Unlocking iphone when phone is landscape

When your iphone is in landscape mode it shows widgets and pictures etc. No matter which way you swipe it just changes the widgets or page with no way to unlock you phone. I have seen another post which has an awkward work around. Why can I not simply swipe up or press a button to take me to my passcode/face id to unlock! Am I missing something? Why has Apple made it so complex to unlock your phone while in landscape mode? If it is in a cradle etc it's a pain to remove, unlock and replace. Just let us unlock the screen.

iPhone 15 Pro, iOS 18

Posted on Mar 31, 2025 7:36 AM

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4 replies

Mar 31, 2025 9:04 AM in response to nfh93

nfh93 wrote:

When your iphone is in landscape mode it shows widgets and pictures etc. No matter which way you swipe it just changes the widgets or page with no way to unlock you phone. I have seen another post which has an awkward work around. Why can I not simply swipe up or press a button to take me to my passcode/face id to unlock! Am I missing something? Why has Apple made it so complex to unlock your phone while in landscape mode? If it is in a cradle etc it's a pain to remove, unlock and replace. Just let us unlock the screen.

If you turn the phone to portrait mode, it should allow you to access the unlock screen.


If you want to see something different, let Apple know here:


Product Feedback - Apple


Mar 31, 2025 8:54 AM in response to nfh93

nfh93 wrote:

Why can I not simply swipe up or press a button to take me to my passcode/face id to unlock!

On an iPhone, if you're in landscape mode within an app, swiping up from the bottom (like you would in portrait mode) may not work to return to the Home Screen. Instead, you should swipe from right to left on the right edge of the screen to reveal the Home Indicator bar (if it's hidden) and then swipe up to exit the app.


However, it's important to note that not all iPhones support landscape mode for all apps. Additionally:

  • The Home Screen itself does not support landscape mode on Face ID-equipped iPhones (iPhone X and later). Older models with a Home button, like the iPhone 8 Plus, do support landscape mode on the Home Screen.
  • Some apps force portrait mode, so even if your iPhone is rotated, you may still need to swipe up from the bottom as usual.
  • If Guided Access or other accessibility features are enabled, they may restrict certain gestures.


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Unlocking iphone when phone is landscape

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