If you prefer keeping your phone’s orientation locked to portrait mode, you’ll have to toggle it every time you enter and exit multimedia apps for an immersive viewing experience. However, there’s a workaround you can use instead to auto-rotate your Android phone’s screen for certain apps.

Auto-Rotate Screen in Apps on Samsung Phones

Samsung offers the Modes and Routines featureon phones running One UI 5 or later. Modes lets you automate your phone’s settings based on different activities or situations, while Routines lets you set up automations that run based on a set schedule or when certain conditions are met.

We’ll use Routines to create a routine for auto-rotating the screen orientation for specific apps on Galaxy phones. Go toSettingson your phone and selectModes and Routines. Then, go to theRoutinestab and tap the+button at the top. Now, hitAdd what will trigger this routineunderIf.

Creating a new routine on a Galaxy phone.

On the next screen, tap the search bar, look upApp opened, and tap on it. Then, choose all the apps on which you want to auto-rotate your phone’s screen and hitDoneto add the action to the routine.

Now, tapAdd what this routine will dounderThen. Search forScreen orientationin the search bar, tap on it, and choose theAuto rotateoption on the overlay screen. HitDoneto add the action to the routine.

Create routine screen on a Galaxy phone.

TapSaveat the bottom. Finally, give a descriptive name to the routine and hitDoneto save. You can also change the icon and its color to personalize the routine.

The next time you open the app(s) you added to the routine, it’ll automatically toggle the orientation lock and rotate the screen to landscape. You’ll see a notification in the notification panel informing you that the routine just ran.

Looking up the App opened action to add to a new routine.

At any point, if you want to disable the routine, go to theRoutinestab and tap on the routine to open its settings. Hit theMoreicon in the bottom-right cornerand selectDisable this routine.

Auto-Rotate Screen in Apps on Other Android Phones

Unlike Samsung’s One UI, other Android skins don’t have the Modes and Routines feature. As such, if you’re using a non-Samsung phone, like a Pixel or a OnePlus, you’ll have to use athird-party automation appto create an automation to auto-rotate the screen in specific apps. I preferusing MacroDroidsince it’s free for the most part and fairly easy to use.

Download:MacroDroid(Free, in-app purchases available)

Choosing the apps for the App opened action to auto-rotate the screen in.

Open MacroDroid and grant it all the necessary permissions when you see the on-screen prompts. Next, go to theMacrostab and tap the+button in the bottom-right corner to create a new macro. Then, hit the+button on theTriggerstab and selectApplications.

Now, tap theApplication Launched/Closedaction, choose theApplication Launchedoption, and hitOK. On the following prompt, chooseSelect Application(s), tapOK, and select all the apps on which you want your phone’s screen to rotate automatically. Lastly, hitOK.

Create routine screen on a Samsung phone.

​​​​Again, create a new trigger as you did above, but this time, chooseApplication Closedand select the same apps. Now, tap the+button on theActionstab. Then, tapDevice Settings, selectAuto Rotate On/Off, chooseAuto Rotate Togglefrom the pop-up, and tapOKto add it to the macro.

Tap the text at the top that readsEnter macro name, give your macro a suitable name, and hit the floating+button in the bottom-right corner to save it. Finally, return to theHometab and turn on the toggle in the top-right corner to enable MacroDroid.

With everything done, MacroDroid will automatically toggle screen orientation every time you open the specified apps in your macro. It’ll tell you when the macro runs in your notification panel. The macro runs even if you close the MacroDroid app from the Recents menu.

If you ever want to temporarily pause the macro, you can simply disable it by heading to theMacrostab in MacroDroid and toggling off the macro you created.

Knowing how to auto-rotate your phone’s screen automatically helps when you want to lock an app in a specific orientation to avoid unwanted rotation. So, depending on the Android phone you use, you can use one of these methods to auto-rotate specific apps on launch. Some of the apps you can create the automation for include YouTube and Netflix.