Orientation / Accelerometer Problems

[tpriddy]

It appears that changing your wallpaper disables the rotation of the home page when you tilt the droid. The landscape orientation of the homepage thereafter is only triggered by sliding out the keyboard.

I hope I'm not jumping to this conclusion, but I'd like your help. If you've never changed from the default Droid wallpaper, does your homepage rotate to landscape when triggered by the accelerometer?

Does anyone know how to backup that original gray Droid wallpaper? I'm wondering if restoring that wallpaper will restore the home page rotation.

It's not that I really need that rotation, but I want to know that I'm not crazy...

The responses I've gathered via PM, asking those who've noticed the lost rotation:

• "I changed it with the default wallpaper changing setting."
• "Yes, [I changed it via] the home screen settings."
• "initially i just used another one on the phone but have since downloaded some"
• "I changed that by just long-pressing, then changing wallpaper."
• "I didnt use an app. Transferred the image to SD card from my computer."

 

[ChrisK15]

I changed it back but it still doesn't rotate.

 

[johnlgalt]

ditto. It seems that once you have changed it you're screwed?

 

[Fadelight]

No idea if it is related or not, but I thought I would share it anyway.


First off... Yes, my screen still rotates into landscape on the home screen.

As of today, when my phone is docked in the car holder, my screen randomly rotates back and fourth between Horizontal and landscape. The backlight also stays on when this is happening. If I let it stay in car mode, this problem doesn't happen. it is only when it is on the home screen.

The programs I've added today:

Handcent sms
Missed Call
ShopSavvy

I can't imagine why any of them would affect the behavior of the screen, so I am going to assume it is coincidence.

 

[Harp]

Received mine from FedEx tonight. The home screen does not rotate with keyboard closed. I have not changed the wallpaper.

 

[iceyspoons]

for what it's worth, i just got mine today, activated it, haven't installed any new apps, haven't messed with the layout of the home screen or anything, and mine definitely DOESN'T rotate on the home screen unless the keyboard's open. it was one of the first things i checked when i turned the phone on, and it's never done it. working fine otherwise, but it sounds like i should check back in another three days...

 

[Fadelight]

I can't take it anymore. Too much talk about mass delusion and rumors that the droid was never designed to operate the way we say it does.


YouTube - Motorola DROID home rotates with keyboard closed.

Now can we squash the rumors once and for all and move on to more productive chat... such as perhaps the reason why I seem to be the only one that still has this feature?

 

[Watashi]

You say you are running 'pandora home' is that a app for the desktop? maybe that is what is allowing the rotation?

or is that just the normal pandora music app?

 

[Fadelight]

You say you are running 'pandora home' is that a app for the desktop? maybe that is what is allowing the rotation?

or is that just the normal pandora music app?

Did I say pandora? lol I meant panda. Anyway... no, my phone always did this. Panda home was a recent addition for my phone.

I may have to take another video if I actually said that. Thats embarrassing.

Edit: yep... I did say pandora. I'll make another video.

 

[Shawncyr]

is this happening for everyone?..so confirmed software bug?

It is this way because that is the way Motorola intended it to be. See the "Note" in the link below.

https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/38327/kw/landscape/p/30%2C6720%2C7155/access_id/37%2C1/r_id/138858

The bug is that the screen tilts on the home page. It seems that enough people prefer it to be this way, so maybe motorola will add this feature to the settings menu.

 

[iceyspoons]

It is this way because that is the way Motorola intended it to be. See the "Note" in the link below.

https://motorola-global-portal.cust...ape/p/30,6720,7155/access_id/37,1/r_id/138858

The bug is that the screen tilts on the home page. It seems that enough people prefer it to be this way, so maybe motorola will add this feature to the settings menu.

so to clarify...the rotating homescreen is a bug?

 

[Fadelight]

Sweet... I have a buggy phone. Guess what. I'm not returning it to get it fixed.

 

[brian.bsi]

I also have no landscape in home or contacts. I could swear it did it when I got the phone. The Iphone does not do landscape in the home screen either no big deal. But in contacts? Why wouldn't it in contacts?

Just to make sure I was not crazy. Or it was an app that changed this. I did a full reset. Not luck same thing. I did notice though that it does auto landscape in all the setup screens. Maybe this is what we all saw. LOL

Anyway, Moto. says it does not do landscape in these screens without the slider out.

 

[Hoss]

My home screen was rotating, even after I changed my wallpaper (although contacts never did).

A coworker's phone was not rotating on the home screen, and after checking and unchecking the orientation setting on my phone to show him how to do it, my phone now will not rotate on homescreen any longer.

So, mine was working (with new wallpaper) until I toggled the orientation setting. Now, it will not.

 

[scorrpio]

Ok, here's the deal: the home screen definitely has a capacity to rotate when accelerometer says it should.

My home screen does NOT rotate on its own - and as Moto said, it is not supposed to. It is supposed to stay in portrait.

Enter the charging dock. When your phone is in charging dock, it is supposed to be locked to landscape. Use DockRunner app or put a magnet in the right spot - and on the screen, tap home icon, your home screen is perma-landscape, and will not auto-rotate. Remove magnet or run DockRunner again - and you are back to a portrait-only home.

The car dock is even more interesting. Since this dock lets you position phone vertically or horizontally, the Car app is accelerometer-sensitive, and its main screen with those big icons has both portrait and lansdscape modes. Now when you tap the home icon in car mode - guess what - you have an auto-tilt home screen! Note that simply running the Car Home app does not affect home screen - you have to use the actual dock or the magnet trick.

On my phone, however, when the phone is in either dock mode, there is a respecive notification icon up top.

All of the above makes me think that there is a system call to set Home screen to portrait, landscape, or auto-rotate. And if a given app makes on of those calls, it is supposed to return Home to portrait afterwards. So, for those of us who had their Home auto-rotate or stuck in landscape, but now corrected, it looks like a software glitch. But if your phone still does it even after a battery pull, I am inclined to think you got some sort of hardware malfunction(magnet sensor being the most suspect), and I would exchange the phone.

I am also quite sure that in the near future we will see an app that lets us toggle the Home screen orientation mode at will.

 

[Deleted User]

posted this info in another thread, but figured (if it hasn't been said before) i'd repeat it here.
landscape/portrait auto-rotate WORKS if you use OpenHome software. Was messing with the themes last night and realized that I was in landscape mode on the homescreens...
kinda cool, expet I hardly ever use Openhome even though I bought it lol!

my .02 cents

 

[brian.bsi]

Just a fast note. Panda Home app does allow auto rotation on home screen. If it drives you crazy enough you could intall it. It seems to work pretty well. It seems to be very clear and it was free.


Brian

 

[AllDroid]

I checked the Mototola web site and I called a Motorola Rep at 1-800-734-5870. That is their Android support number. Both State that the phone is not supposed to rotate on the home screen and contacts unless the keyboard is pulled out or the phone is placed in the car or home docking station. The docking stations have a magnet in them and when applied to the back of the phone the phone will go into horizontal screen mode. If you think it once did and now doesn't be glad your phone is now working properly. The power of suggestion is great. If you are having a problem then get real help if not don't let someone else make you think you are. The Motorola link for the screen orientation is: https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/38327/p/30%2C6720%2C7155/access_id/37%2C1/page/7/r_id/138858 Please read the note on Motorola's web page that states "Note: Certain applications will not rotate. These include the home screen and Contacts.".

 

[DrDroid]

I know for sure that my home screen rotates w/o the keyboard out. I like that as a matter of fact. I believe that OTA update killed the home screen autorotate.

got this form the Moto forums:

"Dear Jeremy,

Thanks for reaching out to Motorola. I’ve reviewed your e-mail and I’m ready to help.

Regarding your concern, please note that i have been doing further researches regarding our yesterday's chat session and the Droid will temporarily not be changing the display mode with the slide closed. This modification is due to the last software update that was sent to this phones. I already forwarded the information on order for the people that takes care of this to be aware of this change and start working on this for the next software update. I do really apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and I really appreciate your interest in this product and the help you have been for us.

We hope that you find this information useful and look forward to assisting you in the future.

For information about Motorola products and services, please visit us at http://www.hellomoto.com/

Thank you for contacting Motorola chat support.

Best Regards,

Federico F."

-Cheers

Also Google is aware of it:
http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=4555

 

[thebarbrr]

ok guys well this is not a myth! My droid did auto rotate on the home screen, contacts, and during phone calls.

I had a problem with it power cycling on its own so i recieved a brand new replacement today through Fedex that doesnt auto rotate on screen, contacts, or phone calls!!!!

I wanna keep my old one!!! but it power cycles on its own!!! ah!!!!

Have read from a motorola forums rep that this was part of the prerelease software, but that there are no phones with the prerelease software that were sold. (well they were not supposed to be)

I believe that if you have a phone that was made week 40 and below then there is a good chance of the auto rotate working on home screen (prerelease software). My old phone was made on week 40/2009 and new one on wekk 43/2009. You could find this info under your batter below the third bar code.

Hopefully motorola makes this autorotate possible on update #1 coming on DEC. 11!!

 

[Fadelight]

My home screen no longer rotates (the default). At least, not when I tilt it. I am having some severe issues with the car dock, though. When the phone is in the car dock in the upright position, the screen keeps randomly switching from portrait to landscape.

I'll be calling Verizon tomorrow. The only good defect I had is gone now, anyway... might as well get the rest of them fixed.


Edit: Just noticed alldroids post about the update. I guess that would explain it.

 

[thebarbrr]

Hey fadelight,

The reason why it does that is because the car dock, and the home dock both have magnets inside that make the phone go into landscape mode. I don;t believe it was intended for the phone to be upright in the car dock. hope this helped.

 

[thebarbrr]

Hey fadelight,

The reason why it does that is because the car dock, and the home dock both have magnets inside that make the phone go into landscape mode. I don;t believe it was intended for the phone to be upright in the car dock. hope this helped.

just re-read ur text and you said it kept randomly switching. In that case maybe there is a bug.

 

[billd]

I noticed that mine was no longer auto-rotating on the home screen today and thought I had accelerometer problems and so found this thread. Apparently my software was updated and I didn't know about it. Sigh. I preferred the auto-rotate. I hope they bring it back, at least as an option.

 

[Watashi]

Maybe instead of bitching about it here, we should all write emails to Motorola asking for this 'fix' to be unfixed. I'm sure they read 3rd party forums and know people want it back, but nothing lights a fire in someone trousers like having your email servers slammed with thousands of emails with the same request.