Flip Image

Flipping and rotating get confused constantly, so here is the difference in one line: rotating turns the picture, flipping mirrors it. A flipped photo is a reflection, which is why any text in it suddenly reads backwards.

The selfie problem

Most phone cameras show you a mirrored preview in selfie mode, because that is what you are used to seeing in a bathroom mirror. Some then save the mirrored version, and some save the true version. Either way, the photo often looks subtly wrong compared to how you remember taking it.

Flipping it horizontally swaps it back. It is a one-click fix, and it is the single most common reason people reach for this tool.

Flipping an image

1. Upload your picture.
2. Choose horizontal to mirror left-to-right, or vertical to mirror top-to-bottom.
3. Watch the preview update.
4. Flip again to undo if it was not what you wanted.
5. Download the mirrored image.

Horizontal or vertical?

• Horizontal flip — mirrors left and right, like looking in a mirror. This is what you want for a selfie.
• Vertical flip — mirrors top and bottom, producing an upside-down reflection rather than a simple rotation.
• Neither is a rotation — flipping reverses the image; rotating turns it. Text survives rotation and does not survive a flip.
• Both are lossless — the pixels are rearranged, not recalculated, so nothing is degraded.
• Both are reversible — flipping twice in the same direction returns you exactly to the original.

Creative and practical uses

• Correcting mirrored selfies so text on clothing reads the right way round.
• Fixing a scanned photograph or negative that was fed in the wrong way.
• Making a subject face into the page rather than off the edge of a layout.
• Building symmetrical patterns and kaleidoscope effects from a single image.
• Creating a water-reflection effect with a vertical flip underneath the original.

Flipping questions