If you enjoy taking selfies, you may have wondered in the past why your camera flips them after they are taken. If you do not have much camera knowledge it can become confusing when you take a photo and it looks much different on your phone.
Cameras flip your selfies because it gives you the image of what you look like to other people. This is the flipped version of what you see in your reflection and people do not usually see themselves in that way. After you take the picture you are looking at yourself from an outsider’s perspective.
If you enjoy taking selfies, you may be wondering more about why your pictures are flipped and if there is any way you can fix it. Keep reading to find out more information about your pictures and how you can keep it from flipping.
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Why Are Your Selfies Flipped?
If you are wondering the answer to this question, then you probably have been disappointed with how your selfie turned out whenever you went on a social media platform to post it. Your disappointment comes from the front camera on your phone producing an image that you are not used to.
Keep reading to see what that means for you and how your brain interprets that.
The Image Is Not Mirrored
Taking the photo itself seems fine, and it is great whenever you think you have captured the best selfie. But whenever we go to our camera roll, the picture is flipped. This is due to the camera trying to let our brains see the picture as a mirror image.
If the front camera was not originally like this, it would make taking selfies much more difficult. If this was not the case, posing would become significantly more difficult and awkward. Your face, your hands, and anything else in the camera’s field of vision is moving how you are, so that nothing is confusing as you are posing.
This is not what most people usually see on a daily basis. When people look at a mirror, they see a reflection that follows what they are doing. Anytime a body part is tilted to the right, the reflection will follow. Front cameras let users see themselves in a mirrored way as they are taking the picture, but whenever the photo is captured, it is the opposite.
This is not something the majority of selfie takers are accustomed to seeing, and it confuses people all the time. However, if the selfie is posted and other people see it, then they will not think it looks strange. This is because that portrayal of you is exactly what they see with their own eyes. If this makes you worried, you are not the only one.
How Our Brains Interpret This
Your camera is providing a depiction of what you really look like to people who are not you. Most of the time when you get a glimpse of yourself, it is through a reflection on a mirror. That reflection is not what you actually look like to the rest of the world.
Your front camera is showing you how you look to everyone else, and your brain does not particularly care for this. Most people on this planet do not have faces that are exactly alike on both sides, and so when your perceived “good side” is no longer your good side, things start to become confusing.
Because it is not normal to see yourself in this way, your brain will deem it to be strange. Your brain may even consider the flipped image to be ugly, and that can be a blow to your self confidence. Sometimes this will even cause people to stop taking selfies for the fear that they will not like what they see.
It is a scientific fact that a human’s brain is most likely to prefer something they are able to see on a daily basis. Because of this, there is nothing much more attractive than our own faces. It is almost appalling to see the camera show anything other than what is expected to be shown.
It is also important to remember that whenever selfies are taken, features of your face can easily become distorted a bit. Even though the camera will give people a glimpse into how the world sees them, it is not always accurate. If you think your eyes are too small or your nose is too wide, have faith in knowing this is probably the camera’s fault.
Can I Stop My Camera From Flipping Selfies?
Before September, this option was not available and it made many avid selfie-takers upset. If you consider yourself to fall in that category you will be happy to find out that iOS 14 on iPhones have given users the chance to unflip front facing photos.
There are a few steps on how to make your iPhone take unflipped selfies. Look at these next points below to find out how. Your brain will be thanking you later.
- Go to “settings” on your phone.
- Click on the camera section.
- Turn on the option that allows your front camera to be mirrored.
- Take the selfie you have always wanted but never gotten.
It is almost frustrating at how simple the process of flipping your camera is. This quick fix will make countless individuals with an iPhone happy. People will gain more confidence and be posting many more selfies now that their good side is being shown.
Can Android Users Fix the Selfie Flip too?
Those with Android devices can sometimes be left out when it comes to receiving helpful tips and tricks. Iphone users always seem to have a solution for everything and sometimes no one knows how to fix those same issues on a non-Apple product. Do Android users get the chance to take unflipped selfies as well?
The answer is yes. People who have Androids are also able to take the perfect selfie. Though the steps may be a bit different than those an iPhone user would take, here are the steps they will need to take to achieve their unflipped picture.
- Click on the settings section in your camera app.
- You will toggle off the option of either the option named “mirrored photo” or the option of choosing preview pictures.
- Any future front facing photos you capture will no longer be flipped.
It is such a relief to know that your selfies no longer have to be flipped, no matter if you use Apple or Android products. What is even better is that you will be posting fantastic selfies, and everyone else will be confused about how you have done it!
So Why Are My Selfies Flipped?
Your selfies are flipped because your front camera is giving you the perspective the rest of the world has on you.
This typically unfamiliar concept can cause many people to feel frustrated and have low self-esteem. And luckily if you do not care for that, there are ways it can be fixed. Remember to smile big and snap away!
