diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/fragments/detail/VideoDetailFragment.java b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/fragments/detail/VideoDetailFragment.java
index 0b3ddc3c3..a39ef0a0a 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/fragments/detail/VideoDetailFragment.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/fragments/detail/VideoDetailFragment.java
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ public final class VideoDetailFragment
                 && isAutoplayEnabled()
                 && player.getParentActivity() == null)) {
             autoPlayEnabled = true; // forcefully start playing
-            openVideoPlayer();
+            openVideoPlayer(true);
         }
     }
 
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ public final class VideoDetailFragment
                 break;
             case R.id.detail_thumbnail_root_layout:
                 autoPlayEnabled = true; // forcefully start playing
-                openVideoPlayer();
+                openVideoPlayer(true);
                 break;
             case R.id.detail_title_root_layout:
                 toggleTitleAndSecondaryControls();
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ public final class VideoDetailFragment
                     showSystemUi();
                 } else {
                     autoPlayEnabled = true; // forcefully start playing
-                    openVideoPlayer();
+                    openVideoPlayer(false);
                 }
 
                 setOverlayPlayPauseImage(isPlayerAvailable() && player.isPlaying());
@@ -897,8 +897,9 @@ public final class VideoDetailFragment
                                 stack.push(new StackItem(serviceId, url, title, playQueue));
                             }
                         }
+
                         if (isAutoplayEnabled()) {
-                            openVideoPlayer();
+                            openVideoPlayer(true);
                         }
                     }
                 }, throwable -> showError(new ErrorInfo(throwable, UserAction.REQUESTED_STREAM,
@@ -1103,7 +1104,15 @@ public final class VideoDetailFragment
         }
     }
 
-    public void openVideoPlayer() {
+    public void openVideoPlayer(final boolean directlyFullscreenIfApplicable) {
+        if (directlyFullscreenIfApplicable
+                && PlayerHelper.isStartMainPlayerFullscreenEnabled(requireContext())
+                && !isLandscape()
+                && PlayerHelper.globalScreenOrientationLocked(requireContext())) {
+            // open directly in fullscreen TODO does it work for large-land layouts?
+            onScreenRotationButtonClicked();
+        }
+
         if (PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(activity)
                 .getBoolean(this.getString(R.string.use_external_video_player_key), false)) {
             showExternalPlaybackDialog();
@@ -1145,8 +1154,8 @@ public final class VideoDetailFragment
         }
         addVideoPlayerView();
 
-        final Intent playerIntent = NavigationHelper
-                .getPlayerIntent(requireContext(), MainPlayer.class, queue, true, autoPlayEnabled);
+        final Intent playerIntent = NavigationHelper.getPlayerIntent(requireContext(),
+                MainPlayer.class, queue, true, autoPlayEnabled);
         ContextCompat.startForegroundService(activity, playerIntent);
     }
 
@@ -2022,7 +2031,7 @@ public final class VideoDetailFragment
         }
     }
 
-    private boolean isLandscape() {
+    public boolean isLandscape() {
         return getResources().getDisplayMetrics().heightPixels < getResources()
                 .getDisplayMetrics().widthPixels;
     }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/Player.java b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/Player.java
index ae9720474..10532c5eb 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/Player.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/Player.java
@@ -3855,11 +3855,9 @@ public final class Player implements
         if (DEBUG) {
             Log.d(TAG, "toggleFullscreen() called");
         }
-        if (popupPlayerSelected() || exoPlayerIsNull() || currentMetadata == null
-                || fragmentListener == null) {
+        if (popupPlayerSelected() || exoPlayerIsNull() || fragmentListener == null) {
             return;
         }
-        //changeState(STATE_BLOCKED); TODO check what this does
 
         isFullscreen = !isFullscreen;
         if (!isFullscreen) {
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 b19e6e823..828833a8d 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
@@ -239,6 +239,11 @@ public final class PlayerHelper {
                 .getBoolean(context.getString(R.string.brightness_gesture_control_key), true);
     }
 
+    public static boolean isStartMainPlayerFullscreenEnabled(@NonNull final Context context) {
+        return getPreferences(context)
+                .getBoolean(context.getString(R.string.start_main_player_fullscreen_key), false);
+    }
+
     public static boolean isAutoQueueEnabled(@NonNull final Context context) {
         return getPreferences(context)
                 .getBoolean(context.getString(R.string.auto_queue_key), false);
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/util/NavigationHelper.java b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/util/NavigationHelper.java
index ad9654073..539387082 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/util/NavigationHelper.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/util/NavigationHelper.java
@@ -366,7 +366,15 @@ public final class NavigationHelper {
             if (switchingPlayers) {
                 // Situation when user switches from players to main player. All needed data is
                 // here, we can start watching (assuming newQueue equals playQueue).
-                detailFragment.openVideoPlayer();
+
+                // Starting directly in fullscreen if the previous player type was popup.
+                if (playerType == MainPlayer.PlayerType.POPUP
+                        && !detailFragment.isLandscape()
+                        && PlayerHelper.globalScreenOrientationLocked(context)) {
+                    detailFragment.onScreenRotationButtonClicked();
+                }
+                // pass false to directlyFullscreenIfApplicable since that's handled just above here
+                detailFragment.openVideoPlayer(false);
             } else {
                 detailFragment.selectAndLoadVideo(serviceId, url, title, playQueue);
             }
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/settings_keys.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/settings_keys.xml
index 45400d667..013b970c1 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/settings_keys.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/settings_keys.xml
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@
         <item>@string/minimize_on_exit_popup_description</item>
     </string-array>
 
+    <string name="start_main_player_fullscreen_key" translatable="false">start_main_player_fullscreen_key</string>
+
     <string name="autoplay_key" translatable="false">autoplay_key</string>
     <string name="autoplay_value" translatable="false">@string/autoplay_wifi_key</string>
     <string name="autoplay_always_key" translatable="false">autoplay_always_key</string>
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index 91e9db335..f833dc716 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@
     <string name="resume_on_audio_focus_gain_title">Resume playing</string>
     <string name="resume_on_audio_focus_gain_summary">Continue playing after interruptions (e.g. phonecalls)</string>
     <string name="download_dialog_title">Download</string>
+    <string name="start_main_player_fullscreen_title">Start main player in fullscreen</string>
+    <string name="start_main_player_fullscreen_summary">Do not start videos in the mini player, but turn to fullscreen mode directly, if auto rotation is locked. You can still access the mini player by exiting fullscreen.</string>
     <string name="autoplay_title">Autoplay</string>
     <string name="show_hold_to_append_title">Show \"Hold to append\" tip</string>
     <string name="show_hold_to_append_summary">Show tip when pressing the background or the popup button in video \"Details:\"</string>
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/xml/video_audio_settings.xml b/app/src/main/res/xml/video_audio_settings.xml
index 1b595be0c..f605fbe17 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/xml/video_audio_settings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/xml/video_audio_settings.xml
@@ -129,6 +129,14 @@
             app:singleLineTitle="false"
             app:iconSpaceReserved="false" />
 
+        <SwitchPreferenceCompat
+            android:defaultValue="false"
+            android:key="@string/start_main_player_fullscreen_key"
+            android:summary="@string/start_main_player_fullscreen_summary"
+            android:title="@string/start_main_player_fullscreen_title"
+            app:singleLineTitle="false"
+            app:iconSpaceReserved="false" />
+
         <ListPreference
             android:defaultValue="@string/autoplay_value"
             android:entries="@array/autoplay_type_description"