How to Lock iPad Screen Orientation

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: July 28, 2022 Tested

Using Control Center

|

Using the Side Switch

|

Q&A

|

Tips

|

Warnings

This wikiHow teaches you how to prevent your iPad's screen from rotating when you move the iPad itself. On most iPads, you'll need to select the orientation lock option from the Control Center—which can be opened by swiping up from the bottom of the screen—though older iPads have a physical switch that can be used to lock the screen orientation.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Control Center

1
Make sure that you're on the Home Screen. Press the Home button, which is the circular button at the bottom of the iPad's screen, to do so. This will ensure that you can rotate your iPad's screen orientation without worrying about an app's preferences interfering.
2
Rotate your iPad to your preferred orientation. You want to make sure that your iPad is physically rotated to the orientation that you want to use, and that the screen has rotated to fit that orientation.
- There are two screen orientations available: Portrait, which is the vertical orientation, and Landscape, which is the horizontal orientation.
- Landscape is best for watching videos in full-screen mode or typing into a document, while Portrait is ideal for reading articles or browsing websites.
Advertisement
3
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen. Place your finger just below the bottom edge of the screen, then swipe upward. You should see the screen blue, and several icons should pop up on the screen.
- You may have to try this a couple of times before the Control Center will appear.
4
Tap the "Lock" icon. It's a black-and-white image of a padlock with an arrow encircling it, found on the right side of the screen. Tapping it will cause the padlock to turn red and the surrounding area to turn white, signifying that the screen is locked into place.
5
Press the Home button. Doing so will close the Control Center. Your iPad's screen should now be locked into your preferred orientation.
- You can unlock the orientation at any time by re-opening the Control Center and tapping the red-and-white "Lock" icon.
- Some apps don't support different orientations; for example, Minecraft PE necessitates landscape orientation, while apps like Instagram for iPhone will only appear in portrait mode.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using the Side Switch

1
Make sure that your iPad has a side switch. Some older models of iPad have a side switch. When holding the iPad in its vertical configuration (e.g., with the Home button at the bottom of the screen), there should be a toggle switch in the upper-left side of the iPad's housing.
- If you can't find a switch here, the iPad doesn't have a switch and you'll need to use the Control Center instead.
2
Open your iPad's Settings
. Tap the grey app icon with gears on it. You'll usually find this app on the Home Screen.
3
Tap
General. It's on the left side of the Settings page. Doing so brings up a list of the General options.
4
Tap the Lock Rotation option. You'll find this in the middle of the screen, below the "USE SIDE SWITCH TO" heading.
5
Press the Home button. This will minimize the Settings app.
6
Slide up the switch. The switch must be in the up-most position to unlock the screen's orientation.
7
Rotate your iPad to your preferred orientation. You want to make sure that your iPad is physically rotated to the orientation that you want to use, and that the screen has rotated to fit that orientation.
- There are two screen orientations available: Portrait, which is the vertical orientation, and Landscape, which is the horizontal orientation.
- Landscape is best for watching videos in full-screen mode or typing into a document, while Portrait is ideal for reading articles or browsing websites.
8
Slide down the switch. Once the screen's orientation is where you want it, slide the switch down to lock the screen's orientation. You should see a closed padlock icon appear briefly on-screen.
- You can change the orientation by sliding back up the switch.
- Some apps don't support different orientations; for example, Minecraft PE necessitates landscape orientation, while apps like Instagram for iPhone will only appear in portrait mode.

Community Q&A

Question

I cannot get the control center to come up when I slide from the bottom, and I have no side switch. How can I stop screen rotation?

Community Answer

Swipe down with one finger on the top right of the screen. There will be a lock with an arrowed circle, tap to lock or unlock.
Question

How to stop the iPad screen from moving around? Not rotating, but moving around.

Community Answer

Go to Settings, search 'Reduce Motion' and turn it on. It'll stop the apps from moving around.
Question

What can I do if my iPad is stuck in portrait mode?

Community Answer

You can either disable the screen lock, if it is enabled, or you can hold your iPad in portrait mode and rotate it from there to landscape.