How to make an application ignore screen orientation change?

Question

Is there a way to make an application completely ignore a screen orientation change?

Just one note that apparently in Android 1.5 there is a bug. If you use a custom screen size (e.g. 800x480, like on the Apad) and force it to landscape (either via XML or from the code) then it will be in fact in portrait. — Dornbi, Oct 01 '10 at 09:04
You may just call `Screen.lockOrientation(this)` from https://github.com/delight-im/Android-BaseLib/blob/master/Source/src/im/delight/android/baselib/Screen.java if you want to lock and unlock the orientation from code (which is more flexible) — caw, Mar 04 '15 at 18:33

score 58 · Accepted Answer · edited Aug 29 '11 at 16:34

58

It is possible, quite easily, to override the default behavior and forbid a screen orientation change when the keyboard is open/closed.

Modifying the manifest

Open the manifest, switch to the Application tab and select the desired Activity you wish to override for the orientation change behavior.

Within Attributes you need to change two fields: Screen orientation: select either portrait or landscape - whichever is desired. This will be the default layout.
Select events for Config changes you wish to override: In this case these are keyboardHidden and orientation.

Modifying the Activity implementation

Now you need to override a single function within desired Activity.

Just add the function below to your Activity's class.

@Override
public void onConfigurationChanged(Configuration newConfig) {
    super.onConfigurationChanged(newConfig);
}

This is the default implementation if using the Source->Override/Implement Methods menu option.

That's it! Now your orientation will always be kept.

Remember that this setting is per Activity - so you need to repeat this step for each Activity you wish to forbid the orientation change!

(Based on SDK 1.1)

edited Aug 29 '11 at 16:34

Peter Mortensen

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answered Sep 11 '09 at 12:33

Marcin Gil

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16

Doesn't simply calling through to the superclass not change anything at all? – mxk Sep 11 '09 at 13:05
10

I was just playing around with something very similar - I think the changes to the Manifest file are sufficient, at least they were for me (which seems logical, as Matthias pointed out). – alex_c Sep 11 '09 at 16:28
to change in manifest is sufficient to lock the orientation, then what is the purpose of onConfigurationChanged()? – Datta Kunde Jun 24 '11 at 04:46
As far for my tests: if you'll just change the manifest, without overriding the onConfigurationChanged function, the onCreate() and the whole activity lifecycle events will be invoked. If You'll change the manifest AND override the onConfigurationChanged function, it won't be called. – ofirbt Jul 05 '11 at 16:12

score 28 · Answer 2 · edited Aug 29 '11 at 16:37

28

You can make the same change in code with the following line (called in an activity):

setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_LANDSCAPE);

Once you make this call, your application will stay in landscape (or portrait) mode. You can use the same call (with a different ActivityInfo enum) to make it sensitive to the orientation shifting again.

There's a full DevX article on the topic in Developing Orientation-Aware Android Applications.

(WARNING: since I've posted this link DevX has put up a registration wall.)

edited Aug 29 '11 at 16:37

Peter Mortensen

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answered Sep 11 '09 at 22:33

haseman

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This is the only answer that worked for me with Android 2.2. Thanks! – Zach Rattner Sep 10 '10 at 03:45

score 21 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:59

21

If you are setting either by AndroidManifest.xml or with the setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT); you are going to run into issues with tablets. Their natural/default orientation is landscape.

If you truly want to completely ignore screen orientation changes I would use this setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_NOSENSOR); value. I talk more about it in Stack Overflow question Android natural sensor orientation help.

Here is the xml:

<activity 
    android:name=".MyActivity" 
    android:screenOrientation="nosensor"
    android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden|keyboard"/>

edited May 23 '17 at 11:59

Community

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answered Jul 08 '11 at 15:13

bytebender

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This won't rotate the screen. – Don Larynx May 21 '15 at 12:37
1

I'm not sure I follow... That is the point, to avoid rotating the screen. – bytebender May 27 '15 at 17:18
"completely ignore screen orientation changes" means that when rotated, the data will remain the same. – Don Larynx May 27 '15 at 19:54

score 14 · Answer 4 · edited Aug 29 '11 at 16:39

14

You can define your activity in the AndroidManifest.xml file like this:

<activity 
    android:name=".MyActivity" 
    android:screenOrientation="portrait"
    android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden|keyboard"/>`

In this case you should set the property for each activity. I didn't find an inline solution for all applications.

edited Aug 29 '11 at 16:39

Peter Mortensen

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answered Sep 20 '10 at 17:24

FeelGood

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score 3 · Answer 5 · answered May 21 '15 at 12:47

3

Add this to the activity:

android:configChanges="orientation|screenSize"

answered May 21 '15 at 12:47

Don Larynx

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score 2 · Answer 6 · edited Feb 03 '12 at 15:30

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<activity  android:screenOrientation="portrait"></activity>

edited Feb 03 '12 at 15:30

Mat

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answered Feb 03 '12 at 13:24

score 1 · Answer 7 · answered Jun 14 '13 at 07:50

You want to read the current orientation and keep it this way throughout all the activity's lifetime, so what I did is the following, at the end of onCreate:

// choose an orientation and stay in it
if(getResources().getConfiguration().orientation == Configuration.ORIENTATION_LANDSCAPE)
    setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_LANDSCAPE);
else if(getResources().getConfiguration().orientation == Configuration.ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT)
    setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT);

How to make an application ignore screen orientation change?

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