Apps that don't allow portrait mode - Microsoft Surface

Have you noticed the windows store only views in landscape, even if you rotate your Surface and auto rotate is on(and works for other apps). I have noticed some other apps that don't work in portrait mode (Primetube). I understand that landscape mode is kind of the surface, but we should be able to use the orientation we want.
Annoying.

It's a lot of extra work for the developer to handle different aspect ratios. Some apps do it well, to be sure, but it's not a small thing that you're asking for. Often it means pretty much re-writing the layout code. This is especially true if they want to support different screen widths in different ways (at 768px, a Surface RT in portrait mode is going to have a very different amount of horizontal screen real estate than the 1080px of a Surface Pro).

Related

Landscape only phones

We're all seeing fancy phones with accelerometers that can proudly switch between landscape and portrait modes coming out these day, regardless of whether they have a kb or not. That got me thinking. Why do phones have a portrait mode at all?
A major reason is historical, of course, and the current rational is "it's always been done like that". There was never a landscape candybar phone. I suspect this has something to do with the positioning of an old text-only screen above the keypad.
But now this is no longer applicable with the advent of screens that are also the input method. For some tasks, landscape is clearly superior (watching videos springs to mind). Some favour portraits - notably, some text lists. Others are completely orientation-agnostic (like home screens).
Physically, holding a device horizontally is no harder that doing go vertically and the thumb can easily reach all parts of regular-size phones' screens. Landscape orientations can be additionally used double-handed.
So far, the match is "even", but still, portrait seems to hold a dominant position. As we use our devices more for media (which prefers landscape) and text-input (same, via a physical or virtual keyboard). I do think, when using my phones, that more can be done sensibly in a landscape mode. Landscape screens also approximate our computer monitors more closely, which may make future convergence easier.
Any thoughts about how the future of mobile screen orientations will go?
I only use landscape mode on my phone for video since the top and bottom bars eat up too much real estate in that mode.
orientation can be changed under settings
and even if it don't keep it after a soft-reset
it would be pretty easy to make a program
which put it back to landscape
but many programs would not be compatible
and as stated no real benefit apart from video
and games being as most devices buttons are laid out
I only use landscape mode on my phone for video since the top and bottom bars eat up too much real estate in that mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm thinking though that because of the way the phone was developed. If they wanted to, UI designed would quite easily put at least the top bar on one side. The bottom bar would be more tricky though. I suspect you'd do away with it and opt for a different navigation/menu paradigm. Or at least make fuller use by offering more menu options when there's more space available.
and as stated no real benefit apart from video
and games being as most devices buttons are laid out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what I'm not so sure about. These two are true, of course, but I suspect that the more we start inputting text on our devices, the more we'll use a landscape-style keyboard. When you start doing that in the calendars, SMS apps and other everyday tasks, having a phone in landscape suddenly becomes more appealing. 90% of the time I'm starting up my Tytn, it's to do something that requires some kind of text input. When this is the case, I'm wasting time starting in portrait then moving to landscape.
This is why I prefer CLAMSHELL devices or anything with a slide out tilting keyboard that would allow the screen to orient itself to landscape view. Unfortunately, there are no good clamshell out there except for an outdated HTC Universal.

Request: Tighten up auto rotate triggering

I'm wondering if there are any apps that adjusts or replaces the auto rotate feature in android. I often find myself in situations where the orientation switches on me when I'm laying on my side or when I'm trying to see the screen because of an unexpecting notification, phone call or I'm just trying to get the phone out of my pocket.
I like to see an app where the orientation will only change if the specifide angle, tilt and time conditions are met. For example, if you want to switch from landscape to portrait. you hold it at a very exact angle of orientation (ie 90°+/-1°) at a specifide tilt (ie between 15° and 90°) for a specifide time (ie 500 ms) and then it will change from landscape to portrait mode.
I also like to see a setting were it will turn off auto rotate when the tilt goes beyond 90°, like when you lay down on your back.
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Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App
I agree.
I find if I put the phone horizontally on a table it often will go into landscape mode. It is quite a pain to worry about the angle I put my phone on a table.
Customizing the tilt variables would be awesome.
I am still looking around the internet for a solution. If you find one let me know.

Auto rotate screen not working; ideas?

My TF101 (running Prime 2.1.1) has been acting strange since yesterday (when I first noticed it). The screen orientation will not auto adjust if I move the tablet, e.g. from holding landscape in two hands to holding it on it's side, it stays in landscape. If I run an app that lacks orientation support or fakes it, I may end up with my tablet locked into portrait mode! Rebooting doesn't impact anything.
Toggling the Screen->Auto Rotate setting in the settings app (NOT the quick controls) will give me the correct orientation most of the time. Docking will (so far) always get my back to landscape. So for the most part, I have no auto-rotate and running a protrait apps can lock my screen rotation to portrait. Docking is the only reliable thing so far...
Possible abuses:
-> I usually put my dock and tablet in my backpack but "Undocked", and stow the pack on my cars floor board, it doesn't get bounced around but maybe payback for leaving it undocked?
-> For the past couple weeks I've been using the quick control to lock the screen so I can display stuff upside down; e.g. to use landscape in bed, while charging.
but other wise it's pretty well taken care of, better than most peoples PC's. When I boot, it is usually laying flat on a desk or docked.
Personally, I use my tablet i landscape whenever an app doesn't force me to do otherwise....but I'm concerned about hardware failure in the sensor. Being root+Prime, I'd rather not RMA if possible.
Does anyone have any advice or ideas about this?
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
I found this app can do all orientations.
Orientation Control
Unsure what is causing your problem, however.
Good luck!
settings
In settings/screen is auto-rotate screen ticked.
Colin
I will have to test that app as a manual fix, and yes the auto rotate is checked; i believe the locking when apps force portrait still occurs when it is unchecked though.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

Crap portrait performance

The TF101 suffers from reduced frame rate when you're using it in portrait orientation, this can be observed when you are on the launcher swiping left or right. Compare this to landscape mode where its a lot smoother.
This problem extends into running apps in portrait orientation.
Its my understanding that the Xoom does not suffer from this phenomena, does anything know why? They are both spec'ed exactly the same, this is a problem for me as some games are more suited to portrait play but the performance hit is significant.
Even the on-screen keyboard is slow to react.
Time to trade up?

True portrait mode in external monitor with screen mirroring??

I recently bought a touchscreen monitor but it does not have a gravity sensor. When you do screen mirroring, it just puts portrait mode in the centre of the screen but still in landscape orientation like it would with a TV. I downloaded an app called SecondScreen and gave it permissions but it still just does the same thing. I read that someone managed to make it work part way but the touchscreen aspect was still in landscape while the image was true portrait.
It seems insane that you can't make screen mirroring do true mirroring. (ie. Portrait mode longitudinal on external screen). DEX has no option for portrait so I am kind of feeling like I might need to return my external monitor. Has anyone found a solution to allow proper portrait mode on an external monitor with android?
Return the monitor.
Found any solution? Even with my rooted device and these settings it won't work.
The monitor cannot be returned.

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