My desktop rotated in landscape mode (default launcher)! How do I reproduce?

[MirceaKitsune]

Today happened something really unusual, which I would like to see happening again. My Samsung Galaxy S (not rooted, running official 2.3.4 firmware and launcher) rotated its desktop (including widgets) in landscape mode. This never happened before, and it only lasted until I locked the phone.

What basically happened is that, the bottom bar (containing the Applications icon and 3 other icons you can customize) was positioned vertically at the right side of the screen. The widgets then rotated properly and could be clicked with my phone held horizontally. I think I could swipe between desktops too. I'm certain of what I saw... the widgets as well as texts were all facing down and got rotated as I held my phone in landscape mode.

I was told (at least some time ago before a firmware update) that the official firmware cannot have a landscape desktop, and I need a custom launcher. So in the worst case, this was a bug. If not, can anyone please clarify me on what happened and how I can do it again? Simply rotating my phone doesn't cause the desktop to rotate now, but I know it just did!

[Doomed]

Have you got auto-rotate/Screen-rotate turned on. (Either in the settings menu or in the notification area.

Have you looked in the app settings. Usually accessed by pressing menu button while on the home screen.

I'm only guessing as I haven't used the SGS TW Launcher since, umm, well it was one of the first things I changed when I got it years ago

[MirceaKitsune]

I'll check. I'm pretty sure I have auto-rotate enabled, and what should I look for in app settings?

[RichH]

I don't use stock launcher either but stick Go Launcher on it and you can rotate all day long.....

[Rallye James]

Touchwiz tends to never support landscape mode, however I do remember a few times on the S1 it bugged into landscape for a second on unlock. I think it was if a landscape app had been open and then the phone was locked, when unlocking it would still be in landscape for a split second until it adjusted itself.

[MirceaKitsune]

Touchwiz tends to never support landscape mode, however I do remember a few times on the S1 it bugged into landscape for a second on unlock. I think it was if a landscape app had been open and then the phone was locked, when unlocking it would still be in landscape for a split second until it adjusted itself.

I think I was closing my camera app when it happened... I'll try to replicate this way. And like I said, I remember the icons and widgets actually worked on clicking as well. Really sad if it's a bug... it looked and worked so nicely for those two seconds Wish there was an app that could make this permanent... without needing root access (I can't root my phone and didn't care so much to).

[RichH]

You don't need root for Go launcher.....

[MirceaKitsune]

I got a custom launcher installed (not Go Launcher, but ADW because it's open-source). It was a rather sad experience, because I realized how silly it was to use the official launcher compared to custom ones, and that I wasted a lot of time with a less useful interface. Had no idea that by default Android supports multiple launchers, and thought custom ones are installed by hacking the OS with root access.

So I'm sticking with ADW which has many features, including landscape mode. Thanks for pointing this useful info out