How to unlock the autoturn of the screen on Xiaomi: from simple ways to hidden settings MIUI

The blocked orientation of the screen on Xiaomi is a problem that both beginners and experienced users face. The screen stops automatically turning when turning the phone, frozen in a vertical or horizontal position. Most often this happens after a MIUI update, accidental button pressing or a failure in the accelerometer sensor. In 80% of cases, it is not hardware malfunctions, but software settings that are to blame - and they can be fixed in 2-3 minutes.

In this article, we will look at all possible causes of orientation blocking, from basic parameters in the notification curtain to hidden MIUI functions and sensor diagnostics. We will focus on the Redmi Note 12/13, POCO X5/F5 and Xiaomi 13/14 models, where the autorotation algorithm changed after the release of MIUI 14. If the standard methods do not help, at the end of the article you will find instructions for resetting and checking hardware.

1. Check the basic settings of the autoturn

Start with the obvious: it's possible that autorotating is just turned off in quick settings. Xiaomi does this in two ways:

• 📱 Through the notification curtain: swipe down from top to bottom twice to open the full panel. Find the Autoturn icon (usually depicted as a circular-arrow phone) and tap it. If the button is illuminated, the function is active.
• ⚙️ In System Settings: Go to Settings → Screen. → Autopivot. Make sure the switch is on. On some firmware, this item may be called Screen Orientation.

On POCO and the new Redmi with MIUI 14+, the auto-turn icon may not be in the curtain - it has been hidden to save space. In this case, add it manually: tap on the pencil in the upper right corner of the notification panel, find the Auto-turn icon in the list and drag it to the active area.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Ultra), autorotation is automatically blocked in video or camera mode. This is not a failure - this is how optimization works to stabilize the image.

2. Phone reboot and temporary data reset

If the autorotation doesn't work despite the settings turned on, the problem can be temporary system failures. Rebooting the smartphone often solves the problem:

1. Press the power button for 3-5 seconds.
2. In the menu that appears, select Reboot (or Restart in English firmware).
3. Wait for a full reboot (it takes up to 1 minute).

If the reboot didn’t help, clear the cache of the system applications responsible for orientation:

• 🧹 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 In the search, enter System settings (or Settings).
• 🗑️ Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
• 🔄 Repeat the steps for the Launcher app (usually called MIUI Launcher or POCO Launcher).

On models with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro), additional sensor calibration may be required after cleaning the cache – read more about this in Section 5.

3. Verification of conflicting applications

Some programs can block the autorotation of the screen, even if the settings are all on.

• 🎮 Game launchers (e.g. Game Turbo in the game) MIUI): They capture orientation to improve gameplay.
• 📺 Video players (MX Player, VLC): They can enforce horizontal regimes.
• 🔒 Security Applications (Clean Master, DU Speed Booster: sometimes optimizing your system too aggressively.
• 📱 Launchers from third-party developers (Nova Launcher, Apex Launcher).

To identify the culprit:

1. Close all background apps through the latest task menu (swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen).
2. Check if the autoturn is working in a “clean” state.
3. If so, run programs alternately to find the conflicting one.

⚠️ Attention: POCO F5 redmi K60 In Game Space mode, autorotation is locked at the system level. To unlock it, open the game menu (swipe from both sides of the screen) and turn off the option to Set Orientation.

Close all background programs

Check the autoturn in safe mode

Turn off Game Turbo in the settings

Remove newly installed applications

Update problem programmes-->

Calibration of the accelerometer sensor

If previous methods have not worked, the problem may be incorrect operation of the accelerometer, the sensor responsible for determining the position of the phone in space, which can be recalibrated on Xiaomi without special tools:

1. Open the phone app and enter the combination: ##6484###
2. You will be placed in the sensor testing menu (MIUI Secret Codes).
3. Select the Accelerometer Sensor Test (or the Accelerometer Sensor).
4. Put your phone on a flat surface (screen up) and press Calibrate.
5. After calibration, restart the device.

On newer models (Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13 Pro+), the code may not work.

• 📦 Install the Accelerometer Calibration app from Google Play.
• 📱 Follow the instructions on the screen (usually put the phone on the table and turn it in different directions).
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone after calibration.

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If the sensor is still not working properly after calibration, check the phone for physical damage, and if you drop the device, you could damage the accelerometer, in which case you will need repairs.

5. Reset screen settings and MIUI

When standard methods don't work, the next step is to reset the settings associated with the display and orientation, and it won't delete your data, but it will return the screen settings to factory values.

Instructions for MIUI 12-14:

1. Open Settings → System and device → More
2. Choose Resetting (not to be confused with Resetting to Factory!).
3. Slip on Reset screen settings or Reset display settings.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the completion (it will take 10–30 seconds).

If this item is missing, perform a partial reset via Safe Mode:

• 🔄 Press the power button and hold the power off until the offer appears to go to Safe Mode.
• 📱 In Safe Mode, check if the autorotation is working. If so, the problem is in one of the installed applications.
• 🔍 Remove newly added programs and restart your phone in normal mode.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi with MediaTek processors (e.g. Redmi Note 12) 5G) Resetting the screen settings can also reset Adaptive Brightness and Color Mode settings, and after the procedure, you have to reset them.

6. Checking of hardware faults

If the software methods are exhausted and the autorotation still doesn't work, it's worth checking the physical condition of the sensors.

• 🔧 The screen does not respond to turns at all (even in applications where orientation is fixed).
• 📉 The accelerometer sensor in test utilities shows zero values or errors.
• 💥 The phone fell or was hit (especially if other sensors, such as a gyroscope, stopped working afterward).

For diagnosis:

1. Install the Sensor Test or AndroSensor app from Google Play.
2. Open the Accelerometer tab.
3. Turn the phone in different planes, if the X, Y, Z values don't change, or if it's 0.00, the sensor is defective.

On Xiaomi AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 13 Lite, Redmi) K70) Failure of the accelerometer may be accompanied by other symptoms:

• 🎮 Tilt control games do not work (for example, Asphalt 9).
• 📱 No reaction to the gesture to wake up.
• 🔄 Automatic rotation in landscape mode for individual applications does not work.

In this case, contact the service center. On phones with a valid warranty (up to 24 months for most models), sensor repair is free. The cost of replacing the accelerometer with Xiaomi is out of warranty - from 1,500 to 3,000 rubles (depending on the model).

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If the sensor is physically damaged, no software methods will restore the autorotation, in which case professional repair or replacement of the motherboard is required.

7. Features of autoturn on new versions of MIUI

Since MIUI 13, Xiaomi has introduced new orientation management algorithms that can be confusing.

• 📱 Xiaomi. 13/14 Autorotation by default works only in a horizontal position (if you hold the phone at an angle). 45°, screen won't turn).
• 🎮 In games and some apps (such as YouTube), orientation is automatically fixed, even if the settings are all enabled.
• 🔒 Nana POCO F5 Redmi Note 12 Turbo added a smart turn option that blocks autoturn when tilting the phone forward (to avoid accidental positives).

To adjust the behavior of the autoturn in MIUI 14:

1. Go to Settings → Special features → Usability.
2. Find the Autoturn section and select Turning Settings.
3. Here you can:

On POCO with POCO Launcher, these settings may be located elsewhere: Settings → Additional → Gestures and movements.

FAQ: Frequent questions about unblocking orientation