Computers, Laptops & Tablets > Google How to Rotate the Screen on Chromebook Orientation on your Chrome OS laptop is easier than you think By Adam S. Doud Adam S. Doud Twitter Writer Adam has been writing about mobile technology since 2011. He is the former host of the Android Authority podcast, and his work has appeared in numerous publications. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on October 28, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Google Microsoft Apple Google Tablets Accessories & Hardware What to Know On-the-fly: Press and hold CTRL+Shift and the Refresh key (circle with arrow) to rotate the screen 90 degrees clockwise. Repeat as needed.Change default orientation: Choose the clock > Settings. Select Device > Displays. Under Orientation, choose your preferred orientation.Both of these methods work on secondary displays as well. This article explains how to rotate the screen on a Chromebook in two ways: one on-the-fly as you need it and one in the Settings app. It also includes information on rotating the screen on a secondary device, if you use one. Quick Way to Rotate a Chromebook Screen With the Keyboard The quickest and easiest way to rotate your screen is to press and hold CTRL+Shift and the Refresh key on your keyboard. The Refresh key looks like a circle with an arrow on it, located just above the numbers 3 and 4 on your keyboard. Each time you do, your screen will rotate 90 degrees clockwise. The first time you press that key combination, you'll get a popup asking you if you want to rotate your screen. Click Continue. How to Rotate the Screen in Settings If you prefer to set a single rotation to use all the time, you can change your screen's rotation in the settings. Click the clock and select Settings. Click Device > Displays. Under Orientation, click the drop-down box. Select your desired orientation, and you're set to go. If your Chromebook is a 2-in-1, and you have the screen all the way around in the tablet position, the Orientation drop-down box will be dimmed. To select an orientation, flip the screen back into laptop mode. Chromebooks in tablet mode override the orientation in Display settings. How to Flip the Second Display on a Chromebook Both of these methods work on secondary displays as well. If you have a second display hooked up, the keyboard command still works. The rotation orientation is controlled by the location of cursor, so you'd need to move your cursor to the display you want to rotate. In settings, each display will have its own tab inside Settings > Devices > Displays. You can click on either tab to set the orientation of a single screen. Orientations do not have to be the same across both screens. Lifewire/Adam Doud Other Chromebook Rotate Screen Notes When you change your screen's orientation, that setting is remembered even through a restart. The only way to override the orientation setting is to flip the Chromebook into tablet mode if it is a 2-in-1. It's also important to note that directions on the track pad change as well as the orientation. For example, after you rotate the screen 90 degrees, when you move your finger up on the track pad, the cursor will go toward the top of the screen which means it will move from left to right. Needless to say this can be confusing, so be prepared for that. Having a Chromebook with a touchscreen makes this easier to correct. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit