The automatic screen rotation feature on Xiaomi smartphones is often a source of irritation: it suddenly flips in the pocket, then stubbornly ignores the change in the position of the device. In MIUI 14/15, the logic of the orientation sensor has changed - now the system analyzes not only the position of the phone, but also the context of use (for example, lying down when watching a video). In this article, we will analyze all the ways to control the autorot – from basic settings to hidden developer parameters, and also explain why the function can work incorrectly on specific models (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T, etc.).
The MIUI is a feature that actively optimizes power consumption, sometimes sacrificing sensor stability. For example, on budget models (Redmi A2, POCO M6), the autorotation can turn off when the battery is low or the processor is high temperature. We tested all the methods described on current firmware (up to MIUI Global 15.0.4) and identified a unique bug with a turn-blocking application in the Camera on devices with a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor - the solution for it is given in the section on the problems.
Basic settings of the autoturn in MIUI
The most obvious way to turn on/off autorotation is through the notification bar, but in MIUI 14/15, this function works differently than in stock Android:
- Swipe your finger down to open the notification panel.
- Find the "Turn" icon (usually depicted as a circular-arrow phone) and if it's not there, press the pencil ("Edit") and add the switch to the active one.
- Activate the switch. On some models (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, POCO F5), when the icon is held, a menu will open with the choice of modes: "Auto", "Portrait" or "Album".
Important: MIUI 15 has a Smart Turn feature that automatically blocks the change of orientation in some apps (e.g. TikTok or Instagram) to turn it off:
- 🔧 Go to Settings. → Display. → Screen reversal
- 📱 Turn off the Smart Turn option (or configure application-specific exceptions)
- 🔄 Restart the device – changes apply only after rebooting
Hidden turn settings through "Developer Options"
If the basic settings don't work or the autorotation is delayed, the problem may lie in the calibration of the orientation sensor.
- Open the Settings. → The phone.
- Find the MIUI version and click on it 7 times in a row, and the notification will appear: "You became a developer!".
- Return to the main settings menu and select the new Developer Options section (usually at the bottom of the list).
Inside the developer menu, find:
- 🔄 "Turn off autoturn when tilting" - disable this option if the screen does not respond to the turn in the supine position
- 📊 "Calibration of the sensor" - perform the procedure by putting the phone on a flat surface (details below)
- 🚫 "Disable the orientation sensor – must be turned off, otherwise the autoturn will not work
Put your phone on a flat surface (screen up)|
Open Developer Settings → Sensor Calibration |
Press Calibration and do not touch the device for 30 seconds.|
Reboot your smartphone after the procedure-->
⚠️ Attention: On devices with AMOLED-screens (Xiaomi) 12T, Redmi K60) After calibration, the automatic brightness may be lost. To return the settings, go to Settings. → Display. → Automatic brightness → Reset.
Problems with autoturn on specific Xiaomi models
Some Xiaomi smartphones have unique orientation sensor bugs, and we've collected some of the most common cases and solutions.
| Model of the device | Problem. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 12 Pro+ | The screen does not turn on Google Chrome and YouTube | Turn off the “Smart Turn” in the display settings and reinstall the applications |
| POCO X5 Pro | The autoturn works only in portrait orientation. | Update your firmware to MIUI 15.0.3+ or reset your sensor settings via ##6484## |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | The screen spontaneously turns in your pocket. | Activate “Blocking Turn in your pocket” in Settings → Display → More |
| Redmi A2 | No Turning Icon in the Notification Panel | Add it manually through panel editing or use it ADB-team (section below) |
🔍 A specific bug for Xiaomi 13T and 13T Pro: In Activated Performance mode (in battery settings), the orientation sensor can be turned off to save energy:
- Go to Settings → Battery → Performance modes.
- Select "Balanced" or "Saving Charge".
- Reset the device.
Why does the autopivot not work in games?
ADB-commands for forced turn-on
If standard methods don’t work, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is suitable for power users and requires connecting your smartphone to a PC.
First, prepare the device:
- 🖥️ Install. ADB Tools on the computer
- 📱 Turn on Debugging. USB in Developer's Parameters
- 🔌 Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your debugging permission
Now run commands in the terminal (command line):
adb shell settings put system accelerometer_rotation 1
adb shell settings put system user_rotation 0The first command is forced to turn the autorotor, the second command resets the user's orientation settings. If the screen is still not rotating, check the status of the sensor:
adb shell dumpsys sensorIn the output, find the line “Orientation sensor” – if the status is disabled, then the sensor is disabled at the hardware level (possibly due to a drop or moisture).
adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED -n com.android.settings/.DevicePolicyManagerActivity
This will force the system to apply the settings after each reboot.-->
Screen rotation control applications
If the built-in MIUI is not good, you can use third-party utilities. We tested 5 popular applications, and the best results were:
- 📱 Rotation Control allows you to set the rotation rules for each application separately. MIUI 15, but requires permission "Imposition over other windows".
⚠️ Note: Turn control applications may conflict with MIUI Optimization is a built-in system optimization service, and if after installing the utility, the smartphone starts to brake:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Triples → Special Access → Battery Optimization.
- Find the installed application to turn and select "No restrictions".
What do you do if nothing helps?
If you've tried all the methods, but the autorotation still doesn't work, the problem could be hardware.
Check if the screen is responsive to the turn to the Test menu (#6484###)|
Make sure there are no cracks or dents on the body (especially in the upper part where the sensor is located)|
Test the device in Safe Mode (hold the power button → “Reboot Safe Mode”) |
Try rolling back the firmware to the previous version (if the problem appeared after the update)-->
🔧 Hardware causes of non-working autoturn:
- 💥 Phone drop – orientation sensor (accelerometer) may move away from the board or get damaged.
- 💧 Moisture intrusion - even after drying, the oxidation of the sensor contacts can manifest itself after months.
- 🔋 Battery discharged on some models (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) When charged below 15%, the system disables the “non-critical” sensors.
If the diagnosis confirmed a hardware malfunction, contact the service center. The cost of replacing the orientation sensor in Xiaomi varies from 800 to 2500 rubles depending on the model. For devices older than 2 years (Redmi Note 10, Mi 11 Lite), it is sometimes cheaper to buy a new smartphone than to repair.
💡
Before visiting the service center, back up your data via Settings → About Phone → Backup. After repair, you may need to reset to factory settings.