Ever notice how your selfie looks different after capturing it? That’s because the iPhone automatically flips your photo after it’s taken. But don’t worry—your iPhone gives you an easy way to flip it back to its mirror image.
In this guide, I’ll explain why your iPhone flips photos and how you can fix or mirror them anytime.
Why Does the iPhone Camera Flip My Pictures?
When you use the front camera on your iPhone, the preview you see mimics a mirror—so your right hand appears on the right side of the screen. This helps you frame your shot more naturally.
However, once you tap the shutter, the photo is saved in its true orientation—flipping it back to how others see you. This can be frustrating when you’re wearing text-based shirts or need exact image alignment.
Thankfully, it’s easy to flip photos back using the built-in Photos app—or stop selfies from flipping altogether.
What is Mirroring a Photo?
Mirroring (also called flipping) means reversing an image so it appears as if reflected in a mirror. A horizontal flip swaps the left and right sides, while a vertical flip swaps the top and bottom.
Why flip a photo?
- To fix reversed text or logos in selfies
- For better symmetry in photos
- To match the original preview you saw before capturing
Flipping a photo doesn’t reduce its quality. You can do it directly in the Photos app or use shortcuts and third-party tools for batch editing photos.
How to Flip an Image on iPhone or iPad
You can flip any photo in just a few steps:
- Open the Photos app and tap the image you want to flip.
- Tap the Edit button (it looks like the hamburger menu).
- Select the Crop icon and tap the Flip button in the top-left corner (a triangle with an arrow over it).
- Tap Done to save.
Pro Tip: Want to keep the original? Tap the three-dot menu and select Save as Duplicate before editing.
Related: How to edit photos in iOS 18 on iPhone
How to Flip Multiple Images at Once
Want to mirror multiple images together? Use the Copy & Paste Edits feature:
- Flip one image using the steps above.
- Tap the three–dot menu > Copy Edits > enable Crop and Rotation > tap Copy.
- Go back to the gallery, tap Select, and choose the photos to flip.
- Tap the three-dot menu > Paste Edits.
Done! All your selected photos will now be mirrored.
You can also use a third-party app like Photoshop Express to speed things up and get more editing options.
How to Revert a Flipped Image
Changed your mind? Here’s how to undo a flipped image:
- Open the flipped photo in the Photos app.
- Tap Edit > Revert > Revert to Original.
If you want to only undo the flip (but keep other edits), go to Crop and tap the Flip button again to reverse it manually.
How to Flip a Photo Vertically on iPhone
While iPhone’s Photos app only supports horizontal flipping, you can vertically flip a photo using a custom Shortcut.
- Install Vertical Flipping shortcut on your iPhone.
- Go to the Photos app, open your desired photo, and tap the share button.
- Scroll down the Share Sheet and select Vertical Flipping.
- A dropdown menu will appear with the album names. Choose where you would like to save the flipped image.
This trick is ideal for creating unique perspectives or artistic edits.
How to Stop iPhone Selfies from Flipping
Want your selfies to save exactly how they look in the preview? You can make that happen by enabling Mirror Front Camera.
Here’s how:
- Go to Settings > Camera.
- Toggle on Mirror Front Camera.
- Open the Camera app and take a selfie.
Now, your selfies will save exactly as they appear on-screen—no more surprises!
This setting only affects new selfies. To flip older ones, use the Photos app method above.
Bonus: How to Flip a Video on iPhone
You can flip videos just like photos using the Photos app:
- Open the Photos app and select your video.
- Tap Edit > Crop.
- Tap the Flip icon at the top.
- Play the preview and tap Done to save.
That’s it—your video now shows its mirror version.
Related: How to edit videos on your iPhone or iPad
Mirror Your iPhone Photos in Seconds
Flipping selfies and videos on your iPhone or iPad is easier than ever. Whether you want to correct backward text, match your preview, or create creative effects, iOS gives you everything you need—from flipping a single image to batch edits and shortcuts.
Got a favorite photo-editing trick? Share it in the comments—I’d love to hear it!
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