220-1101 Mobile Devices Practice Question
A user reports that their Android smartphone's screen does not rotate when the phone is turned sideways. The auto-rotate setting is enabled. The technician has already verified that the phone's operating system and apps are up to date. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the distinction between the accelerometer and gyroscope, trapping candidates who assume both are equally responsible for screen rotation, when in fact the accelerometer is the primary sensor for this function.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The accelerometer is malfunctioning.
The accelerometer is the sensor responsible for detecting the device's orientation and triggering screen rotation. Since auto-rotate is enabled and the OS/apps are up to date, a malfunctioning accelerometer is the most likely cause, as it would fail to send the correct orientation data to the system.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The accelerometer is malfunctioning.
Why this is correct
The accelerometer is a MEMS sensor that measures linear acceleration, including the static force of gravity. Android's auto-rotate feature uses the direction of the gravity vector, as detected by the accelerometer, to determine whether the device is in portrait or landscape orientation. If the accelerometer hardware fails or its data becomes invalid, the OS cannot detect the orientation change, so the screen will remain fixed even though the display settings have auto-rotate enabled. A malfunctioning accelerometer is the classic root cause for this symptom, and it can be verified through diagnostic sensor apps or hardware test menus.
- ✗
The gyroscope is malfunctioning.
Why it's wrong here
The gyroscope is a sensor that measures angular velocity (rate of rotation) around the device's axes. It is used for applications that require precise rotation tracking, such as 3D gaming, augmented reality, and image stabilization, where it complements the accelerometer with fast, drift-free rotational data. However, the Android operating system's basic auto-rotate function relies solely on the accelerometer's gravity vector, not on the gyroscope's angular velocity measurements. Thus, a gyroscope malfunction would break motion-based gaming or VR, but the screen would still rotate on orientation changes because the accelerometer remains functional.
- ✗
The touchscreen digitizer is damaged.
Why it's wrong here
The touchscreen digitizer is the input layer that converts finger touches into electrical signals for the system to process. It has no role in detecting device orientation or acceleration. A damaged digitizer would typically cause symptoms such as unresponsive touch areas, phantom touches, or inability to register input at all, but it would not prevent the screen from rotating when the physical orientation changes. In fact, the auto-rotate feature would continue to work as intended because the accelerometer data path is completely separate from the touch input path.
- ✗
The proximity sensor is blocked.
Why it's wrong here
The proximity sensor uses an infrared LED and photodetector to detect when an object (like your ear) is close to the phone's front surface. Its primary function is to disable the touchscreen and turn off the display during a call to conserve battery and prevent accidental touches. It does not measure orientation or movement in any way. If the proximity sensor is blocked or malfunctioning, you might see the screen staying off during calls or failing to wake when you move the phone away from your ear, but the screen rotation would remain unaffected because orientation detection is handled by the accelerometer.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1101 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1101 exam.