How to disable & lock iPad screen rotation

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Apple iPad screen will rotate between landscape and portrait mode if you manually rotate the ipad device. By default, screen will automatically rotate as and when you rotate the ipad. You can disable this screen rotation and set it to stay permanently in either landscape or portrait mode while using iPad screen rotation lock feature.

Use Screen rotation lock on iPad [Old method]

To disable and prevent iPad screen from rotating use Screen rotation lock button on the iPad device. Slide the rotation lock down to lock iPad in current screen orientation.

A locked icon will appear in status bar when screen is locked through Screen rotation lock button. You can slide the lock switch up to unlockand enable screen rotation on iPad (the default setting). Simple, isn’t it?

Lock screen rotation [for iOS 4.2 & above]

If you have updated iOS software on iPad device to 4.2 or above, then screen rotation lock will not work. Instead of locking screen, it will mute volume on iPad device. You can find screen rotation lock button within iPad interface (instead of using physical screen lock button). Click here to see button for locking screen rotation in iPad device.

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Comments

  1. Thanks a lot. It works very good.

  2. Not able to disable the rotation lock on the screen.how do I disable this so that the laptop rotation is active

  3. U can double click the home button, then pull the task bar towards to the most right hand side. And u can see the screen rotation lock button.

  4. Agree with Casey, nothing clear on the Apple site! Thanks for the simple explanation and the photo that made all the difference!

  5. Thank you Dan, I was beginning to think i was going crazy. Apple user guide doesn’t say anything about that. Cheers

  6. Marla Wynn says

    Thank you for posting the answer. My husband and kids knew how to lock the screen rotation, but I hadn’t bothered to learn until I was at Starbuck’s alone and found it here.

    I hate the new locking feature, have not used the mute feature once, and want my old iPad software back!

    I loved the locking switch before.

  7. Great work apple- get rid of one of the most useful features in iPad. What will you think of next- how about changing the volume control into a finger rest that emits a beep if you are holding the iPad too tight- this is something we really need.

  8. As for multitasking… How about this, if I want an app to multitask I will enable it, I don’t need everything multitasking! Just 2 or 3 apps

  9. The rotation lock was awesome! That is what I hated about the kindle. Now why the hell do we need a MUTE switch next to the VOLUME control? Put it back!!!!

  10. Thisstinks says

    Why can’t apple leave well enough alone?

    The volume control is right there by the lock switch. Now it’s a hassle to lock orientation.

    And I hate the muktitasking

    Now I have to jailbreak to fix it

  11. Thank you! My son was playing on my ipad and when I got it back the screen was locked. Could not figure out how to unlock it until I googled and found the answer here.

  12. new software update changed the old rotation lock button to a mute/unmute button. to toggle screen rotation lock double click home button. (bottom center button) Then swipe the bottom of screen all the way to the left. You will see the circle arrow icon which you can use to lock/unlock your screen rotation function.

    • Thank you Dan!!! I’wouldn’t have guessed ..- the solution to what I thought was a terrible change that came with the new version … thanks for your post!!

    • Thanks Dan, I was really about to call Apple. Glad that someone else had the same issue. Not really worried about how it got there, just how to fix it. Love my iPad……

  13. Robert Novarino says

    I guess I am the unlucky iPad user. I downloaded iOS 4.2 NOW the switch displays the speaker with/without BAR (on/off). BUT theSound is ALWAYS ON!! Yippee! Will I hurt it if I jailbreak it? Thanks, Robert

  14. Doug McNaught says

    My screen rotation lock mutes the sound instead of locking the screen? This began when I downloaded the software update today.

    • The new version of iOS 4.2 has changed the feature to now be a mute switch as per the iPhone. The screen lock is supposed to be in software somewhere.

  15. That’s funny, our 1 1/2 year old, Benaiah did the same thing!

  16. Thanks guys! My daughter accidentally locked the screen rotation… Our pad is pretty new and we’re still figuring out a lot of stuff… Thanks again

  17. Thank you so much. My 70 year old grandmother is better with technology than me and i am 19.

  18. Dude this really great advice,thanks

  19. Way more helpful than apple.com support. Our 1 1/2 yr old must have found the switch and for the life of us couldn’t figure why it’s not rotating any more.

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