WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the key features of WhatsApp is video calling, which allows users to have face-to-face conversations over the internet. However, many users have noticed that the video shown during a WhatsApp call appears as a mirror image. So does WhatsApp video call show a mirror image? Let’s find out.
What Causes the Mirror Image Effect?
When you take a selfie with your smartphone’s front-facing camera or use video calling apps like WhatsApp, the image you see of yourself appears flipped horizontally, like a mirror image. This happens because of the way camera sensors work to capture images.
Smartphone cameras have lenses that flip and reverse the image that comes through them, so that the end result is a mirror image of what’s in front of the lens. This allows the image to be oriented naturally for the person behind the smartphone camera. So if you hold up your right hand, it will show up on the left side in the camera image.
However, when this reversed image is shown to you on your smartphone screen during a selfie or a video call, it results in you seeing a mirror image of yourself. In comparison, non-reversed images are what other people see when they look at you or see photos of you taken by someone else’s camera.
Front Camera vs Rear Camera
The mirror effect only happens with your smartphone’s front-facing selfie camera. When you use the rear camera to take photos of other people or objects, the image is not reversed or mirrored. This is because the rear camera is capturing the scene in front of it unflipped.
So keep in mind that your selfies and video calls will show a mirror image to you. But photos and videos taken with the rear camera will appear naturally oriented and not mirrored.
Does WhatsApp Video Call Show a Mirrored Image?
Since WhatsApp video calling relies on your smartphone’s front-facing selfie camera, the image you see of yourself during a WhatsApp call will be a mirror image. The video is flipped horizontally to match what you see when looking at a mirror.
This mirroring effect is common to other video calling apps as well, including FaceTime, Skype, Instagram, Snapchat, and Zoom calls made on a smartphone. Apps have to reverse the image from your front camera in order to show an oriented image of you to yourself on your screen.
Comparing WhatsApp Video to Taking a Selfie
You can easily understand the mirroring effect during a WhatsApp video call by comparing it to taking a selfie:
- When you take a selfie your front camera shows a mirrored image as a preview. This is the same image that others will see if you share that selfie photo.
- But when you make a WhatsApp video call, the mirrored image shown to you is a live preview, similar to taking a selfie.
- The image that your friend sees on their screen during the WhatsApp video call will be normally oriented and not mirrored. Just like how others see your selfies.
So the WhatsApp video image you see of yourself is a reversed mirror image. But the image others see of you is properly oriented and normal, not mirrored.
Why Does WhatsApp Mirror the Image During Video Calls?
WhatsApp intentionally flips the image from your smartphone’s front camera during video calls for a couple reasons:
- See a natural preview of yourself – By mirroring the image, you are able to see a preview of yourself oriented the way you are used to seeing in a mirror. This allows you to adjust your hair, clothes, or position as needed so you present yourself well during the call.
- Show left and right correctly – If the image was not reversed, left and right would be swapped and disorienting for you. Mirroring maintains left and right so you can orient yourself naturally.
- Match your perspective – The mirrored image matches your point of view of seeing yourself in a mirror. Seeing a non-mirrored version would look awkward and weird since it doesn’t align with your own perspective.
So in summary, WhatsApp flips the video call image so that you see yourself in a natural and familiar way from your own visual perspective. The mirroring creates a better user experience for video calls.
Does the Receiving Caller See a Mirrored Image?
As mentioned earlier, the mirror image effect only applies to your own preview screen during a WhatsApp video call. The image being sent to and seen by the person receiving your call is NOT a mirror image.
The recipient will see a normally oriented view of you, the same way others see your selfies or view photos/videos taken of you by someone else’s camera. They do not see the mirrored version you see yourself during the call.
So rest assured that even though you see yourself mirrored on your own screen, the image being shared to your friend, family member, or colleague during a WhatsApp video call is not reversed or mirrored for them.
Difference Between Your View and Recipient’s View
| Preview on Your Screen | View for Call Recipient |
|---|---|
| Mirrored image | Normal (not mirrored) image |
| Reversed left and right | Normal left and right |
| Matches your mirror perspective | Normal view of you |
This table summarizes the difference between the mirrored preview of yourself that you see, compared to the normal oriented view that the recipient sees during your WhatsApp video call.
Can You Disable Mirror Image on WhatsApp Video?
Since the mirroring effect is due to reversing the camera preview image, there is no setting within WhatsApp to turn off the mirror view and see a normal oriented preview of yourself.
The mirrored preview image is baked into video calling across smartphone apps and operating systems when using the front-facing selfie camera. So you cannot disable it specifically within WhatsApp settings.
Mirroring the self-view is the expected behavior for video calling on smartphones and seen by users as the natural way to preview themselves on video calls. Apps are designed this way intentionally so users can see themselves in a familiar mirrored way.
Workarounds to See Non-Mirrored View
While you cannot turn off mirroring completely in WhatsApp video calls, there are some workarounds you can try to see a non-mirrored view of yourself:
- Use your smartphone’s rear camera instead of the front camera. Since rear cameras show an unflipped view, you will see yourself normally. However, you lose the ability to see yourself while facing the screen.
- Enable “Mirror Front Camera” or “Front Camera Mirror Image” settings in your smartphone’s Camera app settings. This will make your regular selfie camera show a non-mirrored preview. But other apps may still show a mirrored view.
- Use a secondary device like a tablet or another phone to join the WhatsApp video call. Face the device’s rear camera toward you to see a non-reversed preview of yourself.
- Set up a mirror behind your smartphone pointed at you. This lets you see yourself normally while looking at the mirror behind the reversed smartphone preview.
But in general, there is no built-in way to completely disable the mirroring effect in WhatsApp or other video calling apps on smartphones.
Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Mirrored Video Calling
While seeing a mirror image of yourself on WhatsApp video may seem awkward and unnatural at first, there are good reasons not to worry about the mirroring effect:
- Others see you normally – Remember that only you see the reversed preview. From the recipient’s perspective, your video feed looks perfectly normal and oriented correctly during the call.
- You get used to it – Our brains are good at adapting. After some WhatsApp video calls, your brain will get used to seeing your mirrored self-view and it will start to seem natural.
- Focus on conversation – Don’t get distracted by the mirror image. Just act naturally and focus on the actual conversation you’re having with the other person.
- Better user experience – The mirroring provides you with the best user experience for video calling from UX and product design perspectives.
So ultimately, the mirror image is not something to worry about. With some practice on video calls, your brain will adapt and you’ll come to accept the reversed preview as normal.
Conclusion
To summarize, WhatsApp and other smartphone video calling apps do show a mirror image of you to yourself during calls made using the front-facing selfie camera. This mirrored preview comes from the camera sensor flipping images horizontally before processing.
However, the mirror image is only shown to you locally as a preview. The recipient of your WhatsApp video call sees a normal, non-mirrored view of you. So you can be assured others are seeing an accurately oriented image.
There is no setting in WhatsApp to disable the mirroring effect since it is a core part of generating a natural preview for users. In the end, the mirror image is not something to worry much about. With some experience on video calls, your brain learns to accept the mirrored preview.
So go ahead and enjoy WhatsApp video calls knowing that only you see the reversed mirror image, while others see you oriented properly! Let the conversations flow as you get used to your mirrored self-view.