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iPhones and iPads Could Someday Automatically Adjust Screen Orientation Using Face ID

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The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today published a new Apple patent application that describes a facial recognition system like Face ID being used to automatically update the orientation of a device like an iPhone or iPad, as noted by AppleInsider.

bed-iphone-face.jpg

The patent notes that the portrait or landscape orientation of a mobile device is currently determined using accelerometers or other sensors that determine the position of the device relative to gravity. However, this does not always work perfectly, forcing the user to move the device to get content to display in the proper orientation.

Face ID would be a solution to this issue, with the patent explaining that the position of a user's face would be detected and automatically switch an iPhone or iPad into portrait or landscape orientation as necessary.

Face ID orientation could greatly reduce the need to enable Portrait Orientation Lock. There are many settings where this could be particularly useful, such as when using an iPhone or iPad on a flat surface or while laying in bed.

"I love using my phone in bed, so my rotation is usually locked so it doesn't change to landscape on everything," wrote Reddit user ProTomahawks back in 2018. "It would be good if iOS could see which way you're viewing your screen from so it [stopped] rotating if you're laying down. Not a big deal but a good quality of life fix."

The patent application was filed in September 2018 and published this week. Whether the idea ever comes to fruition remains to be seen.

Article Link: iPhones and iPads Could Someday Automatically Adjust Screen Orientation Using Face ID
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/04/02/face-id-iphone-ipad-screen-orientation-patent/
  • Like
Reactions: tongxinshe
Google has a neat trick with a small button appearing when in Landscape mode to return it to Portrait. Apple could do something similar or even better if they want to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jamesrick80
I'm sure I remember reading this, or something similar, was already being done on the iPad Pros with FaceID? Or maybe someone got wind at the time the patent was filed and that got reported...
 
jmgregory1 said:
Great idea - it always bugs me that when laying in bed, I have to be the one to adjust my position just so I can look at my iPhone the right way and not have it go into landscape mode just because I’m on my side.
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You can lock portrait mode from the control center.
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TheDailyApple said:
This would be great. I often turn on portrait lock so I can use my iPhone while lying on my side, but there hasn’t ever been a great solution to keeping it in landscape when lying like that.
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There used to be a solution (at least on the iPad). Long ago you could use the mute switch as a rotation lock. I haven't tried it in years but it worked well.
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Larry_G said:
I'd be happy if we could just have the home screen rotate (iPhone), and lock in landscape mode in addition to portrait.
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Wow, I just tried it. That's just silly. I would be interested in hearing the thought process behind forcing portrait mode.
 
Laird Knox said:
You can lock portrait mode from the control center.
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There used to be a solution (at least on the iPad). Long ago you could use the mute switch as a rotation lock. I haven't tried it in years but it worked well.
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Wow, I just tried it. That's just silly. I would be interested in hearing the thought process behind forcing portrait mode.
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They figure the lock would be used in the situation where you are laying down and trying to view something in portrait because it switches to landscape mode. Landscape mode already has a sort of “lock” when you’re laying down. You have to face the true top of the device towards the bed, couch, etc you are laying on so that it doesn’t flip back into portrait. Note that this is only for iPhones. iPads can go into whatever orientation and be locked. You have to do it in control center on the Pros since they no longer have the mute switch.
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If they can get FaceID to work the way it does on the iPad Pro and it can do things like this, why can’t they let us have landscape FaceID on the phones!?!? It’s so frustrating when browsing the web or watching a video in landscape mode and accidentally locking my phone when pressing the volume buttons or having keychain access popup. I then have to rotate the phone back into portrait, authenticate, then rotate back.
 
That’s cool, but why would you need Face ID tech just to figure out which way a face is oriented? I would think a plain old front camera and software could recognize two eyes and a mouth.
 
Laird Knox said:
You can lock portrait mode from the control center.
[automerge]1585855079[/automerge]

There used to be a solution (at least on the iPad). Long ago you could use the mute switch as a rotation lock. I haven't tried it in years but it worked well.
[automerge]1585855160[/automerge]

Wow, I just tried it. That's just silly. I would be interested in hearing the thought process behind forcing portrait mode.
Click to expand...

I just don’t like locking it into portrait, as I then have to remember to unlock it when I pick it up again, generally getting mad that it’s not working the way I want (when I’m not fully awake and caffeinated in the morning).
 
What I really miss is being able to lock the rotation in any of the 4 rotations. It was nice having the phone locked in landscape so I could lay on my side in bed or lock it in inverted portrait mode so the charge jack would stick out the top
 
I know somebody who years ago had a Samsung phone that used the orientation of your eyes as detected through the camera to determine the orientation. I thought it was pretty cool since I hate it when you lay down and the orientation changes.

The problem that Samsung had with this (I thought) was that it took too much battery power because I think they steered away from the feature later (not sure here). I just haven't heard much about this feature in recent years.

BTW: I am ALSO wanting landscape orientation lock on the iPhone AND the return of landscape home screen (available on the 6/6s/7/8 Plus models, but not available on the "Max" models).
 
  • Like
Reactions: H2SO4
Okay, but let’s see if Apple can get their logo facing the right way when you start up your iPad in landscape mode first, then maybe they’ll be able to do this other stuff.
 
subjonas said:
That’s cool, but why would you need Face ID tech just to figure out which way a face is oriented? I would think a plain old front camera and software could recognize two eyes and a mouth.
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Who wants to turn the light on while in bed so the camera can see your face? FaceID wouldn't require additional lighting.
 
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