Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR Google is addressing the long-standing issue with its Messages app, which auto-rotates the built-in gallery UI even when system settings have auto-rotation disabled.
The upcoming fix enables Messages’ built-in image and video picker to respect device rotation preferences.
Additional improvements include rounded corners on various parts of the interface and a more refined landscape mode when needed.
Google is continually working to add new features to Google Messages, its primary messaging experience on Android flagships. We’ve spotted the company working on a new Trash folder, and even a new context menu with centralized buttons. Google is also focusing on fixing bugs and improving the Messages experience, as we’ve now spotted clues that it could be fixing the long-standing auto-rotate bug in Messages’ gallery UI.
Google Messages has a built-in gallery that can be accessed by tapping the gallery icon, located beside the emoji icon. Here, you can take a quick photo or record a video to send to users, and even select from existing images and videos to send.
The issue with this gallery UI is that it does not respect your system’s auto-rotate settings. If you tilt your phone slightly, the app hides the images at the bottom and instructs you to rotate your device to access the gallery, even when auto-rotation is disabled on your phone.
Here’s a demo of the auto-rotate bug:
As you can imagine, this can become annoying in certain situations, such as when you are lying in bed.
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a favorite source in Google Discover to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more.
... continue reading