How to Flip the Camera in Discord

"Flipping" a camera in Discord can mean three different things: switching between the front and rear cameras on a phone, mirroring the image left to right, or turning an upside-down picture the right way up. The fix depends on which one you need, so start by identifying your situation.

The Short Answer

• On a phone or tablet: during a video call, tap the camera-switch control to swap between the front and rear cameras.
• On desktop or in a browser: Discord does not offer a general setting to mirror or rotate the video other people see. To change what others see, use your webcam's own software, a virtual camera tool, or a fix to the camera's physical position.
• If only your own preview looks reversed: confirm with someone else on the call before changing anything. The image they see may already be correct.

What you want | Where to do it

Switch front and rear camera | Discord mobile call controls

Mirror the image left to right | Webcam utility or virtual camera software

Fix an upside-down or sideways image | Webcam utility, virtual camera software, or the camera's mounting position

See whether others see it correctly | Ask a call participant, or hold up printed text

Discord's interface changes between versions, so menu names and button positions may differ from the descriptions below. No version-specific details were available for this guide. If a control is missing, check your app version or Discord's current help documentation.

Before You Start: Make Sure Discord Can Use the Camera

Flipping only matters once Discord is actually receiving video. Three things are separate here: Discord having permission to use the camera, Discord capturing a working picture, and the call delivering that picture smoothly to others. Fix them in that order.

• Windows: open Settings, go to Privacy & security, then Camera. Make sure camera access is on and that desktop apps are allowed to use it.
• macOS: open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, then Camera. Make sure Discord is switched on. You may need to quit and reopen Discord afterward.
• Phone or tablet: in the device's app settings for Discord, allow camera access.
• Browser: allow camera access for Discord in the browser's site permissions when prompted, or change it in the browser's settings.
• Close other apps that might be using the webcam. Some systems let only one app use a camera at a time.

Switching Between Front and Rear Cameras on Mobile

• 1. Join a voice channel or start a call in the Discord app.
• 2. Tap the camera control to turn on your video.
• 3. Find the camera-switch control among the call controls. It is usually an icon of a camera with circular arrows. If the controls are hidden, tap the screen to show them.
• 4. Tap it once. Your video should switch to the other camera.
• 5. Tap it again to switch back.

Success check: your self-view changes from your face to what the rear camera sees, or the reverse. Swapping cameras changes only which camera is in use. It does not mirror or rotate the picture.

Mirroring or Rotating Your Webcam on Desktop

Discord's desktop Voice & Video settings let you choose a camera and preview it. They do not give you a general way to change the orientation others see. To mirror or rotate the image, you change the video before it reaches Discord. There are two common ways to do that.

Option 1: Your Webcam's Own Software

Some webcams come with a manufacturer utility that includes mirror, flip, or rotate settings. Whether yours has these depends on the model; no product-specific information was available for this guide. If the utility applies the change at the camera or driver level, Discord should receive the corrected image without any extra steps. Some utilities only change their own preview window, so test the result in Discord afterward.

Option 2: A Virtual Camera with OBS Studio

A virtual camera is software that looks like a webcam to other apps. It takes your real camera's feed, lets you adjust it, and passes the result on. OBS Studio is a free program with a built-in virtual camera, and it can mirror or rotate the image.

• 1. Install and open OBS Studio.
• 2. In the Sources panel, add a Video Capture Device and select your webcam.
• 3. Right-click the source and choose Transform. Then pick Flip Horizontal to mirror the image, Flip Vertical for an upside-down image, or Rotate 180 degrees.
• 4. Click Start Virtual Camera.
• 5. In Discord, open User Settings (the gear icon), go to Voice & Video, and under Camera select OBS Virtual Camera. If it is not listed, restart Discord while OBS is running.
• 6. Use the video preview or test button in that settings page to check the image.

Keep OBS running with the virtual camera started for as long as you want Discord to use the adjusted feed. If you close OBS, switch Discord back to your regular camera.

Physical Fixes for Upside-Down Images

If the image is upside down because a clip-on webcam is mounted inverted, the simplest fix is often to remount the camera the right way up. Software rotation is mainly useful when the camera has to stay in that position.

How to Confirm Others See It Correctly

Your own preview may not show what other participants see. Many video apps mirror the self-view because it feels more natural, like looking in a mirror. This guide could not confirm how Discord currently handles self-view mirroring on every platform, so check the outgoing image directly.

• Hold up a piece of paper with a few printed words, or a book cover, in front of the camera.
• Ask someone on the call whether the text reads correctly from left to right and whether the image is the right way up.
• If they see it correctly, leave it alone, even if your preview looks reversed.
• If they see it reversed or upside down, apply one of the desktop fixes above, then repeat the test.

This test confirms orientation only. It does not tell you about lighting, framing, or call quality. A choppy or blurry stream usually points to bandwidth, camera resolution, or device load, not orientation settings.

If Something Still Isn't Working

• No camera listed in Discord: recheck the operating system and app permissions above, then restart Discord.
• Black preview: another app may be using the camera, or the camera may be covered or turned off by a privacy shutter or a hardware switch.
• Virtual camera shows a blank or placeholder image: make sure the webcam source in OBS shows video and that the virtual camera has been started.
• No camera-switch control on mobile: your device may have only one camera, or the control may be hidden until you tap the screen during the call.