technique in either portrait or landscape mode.

To disable the lock, simply click the padlock icon again. Your iPhone will return to normal flipping mode :)

An accelerometer controls the screen flipping action inside your iPhone. A sensor inside the phone determines the orientation of the device. Its the same sensor that allows you to control driving games by tilting your screen to the left or right.

Edit: check here for a post about how to use your iPad’s side switch for portrait orientation lock

Sources: apple support

This Post Has 55 Comments

  1. Tim Smith

    Thanks Jonathan!

  2. mike

    thank you so much this was sooooooooo annoying!

  3. Raj

    Thank you very much! This has sorted out an ongoing headache without having to resort to 3rd party apps. Much appreciated!

  4. mohammed ezzat amin

    thx so much i was annoyed so much and then i called apple store and hardware & softeware technician and no solution now i got the easy solution .. thx so much

    1. Tulip_321

      Thanks a lot man.NOw i can easily do my tasks on iphone while lying on bed :p

      1. RAJANMM

        IT REALLY WORKS THANKS A LOT

        1. LEAFY LANE

          BEEN DRIVING ME CRAZY TRYING TO VIEW MY PHOTOS.
          THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE FREELY.

  5. Glenn

    Top man! This has been bugging me for ages.

  6. JT

    Top man and a google search, cant fault you!!

  7. Sam

    Perfect!!!

  8. zele

    where can i find this program? i looked for if in cydia and installous…

  9. zele

    hahahah sry people, i found it :D
    THX MAN

  10. Valiant Boy

    You little beuty!!!! I’ve been battling with my iphone Sat Nav for the last year as I use it on my motorbike, but it would flip upside down all the time, usually when coming up to intersections. This has fixed it. You made my day (and next time I get a major update, maybe I’ll read the release notes!!)

  11. mari

    THANK YOU!!

  12. Heaven or hell- you choose!

    I love the Internet as it made our lives in someways sooo much easier. I wanted to know where to set this lock. I googled . 1st link I clicked. I found it.

    Allah the most high be praised for allowing human beings intelligence to have the Internet created.

  13. Dddaza

    THANK YOU

  14. Sw

    Wish I’d looked sooner. Thank you!!!

  15. Neovillan

    that has been driving me nuts many thanks

  16. Bersashi

    Thanks u so much i was going crazy on how to fix this i give 5 stars out of 5

  17. Piseyvicheth

    Thank you so much. It’s very useful

  18. guest

    haha  thanks!  I couldnt figure out what I had done that was keeping my screen from rotating!

  19. Cibai

    Hahaha. Super like! Simple free help. Thanks man

  20. STacy

    Thank you sooooo much!!!! Awesome!!!

  21. Laurencoryell

    Awesome! Now I look smarter than my husband when it comes to our iPhones! Haha

  22. Zoheib86

    Thnx for making ppls life easier on the go… AND THNK YOU MR. JOBS FOR PUTTING IN THE POTRAIT LOCK FOR US….

  23. Dendoubleds

    Thank you so much mate. Its so hidden.

    1. Someone

      Where is it man ?

  24. Tay

    Thank you so fucking much!

  25. xniccixd

    Thankyou this has driven me insane

  26. Plasticelvis

    Wahoo!!! Thank you.

  27. Nafi

    Nice post. Thanks for the post.
    There is another option for this which i user more which is to enable Touch accessibily option and use the shortcut. As mentioned other options are available too for Rotation lock on iPhone / iPod / iPad iOS

  28. Nekeshapannell

    Thanks!!!

  29. Hayley Brandon

    That’s awesome! Thanks a million!! It worked

  30. Hatem

    Thanks a lot, finally I unlocked again

  31. Ass-123

    U are amazing how did u find that

  32. Sobetennis

    Perfect. I swiped to the right though.

  33. Fyhgftg

    Thanks!!! Never would’ve found it!

  34. Wasimkhanjadoon

    u r a gem my frnd… its so hidden.. thanks alot for this beautiful post.

  35. Convy

    Now that was easy! thanks

  36. Colleen

    Darn. I really was hoping to have it be able to lock when sideways, too.

  37. Sophiagair_x

    When I hold down the button it takes me to voice control?

  38. Ndnanjel

    Thank you so much! :)

  39. Bp

    That’s gold it works! Thanks

  40. joseph rodriguez

    wow thanks that was greatly appreciated… when i record videos now will it post sideways or vertical?

  41. Becca Nelson

    Thank you soooo much. It has been driving me crazy.

  42. Valerie

    Your instructional writing skills are top notch, the best! Detailed, exact, and easy to follow. The best I’ve seen for iphone tips and how-to’s. …And you even include visuals—so helpful. Thank you!

  43. Toni

    Omg this is amazing… Slightly different on the new iOS 7.2 but rite direction thank you

  44. ThatMatt

    Wonderful! Thank you! I made a lifehacker car-crib for my ipod touch, but having the music player in portrait mode is so frustrating! This is a great bit of knowledge!

  45. Heather

    Every time I time I exit out of an app my screen turns sideways whether my portrait orientation is locked or not. How do I fix this?

  46. Sarosh

    Love it man…your too good at this .

  47. Citizen Rosebud

    Thank you

  48. jean

    thank you. it worked beautifully

  49. Susan

    Thank you!

  50. Quita Thomas Jackson

    I have a iPhone 6 & I was wondering how can I stop it from going sideways

  51. Toestubber

    Still can’t lock it in landscape mode. For some idiotic reason.

Leave a Reply