Why the screen on Xiaomi phone doesn't flip over - the complete guide to diagnosis and repair

The autorotation of the screen is one of those features that we only notice when it stops working: you take the Xiaomi smartphone horizontally, and the picture stubbornly stays vertical. Or vice versa: the screen spontaneously rotates at the slightest tilt, in both cases it is annoying and interferes with the comfortable use of the device.

The problem with autorotation on Xiaomi phones (whether it’s Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or flagship Xiaomi 14) can have both software and hardware roots. 80% of the time, it’s due to settings or software failures, but sometimes it’s due to physical sensor failures. In this article, we’ll look at all the possible causes, from the simplest to those that require the intervention of the service center.

Important: If the screen doesn’t turn only in individual apps (like YouTube or a game), the problem is most likely in the app itself, not the phone.

Before you carry your phone for repair, go through our checklist. In most cases, the auto turn can be restored in 5-10 minutes without special skills.

1. Check the basic settings of the autoturn

The first thing to do is make sure that the autorotation function is on at all, and on Xiaomi phones, it can be turned off through both the notification bar and the system settings.

Open the notification bar (swipe top-down) and find the Autoporot icon (usually a phone icon with an arrow around it) if it's illuminated, the function is active. If not, tap it to turn it on.

If the icon is not in the quick settings:

1. Go to Settings. → Screen.
2. Select Autoturn (or Screen Turn in older versions of MIUI).
3. Make sure the switch is on.

Some models (such as the Redmi 10C or POCO M5) have an option called “Rotate when locked” that will not rotate on the locked device if it is disabled.

2. Software failures: reboot and reset settings

If the autorotation is on but not working, there may have been a temporary failure in the accelerometer sensor or MIUI system. Start with the simplest procedure - restart the phone.

How to properly reboot Xiaomi:

• 🔄 Press the power button for 3-5 seconds.
• 📱 In the menu that appears, select Reboot (not “Switch off"!).
• ⏳ Wait for full shutdown and automatic switching on.

If the reboot didn’t help, try resetting the sensor-only settings (it won’t delete your data):

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 5-7 times on the MIUI version until the message “You are a developer!” appears.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Find the option Reset sensors and confirm the action.

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If the autorotation is triggered after the sensors are reset, but it has stopped functioning again after a while, the problem may be in the background application that conflicts with the system.

In extreme cases, reset all settings (without deleting data):

1. Settings → System and device → Resetting settings.
2. Select Resetting (not “Reset to factory”!).
3. Confirm and wait for the process to be completed.

Problems with the accelerometer sensor

An accelerometer is a chip that detects the position of the phone in space, and if it fails or malfunctions, the autorotation of the screen stops functioning, and you can check the sensor's performance using built-in tests or third-party applications.

How to test the accelerometer on Xiaomi:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → The phone. → All specifications.
• 🔍 Find the Equipment Test (or Diagnostics in new versions) MIUI).
• 📊 Select the accelerometer sensor and monitor the indicators when turning the phone.

If you don't have a built-in test, install the Phone Tester or Sensor Test app from Google Play, which displays real-time data from all sensors.

• 📵 In vertical position: X ≈ 0, Y ≈ -9.8, Z ≈ 0.
• 🔄 In horizontal (screen up): X ≈ 0, Y ≈ 0, Z ≈ 9.8.

If the values don't change when you turn the phone or if you show zeros, the sensor is defective.

• 💥 Physical injury (fall, impact).
• 💧 Moisture (even if the phone didn’t sink, the condensate could oxidize the contacts).
• 🔌 Disconnection of the plume (after disassembling the phone).

4. Conflicts with applications and the MIUI shell

Sometimes autorotation is blocked by third-party applications or the MIUI system services themselves. For example, some launchers (desktop shells) or programs to save battery may limit the operation of sensors.

How to find the "culprit":

• 🔍 Launch your phone in Safe Mode (press the power button) → long-tape on "Switch off" → "Safe regime").
• 📱 Check if the autorotation is working. If so, there's a problem in one of the apps installed.
• 🗑️ Remove newly installed programs or cache reset for all applications in Settings → Annexes → Application management.

Pay particular attention to:

• 🛡️ Antiviruses (e.g. Avast, 360 Security).
• 🔋 Battery optimizers (DU Battery Saver, Greenify).
• 🎮 Game emulators (BlueStacks, MuMu Player) can block sensors).

If the problem occurred after the MIUI update, try to roll back to the previous firmware version.

1. Download the old firmware from the official Xiaomi website.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
3. Slip on the three-point in the upper right corner → Select a firmware file.
4. Specify the downloaded file and confirm the installation.

Start the phone in safe mode

Check the turnaround

Remove newly installed applications

Clear the cache of all applications

Disable battery optimizers-->

Hardware malfunctions: from plume to motherboard

If the software methods didn't help, the problem is probably hardware. In Xiaomi phones, not only the accelerometer, but also the gyroscope, as well as the plumes that connect them to the motherboard, are responsible for autorotating.

Typical hardware reasons:

It is not recommended to repair hardware faults yourself if you do not have experience with microelectronics, for example, when replacing the plume, it is easy to damage flexible contacts, and when soldering chips, overheat the board.

Important: on Xiaomi models with a sealed body (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi Note 12 Pro+), disassembling the phone without a special tool can lead to damage to the sealing rubber bands and loss of water protection.

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If the phone falls or gets wet, don't try to dry it with a hair dryer or put it on the battery, it will speed up the corrosion of the contacts. Use silica gel or special moisture absorbers.

6. Features of specific Xiaomi models

Some Xiaomi phones have unique problems with auto-rotation, and here are the most common cases:

Redmi Note 9/10/11 Series:

These models often have a bug where the autorotation only works in one direction (for example, it turns from book orientation to landscape orientation, and back again it does not). MIUI 12.5-13:

POCO F3/F4/F5:

On these smartphones, autorotation may conflict with Game Turbo. If the problem only manifests itself in games:

Xiaomi 12/13 series:

Flagship models sometimes suffer from sticking sensors after using the camera, and if the autorotation stops working after the video is taken,

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The Xiaomi 13 Pro and 14 Ultra have a hidden sensor calibration feature, and to activate it, type ##6484## in the Phone app and follow the instructions.

7. Alternative ways to control the turn of the screen

If the autoturn has not worked, but you urgently need to use the phone in horizontal mode (for example, to watch a video), there are workarounds:

Method 1: Forced rotation through the notification panel

• 📱 Deploy the notification panel.
• 🔄 Find the Turn icon (may be called Turn Blocking).
• 📵 Slip on it to unlock the turn, then manually turn the screen.

Method 2: Use of gestures

On MIUI 14 and later, you can adjust the gesture to turn:

1. Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Gestures.
2. Turn on the screen swivel option.
3. Now swipe three fingers up or down, you can force the screen to turn.

Method 3: Third-party applications

Utilities like Rotation Control or Set Orientation allow you to manually capture the orientation of the screen or create rules for individual applications.

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Forced rotation through the notification bar is a temporary solution, and if the sensors are faulty, this method will not work in games and some applications (such as Google Maps).

8.When to contact the service center

If you've tried all the ways, but the autorotor still doesn't work, it's time to carry your phone for repair.

• ⚠️ Sensors do not respond in tests (Phone Tester shows zeros).
• ⚠️ The problem arose after falling or getting moisture.
• ⚠️ Along with the autoturn stopped working other sensors (compass, illumination).
• ⚠️ Artifacts or stripes appeared on the screen when turning.

The cost of repairs in official service centers Xiaomi:

• 🔧 Diagnosis is free (if you repair them).
• 📱 Replacement of sensor plume - from 1500 ₽.
• 🛠️ Replacement of accelerometer / gyroscope - from 2500 ₽.
• 💻 Maternity Board Repairs – from 5000 ₽.

Before the service visit:

1. Make a backup of the data (Settings → About Phone → Backup).
2. Find out if the warranty is maintained after repair (in informal services – usually not).
3. Check whether they use original spare parts (Xiaomi often put unoriginal plumes that fail after 2-3 months).

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If your phone is warranty, don't open it yourself! in this case, repairs will be free even if the problem is caused by a fall (provided there is no visible damage to the case).

⚠️ Warning: If you notice that the autorotation only works when the charger is connected, this is a sign of unstable power supply sensors, you may need to change the battery or check the power chains on the motherboard.

FAQ: Frequent questions about autoturn on Xiaomi