How do you launch an iOS app in the current device orientation? - ios

I'm working with Xamarin and am having troubles launching my app in the current device orientation.
I have a UINavigationController that I set on my main UIWindow as the root controller. I created a custom UINavigationController which overrides the methods :
GetSupportedInterfaceOrientations
and
ViewWillTransitionToSize
If I hold my iPad in landscape mode and start the app, it will start in portrait mode and then rotate in landscape. I'd like to make it start in the same orientation as the device's physical orientation. From the doc I've read it seems that since iOS 8, everything related to rotations should be handled in the root uiview controller which is my custom UINavigationController.
And here's my problem... let's say I want to start my app in the current device's orientation and then block everything except Portrait once the app is loaded. I tried the 2 following solutions and none worked.
1- I put all interface orientations available in the supported interface orientations key in the info.plist file. I launched the app while holding the iPad in landscape mode. In this case, my app starts in the same orientation as the device which is cool. What is not cool is that it doesn't call my navigation controller method GetSupportedInterfaceOrientations anymore. So even if I change the return value of that method to Portrait only later one, it does absolutely nothing since the method is never called anymore.
2- I removed all supported interface orientations from the info.plist file. I lauched the app while holding the iPad in landscape mode. In this case, my app starts in portrait mode and then rotates to landscape. I want to prevent the rotation and just start the app in the current device's orientation (landscape). With this setup though, I can later change the supported orientation as the navigation controller method GetSupportedInterfaceOrientations is being called everytime we try to rotate the app.
In apple's doc, it says "At launch time, apps should always set up their interface in a portrait orientation. After the application (_:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:) method returns, the app uses the view controller rotation mechanism described above to rotate the views to the appropriate orientation prior to showing the window."
The part where the view rotates to the appropriate orientation PRIOR to showing the window doesn't seem to work for me. It shows the window and then rotates it after.
So how do you launch an app in the current device's orientation (without the user seeing your first view rotate from portrait to whatever) and then be able to change the supported orientations later in the app? Example : I hold my iPad in landscape mode. I launch my app. First view I see is already in landscape mode. I can then rotate my iPad to change the view in portrait/landscape back and forth. Then I click a button which changes the supported orientation to Portrait which prevents me from changing the orientation to Landscape anymore.
Thanks!

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iOS Orientation adapts to unapproved device orientation after Camera dismissed

I am currently writing an iOS app in which have the acceptable device orientations set to Landscape Right and Landscape Left, and in all of my view controllers, I’m returning only those two in the supportedInterfaceOrientations method.
However, if the user uses the in-app camera functionality (which is implemented via UIImagePickerController presented modally in full screen) and rotates the device to Portrait orientation to take a picture, the camera rotates to portrait mode (which is fine), and if the user clicks "Use Photo", when the modal view is dismissed, the view from which the camera was launched is somehow now in portrait mode (which is not fine).
After the camera view has been dismissed, the view controller from which it was launched has UIDeviceOrientationIsPortrait set to true. I am wondering how it ended up in this orientation, and how when a picture is taken, I can ensure that the presenting view controller remains in a landscape orientation. Any help is greatly appreciated!
I am currently writing an iOS app in which have the acceptable device
orientations set to Landscape Right and Landscape Left, and in all of
my view controllers, I’m returning only those two in the
supportedInterfaceOrientations method.
In iOS 6 and later, your app supports the interface orientations defined in your app’s Info.plist file
Have you tried setting it here? Then see if the problem still occurs.
Also, if this doesn't work, try setting the supportedInterfaceOrientations values in the viewWillAppear method of the ViewController that launched UIImagePicker?

Is there a way to start iOS app with the initial orientation dynamically?

I know that we can define main orientation in iOS apps. However I couldn't figure out a way to do what I want: If the device is in landscape mode, start the whole application in landscape mode. If not, start it in portrait.
Currently, if I start the application after rotating the device into landscape mode, It opens in portrait mode than it rotates. Is there a way to start the whole app in landscape? (Already rotated window)
Yes; just indicate that you support all device orientations in your info.plist. You can see this in Xcode in your project settings under "General" in Xcode 5.
Quote from Apple's UIViewController documentation:
Note: At launch time, apps should always set up their interface in a portrait orientation. After the application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: method returns, the app uses the view controller rotation mechanism described above to rotate the views to the appropriate orientation prior to showing the window.

Why is the orientation wrong at app start?

I'm working on an iPhone app that supports both Portrait and Landscape orientations. When I start the app in Landscape mode and verify the orientation in the AppDelegate it returns Portrait orientation. After I rotate the device/simulator it returns the orientation correctly. It's an iOS 7 app. Anyone know how tot handle this? I need to know the orientation at startup for handling the UI.
UIViewController documentation says:
Note: At launch time, apps should always set up their interface in a portrait orientation. After the application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: method returns, the app uses the view controller rotation mechanism described above to rotate the views to the appropriate orientation prior to showing the window.
That's why it returns portrait mode first. More info in UIViewController documentation.

Landscape-only IPad App With UISplitViewController

I am almost done developing an app. Right now I'm converting it to a universal app by supporting iPad to supported devices as well.
Can I set the app to use Landscape orientation only, since I am using UISplitViewController and want the Master View Controller to remain on the screen all the time? Is there any Apple policy that states that I cannot restrict it to Landscape only and I have to implement both portrait and landscape? Is there any chance my app can be rejected by setting it to Landscape only for iPad?
Don't worry, you'll be fine. Support both landscape orientations and neither portrait orientation if you want. I've got apps in the store that are like that.
However, note that UISplitViewController does have an option to keep both views on the screen all the time even in portrait. Use the delegate method splitViewController:shouldHideViewController:inOrientation: to forbid hiding the master view:
http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/uikit/reference/UISplitViewControllerDelegate_protocol/Reference/Reference.html#//apple_ref/occ/intf/UISplitViewControllerDelegate
So if your only reason for being landscape only is that you don't want to hide the master view, it is a false reason. Look, for example, at Apple's Settings app, which works like that; it is a split view controller that always shows both views in all four orientations.

Starting iPad app in current landscape orientation

My ipad app only runs in landscape orientation. But when I test on an actual device (not the simulator) it always seem to start in one particular landscape orientation, then turn 180 degrees to match the current physical landscape orientation. So, it seems to start in LandscapeLeft(I think) then rotate 180 if I have it in LandscapeRight. There's nothing in Info.plist to set the initial orientation.
Can anyone suggest a way to detect current orientation before view loads and set it to correct landscape view before showing?
Thanks
Fitto
There is the UIInterfaceOrientation~iPad key which sets the initial interface orientation on startup.
There is also the UISupportedInterfaceOrientations key which informs the app which orientations are supported.
There is no way, however, to make the app start in the current orientation of the iPad.
Have you looked into these questions?
Get current orientation of iPad?
iPad launch orientation
Also, technically, the iPad should just do it. Make sure you have supported orientations set properly, as I'm sure it checks those to see where it should start.

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