The screen autoturn on Xiaomi Redmi does not work: what to do

When a Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone display refuses to change orientation when it turns, it is one of the most annoying but easily solved situations, and it is most often encountered in a browser or when watching a video, when the picture stubbornly remains vertical. In MIUI and the new HyperOS, not only the accelerometer, but also software constraints that can conflict with each other.

Before you bring the device to the service, you should eliminate software glitches that are common on Chinese firmware. The proximity sensor failure often blocks the gyroscope in the background, creating a false sense of screen failure. We will examine all diagnostic methods, from the banal check of the notification curtain to deep calibration with hidden engineering code.

Recovery usually takes no more than five minutes, and in this tutorial, we go from simple settings checks to complex manipulations of system services that are hidden from the eyes of the average user, and it is important to act consistently to pinpoint the source of the malfunction.

Basic diagnostics and check of switches

The first thing to do is to make sure that the problem is not a simple lock, and in the MIUI shell, orientation control is brought to the control center, but its work can be limited by system priorities, and users often forget that some applications have their own display priority, ignoring system commands.

Lower the notification curtain and find the orientation icon. It can look like a circular arrow lock or just like a horizontal phone. If the icon is on red or blue, the function is locked. Click on it to unlock. If that doesn't work, try forcibly restarting the device - it will reset the accelerometer's temporary errors.

It's also worth checking if Do Not Disturb mode or specific energy saving profiles are enabled, which can turn off unnecessary sensors to save battery life.Relatively, cleaning the system's cache through the recovery menu helps, but this is an extreme measure.

⚠️ Note: If the screen rotates in the settings menu but doesn’t work in YouTube or the browser, the problem isn’t with the hardware, but with the specific app or its permissions.

Interface settings and orientation blocking

In modern versions of Xiaomi firmware, a forced-rotation feature has been introduced that works even if the main switch is turned off, and it is activated by a special icon in the corner of the screen. When you turn the phone, a small icon with arrows can appear in the upper or lower right corner, pressing it forcibly changes orientation.

Check the display settings in the Settings → Screen menu. Make sure there are no active font size restrictions or interface elements that may conflict with horizontal mode. Sometimes Android zooms out and the system "thinks" there's not enough room for horizontal display.

You should also pay attention to third-party launchers, which, if you've installed themes or shells like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher, can intercept orientation control. Try temporarily returning to the standard POCO or MIUI launcher to rule this out.

Calibration of sensors through the engineering menu

If simple methods didn’t work, the gyroscope calibration probably went wrong, with Redmi and Xiaomi smartphones having a built-in engineering menu for testing hardware components, accessed through a set of special code in the Phone app.

Open the dialer and type ##6484##. The CIT menu will open. In the test list, look for the Gyroscope or Accelerometer. Follow the instructions on the screen: usually put the phone on a flat surface and press the calibration button, and then turn the device on the axes.

The sequence of actions in CIT:


1 Enter the code ##6484##




2.Find Gyroscope




3. Put it on the table.




4.Push Calibrate.




5. Wait for the message Success

After successful calibration, the system overwrites sensor sensitivity parameters, which often solves the problem when the screen turns jerky or with a long delay. If the test shows an error (Fail), it may be that the sensor is physically damaged or the train departs.

Resetting application and system settings

Sometimes the system services that display content conflict, and in particular, System UI can accumulate errors. Try resetting it. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, search System UI (or System UI) and click Clear → Clear Everything.

Don't worry, it won't delete your personal data, photos or contacts, it'll only reset the desktop configuration, the location of the widgets and some display settings, and then the phone can behave as if it were first turned on, reconfiguring the interface.

If that didn't work, check for system updates. In Settings → About your phone, click on the MIUI version. Often sensor bugs are patched with security patches that come along with the firmware update.

Problems after updating or reflashing

Users who install custom firmware (Global to Chinese or vice versa) through Fastboot often experience sensors that are not working properly, because drivers may differ from region to region. If you've changed your device region, try to return the original region through the settings menu.

It's also worth checking if there's a magnetic case or holder in a car with powerful magnets. Neodymium magnets can temporarily magnetize components or affect the compass and gyroscope by knocking them down. Take off the case and check the screen.

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When installing global firmware on Chinese Xiaomi always make full Wipe Data, otherwise conflicts (partitions) can cause sensors to malfunction.

In some cases, it helps to turn on and off USB debugging. Go to Settings → About phone, press 7 times on the build number to unlock the developer menu. Then in advanced settings, turn on “Debugging over USB”, restart, turn it off again and again reboot.

When hardware parts need repair

If software methods, calibration and resets fail, there is a high probability of physical malfunction. The orientation sensor (accelerometer) is often on a separate board or integrated into the main module. When a smartphone falls, the sensor crystal may crack or move the contact.

Symptoms of hardware breakdown: the screen rotates randomly without the phone moving, or does not respond at all in any application, including the CIT engineering menu.

⚠️ Warning: Don't try to disassemble the smartphone yourself if it's warranty-free.Opening the case immediately voids Xiaomi warranty obligations.

Replacement of the sensor requires high-quality soldering and donor parts, and authorized service centers usually change the entire motherboard or module on which the sensor is soldered, which guarantees stable operation in the future.

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If the CIT engineering menu shows a Fail error even after calibration, it is 100% a sign of hardware failure.