If your Fairphone 5 is stuck in portrait mode and won't rotate to landscape, it's usually a quick software setting or a minor glitch. The auto-rotate feature relies on your phone's sensors and software working together, and a few things can throw that off.
Let's start with the most common fix, which takes about ten seconds to check.
Toggle the Auto-Rotate Quick Setting
Pull down the notification shade from the top of your screen. Look for the icon that looks like a phone with arrows circling it, or one that says "Auto-rotate." Tap it once to toggle it on or off.
When it's enabled, the icon should be highlighted or blue. If it's grayed out or shows a lock symbol, that means rotation is locked. Tapping it should unlock it and allow the screen to rotate again.
Check the Full Rotation Settings Menu
Sometimes the quick toggle isn't enough. For more control, pull down the notification shade twice to see all your quick settings tiles. Tap the pencil icon or "Edit" button to customize them.
Find the "Auto-rotate" tile and long-press on it. This should open the full rotation settings page. Here, you can ensure "Auto-rotate screen" is switched on. You might also see an option for "Rotate the contents of the screen," which should be enabled.
Restart Your Fairphone 5
A simple restart clears out temporary software bugs that can confuse the accelerometer. Press and hold the power button until the power menu appears, then tap "Restart."
Wait for the phone to fully boot back up. Once it's on, try rotating it again. I've seen this fix work for a lot of random sensor issues on Android phones.
Test Rotation in Different Apps
Not every app supports landscape mode. Open a few different apps like Chrome, YouTube, and the camera to see if the problem is universal or app-specific.
If rotation works in YouTube but not in your messages app, then the app itself might be forcing portrait mode. Check that app's individual settings for a rotation lock option.
Update Your Phone's Software
Since the Fairphone 5 runs a clean version of Android, updates come directly from Fairphone and can include important bug fixes. Go to Settings > System > System update.
Tap "Check for update." If one is available, download and install it. Fairphone promises over eight years of software support, so keeping your device updated is a good habit for fixing all sorts of issues.
Check for Problematic Apps
A recently installed app could be interfering with system functions, including rotation. Think back to when the problem started and if it coincided with a new app download.
You can try booting into Safe Mode. This temporarily disables all third-party apps. Press and hold the power button, then long-press the "Power off" option on your screen until you see a prompt to reboot to Safe Mode.
If auto-rotate works perfectly in Safe Mode, a third-party app is the culprit. You'll need to uninstall apps one by one, starting with the most recent, to find the problematic one.
Calibrate Your Phone's Sensors
Your Fairphone has a built-in way to test and calibrate its motion sensors. Open your Phone app and dial *#*#64663#*#*. This should open a hidden testing menu (this code can sometimes vary).
Look for options like "Sensor Test" or "Accelerometer." Follow the on-screen instructions to calibrate the sensors. If this code doesn't work, you can also download a free sensor testing app from the Play Store to check if the accelerometer is responding correctly.
Perform a Soft Reset or Battery Pull
For a more thorough reset that doesn't erase data, you can try a soft reset. Press and hold the power button for about 10-15 seconds until the device forces a reboot.
Given the Fairphone 5's modular design, you have another unique option. You can power the phone down completely, then pop off the back cover and gently remove the battery for 30 seconds.
Reinsert the battery, put the cover back on, and power it up. This fully cuts power to all components and can resolve deeper hardware communication glitches.
