How do I unlock my iPad to get horizontal screen

That's how we learn, don't kick yourself. I'm forever accidently brushing the screen turning things on or off. Then I have to backtrack and figure out what I did and how to undo it.

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My iPad Air is stuck in portrait mode. I've tried rebooting, side switch on off several times, changing side switch from screen rotation to mute... Nothing works. Running IOS 8.3. Any ideas?

If it's just one gane or app it might that game only works in portrait mode. Then pull up the Control Center to see if Anti-rotation is turned on there. You mentioned you tried the side switch. By rebooting did you mean a reset ? Press and hold both the home and power buttons until the Apple logo appears. Release both buttons. Wait until your iPad starts in it's iwn.

Seems to be stuck in portrait mode irrespective of the app. I also tried the hard reset (using the home and power buttons) and a "reset all settings" via the general settings and it's still stuck. It has never been dropped or banged so I don't understand it. A while back it was stuck in landscape, then I did a reset and it has been stuck in portrait mode ever since.

Normally a Restore would be recommended but since I don't know how to do that how about a workaround ? Go to settings> general> accessibility> assistive touch> on. Now to rotate the screen tap the onscreen button. Tap device on the onscreen menu. Tap rotate screen on the next menu. Try rotating the screen. I think a trip to the Apple Store is in your future to have your iPad checked out.

I Know that you found your answer, but this might be of interest to you.

About the iPad Side Switch - Apple Support

The iPad Air 2 is the first and only iPad to not have the side switch. Screen rotation lock and Muting of System Sounds are accessed in the Control Center since there is no side switch on the newest full sized iPad.

This is my boilerplate that explains how the side switch works. I have posted this many, many times when users could not understand why their sound in apps and notifications disappeared or why the screen would not rotate.

System sounds can be muted and controlled two different ways. The screen lock rotation can be controlled in the same manner as well.

Settings>General>Use Side Switch to: Mute System sounds. If this option is selected, the switch on the side of the iPad above the volume rocker will mute system sounds.

If you choose Lock Screen Rotation, then the switch locks the screen. If the screen is locked, you will see a lock icon in the upper right corner next to the battery indicator gauge.

If you have the side switch set to lock screen rotation then the system sound control is in the control center if you are running iOS 7 or iOS 8, Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to get to control center . Tap on the bell icon and system sounds will return.

If you are running iOS 5 or iOS 6, the system sound control is in the task bar at the bottom. Double tap the home button and swipe all the way to the right in the task bar to get to the speaker icon on the left side. Tap on that and the sounds will return.

If you have the side switch set to mute system sounds, then the screen lock can be accessed in the same manner as described above.

Question regarding your first para:

Settings>General>Use Side Switch to: Mute System sounds. If this option is selected, the switch on the side of the iPad above the volume rocker will mute system sounds.

This is what I have set (and I have Control Center disabled) on a 1st gen iPad Air. I'm checking because do only two things with the iPad: read books and watch foreign movies/TV shows hooked up to my TV. I have no problem hearing the sounds in the movies, so I assume "system sounds" means exactly that - only system sounds are muted?

Thanks!

Thanks! This allows me to rotate the screen alright, but it doesn't autorotate. I guess somewhere there must be an orientation lock on, I just can't see it!

You're welcome. The only two anti-rotation locks are the side switch and the Control Center. i think a trip to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store is called for next..

babowa wrote:

I have no problem hearing the sounds in the movies, so I assume "system sounds" means exactly that - only system sounds are muted?

That is correct, only system sounds like keyboard clicks, email notification sounds, other app notification sounds, and any other sounds in other apps. Sounds in apps are considered system sounds. That was always little confusing to me, but that is how Apple classifies them.

So, if you play a game that has sounds in it and you mute system sounds, you will not hear those sounds. But even when system sounds are muted, you can go to the videos app or the music app and all sounds will work. So you could switch from that game where you hear no sounds at all, to the videos app to watch a movie, and you will have sound in the movie.