Locking iPhone 5 in portrait mode

By Kate from UK, 16 July, 2013

Forum
iOS and iPadOS

Forgive new iPhone user, couldn't find where to post "how to" questions. I have tried to lock in portrait mode by sliding right when the app switcher items are shown, but nothing happens. I'm a blind user so use VO all the time. Is there an option using a mini bluetooth keyboard? Also I have many questions about keyboard commands such as double tap with 2 fingers, 3 finger swipe and many others with a bluetooth keyboard, and need tips to make the use of my iPhone as quick as was my use of my Nokia E72. Where can I post these questions please? Thanks. Kate.

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Comments

By Mr Potato Head on Saturday, July 13, 2013 - 01:24

Hello Kate, Firstly, welcome to AppleVis. We have a great bunch of people here who will be happy to offer whatever help we can. The gesture for moving through the App Switcher actually uses 3 fingers. It doesn't appear to matter if you have your fingers vertical or horizontal, but I find that the former gives me more space to action the gesture, which is to slide or flick your 3 fingers to the left or right. I find that a slow slide of the 3 fingers is the most consistent for me. As you move through the App Switcher you will find that VoiceOver announces the page number - 2 of 7 and so on. The rotation lock is on the second page along with the audio playback controls. Hope this helps. I don't use a bluetooth keyboard, so gon't know how you would access this control with one. And as for any other questions, just ask away (smile)

By Isaac Hebert (not verified) on Saturday, July 13, 2013 - 01:24

First double tap the home button to open the app switcher next slide four fingers to the right twice until it says rotation lock unlock then double tap it then you will put it in portrait lock.

By Kate from UK on Tuesday, August 13, 2013 - 01:24

Thanks, that worked! Is there a mini bluetooth keyboard user out there who could tell me keyboard commands please? I know quite a few, but picking up one at a time is laborious. is there a list anywhere, or would someone write one if they know lots of keyboard commands. I know mini keyboards may not have all the same keys as each other. I have control, command, option and function keys. I can double tap, read messages, move insertion point to beginning or end, change rotor values, go to home screen, turn on app switcher, turn on screen curtain, turn speech on or off, lock the screen, and maybe others I can't think of. I'd like to know how to delete apps from app switcher, how to move icons on the screen, how to change the name of a folder, how to go to the first or last button on the screen, if in a list of texts from someone I have to arrow through them all or use the iphone screen to get me to where I can type. There are many occasions where I can't talk to the phone, and I'd like to be able to do as much with a keyboard and a bluetooth headset as possible. Thanks, and anything else you can tell me is useful, I may not know I need to know it yet! Kate. x

By flcomputergeek on Monday, January 13, 2014 - 01:24

I purchased an IPhone 5S yesterday and have been unable to lock the screen into portriat mode. On prior IOS versions, I could move through the pages with my bluetooth keyboard and select the lock orientation. With IOS 7, each page only displays the app names with the option to close, and I find no reference to rotation lock. I tried the four-finger swipe right as mentioned in comment number 2 of this post, but due to my cerebral palsy I was unsuccessful at performing this gesture. If anyone knows how to lock the screen into portrait mode using IOS 7, using bluetooth keyboard commands, your assistance would be reatly appreciated.

Hi. In order to lock your device's screen orientation you'll have to open the control center. To do so: 1. Touch on top of the screen to reach the status indicator. VO M on a bluetooth keyboard. 2. Swipe up with 3 fingers to open control center. Control down ero on a bluetooth keyboard. 3. Swipe right with 1 finger or VO right ero on a bluetooth keyboard to brows the list of available controls and select lock orientation. Hope this helps.

Hi. I tried your suggestion of going to the control center, but all I found there were a bunch of unlabeled buttons and a few random pickers with percentages in them. The only buttons that were labeled were to control the music player and something about airdrop. I'll keep playing with it. Thanks for the suggestion. :)

All items and buttons in the control center are clearly labeled. Some times VoiceOver doesn't clearly read or speak these buttons in order, you'll may need to disable VoiceOver and re-enable VoiceOver once again to have things spoken properly. For further assistant please don't hesitate to contact.

I assumed that they would be labeled, but mine just says "button", instead of reading any labels, even after turning voiceover off and back on again. I was talking to a friend and she said the control center buttons are labeled on her ipod touch. She told me to count over five items, which I did and doubletapped. That locked my screen orientation, as I now see an orientation locked icon in the status bar. Thanks for your help.

By Katie P on Monday, January 13, 2014 - 01:24

Hello, If you reboot your phone the button labels should properly be read by VO. This, at least was what I had to do with my iPod Touch in order for it to properly see the button labels so to speak. I hope this helps, and I am glad you got your screen orientation locked as desired.

Thank you. Rebooting the phone worked brilliantly. Voiceover now reads the items in control center as it should.

By KE7ZUM on Monday, January 13, 2014 - 01:24

Yeah I had that issue once. it drove me nuts. I also had to reboot as well when I had that issue. I thought I was the only one. lol!

By Isaac Hebert (not verified) on Monday, January 13, 2014 - 01:24

If you have a iPhone 5 running iOS 7 you can swipe up with three fingers after tapping the status bar then swipe to rotation lock then double tap it to turn it on.