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Enable 'Auto Rotate' for your Android home screen in latest Google app update

Want to use your device in landscape at all times? Well now you can.

Jason Cipriani Contributing Writer, ZDNet
Jason Cipriani is based out of beautiful Colorado and has been covering mobile technology news and reviewing the latest gadgets for the last six years. His work can also be found on sister site CNET in the How To section, as well as across several more online publications.
Jason Cipriani
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Jason Cipriani/CNET

Google updated its Google app, which includes the Google Now Launcher, with some small tweaks on Wednesday. If you're using a Nexus device and haven't installed a third-party launcher app, such as Action Launcher 3 (or similar), you're already using the Google Now Launcher. On other devices, such as Samsung's Galaxy line you have to explicitly enable Google's launcher in the device's settings menu.

One such addition is the ability to enable auto rotate for your Android device's home screen. Meaning, you can rotate an Android smartphone from portrait to landscape when viewing any of your home screens and the interface will adjust to accommodate the device's orientation. As Droid Life notes, the update also seems to have adjusted the size of some app icons in the app tray.

To enable auto rotate, you'll need to download the latest Google app update from the Play store.

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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

Once its installed, long-press on the home screen and tap on Settings. At the bottom of the list, you should find a toggle switch to enable Auto Rotation. Slide it to the On position, then go back to your home screen. Rotate your device and enjoy its newfound versatility.