Test screen rotation and configuration changes

When the device rotates, or the user changes language, font size, dark mode or window size, Android by default destroys and rebuilds the visible screen. If the app does not save and restore its state, the user loses input, position or progress. The same mechanism sits behind several bugs, so one compact script catches many of them.

The script

For each key screen, do this in order. About two minutes per screen.

1. Fill in something. Type text into a field, select an item, scroll down, expand a section.
2. Change one thing. Do one of the changes below.
3. Compare. Is the input, selection, scroll position and open state still there?
4. Change it back. Same comparison.

Turn on auto-rotate in the quick settings first.

What to change

1. Rotation, portrait to landscape and back. Breaks: lost input, restarted video, reset scroll, a second copy of a loading request, a crash on a screen that was never drawn wide.
2. Language. In the system language settings (path varies by device). Breaks: texts not translated, long words overflowing, right-to-left layouts mirrored wrongly, dates and numbers in the old format. See testing localization.
3. Font size. Breaks: clipped text. Use the large font test.
4. Display size. Same family of problems as font size.
5. Dark mode toggle. Breaks: wrong colors, flash of the wrong theme. See the dark mode checklist.
6. Window size. Split-screen or foldable unfold. See the multi-window checklist.
7. Keyboard type or connected hardware keyboard. Breaks: focus lost, wrong layout.
8. Time zone or 24-hour setting. Breaks: time-based screens showing old values.

Screens that deserve extra care

• Forms and anything with a text field.
• Multi-step flows such as onboarding or checkout.
• Video, audio and camera screens.
• Screens that load data: does rotation start the request again, and does it show a double result or a repeated error?
• Dialogs, date pickers, bottom sheets: they must survive or close cleanly.
• Splash and login: rotation during sign-in should not log the user out.

Quick tip: use "don't keep activities"

For a fast stress test, enable Don't keep activities in Developer options (Apps section) and move between screens. It forces rebuilds without rotating. Turn it off again afterward. See process death testing.

If you decide to lock orientation

Locking to portrait is a valid choice for some apps. Then the checklist shrinks to: does the lock apply on every screen, does it also hold on tablets and foldables, and does the app still handle the other changes above? Note that users can still change font, language and window size.

What to report

Screen name, what was changed, what was lost or broken, device model, Android version and a screen recording if possible.

Overview: Android app testing. Related: screen sizes and permissions.

Start on AppReviewX and have testers run this script on their devices.