How to use the online mirror
- Click Start mirror and allow camera access. Your picture appears, flipped like a real mirror.
- Use Zoom to look closer and Brighter if the room is dim.
- Tick Light ring to put a bright white frame around the picture, which lights your face in a dark room. Turn your screen brightness up for the strongest light, and use Full screen for a bigger ring.
- Press Freeze to hold the picture still, for example to check the back of your hair with the camera behind you, or to look closely at makeup.
- Click Take snapshot, then Save snapshot to keep a picture. Click Stop mirror when you’re done to turn the camera off.
What people use an online mirror for
- Checking yourself before a video call or meeting: hair, teeth, glasses glare, and how your background and lighting look.
- Makeup, shaving and contact lenses when there is no mirror nearby, with zoom for detail.
- Seeing how others see you: untick the mirror effect to see the view that other people and photos get.
- Testing your camera angle and framing before recording, streaming or a job interview.
Getting a clear, flattering picture
- Face the light. A window or lamp in front of you makes a bigger difference than any setting. Light from behind turns your face dark.
- Raise the camera to eye level. A laptop on a few books gives a more natural angle than one looking up from the desk.
- Clean the lens. A fingerprint on the lens makes the whole picture hazy.
- Use the light ring in the dark. A bright white screen close to your face works like a soft lamp. For a bigger light, open the white screen on a second device.
If the picture looks too dark, stutters or won’t start at all, run the camera test. It shows your camera’s real resolution and frame rate and walks you through fixing permission and hardware problems.
Is this mirror private?
Yes. The video goes straight from your camera to your screen, inside your browser. Nothing is recorded, uploaded or stored, and snapshots stay on your device unless you save them yourself. The camera turns off when you stop the mirror or leave the page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the online mirror private?
Yes. The camera picture is shown by your browser on your own device and is never uploaded or recorded. Snapshots are made on your device and only saved if you choose Save snapshot. The camera turns off when you click Stop mirror or leave the page.
Why does my face look different when I untick the mirror?
A mirror swaps left and right. With “Show as others see you” ticked, you see the camera’s own view, which is how other people and photos see you. Most faces aren’t perfectly symmetrical, and we are used to our mirror image, so the true view can feel slightly strange.
Why is my mirror blurry or dark?
Most laptop webcams have small sensors that need plenty of light. Face a window or lamp, wipe the lens with a soft cloth, and turn on the light ring to use your screen as a light. The Brighter slider helps in dim rooms, but it can’t add detail the camera didn’t capture.
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes. Open the page on your phone and tap Start mirror; it uses the front camera. If your phone has several cameras, pick another from the Camera list after the mirror starts.
The mirror doesn’t start. What can I do?
Allow camera access when your browser asks, and close other apps that use the camera, such as Zoom or Teams. The camera test page has a full step-by-step guide for blocked permissions and missing cameras.
Does the zoom make the picture sharper?
No. The zoom enlarges the middle of the picture, which helps you see detail on a large screen, but the sharpness is limited by your camera. Moving closer to the camera gives a sharper close-up than zooming.