Flip your webcam horizontally or vertically in OBS with the Transform menu

Open OBS Studio and select your webcam source in the Sources panel. Right-click on it and choose Transform, then pick Flip Horizontal to mirror the image left-to-right, or Flip Vertical to flip it top-to-bottom. The change takes effect when ready in your preview and broadcast.

Most people flip horizontally because webcams show a mirror image by default — what appears on your left side shows on the right side of the stream. Flipping corrects this so viewers see what you actually see when you look at the camera. Vertical flips are less common but useful if your camera is mounted upside down or you need to rotate the feed for a specific setup.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click your webcam source in the Sources panel and select Transform to access flip options.
  • Flip Horizontal reverses the image left-to-right, which corrects the mirror effect most webcams produce.
  • Flip Vertical flips the image top-to-bottom and is useful for upside-down camera mounts.
  • The flip applies only to that specific source, so other sources in your scene remain unchanged.
  • You can combine both flips if needed, though this rotates the image 180 degrees rather than mirroring it.

Where to find the Transform menu

The Transform option lives in the right-click menu of any source. Click your webcam source once to select it, then right-click directly on the source name in the Sources list. A menu appears with options including Transform, Filters, Properties, and others. Hover over Transform to see the submenu with Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical.

If you do not see Transform in the menu, make sure you right-clicked on the source itself, not on empty space in the Sources panel. The source must be selected (highlighted) before the full context menu appears.

Difference between Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical

Flip Horizontal mirrors the image along a vertical axis — the left side becomes the right side and vice versa. This is what most streamers and video callers use because webcams naturally produce a mirror image. When you flip horizontally, text on a shirt or a sign behind you reads correctly to viewers instead of backwards.

Flip Vertical mirrors the image along a horizontal axis — the top becomes the bottom and the bottom becomes the top. Use this only if your camera is physically mounted upside down or rotated 180 degrees. Combining both flips rotates the entire image 180 degrees, which is rarely needed.

How to undo a flip

Right-click the webcam source again and select Transform, then click the same flip option you used before. Toggling it a second time removes the flip and returns the image to normal. You can also undo by pressing Ctrl+Z when ready after flipping, though this works only if you have not made other changes to the scene.

If you have already saved your scene with the flip applied, the flip will still be there the next time you open OBS. straightforward right-click and toggle the flip off to remove it permanently.

Flipping only affects your stream, not your camera

The flip happens inside OBS and does not change how the camera itself works. Your camera continues to send the original image to OBS; OBS just displays it flipped in your broadcast. If you close OBS or remove the source, the camera returns to normal in any other process.

This also means you can have multiple instances of the same webcam in different scenes with different flips applied to each one. One scene might show the camera flipped horizontally while another shows it normal, depending on your layout needs.

Combining flip with other transforms

OBS also lets you rotate, scale, and crop sources using the Transform menu or by dragging the source in the preview. You can flip a source and then rotate it, crop it, or resize it — all transforms stack together. Right-click and choose Transform again to access any of these options after flipping.

If you need to make many adjustments, consider using the Crop/Pad option in the Transform menu to adjust the edges, or use Rotate 90 Degrees if your camera needs a quarter-turn instead of a flip. These options work alongside the flip without interfering with it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my webcam look backwards?

Webcams produce a mirror image by default, the same way a bathroom mirror works. Everything appears reversed left-to-right. Flip Horizontal corrects this so your stream shows the image the way you see it when looking at the camera.

Can I flip just part of my scene?

No, the flip applies to the entire source. If you need to flip only part of your scene, you would need to use separate sources or edit the image outside OBS. For most setups, flipping the whole webcam source is what you want.

Does flipping the webcam affect my preview monitor?

Yes, the flip shows in your preview window inside OBS. You see exactly what your viewers will see. This lets you check that the flip looks correct before you go live.

What if I flip the camera and it still looks wrong?

Try the other flip option — Flip Vertical instead of Horizontal. If both flips look wrong, your camera might be physically mounted at an angle. Check that the camera is level and pointing straight at you, then try flipping again.

Can I save different flip settings for different scenes?

Yes. Each scene can have its own version of the webcam source with different flip settings. Create a new source in each scene and explore the flip you need for that scene. They do not affect each other.