diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/helper/PlayerHelper.java b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/helper/PlayerHelper.java
index abde7c3d1..8d8e0414e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/helper/PlayerHelper.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/helper/PlayerHelper.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import static java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy.SOURCE;
 import android.annotation.SuppressLint;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.SharedPreferences;
+import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
 import android.provider.Settings;
 import android.view.accessibility.CaptioningManager;
 
@@ -382,8 +383,11 @@ public final class PlayerHelper {
     public static boolean globalScreenOrientationLocked(final Context context) {
         // 1: Screen orientation changes using accelerometer
         // 0: Screen orientation is locked
+        // if the accelerometer sensor is missing completely, assume locked orientation
         return android.provider.Settings.System.getInt(
-                context.getContentResolver(), Settings.System.ACCELEROMETER_ROTATION, 0) == 0;
+                context.getContentResolver(), Settings.System.ACCELEROMETER_ROTATION, 0) == 0
+                    || !context.getPackageManager()
+                        .hasSystemFeature(PackageManager.FEATURE_SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER);
     }
 
     public static int getProgressiveLoadIntervalBytes(@NonNull final Context context) {