Screen Orientations in Android with Examples

Screen Orientation, also known as screen rotation, is the attribute of activity element in android. When screen orientation change from one state to other, it is also known as configuration change.

States of Screen orientation
There are various possible screen orientation states for any android application, such as:

• ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_LANDSCAPE
• ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT
• ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_UNSPECIFIED
• ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_USER
• ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_SENSOR
• ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_BEHIND
• ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_NOSENSOR
• ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_SENSOR_LANDSCAPE
• ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_SENSOR_PORTRAIT
• ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_REVERSE_PORTRAIT

The initial orientation of the Screen has to be defined in the AndroidManifest.xml file.

Syntax:

AndroidManifest.xml

<activity android:name="package_name.Your_ActivityName"
    android:screenOrientation="orientation_type">
</activity>

Example:

    android:screenOrientation="orientation_type">

How to change Screen orientation?
Here is an example of an Android application that changes screen orientation for Landscape and Portrait mode.

We will create two activities of different screen orientation.

• The first activity will be as “portrait” orientation and
• Second activity as “landscape” orientation state.

Step-by-Step demonstration:

• Creating the activities: There will be two activities and hence two XML files, one for each activity.
  1. activity_main.xml: XML file for first activity consist of constraint layout with Button and Text View in it. This activity is in Landscape state.
  2. activity_next.xml: XML file for second activity consist of constraint layout with Text View in it. This activity is in Landscape state.

  Below is the code for both activities:

  activity_main.xml

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  <!--Constraint Layout-->
  <android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout
      xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
      xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
      xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
      android:layout_width="match_parent"
      android:layout_height="match_parent"
      tools:context="com.geeksforgeeks.screenorientation.MainActivity">
      <!--Button to launch next activity with onClick-->
      <Button
          android:id="@+id/b1"
          android:layout_width="wrap_content"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          android:text="Next Activity"
          android:layout_marginTop="100dp"
          android:onClick="onClick"
          android:layout_marginBottom="10dp"
          app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
          app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
          app:layout_constraintVertical_bias="0.613"
          app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.612"
          app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
          app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/tv1"
           />
      <!--TextView -->
      <TextView
          android:text="Potrait orientation"
          android:layout_width="wrap_content"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
          android:layout_marginTop="124dp"
          android:textSize="25dp"
          app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
          app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.502"
          app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
          app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />
  </android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

  activity_next.xml

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  
  <!--Constraint layout-->
  <android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout
  
      xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
      xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
      xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
      android:layout_height="match_parent"
      android:layout_width="match_parent"
      tools:context="com.geeksforgeeks.screenorientation.NextActivity">
  
      <!--TextView-->
      <TextView
          android:id="@+id/tv"
          android:text="Landscape orientation"
          android:layout_width="wrap_content"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          android:layout_marginTop="170dp"
          android:textSize="22dp"
          app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
          app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
          app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.502"
          app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />
  </android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>
• Creating the Java file: There will be two activities and hence two Java files, one for each activity.
  1. MainActivity.java: Java file for Main Activity, in which setOnClick() listener is attached to the button to launch next activity with different orientation.
  2. NextActivity.java: Java file for Next Activity which is in Landscape mode.
  MainActivity.java

  package com.geeksforgeeks.screenorientation;
  
  import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
  import android.content.Intent;
  import android.view.View;
  import android.widget.Button;
  
  public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
  
      // declare button variable
      Button button;
  
      @Override
      protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
      {
          super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
          setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
  
          // initialise button with id
          button = findViewById(R.id.b1);
      }
  
      // onClickListener attached to button
      // to send intent to next activity
      public void onClick(View v)
      {
          // Create instance of intent and
          // startActivity with intent object
          Intent intent
              = new Intent(
                  MainActivity.this,
                  NextActivity.class);
          startActivity(intent);
      }
  }

  NextActivity.java

  package com.geeksforgeeks.screenorientation;
  
  import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
  
  public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
  
      @Override
      protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
      {
          super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
          setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
      }
  }
• Updating the AndroidManifest file: In AndroidManifest.xml file, add the screenOrientation state in activity along with its orientation. Here, we provide “portrait” orientation for MainActivity and “landscape” for NextActivity.

  Below is the code for AndroidManifest file:
  

  AndroidManifest.xml

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
      package="com.geeksforgeeks.screenorientation">
  
      <application
          android:allowBackup="true"
          android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
          android:label="@string/app_name"
          android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round"
          android:supportsRtl="true"
          android:theme="@style/AppTheme">
          <!-Define potrait orientation for Main activity-->
          <activity
              android:name="com.geeksforgeeks.screenorientation.MainActivity"
              android:screenOrientation="portrait">
              <intent-filter>
                  <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
                  <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
              </intent-filter>
          </activity>
          <!--Define landscape orientation for NextActivity-->
          <activity android:name=".NextActivity"
              android:screenOrientation="landscape">
          </activity>
      </application>
  </manifest>
• Output:
  1. Activity 1:
     
  2. Activity 2: