# Reverse camera image breaks my brain **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 14, 2026, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-camera-image-breaks-my-brain/1026700 "2026-01-14T23:24:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-camera-image-breaks-my-brain/1026700/21 "2026-01-15T14:58:56Z")
That’s what I was going to say- many cameras have reversed selfie cameras, so if the poster doesn’t pay attention, they’re posting a reversed clip/image. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-camera-image-breaks-my-brain/1026700/22 "2026-01-15T15:09:14Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > So WYSIWYG? The Great Prophets predicted this many years ago: _'Cause what you see, you might not get_ _And we can bet, so don’t you get souped yet_ _Scheming on a thing, that’s a mirage_ _I’m trying to tell you now, it’s sabotage_ ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-camera-image-breaks-my-brain/1026700/23 "2026-01-15T23:09:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I understand why the phone would display the mirrored image to the user while they’re recording the video, but why is it stored that way? It’s not, or at least it _shouldn’t_ be. My iPhone’s selfie cam shows a mirror image with text reversed, but once I take a photo/video it appears in the normal orientation when looked at. I’m pretty sure that’s just the default for the iPhone. I can’t speak for other phones. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-camera-image-breaks-my-brain/1026700/24 "2026-01-16T03:33:16Z")
On my Android phone there is a “mirrored photo” setting for the selfie camera. The live display is always mirrored regardless of the setting, but if the mirrored setting is enabled it stores the photo as reversed. I really don’t know why anyone would want it set that way, but it is the default and has to be manually disabled. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-camera-image-breaks-my-brain/1026700/25 "2026-01-16T15:07:38Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > I really don’t know why anyone would want it set that way, but it is the default and has to be manually disabled. Which way is the default, which way is “that way”, and which way do you think no one (or everyone) would want? Not trying to argue, just can’t decide what you’re trying to say. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-camera-image-breaks-my-brain/1026700/26 "2026-01-16T15:35:09Z")
The default is mirroring is enabled - the photos are stored reversed. You have to manually find and uncheck the setting to have your selfie photos stored without being reversed. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-camera-image-breaks-my-brain/1026700/27 "2026-01-16T15:39:59Z")
Gotcha. Thank you. That was my experience too and I configured mine to store them unmirrored, so any print in the images is readable. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-camera-image-breaks-my-brain/1026700/28 "2026-01-16T19:34:34Z")
Most phones I’ve had showed the image reversed on the screen in selfie mode (so it behaves like a mirror and is more intuitive to use), but recorded footage conventionally - non-reversed. I think I might have seen it as a configurable option in one camera app, but when I record using the front facing camera, the resulting video footage is not reversed. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-camera-image-breaks-my-brain/1026700/29 "2026-01-19T00:59:42Z")
I think that tat says “Unemployable” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-camera-image-breaks-my-brain/1026700.md?page=1)