Rotate the screen on your iPad

The screen on your iPad can rotate so you can see apps such as Safari and Messages in portrait or landscape mode. Find out how to rotate the screen on your iPad, or get help if the feature isn't working.

Some apps don't support rotation, so your screen may not rotate while you're using those apps even if rotation is enabled.

How to rotate the screen on your iPad

  1. Make sure Rotation Lock is turned off: swipe down from the top right-hand corner of your screen toopen Control Center. Then tap the Rotation Lock buttonNo alt supplied for Image to make sure it's off.

    iPad screen showing Control Center.
  2. Turn your iPad sideways.

If the screen still isn't rotating, try using a different app, such as Safari or Messages, which both work in landscape mode, and check if your iPad has a side switch.

If you have an older iPad, check if it has a side switch

If you can’t see the Rotation Lock buttonNo alt supplied for Image, check if your iPad has a side switch. If you have an older iPad with a side switch, you can set the side switch to work as a rotation lock or mute switch.

Go to Settings > General. Under Use Side Switch To, select the option you want.

Side view of iPad showing side switch.

Check the app you're using

Remember that not all apps support rotation. If some apps on your iPad are rotating as expected and others aren't, the ones that aren't rotating were purposefully built that way by their developers.

Still need help?

If the screen on your iPad still won’t rotate, contact Apple Support.

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