Android Screen Orientation Example

The screenOrientation is the attribute of activity element. The orientation of android activity can be portrait, landscape, sensor, unspecified etc. You need to define it in the AndroidManifest.xml file.

Syntax:

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

Example:

<activity android:name=" example.javatpoint.com.screenorientation.MainActivity"
     android:screenOrientation="portrait">
</activity>

<activity android:name=".SecondActivity"
     android:screenOrientation="landscape">
</activity>

The common values for screenOrientation attribute are as follows:

Value	Description
unspecified	It is the default value. In such case, system chooses the orientation.
portrait	taller not wider
landscape	wider not taller
sensor	orientation is determined by the device orientation sensor.

Android Portrait and Landscape mode screen orientation example

In this example, we will create two activities of different screen orientation. The first activity (MainActivity) will be as "portrait" orientation and second activity (SecondActivity) as "landscape" orientation type.

activity_main.xml

File: activity_main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<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="example.javatpoint.com.screenorientation.MainActivity">


    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="112dp"
        android:onClick="onClick"
        android:text="Launch next activity"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.612"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/editText1"
        app:layout_constraintVertical_bias="0.613" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/editText1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
        android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
        android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="124dp"
        android:ems="10"
        android:textSize="22dp"
        android:text="This activity is portrait orientation"
        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 class

File: MainActivity.java

package example.javatpoint.com.screenorientation;

import android.content.Intent;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    Button button1;
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

        button1=(Button)findViewById(R.id.button1);
    }
    public void onClick(View v) {
        Intent intent = new Intent(MainActivity.this,SecondActivity.class);
        startActivity(intent);
    }
}

activity_second.xml

File: activity_second.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<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="example.javatpoint.com.screenorientation.SecondActivity">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
        android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="180dp"
        android:text="this is landscape orientation"
        android:textSize="22dp"
        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>

SecondActivity class

File: SecondActivity.java

package example.javatpoint.com.screenorientation;

import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;

public class SecondActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_second);

    }
}

AndroidManifest.xml

File: AndroidManifest.xml

In AndroidManifest.xml file add the screenOrientation attribute in activity and provides its orientation. In this example, we provide "portrait" orientation for MainActivity and "landscape" for SecondActivity.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="example.javatpoint.com.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">
        <activity
            android:name="example.javatpoint.com.screenorientation.MainActivity"
            android:screenOrientation="portrait">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
        <activity android:name=".SecondActivity"
            android:screenOrientation="landscape">
        </activity>
    </application>

</manifest>