Smartphone screen auto-rotate: how it works

The auto-rotate function, which works with sensors such as accelerometer and gyroscope, plays a crucial role in detecting changes in the position and movement of your device. UAportal tells you how it works and what components make this feature possible.

How smartphone screen auto-rotate works

The smartphone's auto-rotate function adjusts the position of the screen based on the device's position relative to gravity. Sensors such as the accelerometer detect linear acceleration in the X, Y, and Z axes, which allows them to sense the device's orientation and position changes.

When the smartphone is tilted or back, the gyroscope measures angular velocity and rotation around the three axes, providing additional motion data. This sensory data is then processed by software, which in turn adjusts the orientation of the screen, providing a seamless transition between landscape and portrait modes.

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The components of the smartphone screen automatically rotate

The key components involved in the auto-rotation of the smartphone screen are the accelerometer and gyroscope sensors. The accelerometer measures linear acceleration by collecting position change data, while the gyroscope determines angular velocity and rotation. The data from these sensors feeds into the software, which interprets the data and instructs the screen to rotate accordingly so that users can enjoy the content in the correct position.

The main drawback and its solution

Users have reported difficulties with the auto-rotate feature, especially when they use the device while lying on their side. This drawback moved developers to look for innovative methods to improve the functionality of the feature.

In response to this challenge, Android 12 introduced a smart screen rotation feature that utilizes the front camera to improve accuracy. With this technology, the orientation of the display changes only when the user's face and the screen are perpendicular to each other. This intelligent approach helps prevent false positives and ensures more reliable operation of the auto-rotate function.

Recall, we wrote about how your phone battery can drain quickly due to one common mistake users make. This leads to wear and tear on the components of your gadget.

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