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Help Optimus V Won't Auto-Rotate, Need to Lock in Landscape in Text-Entry Mode

L

larrytxeast

Member
I have an LG Optimus V, and I've about decided that all the praise that is heaped on this device is totally undeserved. Here's why.

I had one model's GPS stop working. One day--boom, it couldn't get a lock absolutely anywhere. So I got another model. GPS works great. After 10-odd minutes of using it, though, auto-rotate won't work. It's permanently stuck in portrait mode unless I am running applications like the YouTube app. Apparently the accelerometer stopped working.

The phone was rooted and had a custom ROM installed (by the previous owner) but it was flashed back to "stock ROM"--however, it's still rooted. Everything else works fine, and again, auto-rotate did work--for the 1st 10 minutes or so anyway.

This auto-rotate failure is TOTALLY unacceptable for one reason--I can only type worth anything in landscape mode. In portrait mode, my typing is TERRIBLE. It's awful. I've come awful close to smashing the phone against a brick wall, it drives me crazy.

I've searched far & wide for an app that lets me toggle-switch screen orientation, and I DO NOT mean "allow-don't allow auto rotate," I mean something that ORDERS it to be landscape--period, or something that ORDERS it to be portrait--period. I can't find anything like that at all.

Or, lacking that, something that says that when the on-screen keyboard is triggered (by tapping in a text area), IMMEDIATELY assume landscape, then you can go back to portrait if you want. AND I DO NOT want to have to do "developer" stuff to get this, I want it to be a 5-second operation, MAX. I like to use the iPhone Keyboard Emulator by Sixgreen Labs, but I will switch to something else if it can be configured to ALWAYS be in landscape mode somehow.

I can't find either of these things, and if that remains, this phone just became totally useless to me.

Any tips? And WHY can't they make a blasted phone that JUST WORKS, period? Good grief here.

LRH
 
Thats why they make all those apps to help improve on the weakness of the phone. Once you get used to it and improve on it with the apps,then you will find that for the money it and the service plan can't be beat. If your having major functionality problems then exchange it, It's no sweat off their backs.
 
Just try to relax. Let's see what we can do here. It's possible you just had bad luck and got lemons. There is an app (launcher) called go launcher that will allow at any time to go from portrait to landscape. Even to force stay in those modes. In the home screen, some apps, as well as any text input as long as the keyboard supports it. Mine supports it just fine with stock keyboard even without that app. If there are certain keyboards that don't support it, that's up to the developer. But both swipe and the standard keyboard that comes with this phone does rotate. Even without that app (launcher). If you bought it off someone, its another more possible reason something could be "broken" with it. It's really possible your just getting lemons. It happens, especially with smartphones. The more flashy and more features a device has, the more its prone to fail. It's a fantastic device, the reviews online and offline and the low return rates prove it. Third times a charm sometimes. Good luck, and I hope you get a phone this time that works. I am honestly surprised by all that bad luck. Sorry to hear that...
 
Update: I de-rooted the device successfully, got it back to stock, all of that--it STILL won't auto-rotate.

If it's a flawed device, so be it--but isn't there some way to FORCE it to landscape at least for when I'm using the keyboard? If not, frankly, this may be enough for me to leave Android for good--seriously, because it's a VERY STUPID operating system if you aren't allowed to force it to landscape, I mean, it is YOUR phone, if that's how you want it, you ought to be able to have it that way, and WITHOUT having to do so much work. Just flick a switch, DONE. That's how it ought to be, shouldn't it?

(Either that, or go pick up that Samsung Intercept I see for sale. For all the bad things I hear about that phone, it can't be THIS freaking awful. I'm sorry--I don't care if it's used, unless it's been sitting in battery acid for the last month, I STILL expect it to work absolutely perfectly ANYWAY. My expectations aren't too high I think they're totally reasonable. I've got a 16 year-old vehicle outside which works almost perfectly, and it's 16 years old, this thing has only been made for a year or so. Things should be made to WORK, period, no excuses, no matter what. Period. Sorry for the rant, just frustrated is all.)

LRH
 
The problem might not be the fault of the phone but the previous owner, I have never heard of this problem being manufacturing related. This problem is probably why it was for sell in the first place.
Take it back to the previous owner and get your money back, then buy a new phone that hasn't been monkeyed with.
 
You may be right AndyOpie150 that may be the thing to do. In fact the person has offered, so it seems like a no-brainer. It's just that the particular purchase was necessitated because my prior model, which I had owned for sometime and NEVER bothered to "root," its GPS suddenly stopped working. It couldn't get a lock onto ANYTHING after having worked beautifully for months, even recognizing when it was on dirt paths. The one I just got locks right on with no drama, as the prior one used to.

If I could get used to typing in portrait it would be okay, I wouldn't mind--that whole flipping around deal drives me crazy. Other than typing, not only am I content for it to stay portrait, I WANT it to. On my prior copy I even had the Auto Rotate Widget (Jason Hull) on the home screen so I could quickly toggle-switch. I always had it locked to portrait other than when typing. If I got a text or was sending an email, I'd toggle it ON, reply, go home and toggle it off immediately.

By the way the one person mentioned checking GO LAUNCHER. What are they talking about, I have no earthly idea.

LRH
 
Larry, I understand your frustration. The one and only time I bought a used phone I swore I'd never do it again. It's not worth the frustration over saving a few bucks. Hope it works out. Report back and let us know.
 
Well watever you decide you should be armed with enough info to make an informed decision. It seems like if you going to keep it that "Go Launcher" might be a simple workaround.
 
Just a reminder, Go Launcher's screen rotation won't work unless υ enable your phone's "Auto-rotate Screen" from Settings → Display → Auto-rotate Screen. The nice thing about Go Launcher's screen rotation is that your phone's Home Screen will also rotate to landscape mode.
 
syav said:
The nice thing about Go Launcher's screen rotation is that your phone's Home Screen will also rotate to landscape mode.
Click to expand...

That is a nice thing, but at the same time I find it kind of annoying at times. These phones aren't the fastest thing around, so when it rotates when you don't want it to on the home screen, it takes a minute to fix itself every time, can be annoying, but it is nice to have the option. Unless it's just my phone.
 
I have installed Go Launcher EX, and I see where it gives you "screen orientation" options, and it does indeed rotate the home screen horizontally.

HOWEVER--horrors--any application which I've opened, ones that I KNOW will auto-rotate to landscape, it STILL shows it as portrait. In other words, Go Launcher EX in my case ONLY makes the home screen landscape, nothing else--unless I'm doing something wrong.

LRH
 
larrytxeast said:
You may be right AndyOpie150 that may be the thing to do. In fact the person has offered, so it seems like a no-brainer.

LRH
Click to expand...

Get rid of it then and buy a new one. Seriously, your time has got to be worth more than jumping through hoops with a nefarious phone. The upshot is you did join this esteemed forum, so welcome! :D Seriously, ditch it.
 
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