Activity orientation changes automatically on Android

Question

I'm developing a mobile application based on Android with minSdkVersion=15. I would like to support both orientations for tablets and only portrait for smartphones. Everything works like a charm but I'm experiencing a little bug that is driving me crazy. When smartphone is in landscape mode and I try to trigger a new Activity, it opens in landscape mode for a while and then autorotates to portrait. Each one of my activities extend a GeneralActivity class:

public class GeneralActivity extends Activity {
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        // If smartphone lock orientation to portrait
        if (!Helper.isTablet(this.getApplicationContext())){
            this.setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT);
        }
    }
}

I detect tablets with this function:

public class Helper {
    public static boolean isTablet(Context context){
        Configuration config = context.getResources().getConfiguration()
        return config.smallestScreenWidthDp >= 600;
    }
}

I choose not to specify android:screenOrientation inside Manifest.xml because in that way I'm able to support all interface orientation for tablets. Am I missing something?

EDIT

I decided to apply the best practice suggested in the answer by Jonathan, but the issue I described is still here. Here's my repo on github: https://github.com/giacmarangoni/Android-Orientation-Test

Hi, I am facing the same issue.. and it occurs only for Nougat devices.. I had the same scenario as like of yours and I'm stuck badly on it. Did you got any luck.? — Mahesh B ツ, May 29 '17 at 13:42

Crono · Answer 1 · 2020-01-03T20:02:10.247

I found the right way to solve this issue by using:

android:screenOrientation="locked"

in every activity declared in the manifest with this issue.

And keep using setRequestedOrientation() programatically to define if landscape or portrait orientation within onCreate() method,

Btw, in your GitHub project, I just changed the manifest adding locked orientation like this and it finally worked:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.giacomomarangoni.orientationtest">

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:supportsRtl="true"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme">
        <activity android:name=".MainActivity"
            android:screenOrientation="locked">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
        <activity android:name=".OtherActivity"
            android:screenOrientation="locked">
        </activity>
    </application>
</manifest>

Hope it will help you too :)

You are a hero. I don't normally comment just to give praise, but I want to emphasize to anyone else who has this issue that this is the correct solution. It should be the accepted answer, especially since it allows for any orientation-locking logic to work with the standard setRequestedOrientation method. — Brian Acker, Nov 07 '19 at 19:10
@Crono you saved me! i added locked in the manifest and when my mediaPlayer was loaded then `setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_UNSPECIFIED);` to release the lock. works like a charm. — Avramo, Mar 23 '22 at 17:35

score 24 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 04 '17 at 12:46

I had the same problem on Android N & O and found a solution.

I still use setRequestedOrientation in the onCreate method, but I've added this for every activity in the manifest:

android:screenOrientation="behind"

This makes sure that the activity launches with the same orientation as the previous activity. The setRequestedOrientation afterwards will override it, but if it's the same as the previous activity you don't see anything change as the user.

Does this had any side effects when you used it? – Sudheesh Mohan Jun 25 '18 at 09:00 — Sudheesh Mohan, Jun 25 '18 at 09:00

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:09

Here's a good way using resources and size qualifiers.

Put this bool resource in res/values as bools.xml or whatever (file names don't matter here):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
    <bool name="portrait_only">true</bool>
</resources>

Put this one in res/values-sw600dp and res/values-xlarge:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
    <bool name="portrait_only">false</bool>
</resources>

See this supplemental answer for help adding these directories and files in Android Studio.

Then, in the onCreate method of your Activities you can do this:

if(getResources().getBoolean(R.bool.portrait_only)){
    setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT);
}

Devices that are more than 600 dp in the smallest width direction, or x-large on pre-Android 3.2 devices (tablets, basically) will behave like normal, based on sensor and user-locked rotation, etc. Everything else (phones, pretty much) will be portrait only.

Source: Original answer

Hi Jonathan, I really want to thank you for your answer. I tried to apply the solution you suggest and the issue I described is still present. I push my project on a git repo. Check my edit if you want. — JJack_, Mar 21 '17 at 19:48
Hi JJack, I will take a look when I get some free time!, hope you can get an answer soon. Best luck! — Jonathan Aste, Mar 22 '17 at 18:40

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Apr 17 '17 at 12:42

I have this solution working for me. In your manifest declare screen orientations portrait

<activity android:name=".activities.MainActivity"
        android:screenOrientation="portrait">

        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN"/>

            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER"/>
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>

Then in your base activity in your onCreate before you call super.onCreate if the device is a tablet set the orientation to unspecified.

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    if (!getResources().getBoolean(R.bool.portrait_only)) {
        setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_UNSPECIFIED);
    }
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
}

From the docs:

Unspecified: No preference specified: let the system decide the best orientation. This will either be the orientation selected by the activity below, or the user's preferred orientation if this activity is the bottom of a task. If the user explicitly turned off sensor based orientation through settings sensor based device rotation will be ignored. If not by default sensor based orientation will be taken into account and the orientation will changed based on how the user rotates the device.

This worked for me and so far i haven't found any drawbacks. I have only tested this in emulators and it doesn't seem that the app is starting in portrait and then rotating like it happened with the other solutions on phones. Anyway, i'd prefer phones to be working better than tablets just because they're used more.

If you find anything not working with this solution hit me up!

I tried it, but when I am running app on Tablet in Landscape mode then while launching any Activity, it first opens in Portrait mode and then rotates to landscape :( Any solution/workaround for it ??? — Mahesh B ツ, May 31 '17 at 10:12

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Jun 03 '17 at 04:29

I also faced same problem for Android N devices. So to support both orientations for tablets and only portrait for phones I did the following trick:

Set portrait to each activity in Manifest. Looks bad, but in this case screen will not autorotate: android:screenOrientation="portrait"

In your BaseActivity set:

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    if (isTablet(){  
       setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_SENSOR);
    }
}

protected boolean isTablet() {
   return getResources().getBoolean(R.bool.tablet);
}

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Jan 15 '18 at 20:33

In your base activity you can put something like this:

/*  Device types. */
static int MOBILE_DEVICE = 0;
static int SEVEN_INCH_TABLET = 1;
static int TEN_INCH_TABLET = 2;

private static int deviceType = MOBILE_DEVICE;
private boolean deviceTypeDetermined = false;


@RequiresApi(api = Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN_MR1)
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {

    if ( ! deviceTypeDetermined) setDeviceType();

    /* Screen rotation only for tablets. */
    if (getDeviceType() < SEVEN_INCH_TABLET) {
        setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT);
        lockScreenOrientation();

    ......
}



// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
static int getDeviceType() {
    return deviceType;
}
// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
private void setDeviceTypeDetermined() {
    this.deviceTypeDetermined = true;
}
// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@RequiresApi(api = Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN_MR1)
private void setDeviceType() {

    /*
        Let's invest on what kind of screen our APP is invited...

        We only make a difference in 10", 7" tablets and the rest...
    */

    Display mDisplay = getWindowManager().getDefaultDisplay();
    Point mScreenResolution = new Point();

    mDisplay.getRealSize(mScreenResolution);

    int mWidthPixels = mScreenResolution.x;
    int mHeightPixels = mScreenResolution.y;

    DisplayMetrics mMetrics = new DisplayMetrics();
    getWindowManager().getDefaultDisplay().getMetrics(mMetrics);

    float mWidthDpi = mMetrics.xdpi;
    float mHeightDpi = mMetrics.ydpi;

    float mWidthInches = mWidthPixels / mWidthDpi;
    float mHeightInches = mHeightPixels / mHeightDpi;



    double mDiagonalInches = Math.sqrt(
            (mWidthInches * mWidthInches)
                    + (mHeightInches * mHeightInches));


    if (mDiagonalInches >= 9) {

        /*
            A tablet with 8" x 5" is called a 10", but it is in fact
            9.43398". Interesting that this kind of things happens in
            the world of informatics.... ;)
        */

        MyBaseAppCompatActivity.deviceType = TEN_INCH_TABLET;
    }

    else if (mDiagonalInches >= 7) {
        MyBaseAppCompatActivity.deviceType = SEVEN_INCH_TABLET;
    }

    else
    {
        MyBaseAppCompatActivity.deviceType = MOBILE_DEVICE;
    }


    setDeviceTypeDetermined();
}
// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
void lockScreenOrientation() {

    /*  Screen rotation only for tablets. */
    if (deviceType < SEVEN_INCH_TABLET ) return;

    setRequestedOrientation(getResources().getConfiguration().orientation);
}
// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
void unlockScreenOrientation() {

    /*  Screen rotation only for tablets. */
    if (deviceType < SEVEN_INCH_TABLET ) return;

    setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_SENSOR);
}
// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And in your activities in the onCreate:

// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@RequiresApi(api = Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN_MR1)
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

    if (getDeviceType() >= SEVEN_INCH_TABLET) unlockScreenOrientation();

    setContentView(R.layout.main_activity);

    .........

// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This answer could be improved by adding explanation as to what you fixed. — Evan Weissburg, Jan 15 '18 at 20:41

score -3 · Answer 7 · answered Jun 03 '17 at 06:45

-3

Add this line in all activity tags in menifest file...

 android:screenOrientation="portrait"

answered Jun 03 '17 at 06:45

Vishal Vaishnav

3,346
3
26
57

Not an option, because then you have the same problem on tablets in landscape – Huby Oct 04 '17 at 11:00

Activity orientation changes automatically on Android

7 Answers7

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