Zwift Android Screen Orientation Flipping

Bugs and Support
1

Subject: Bug Report: Zwift Android Screen Orientation Flipping

I am writing to report a persistent screen orientation bug with the Zwift app on Samsung Android devices, where the screen flips upside down during use.

Device Details:

  • Model: Samsung Galaxy A15 5G

  • OS Version: Android 16

Key Context:

  • Tested on iOS: The issue does not occur on iPhone, where orientation lock and screen handling function as expected.

  • Samsung Diagnostics: I worked directly with Samsung Support to test my device. We completed a full diagnostic check across sensors, system settings, and hardware.

  • Samsung confirmed all device hardware and auto-rotate sensors are functioning perfectly, confirming this is an app-level handling bug within Zwift on Android.

Even when system auto-rotate is toggled or locked, the app dynamically flips orientation, making it very frustrating to use whether mounted on a bike trainer setup or placed on a treadmill console.

Could you please escalate this to your Android engineering team to align Android’s screen-orientation lock logic with how it currently functions on iOS?

Please let me know if you need any additional system logs or details to assist with the fix.

Best regards,

Matthew Close

2

As a workaround, you might try using the Rotation Control app. That has worked for some people who experienced that problem with the Companion app

3

Summary of the Zwift Screen-Flipping Bug

The Problem: The Zwift app aggressively flips 180 degrees upside down on my Samsung Galaxy A15 5G, completely ignoring my phone’s system orientation lock.

The Cause:

Android 16 Conflict: A code mismatch exists between Zwift’s older 3D engine and Android 16’s hyper-sensitive, raw motion sensor data streams.

Trainer Vibrations: Micro-vibrations from the bike trainer or treadmill confuse the app’s outdated sensor logic, causing it to misinterpret the movement as the phone being flipped.

System Bypassing: 3D games bypass standard Android UI locks to talk directly to the phone’s gyroscope chip, meaning Samsung’s system settings cannot stop it.

So no 3rd app will work - test some and still no go