This is an experimental technology
Because this technology's specification has not stabilized, check the compatibility table for usage in various browsers. Also note that the syntax and behavior of an experimental technology is subject to change in future versions of browsers as the specification changes.
The DeviceOrientationEvent provides web developers with information from the physical orientation of the device running the web page.
Warning: Currently, Firefox and Chrome do not handle the coordinates the same way. Take care about this while using them.
Properties
DeviceOrientationEvent.absoluteRead only- A boolean that indicates whether or not the device is providing orientation data absolutely.
DeviceOrientationEvent.alphaRead only- A number representing the motion of the device around the z axis, express in degrees with values ranging from 0 to 360
DeviceOrientationEvent.betaRead only- A number representing the motion of the device around the x axis, express in degrees with values ranging from -180 to 180. This represents a front to back motion of the device.
DeviceOrientationEvent.gammaRead only- A number representing the motion of the device around the y axis, express in degrees with values ranging from -90 to 90. This represents a left to right motion of the device.
Example
window.addEventListener('deviceorientation', function(event) {
console.log(event.alpha + ' : ' + event.beta + ' : ' + event.gamma);
});
Specifications
| Specification | Status | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Device Orientation Events | Working Draft | Initial specification. |
Browser compatibility
| Feature | Chrome | Firefox (Gecko) | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari (WebKit) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | 7.0 [1] | 6 [2] | ? | ? | ? |
| Feature | Android | Android Webview | Firefox Mobile (Gecko) | IE Mobile | Opera Mobile | Safari Mobile | Chrome for Android |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | 3.0 | (Yes) [1] | 6 [2] | No support | No support | 4.2 | (Yes) [1] |
[1] Before version 50, Chrome provided absolute values instead of relative values for this event. Developers still needing absolute values may use the ondeviceorientationabsolute event.
[2] Firefox 3.6, 4, and 5 supported mozOrientation instead of the standard DeviceOrientationEvent interface