How to use the online mirror
- Press “Start mirror” and allow the camera. On a phone the front camera opens; on a laptop, the built-in webcam.
- Mirror shows you flipped, exactly like the mirror in your bathroom, so moving your right hand moves the hand on the right of the screen.
- True mirror removes the flip. Now you see yourself as other people, photos and video calls see you. Press T on a keyboard to switch quickly.
- Ring light adds a bright border around the picture. In a dark room, turn the screen brightness up and slide the light to 70–100% to light your face; warm light is softer for makeup, cool light shows color more neutrally.
- Zoom enlarges the picture up to 250% for eyebrows, eyeliner or a close shave, and Full screen turns the whole screen into a mirror.
This free online mirror needs no true mirror app and no account, and it never records: the camera picture is drawn on your screen and nowhere else. When you press Stop or close the tab, the camera light goes off.
What is a true mirror?
A normal mirror reverses left and right. A true mirror, also called a non-reversing mirror, doesn't. How does a true mirror work? It is usually made of two mirrors joined at a right angle, so the image is reflected twice and the flip cancels out. If you raise your right hand in a true mirror, the person facing you raises the hand on their left, just like a real person standing opposite you would.
A camera already sees you unflipped, so a true mirror online only has to show the camera picture as it is. That is what the True mirror button does. Most webcam mirror apps and video-call previews show you flipped by default, because that is what people are used to; this webcam mirror online lets you choose.
True mirror vs regular mirror at a glance:
| Regular mirror | True mirror | |
|---|---|---|
| Left and right | Reversed | As others see you |
| Text on a shirt | Reads backwards | Reads normally |
| Hair parting, a mole, a crooked smile | On the side you are used to | Switched to the other side |
| Best for | Doing your hair, makeup and shaving by hand | Checking how you look in photos and on calls |
Why you look different in a true mirror
Almost nobody's face is perfectly symmetrical, and you have spent your life looking at the flipped version. When the true mirror switches your hair parting, a dimple or a slightly higher eyebrow to the other side, the result feels a little off, even though it is exactly what your friends see every day. Psychologists have measured this: in a 1977 study by Mita, Dermer and Knight, people preferred mirror-image photos of themselves, while their friends preferred the true, unflipped photos. Each side liked the version they were used to seeing.
So if photos of yourself look strange, the camera usually isn't distorting you. You are simply seeing the true mirror image. A minute in true mirror mode is a good way to get used to it.
Online mirror with light, for makeup and video calls
As an online mirror for makeup, the most useful setup is the regular mirror view with the ring light on, because your hand movements match what you see. Switch to the true mirror at the end to check symmetry the way others will see it. Before a video call or interview, use the true mirror view to check your hair, your background and any text on your clothes, then try the webcam and mic test to hear how your microphone sounds.
The ring light can only light your face as much as your screen is bright. On a laptop it helps in a dim room, but it can't replace a lamp facing you; a webcam in poor light also drops its frame rate and adds grain.
How we tested this tool
We tested the page in a desktop browser and at a 375 px phone width, using a generated video stream in place of a real camera, since the test computer has none. We checked that the Mirror view flips the picture and the True mirror view shows it unflipped, that the ring light border appears at the chosen strength and color, that zoom scales the picture from 100 to 250%, that Stop releases the camera, and that a blocked or missing camera shows a clear message. We have not yet tested it on a range of real webcams and phones; if something looks wrong on yours, tell us.
Frequently asked questions
What is a true mirror?
A true mirror shows you without the left-right flip of a normal mirror, so you see your face the way other people and cameras see it. A physical true mirror uses two mirrors joined at a right angle; this page does the same by showing the camera picture unflipped.
Why do I look different in the true mirror?
Faces are not perfectly symmetrical, and you are used to your flipped mirror image. A part in your hair, a crooked smile or a mole switch sides, so the unflipped picture looks slightly off to you even though it is how everyone else sees you.
Can I use the online mirror without a webcam?
No. A screen can't reflect you, so an online mirror always needs a camera: a laptop webcam, a USB camera or a phone's front camera.
Is anything recorded or uploaded?
No. The camera picture is shown on your device only and is never recorded, saved or sent anywhere. The camera turns off when you press Stop or leave the page.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. Open the page in Safari on iPhone or Chrome on Android and allow the camera; the front camera is used by default. On iPhone, Safari can't show a web page in full screen, so turn the phone sideways for a bigger view.
Which view do others see on a video call?
Most video call apps show you a mirrored preview of yourself but send the unflipped picture to everyone else. The true mirror view here shows that unflipped picture, so you can check hair, makeup or text on your shirt the way the others will see it.