If you’re a Samsung Galaxy S21 user and you’re experiencing issues with your device’s auto-rotate feature, you’re in the right place. In this guide, we’ll address this issue and provide you with 6 solutions to fix it.

The auto-rotate feature on your Galaxy adjusts the screen orientation based on data coming from the built-in accelerometer. However, if the auto-rotate feature is disabled, a third-party app is interfering with the screen orientation, a temporary software glitch, or a hardware issue with the accelerometer can cause it not to work.

But don’t worry, by following the fixes given below, you will be able to fix this problem quickly and easily. Let’s dive right in!

Note: Solutions in this guide will work on any Samsung Galaxy S21 model (S21, S21 Plus, S21 Fe, and S21 Ultra models.) 

Editor’s note: We created these instructions using a Samsung Galaxy S21 running Android 13. Depending on your device’s software version, some steps and menu positions may look slightly different.

Fix 01: Make Sure Auto Rotate is Turned On

First, you need to check if the Auto-rotate is turned on. This is because it’s possible that the auto-rotate feature on your Galaxy S21 is simply turned off. 

To check if this feature is enabled, follow these steps:

1. Swipe down from the top of your screen to bring down the notification panel.
2. Look for the Auto Rotate. This icon looks like a phone with two curved arrows around it.
3. If the icon is highlighted, that means the auto-rotate feature is enabled. If it’s not, tap on the icon to enable it.

If you can’t find the auto-rotate option in your notification panel, don’t worry. You can add this by following these steps:

1. Swipe down from the top of your screen to open the notification panel.
2. Tap on the three vertical dots in the top right corner.
3. Select Edit Buttons.

4. Find the Auto Rotate button and drag it into your notification panel.

Fix 02: Check In-App Screen Rotating Options

Certain apps you download from the Play Store have the ability to override the system’s auto-rotate setting. This is usually common in apps such as games, music apps, and most video players. Since these apps have their own screen orientation settings, it can sometimes conflict with your phone’s auto-rotate feature.

If you notice that the auto-rotate is not working while using a specific app, it’s possible that the app’s settings are causing the issue. Here’s how you can check and adjust the in-app settings:

Note: The exact process to configure screen orientation on certain apps depends on the app you use. We took the VLC media player here for this instance.

1. Open the app where you’re experiencing the auto-rotate issue.
2. Navigate to the app’s settings. This can usually be found by tapping on the three dots, hamburger icon, or gear icon within the app.

3. Look for an option related to screen rotation, orientation, or similar. This option may be named differently depending on the app.

4. If the option is disabled, enable it. If it’s enabled, try disabling and re-enabling it to see if this fixes the issue.

Not all apps support auto-rotation. If you can’t find an option related to screen rotation within the app’s settings, it’s likely that the app is designed to work in a specific orientation only. In this case, the auto-rotate feature of your phone will not work while using this app.

Fix 03: Restart Your Galaxy S21

A restart resolves minor software glitches and processes that could interfere with your device’s screen not rotating. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press and hold the power key and volume down key together until you get the power menu.

2. Tap on the restart button.

3. Confirm by tapping on the restarting button again.

Fix 04: Boot the Device into Safe Mode

There are other third-party apps that can interfere with the screen orientation of your Galaxy S21. These apps also override the system’s auto rotate settings and cause the feature to malfunction. To identify if an app is causing this issue, you need to boot your device into Safe Mode.

When you boot your device into Safe Mode, it will run only the system’s basic pre-installed apps and services. This allows you to check if a third-party app is causing the auto rotate issue, as these apps will be temporarily disabled in this mode.

Here are the steps to boot your Samsung Galaxy S21 into Safe Mode:

1. Press and hold the power button until it brings up the power menu
2. Then, tap and hold your finger on the power off button until you see the safe mode button.

3. Then tap on it to restart your device into the safe mode.

Once you’re in Safe Mode, use the auto rotate feature. If it works, it means a third-party app was indeed causing the issue. You can then exit Safe Mode and start uninstalling recently installed apps one by one until you find the culprit. 

However, if the auto rotate still doesn’t work in Safe Mode, it means the issue is not caused by a third-party app, and you need to move on to the next solution.

Fix 05: Reset All Settings

It’s possible that a misconfiguration in your device’s settings is causing the screen orientation issue. In such cases, Resetting all settings will fix the issue as it removes these misconfigurations and restores the settings to their default values.

Before proceeding with this step, it’s important to note down or take screenshots of any specific configurations you have made to your device that are not related to screen rotation. This is because resetting all settings will revert any changes you’ve made to the default settings.

Here’s how you can reset all settings on your Galaxy S21:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Go to General management.
3. Tap on Reset.

4. Tap on Reset all settings.

5. Confirm.

Fix 06: Take the Device to a Repair Center

If you’ve tried all the above solutions and your Samsung Galaxy S21 still won’t rotate automatically, it’s possible that there’s a hardware issue with your device’s accelerometer. 

As we said before, the accelerometer is the component that detects the orientation of your phone and allows the screen to rotate accordingly. If it’s malfunctioning, your screen will not rotate as it should.

In this case, it’s best to take your device to a certified Samsung repair center. If your device is still under warranty, the repair may be covered at no cost to you. 

Wrapping Up

That’s it! We hope this guide helped to fix the screen rotation issue. If you have any further questions or need additional help regarding this guide, feel free to leave a comment below. We will be there to assist you.