Blocking screen orientation on Xiaomi: a complete guide to setting up a turnaround

Have you ever faced a situation where Xiaomi’s screen suddenly flips at the most inopportune moment, or vice versa, stubbornly stays in a horizontal position when you need to read a message vertically? These problems are directly related to blocking the orientation of the screen, a function that often doesn’t work as the user expects. In this article, we’ll look at what autorotating is, how it’s implemented in firmware. MIUI, Why Smartphone Sensors Sometimes Start to “Gun».

Orientation blocking is not just a convenience, it's a necessary tool for comfortable smartphone use, such as when reading books or browsing the web in your browser, vertical fixation prevents random screen turns. On the other hand, in games or when watching videos, horizontal mode allows you to maximize the use of the display, POCO Or is Mi ignoring your settings.

What is orientation blocking and why is it necessary

Orientation locking (or screen fixing) is a software feature that forcibly sets the position of the image on the display, ignoring signals from the accelerometer and gyroscope. In Xiaomi smartphones, it works at the system level. MIUI and can be controlled manually or automatically for individual applications.

Main use cases:

• 📱 Reading text – prevents the screen from turning when the phone is tilted.
• 🎮 Games – fixes a horizontal position for convenient gameplay.
• 📺 Video viewing – automatically switches to landscape mode.
• 🛏️ Supine position – blocks random response of the sensor.

On Xiaomi smartphones, the lock is implemented through a combination of hardware sensors and software algorithms. The accelerometer sensor detects the device's position in space, and the gyroscope tracks the angles of inclination. If this data conflicts (for example, due to magnetic interference or mechanical damage), false autorotation triggers occur.

How to turn on or off orientation lock on Xiaomi

Control of screen fixation in MIUI It depends on the firmware version and the smartphone model. Let's look at two main ways: through the notification panel and system settings.

Method 1: Quick control through the curtain

1. Swipe your finger down to open the notification panel.
2. Find the “Autoporate” icon** (usually depicted as a circular-arrow phone).
3. Tap the icon to turn on or off the autorotor. Blue is active, gray is off.

Method 2: System settings

1. Go to Settings. → Screen.
2. Select the Autoturn screen option.
3. Activate or deactivate the switch.

In some models (for example, POCO F5 Or the Redmi Note 12 Pro.+) Additional options are available on this menu:

• 🔄 Autoturn for home screen - allows you to fix the position only on the desktop.
• 📱 Ignore sensors – forced locking regardless of the position of the phone.

If the autoturn icon is missing in the curtain, it can be added:

1. Open the notification panel and tap on ⚙️ (Edit).
2. Find it in the Autoturn list and drag it to the active area.

💡

On some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra) autorotation can be enabled by voice through Google Assistant command "Switch on autorotation".

Auto-turning problems: Why the screen doesn't turn or turn itself

If the orientation lock is not working properly, the reasons may be both software and hardware, and consider the most common scenarios and their solutions.

One of the most common bugs is when the autorotor is on but it doesn't work.

• 🔧 shell conflict (for example, after updating) MIUI).
• 📱 Damage to sensors after falling or getting moisture.
• 🛠️ Incorrect calibration of the gyroscope/accelometer.

Another common problem is that the autorotation only works in one direction (e.g., turns left but not right).

• 🧲 Magnetic interference (for example, if a magnet case is lying nearby).
• 📉 Incorrect calibration – sensor reset is required.

⚠️ Warning: If the turnaround stopped working after the phone fell, don't try to disassemble the device yourself. At Xiaomi, orientation sensors are often integrated into the motherboard, and replacing them requires soldering work.

Calibration of orientation sensors on Xiaomi

If the auto-rotation is unpredictable, the first thing you need to do is calibrate the sensors. MIUI There are built-in tools for this, but some models may require third-party software.

Method 1: Through the Engineering Menu

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination ##6484##.
2. Choose the Sensor Test → Accelerometer Sensor.
3. Put your phone on a flat surface and press Calibrate.
4. Pick up the phone and repeat the test – the values should change when tilting.

Method 2: Using the application GPS Status & Toolbox

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open the Compass Calibration section.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen (usually you need to rotate the phone in the shape of an eight).

Method 3: Resetting sensor settings

If the calibration does not help, reset:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → All specs.
2. Tap 5 times on the item Core (or Version) MIUI), activate the developer mode.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Find the option Reset sensor calibration and confirm the action.

⚠️ Note: After resetting the sensors, you may need to reconfigure the compass and gyroscope in applications such as Google Maps or Pokémon GO. Some games, for example, PUBG Mobile may also require recalibration of the joystick.

💡

If the problem persists after calibration, check the phone for magnetic interference (such as from magnet cases or wireless charging).

Set up autorotation for individual applications

V MIUI It allows you to flexibly adjust autorotation for each application separately, which is useful if you want the screen to be fixed in some programs (for example, in a browser), but rotate freely in others (for example, in YouTube).

How to set up:

1. Go to Settings. → Screen. → Screen reversal.
2. Select Settings for applications (on some models this item may be called Exceptions).
3. In the list of applications, mark those for which you want to turn off the autoturn.

Examples of useful settings:

• 🌐 Browser – fix vertical position for easy reading.
• 📹 Camera - Allow autoturn for shooting in landscape orientation.
• 🎵 Music apps – block the turn so playlists don’t get knocked down.

On some firmware (e.g, MIUI 14 for Xiaomi 13) the Smart Autopivot option is available** – the system itself determines when to turn the screen based on the context (for example, when watching a video, but not when typing).

If the desired application is not in the list of exceptions, you can use third-party utilities:

• 🔧 Rotation Control – allows you to forcibly fix orientation for any program.

💡

To quickly switch the orientation in games, add the Rotation Control widget to the main screen, which eliminates the need to open the curtain every time.

What to do if the orientation lock does not work

If none of the above methods worked, the problem could go deeper. Consider radical solutions, but remember: they can affect other phone features.

1. Reset all settings

This will delete all your personal settings, but save files:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose Resetting (not to be confused with Resetting to Factory!).
3. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

2. Update or roll back firmware

Sometimes bugs with autoturn appear after the update MIUI. Check it out:

• 🔄 Is there a new version of the firmware in Settings → Updating the system.
• 📉 If the problem appeared after the update, you can roll back to the previous version via the Mi Flash Tool (requires an unlocked bootloader).

3. Virus testing

Some malicious apps can block the sensors.Scan with Google Play Protect or Malwarebytes.

4. Diagnostics in the service center

If none of these things work, you might have a motherboard or sensor plume that's damaged, and only professional repairs can help, and you might notice the following symptoms that indicate hardware failure:

• 🔴 The car does not work even after the reset.
• 🔴 Sensors do not respond in the engineering menu.
• 🔴 The phone is overheating or discharged quickly.

⚠️ Attention: On models POCO X3, Redmi Note 10 and others with liquid cooling malfunction of orientation sensors can be associated with corrosion of contacts due to moisture, in which case repairs will cost more because of the need to replace the cooling system.

Hidden functions of auto-turning in MIUI

Firmware MIUI It contains a few hidden features that are related to the orientation of the screen, and you can activate them through the developer mode or special commands.

1. Forced orientation for all applications

If you want the screen to always stay vertical or horizontal, regardless of the application:

1. Activate the Developer Mode (see above).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Find the option Forced Orientation and select the desired mode.

2. Turning off autoturn for home screen

On some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T) You can only block the turn on the desktop:

1. Press your finger on the home screen and select Home Screen Settings.
2. Activate the option to fix orientation.

3. Control of auto-turn through gestures

V MIUI 13/14 there is a hidden function that allows you to switch orientation with a double tap on the back panel:

1. Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Gestures.
2. Select Double Touch and assign the action to Turn the Auto Turn.

4. Scheduled auto-turn

Using the Tasker or MacroDroid app, you can set auto-turning/turning off depending on time or location.

• 🕒 Turn off the car at night.
• 📍 Only turn it on at home.

FAQ: Frequent questions about blocking targeting Xiaomi