When you turn your Xiaomi smartphone from vertical to horizontal, the screen automatically rearranges the content. This is a basic feature that we often take for granted until it stops working or starts to annoy at the most inopportune moment. In Android system settings, this parameter is called screen orientation, and it depends directly on the built-in position sensor.
Redmi and Poco have a convenient control center, but the deep settings are hidden in the engineering menu or in special sections of the system. Understanding how the autorotation works will help you not only to prevent the image from turning when reading in the prone position, but also to fix the situation when the screen is stuck in one position.
Next, we will discuss in detail the mechanisms of operation of the accelerometer, methods of forced locking and methods of software calibration, if standard solutions no longer help.
The principle of operation of position sensors in MIUI
The device's position in space is determined by a microscopic component called an accelerometer, which responds to gravity and acceleration by telling the operating system which face the smartphone faces the ground. Modern Xiaomi models often use a bundle of accelerometer and gyroscope to position more accurately.
When you turn the phone, the system reads the changes in the gravity vector. If the value on the X or Y axis exceeds a certain threshold, Android sends a command to the GUI to change the layout. However, software failures or physical impact can confuse the calibration, which causes the orientation to become no longer consistent with the real position of the gadget.
⚠️ Warning: Frequent smartphone drops can cause sensor sensor sensor sensor sensor sensors to mechanically shift inside the case, requiring software recalibration or repair.
It’s worth noting that not all apps support layout change: Video players and browsers are easy to adapt, whereas most social networks and banking apps are forced to keep upright regardless of your actions.
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An accelerometer is a hardware component that physically senses a tilt rather than a software emulation, so it can be calibrated or reset.
Control of the auto turn through the control center
The fastest way to change your display settings is to use a notification curtain, and in the MIUI or HyperOS shell, this control is prominently displayed for user convenience, and you don't have to go into deep menus to temporarily capture the picture.
To access the function, swipe down from the top right corner of the screen. Among the icons, you will find a button with the image of the lock in the circle or arrows. Pressing it changes the mode of operation: if the blue color is on (or the icon is active), then the orientation lock is on, and the screen will not respond to turns.
- 🔒 Lock: means that the turn is blocked, the picture is fixed in the current position.
- 🔄 Arrows: means that the autoturn is allowed and operates normally.
- 📱 Vertical: Standard position for typing and watching tape.
- 🎬 Horizontal: convenient for watching videos and games in landscape mode.
Sometimes users confuse this button with locking the screen, but they perform different functions: If the icon is on, the phone behaves like a fixed-screen tablet, which is useful when watching videos lying on its side.
Display settings in the system menu
If the standard button isn't enough, you can go to more detailed system settings. Some versions of Xiaomi firmware have additional parameters that affect the behavior of the interface. They are along the Settings → Screen path.
Here you can find the option Rotate the screen, which duplicates the function from the curtain, but sometimes allows you to set the default behavior for the desktop, and in this section you can also find font size settings and interface elements that can change visually when you turn the device.
For owners of large smartphones series Redmi Note or Mi Mix useful feature of one-hand control, which can also interact with orientation. Activation of this mode compresses the image, but does not cancel the accelerometra.
| Parameter | Location. | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|
| Crash-turn | Curtain/Settings | Allows change of landscape/portrait orientation |
| Type size | Settings → Screen | Scaling the text at any position |
| One hand. | Settings → Additional | Shifts the interface without changing orientation |
| Hide the cutout | Settings → Screen | Changes the shape of the status bar in the horizontal |
⚠️ Note: If the autorotation switch is missing from the settings menu, it may have been removed by the developers in a particular version. MIUI for your region.
Calibration of the accelerometer through the engineering menu
When the sensor is not working properly, for example, the screen is only rotating at a 45-degree angle or does not return to the vertical, calibration is required. Xiaomi phones provide a hidden engineering menu, accessible through a standard dialer.
To get into the test menu, open the Phone app and type in the command ##6484##. Once the last digit is entered, the list of CIT tests will open. You need to find the item associated with the accelerometer (often called Accelerometer or Gsensor).
##6484##Inside the test, follow the instructions on the screen: you usually need to put the phone on a flat surface and press the calibration button. The system will record zero values and adjust the sensitivity of the sensor. Once successful, the message "Pass" or "Success" will appear.
☑️ Sensor calibration process
Using third-party applications to set up
If the built-in tools don't work, Google Play apps come to the rescue, allowing you to fine-tune the sensitivity of the trigger threshold and even make the screen turn in apps that normally don't. One popular solution is Rotation Control.
These utilities add their icons to the notification curtain, intercepting system commands. You can set a forced landscape for a game or a portrait for a browser, ignoring the accelerometer readings. This is especially useful for older Redmi models, where sensors can wear out.
- 📲 Rotation Control: a powerful application with many profiles.
- 🔄 Ultimate Rotation Control: Simple interface and minimum permissions.
- ⚙️ Set Orientation: allows you to target specific applications.
When using third-party software, remember that it consumes battery power, as it constantly polls sensors. It is recommended to turn on such programs only as needed, and not keep them active all the time.
Why can applications not work?
Typical problems and methods of their elimination
Most often, users are faced with a situation where the screen is stuck in a horizontal position and does not want to return even after blocking the button in the curtain, this can be caused by software freeze of the SystemUI service or a temporary driver failure.
The first thing you need to do is to restart the device, which clears the RAM and restarts all system processes, including the sensor survey, and if the restart didn't work, check if the power saving mode is on, which sometimes limits the background processes that control the sensors.
The problem can also be in the safety glass, where if it's not evenly pasted or has thickening at the edges, it can physically interfere with the proximity sensor or cause interference that the system interprets incorrectly, in which case it helps to remove the accessory and recheck.
⚠️ Warning: If the screen randomly changes orientation on its own without touching, it may indicate a “ghost touch” or a faulty touchscreen, not just a turn sensor.
In extreme cases, when software methods are powerless, consider resetting your settings to factory settings, but make sure to back up important data before doing so, as all information will be deleted.
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Before going to the service center, try to gently tap your finger on the back cover in the area of the camera - sometimes this helps to "shake off" the accelerometer mechanism that has become stale.