For developers · Checked 1 October 2026

Android 17 ignores orientation lock and resizability on large screens

Short answer: for apps targeting Android 17 (API level 37), orientation, resizability and aspect ratio restrictions no longer apply on displays whose smallest width is greater than 600dp, such as tablets and unfolded foldables. The app fills the whole display window, whatever its aspect ratio or preferred orientation, with no pillarboxing. The temporary opt-out Android 16 offered is removed. Phones below 600dp and games are not affected.

What is ignored on screens of 600dp and wider

From Android Developers’ «Restrictions on orientation and resizability are ignored», read 1 October 2026. Applies in full-screen and multi-window modes.

TypeIgnored
Manifest attributesscreenOrientation, resizeableActivity, minAspectRatio, maxAspectRatio
Runtime APIssetRequestedOrientation(), getRequestedOrientation()
Orientation valuesportrait, reversePortrait, sensorPortrait, userPortrait, landscape, reverseLandscape, sensorLandscape, userLandscape
Resizabilityandroid:resizeableActivity="false" has no effect

Exceptions

The restrictions still apply in three cases: games, identified by the android:appCategory flag; when the user explicitly opts in to the app’s default behavior in the device’s aspect ratio settings; and on screens whose smallest width is under sw600dp, which covers most phones.

What tends to break

UI built for a small layout locked in portrait is most at risk: Google lists stretched layouts and animations or components that end up off-screen. On landscape foldables, in multi-window, desktop windowing or on connected displays, the camera preview can appear stretched, rotated or cropped when the app assumes a fixed relationship between the camera sensor’s orientation and the device’s. Allowing rotation also means more activity re-creation, so user state is lost unless you save UI state properly.

Testing

You can check the behavior before raising your target by enabling the UNIVERSAL_RESIZABLE_BY_DEFAULT compat flag through the app compatibility framework.

Other Android 17 changes

The full list is in Android 17 behavior changes. The same target brings the lock-free MessageQueue, certificate transparency by default and the local network permission. For when Google Play requires it, see Google Play target API level.

Where Censuus fits

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Frequently asked questions

Can I lock screen orientation on Android 17?

Not on large screens if your app targets Android 17. On displays whose smallest width is over 600dp, screenOrientation and setRequestedOrientation() are ignored. On smaller screens, such as most phones, they still work.

Does resizeableActivity="false" still work on Android 17?

No, on large screens it has no effect for apps targeting Android 17, and neither do minAspectRatio and maxAspectRatio.

Can I opt out like on Android 16?

No. Android 17 removes the temporary developer opt-out that Android 16 provided.

Are games affected?

No. Games identified by the android:appCategory flag are an exception, along with users who opt in to the app’s default behavior in aspect ratio settings.

How can I test this before targeting Android 17?

Enable the UNIVERSAL_RESIZABLE_BY_DEFAULT compat flag through the app compatibility framework.

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