Inverted webcam image - how to fix it?

A common and common problem for many users is the inverted image of the laptop webcam (and normal USB webcam) in Skype or Whatsapp and other programs after reinstalling Windows or updating any drivers. Let's see how to fix this problem.

Three solutions will be suggested: install the official drivers, change the webcam settings, and if nothing helps, use a third-party program (so if you've tried everything, you can go straight to the third way).

1. Drivers

The most common way this situation occurs is on Skype, although other options are also possible. The most common cause of upside down camera video is drivers (or rather, the wrong drivers).

In cases where drivers are the cause of reversed images, it occurs when:

• The drivers were installed automatically when Windows was installed. (Or the so-called "where all the drivers are" construction).
• The drivers were installed using some driver package (such as Driver Pack Solution).

To find out which driver is installed for your webcam, open Device Manager (type "Device Manager" in the Start menu search box in Windows 7 or Windows 8 start screen), then locate your webcam , which is usually under 'Imaging Devices', right-click on the camera and select 'Properties'.

In the device properties dialog, open the "Driver" tab and note the vendor of the driver and the development date. If you see that the provider is Microsoft and the date is far from up-to-date, the cause of the reversed image is almost certainly in the drivers: you are using a standard driver on your computer, not one designed specifically for your webcam.

To install the correct drivers, go to the official website of the manufacturer of the device or your laptop, where all the necessary drivers can be downloaded completely free of charge. More in detail about where exactly to find the drivers for your laptop you can read in the article: How to install the drivers on the laptop (it will open in the new tab).

2. Webcam Settings

Sometimes it can happen that even if you have installed the drivers for the webcam in Windows that are specifically designed for use with this camera, the image in Skype and in other programs that use your image is still upside down. In this case, you can look for opportunities to return the image to its normal appearance in the settings of the device itself.

The easiest and fastest way for a novice user to enter the webcam settings is to start Skype, select "Tools" - "Settings" - "Video settings" from the menu, then under your inverted image, click Click on "Webcam Settings" - a dialog box will open, which will look different for different camera models.

For example, I don't have the option to rotate the image. However, for most cameras this function is available. In the English version this property can be called Flip Vertical or Rotate - in the latter case, you have to set the rotation to 180 degrees.

Like I said, this is a quick and easy way to get into settings, as almost everyone has Skype, and the camera may not appear in the control panel or devices. Another uncomplicated option is to use a program to control your camera, which most likely was installed simultaneously with the drivers when you made the first point in this guide - the features needed to rotate the image may be present there as well.

3. How to fix a webcam image upside down using third party software

If none of the above helped, there is still a way to flip the camera video so that it displays normally. One of the best and almost guaranteed to work is ManyCam, which you can download for free here (it will open in a new window).

The installation of the program is not too difficult, I only recommend that you refuse to install Ask Toolbar and Driver Updater, which the program will try to install together with itself - you don't need this garbage (you have to click Cancel and Reject where they are offered to you ). The program supports the Russian language.

After starting ManyCam, do the following:

• Open the Video - Sources tab and click on "Mirror vertically" (see image)
• Close the program (that is, click the cross, it will not close but will be minimized to the icon in the notification area).
• Open Skype - Tools - Settings - Video Settings. And select "ManyCam Virtual WebCam" in the "Select Webcam" field.

Done: now the image in Skype will be normal. The only downside to the free version of the program is its logo at the bottom of the screen. However, the image will be displayed in the state you want.

If I have helped you, please share this article using the social media buttons at the bottom of the page. Good luck!!!