A very interesting patent was published by Apple in the US Patent and Trademark Office. The patent describes how a Face ID scanner is used to determine the orientation of a device’s screen.

An accelerometer and other inertial sensors are now used to automatically change the screen orientation. But, unfortunately, the same turn is not always required: remember how often you have to turn on orientation lock when you are in bed?

Thanks to scanning the owner’s face, the orientation of the screen will always be relevant: lie on your side, on your back, stand on your head or the device is on a table – there is no difference.

The patent was prepared back in 2018, but has only been published now. And, as it seems to me, there are several points why this feature has not yet been implemented: firstly, Face ID on the iPhone only works in vertical orientation, and secondly, a bunch of standard applications and the home screen in iOS are simply not optimized for use in horizontal orientation.

In any case, the company may not use the patent at all, or it will happen in the distant future. I cross my fingers and expect something similar in iOS 14, and finally, in iPhone 12, authentication in horizontal mode.