How to Lock Landscape on iPhone: A Simple Guide to Keep Your iPhone in Landscape Mode

Locking your iPhone in landscape mode ensures your screen stays oriented horizontally, which can be essential while watching videos, playing games, or using certain apps that work best in this layout. However, it’s important to note that iPhone’s built-in screen lock feature, known as Orientation Lock, only allows you to lock the device in portrait mode—not landscape. That said, there are a few ways to keep your iPhone screen steady in landscape when you need it:

1. Use the Orientation Lock: Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen to open Control Center, then tap the lock with an arrow icon to enable Portrait Orientation Lock. This will keep your device in portrait mode even if you rotate it—but landscape lock isn't natively supported in iOS.
2. Find Apps That Support Landscape Mode: Many apps, like YouTube or Netflix, automatically stay in landscape once rotated. Some even include a dedicated full-screen (landscape only) mode, making it less likely that the screen will rotate back unintentionally.
3. Try Guided Access: This accessibility feature allows you to lock your iPhone into a single app and control its orientation:
4. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access and turn it on.
5. Open the app you want to use in landscape, rotate your phone accordingly.
6. Triple-click the side button and follow the on-screen steps to start Guided Access.
7. In the Options menu, ensure "Motion" is turned off—this prevents the screen from rotating away from your chosen orientation.

As a designer, I often need to view spaces or visualizations in various orientations to get a realistic feel for a room. When planning digital layouts, having the ability to lock your device’s screen—especially in landscape—can greatly streamline your workflow. If you frequently design spaces or layouts on your iPhone or iPad, using a dedicated 3D floor planner can help you view and interact with your projects more intuitively, regardless of screen orientation.

Tips 1:

If you rely on landscape mode regularly, consider using an iPad, as some iPad models offer better support for both orientations—even locking them depending on how you're using an app or accessory (like a keyboard case).

FAQ

Q: Can I lock my iPhone in landscape orientation?

A: Currently, iOS only allows you to lock in portrait mode through Orientation Lock, not landscape. However, you can use Guided Access as a workaround.

Q: How do I use Guided Access to lock orientation?

A: Enable Guided Access in Settings, open your app in landscape, triple-click the side button, and turn off "Motion" under Options to lock the orientation.

Q: Which apps can be locked in landscape mode?

A: Media and video-centric apps like Netflix and YouTube often stay in landscape once rotated and might resist accidental rotation if orientation lock features are built-in.

Q: Does Orientation Lock affect all apps?

A: It affects most standard apps, but some (especially games and video players) override Orientation Lock to provide a better experience.

Q: Is there any third-party app that lets me lock landscape mode system-wide?

A: Apple does not allow third-party apps to control system-wide screen orientation. Workarounds like Guided Access remain your best option.