How to Flip a Mirrored Selfie (or Any Image)

If writing on your T-shirt or a sign behind you reads backwards in a selfie, the photo is mirrored. To fix it, open the Image Flipper, add the photo, click Flip Horizontal, and download. The same tool flips images upside down (Flip Vertical) for reflection effects.

Flip an image step by step

1. Open the Image Flipper and add your image (or paste a direct link to one).
2. Click Flip Horizontal to mirror left and right, or Flip Vertical to mirror top and bottom.
3. Check the preview.
4. Download the flipped image.

Why selfies come out mirrored

When you use the front camera, the screen shows you a mirror image — that's what you're used to seeing in a mirror, so it feels natural for framing. Some phones and apps save the photo the same way (mirrored); others save it the way other people see you (un-mirrored). The result:

• Text and logos read backwards in mirrored selfies.
• Your hair parting and features appear on the "wrong" side compared with how others see you.
• Product photos taken with the front camera show labels reversed.

Flipping horizontally turns a mirrored selfie into the true view.

Stop it happening

• iPhone: in Settings › Camera, the Mirror Front Camera switch controls it. On: selfies are saved as you saw them on screen (mirrored). Off: selfies are saved as others see you.
• Android: the option is in the camera app's own settings and varies by phone — look for "Save selfies as previewed", "Mirror front camera" or similar. On Samsung phones it's under Camera settings › Pictures.
• Video calls: Zoom, Teams and Meet often mirror your own preview only; other people see you correctly. Turning off "mirror my video" changes only what you see.

Which way is "right"?

Neither is wrong — it depends on the purpose:

• Text, signs, logos, products: un-mirrored, so writing reads correctly.
• Selfies you like the look of: many people prefer the mirrored version, because it's the face they see in the mirror every day. It's a matter of taste.
• Documents and ID photos: un-mirrored.

Creative uses of flipping

• Reflections: flip a copy vertically and place it under the original for a "water reflection" effect.
• Symmetry: flip a photo horizontally to change which way someone faces, so they look into a layout rather than out of it.
• Matching pairs: make left- and right-facing versions of the same graphic for both sides of a design.

Be careful flipping photos of real places or people for anything factual: a flipped photo of a street shows a place that doesn't exist that way.

Scans and photos of screens

Mirrored images also come from document cameras, some webcams and photos taken through a window or of a screen with a reflection. If text in a scan or a photo of a whiteboard reads backwards, flip it horizontally; if it's upside down and backwards at the same time, flip vertically instead — or rotate by 180° if the text reads correctly but is upside down.

Flip versus rotate

• Flip mirrors the image; text becomes backwards.
• Rotate turns it; text stays readable but sideways or upside down. Use the Image Rotator for sideways photos.

Mirrored videos too

Front-camera videos have the same problem. Fix them with Flip Video, which mirrors a whole video horizontally or vertically.

Frequently asked questions

Does flipping reduce quality?

No. Flipping rearranges pixels exactly; nothing is lost.

Is my photo uploaded?

No. It's flipped in your browser.

Can I add text after flipping?

Yes — use Add Text to Image on the flipped photo so your caption reads the right way round.