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After upgrading the iPad to 4.2.1 the screen rotation lock button no longer has any effect on the screen rotation. Instead it turns off the speaker. I've looked in settings but I don't seem to find any way to change this behavior.

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The funny part about this is that it was originally meant to be a mute switch. When Colbert showed his (pre-release) iPad off at the Grammys the screen was bouncing back and forth between landscape and portrait.I imagine Steve Jobs having a panic attack and calling up the design team to fix that one. – Grillz Jan 27 '11 at 20:36

2 Answers

up vote 11 down vote accepted

At iPad: Understanding screen rotation lock, Apple says:

Beginning with iOS 4.2, the switch previously used for screen rotation lock functions as a silence switch for notifications and system sounds.

Sucks, doesn't it?

It is still possible to lock the screen rotation on an iPad (and that article explains how); there's just no hardware solution any more.

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Well, at least there is still a way to lock the orientation. – TGnat Dec 7 '10 at 4:09
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According to Ars Technica, iOS 4.3 will give you a preference pane to configure this on the iPad (so that you can restore the rotation lock).

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That's great news. – TGnat Jan 13 '11 at 14:11

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