Thursday, January 22, 2026
Technology
5 min read

Google Phone's Portrait Mode Setting is Back in Beta

9to5Google
January 20, 20262 days ago
Google Phone ‘Keep portrait mode’ call setting returns to beta [U]

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The Google Phone app has reintroduced a "Keep portrait mode on calls" setting in its beta version. This feature prevents accidental screen rotation during calls, addressing user complaints about the app's new landscape calling screen. The setting was previously removed but is now available again in beta version 205.

To address how Phone by Google recently gained a landscape calling screen, the dialer app is now offering a setting to “Keep portrait mode on calls.” Update 1/20/26: This setting is back as of beta version 205. Be sure to Force stop from App info before going to Settings > Display options. Related: Google Phone app gets short Material 3 Expressive bottom bar Update 12/26/25: As of this week, this new setting was rolled back for beta users and no longer appears under Display options. It appears to be gone for all testers, and never rolled out to the stable channel. Other preview features like Expressive Calling remain available. Original 12/11: When you’re on a call, the Google Phone app has a landscape mode with a two-column layout. Contact information like name and number, as well as their Calling Card, appears on the left, while the right side shows the bottom sheet of controls and other options. Advertisement - scroll for more content Some people, who do not have Auto-rotate disabled on a system level, found this to be a highly annoying change, especially when in movement. Beta version 202 adds “Keep portrait mode on calls: Prevents accidental auto-rotation when on a call.” Go to Settings > Display options for a new “Controls” heading to find this preference. We’re seeing this portrait setting widely in the Phone app’s beta channel (where Google is also shortening the bottom bar), but it’s not yet in stable channel (version 201). More on Google Phone:

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    Google Phone Portrait Mode Returns to Beta