While most of the time, it makes sense to keep your phone's screen vertically formatted, there are times in which it is necessary.

If you are playing a game, viewing hi-res images, or catching up on Netflix, it is not a good idea to use the standard screen format.

The process of rotating your screen should only take a few seconds. Everything you need to know is here.

How to rotate your iPhone screen

You can open an app that supports the landscape view. If you want to change the orientation of your phone, put it on its side. The content on your screen should be in landscape mode.

If you have an orientation lock, your screen may not be rotating. This feature can be locked or unlocked.

1. If you want to turn off Screen Rotation Lock, you have to open the home screen and then scroll down to see the Control Center.

Screenshot of the iPhone Control Center.
The Portrait Orientation Lock button is placed by default in your Control Center.
Jennifer Still/Insider

2. The icon has an arrow curving around it. This will be highlighted if Screen Rotation Lock is active. The screen rotation lock will be disabled if you tap it to unhighlight it.

3. You can return to your home screen if you tap on any unused space on the screen. Your screen should follow when you physically rotation your phone to landscape mode.

Screenshot of the iPhone Control Center with the Orientation Lock button highlighted.
When the Orientation Lock button is dark, it's not activated, which means the screen can rotate.
Jennifer Still/Insider

You can lock your screen in a particular rotation to make sure it doesn't change even if you move the phone in your hand. If you want to turn on the orientation lock after rotating the device, you need to tap on the screen rotation lock icon in Control Center.

What you should do if your iPhone screen won't rotate

It should be noted that not all applications will support screen rotation.

If you have disabled Screen Rotation Lock on your phone, it is possible that the app in question will not allow reorientation of your screen.

What you should do if your iPhone screen won't rotate

It should be noted that not all applications will support screen rotation.

If you have disabled Screen Rotation Lock on your phone, it is possible that the app in question will not allow reorientation of your screen.

If you are certain that an app supports screen rotation but it isn't working on your phone, you have a couple of options to fix the issue.

1. The app should be closed and reopened. Sometimes apps need to be restarted.

2. You should restart your device. A simple restart will give your phone a chance to get things right. There is no rhyme or reason to why this works.

3. You can contact Apple support. If your screen won't rotation even after you disabled Screen Rotation Lock, it may be time to contact Apple Support. If your phone has an issue like a broken accelerometer, you need a professional to fix it. Taking your phone to an authorized Apple repair store is the first step in getting the issue fixed.