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It's super convenient to be able to rotate your screen from portrait to landscape mode automatically, as well as lock it later when you need to. Luckily, both the iPhone's and iPad's screen rotation lock button is easy to access via the Control Panel. With the orientation lock enabled, you can keep your screen from adjusting regardless of whether the device is rotated vertically or horizontally.
Why You'll Love This Tip
- Learn how to quickly access the Portrait Orientation lock to enable or disable automatic screen rotation.
- Lock your screen's orientation as horizontal or vertical so you can read or watch videos on your devices in any position.
How To Lock and Unlock Screen Rotation on iPhone
Many people ask, “where is Portrait Orientation on iPhone?” The Portrait Orientation Lock button is located in the Control Center. When it is on, your iPhone won’t automatically rotate. If you get annoyed when your iPhone or iPad screen flips and flops around every time you shift positions, this is the tip for you. If you like tips like this about how to use your Apple devices, be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day!
- From the Home Screen of your iPhone, swipe down from the top right to access the Control Panel.
![From the home screen of your iPhone, swipe down from the top left to access the Control Panel.]()
- The Portrait Orientation Lock is the button with the round arrow with the lock inside. It will be gray when disabled. This means your iPhone will automatically rotate based on the way you are holding it.
![The Screen Orientation Lock is the button with the round arrow with the lock inside. It will be gray when disabled. This means your iPhone will automatically rotate based on the way you are holding it.]()
- To lock your screen orientation, tap the Portrait Orientation Lock. It will be white when enabled.
![To lock your screen orientation, tap the Portrait Orientation Lock. It will be white when enabled.]()
Your screen will no longer rotate when you turn your phone sideways unless you use an app that only has landscape mode.
Related: How to Turn On Battery Percentage in iOS 16
How to Lock and Unlock Screen Rotation on iPad
You can lock and unlock the screen rotation on the iPad in a very similar way to the iPhone.
- From the Home Screen of your iPad, swipe down from the top left to access the Control Panel.
![From the home screen of your iPad, swipe down from the top left to access the Control Panel.]()
- The Portrait Orientation Lock is the button with the round arrow with the lock inside. It will be gray when disabled. This means your iPad will automatically rotate based on the way you are holding it.
![The Portrait Orientation Lock is the button with the round arrow with the lock inside. It will be gray when disabled. This means your iPad will automatically rotate based on the way you are holding it.]()
- To lock your screen orientation, tap the Portrait Orientation Lock. It will be white when enabled.
![To lock your screen orientation, tap the Portrait Orientation Lock. It will be white when enabled.]()
Using the lock will prevent apps that offer both modes from auto-rotating. However, apps that are only available in landscape mode will not switch to portrait mode. If you find your iPhone stuck on landscape mode, try turning the lock on and off until it rotates again. If you keep experiencing problems, restarting your iPhone should help.
