Sideways Mode

Use your phone while lying on your side

3 followers

Use your phone while lying on your side

3 followers

When you turn your device, the screen switches between portrait and landscape. But if you lie on your side, it's the wrong way around. Sideways Mode fixes this, so now you can turn your device to switch between portrait and landscape even while lying on your side. This is useful for reading, web browsing or watching videos in bed.

Launch tags:Android•Productivity•User Experience

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What makes this app different than me just disabling rotation on my phone? If I want landscape mode, then all I have to do on my phone is just turn auto rotate on, then go into landscape and disable landscape mode, or, if I want portrait mode then all I need to do is make sure to turn auto rotate off before laying it on its side. I appreciate the idea, but unsure of how it would be helpful as I have personally never had an issue with needing to rotate my phone when on my side, but others might, but interesting idea none-the-less.

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8yr ago

@mastemine I had the same thought but looking at the demo video I think the difference is that auto rotate is still on but with a different orientation. I.e. Yes you can turn auto rotate off, but what the app supposedly does is re-orient the device to a sideways view so auto rotate still works if you rotate it while your default is landscape. So instead of just locking to lanscape you kind of re-orient the default display so autorotate works if you rotate your phone while on your side. Does that make sense? I'm going to try it to see if my idea of it is correct.

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8yr ago

Sideways Mode

Maker

@mastemine The difference is you can turn your device to switch between portrait and landscape while you're on your side, which is easier than turning auto rotate on, turning your device, and turning auto rotate off again. Regarding being able to lock your device in landscape mode, Android phones normally go back to portrait when you turn off auto-rotate, so not everyone can use the technique you described. I think the usefulness of this app depends on how often you switch between portrait and landscape. For example, in the YouTube app, you use landscape to watch a video and portrait to read the comments. So if you're watching a number of short videos, you might find yourself switching between portrait and landscape frequently, in which case Sideways Mode would simplify things.

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8yr ago

@spspspspspsp That is interesting. However, YouTube and other players automatically rotate your screen for your already. If I am in portrait mode, and click the view full-screen button inside of YouTube, Netflix, or Hulu, they all automatically rotate my view to landscape mode or, on YouTube when you click the view fullscreen icon on the video, it auto rotates it for you. So essentially, I can lock my orientation in portrait mode, and then just click the fullscreen button on the YouTube player and it automatically achieves this, and then when I exit the screen it automatically goes back to portrait mode. But I could see it possibly being used in other applications possible, just maybe not for what I personally use it for. I think a better explanation video would be to show someone laying on their side and how it could benefit them, as the video of just a hand is rather confusing about how it would be helpful. None-the-less, if you help someone else out with a problem that they have, then bravo to you for sure, that is what we are here for, to solve problems for people, and I am sure you solved an issue that some people have had. I am sure you will find success with some, just maybe not for someone like me who just watches videos and plays games on their phone.

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8yr ago

Sideways Mode

Maker

@mastemine Yes, that's true; you can use the full screen button in YouTube to switch the screen orientation. Personally, I would call this "manual" rather than "automatic" since you have to press a button rather than it happening without user intervention. It requires an extra step compared to just using auto rotate (or Sideways Mode), but it still gets the job done. As you've shown, there are other existing workarounds for the problem that Sideways Mode solves. Sideways Mode is simpler than the other workarounds for some use cases, but of course the final decision is up to the user. I completely agree about the video. I'll have to redo it some time. Thanks for your feedback.

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8yr ago

@spspspspspsp No problem, hope you see great success with your product!

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8yr ago

It's a great idea and no one else has tried fixing this problem that irritates me daily. It still doesn't work though - as you need to select the side you are on and press a button. I want something that will follow my face/eye and know if I'm sitting upright or lying down (no need to specify if I'm lying on my left or right or back upright again). Easier to use heavy large phones lying on your side instead of trying to hold it upright above your face to keep text the right way up so you can read it. Just now whilst writing this, my phone has flipped to landscape several times already! This feature used to exist on the Samsung Note 2. I have the Note 20 now and they have removed this excellent function. I recently downloaded Sideways Mode but it doesn't work automatically. I'd like something that would sense the orientation of my phone and invert the autorotate by 90 degrees (does that make sense?)

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6yr ago

Sideways Mode

Maker

@ticketyboo this is a good idea and I'm hoping to make an app that works this way one day. It's currently possible to build an app that does this, but it's very hard to make it work reliably across all phones and without side effects. I built a prototype a couple of years ago, but there are so many problems that it can be just as annoying to use as the phone's stock auto rotation. For example, when you hold the phone on its side, it's easy to accidentally cover the camera with your hand. Or if you sit in front of the window with the sun coming in then it messes up the exposure so the app can't see your face. Or if you're in a dark room then it's too dark for the app to see your face, especially with cheaper phones. I might do some more work on it down the track, but it won't be easy, and we might need to wait for phone cameras and face detection to improve before this idea can work.

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6yr ago

Hi thats so great to hear from you! I don't know if the Note 2 used the camera or not, I just vaguely remember that was how the function was named (smart stay or smart eye??) Impossible to find out now. I only used it indoors at night, so maybe it worked because my face was so close to the screen, about 30cm away. What about a floating head (like messenger) to correct when it flicks between horizontal and portrait? Also can you make an app where there is only "sideways" or portrait? So it uses the gyroscope (or whatever that does this) to orientate itself upright? Then you could roll over whilst reading a book and not have the words spin out. I am surprised they removed this function off the phone. And I am surprised not many other people have this problem. I had trouble finding any conversations on the Internet about this. I wonder if I am the only one who reads my phone lying down but still wants access to full width horizontal if I turn my phone "the wrong way"! :)

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6yr ago

People with long-term or chronic illnesses spend a lot of time lying down. This easy way to switch orientation is most welcomed. I would recommend incorporating the function with a generic screen lock. It’s annoying to have two separate screenlock dialogues on a smartphone.

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8yr ago

Sideways Mode

Maker

@kkdub Can you elaborate on the generic screen lock? I'm familiar with the lock screen, in which you have to enter a PIN to unlock and use your phone, but I'm not sure what you mean about there being two separate screen lock dialogs. Thanks!

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8yr ago

Nice! I remember this is on Samsung phones already. Now time for Apple to make this happen on their phones.

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8yr ago

Sideways Mode

Maker

Hi everyone. I have just made a new promo video for Sideways Mode. You can watch it at the top of this page. Let me know what you think!

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8yr ago

What makes this different from simpy disabling rotation?

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8yr ago

Sideways Mode

Maker

@georgewillaman The difference is Sideways Mode lets you keep using rotation. So while you're on your side, you can turn your device to switch between portrait and landscape, and it will be facing the right way. Does that make sense?

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8yr ago

@spspspspspsp Oh alright. That makes sense, thank you :)

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8yr ago

Wow. I thought everyone just locked the orientation for the last... 5 years? 🤔

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8yr ago

Sideways Mode

Maker

@destinerio Yes, you can lock the orientation too. The difference is Sideways Mode lets you turn your device to switch between portrait and landscape while you're on your side.

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8yr ago

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