The situation when a photograph taken turns out to be upside down or lies on its side is familiar to every smartphone owner. This often happens due to a glitch in the orientation sensor or the screen accidentally locking up at the most inopportune moment. Device owners Samsung Galaxy face this no less often than others, but fortunately, the built-in image editor offers powerful tools for correcting such errors without installing third-party applications.
In this article we will look in detail at how to flip a photo in the gallery on Samsung using standard system tools. You will learn not only to change the orientation of the frame, but also to perform mirror reflection, which is especially important for selfies taken with the front camera. Understanding the basic functions of the editor will allow you to quickly put your album in order.
The shell interface One UI from Samsung is distinguished by its logic and accessibility of basic functions. Even if this is your first time opening the editor, you can easily find the tools you need. The main thing is to know where exactly you need to click in order to save the changes and not lose the original image during the editing process.
Basic tools for image rotation
The first thing you need to do to correct the orientation of a photo is to open it in the application Gallery. This is a standard application that is preinstalled on all smartphones of the brand. After opening the photo, pay attention to the bottom toolbar, where the main editing buttons are located.
To get started, click on the pencil icon, which indicates entering editing mode. Here you will see several groups of tools, but we are interested in the block Rotate and crop. It is usually represented by an icon with two arrows forming a circle, or a rectangle with arrows at the corners. Pressing this button allows you to rotate the image 90 degrees clockwise.
⚠️ Attention: If you press the rotate button repeatedly, the image will rotate cyclically. Watch the position of the picture so as not to make unnecessary movements and not lose the desired orientation.
It is important to note that standard rotation changes the position of the picture in multiples of 90 degrees. This means you can quickly turn a portrait shot into a landscape shot and vice versa. However, to fine-tune the tilt angle (for example, if the horizon is tilted a couple of degrees), you will need to use the slider, which will be discussed in the following sections.
Use the "Auto-rotate" function in the notification shade if the photo does not flip when you tilt the smartphone itself - this may be a sign of sensor blocking.
Step-by-step guide for changing orientation
The process of correcting the orientation of an image takes only a few seconds if you know the sequence of actions. The algorithm is the same for most models Samsung Galaxy S, A and M series. Let's look at each step in as much detail as possible so that you don't have any difficulties.
First, open the desired image and tap on the screen so that the bottom menu appears. Click on the edit icon (pencil). In the menu that opens, select tool Crop and rotate. You will see a grid overlaid on the photo and a panel with control buttons.
To rotate 90 degrees, use the circular arrow. If mirror reflection is required (for example, the text on the photo is read from right to left), find a button with an image of two triangles or an inverted rectangle. It changes the image along the horizontal or vertical axis.
☑️ Algorithm of actions
After you have achieved the desired position of the picture, be sure to press the button Save or Save as a copy. The first option will overwrite the original file, and the second will create a new file with the changes, leaving the original untouched. This is an important point for those who are afraid of losing the original data.
Fine-tuning the horizon angle
It often happens that the photo seems to be lying correctly, but the horizon line is skewed. In such cases, simply turning 90 degrees will not help. The editor Samsung Gallery allows you to manually adjust the tilt angle with high precision.
In cropping mode, in addition to the rotation buttons, there is usually a slider with degrees at the bottom of the screen. By moving it left or right, you can tilt the image smoothly. A grid overlaid on a photo helps visually align the horizon or vertical lines of buildings.
When using manual tilt, part of the image at the edges may be cut off, since the rectangular frame of the frame must remain intact. The system automatically scales the image to fill the empty corners created by rotation. Therefore, try not to tilt the horizon too much, so as not to lose important details at the edges of the frame.
⚠️ Attention: If you rotate or crop heavily, the image quality may decrease slightly due to pixel interpolation algorithms. Try not to zoom in excessively after a strong rotation.
Why is the photo upside down in WhatsApp?
Messenger apps often compress images and may ignore orientation metadata (EXIF). If you sent a photo, and the other person sees it upside down, the problem may be on the side of the recipient application, and not in the gallery itself.
Comparison of editing methods: Gallery vs Google Photos
Android users often have access to two main editors: the built-in one Samsung Gallery and the app Google Photos. Although their functions are similar, there are nuances in the interface and available features. Understanding the differences will help you choose the most convenient tool.
Samsung's built-in gallery works faster and is more deeply integrated into the system. It better supports formats HEIF and camera functions of the device itself. Google Photos, in turn, offers powerful cloud tools and automatic enhancement, but may require more time to process heavy files.
| Function | Samsung Gallery | Google Photos | Third-party editors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working speed | High | Medium | Various |
| Save original | There is an option | There is an option | Depends on applications |
| Rotation accuracy | High | High | Maximum |
| Work without the Internet | Full | Limited | Full |
For simple operations such as flip photo or trimming, the built-in tool is more than enough. It does not require a network connection and works instantly. It makes sense to use third-party applications only for complex retouching or applying filters.
Working with batch processing and album
If you need to flip not just one photo, but a whole series of pictures taken under the same conditions, you can use the batch processing functions. This will save a lot of time, especially when preparing photos for publication on social networks.
In the main gallery menu, press and hold your finger on one of the images to highlight it. Then tap on other photos that require editing. After selecting a group of images, click on the Editbutton. Please note that not all editors allow you to apply rotation to all selected files at once - sometimes you have to process them one by one, but the transition between them occurs without leaving the menu.
It is also possible to create automatic rules in some versions of the software, but for a one-time task it is easier to use selection. Remember that bulk saving of copies can quickly fill up the device's memory, so keep an eye on the free space.
⚠️ Attention: The interface and set of functions may vary depending on the version of the operating system Android and shell One UI. If you do not find any buttons, check for updates for the Gallery application in the store. Galaxy Store.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why, after rotating a photo in the gallery, does it flip again?
This can happen if the files are saved incorrect EXIF data about orientation. Some applications ignore visual changes and rely only on metadata. Try saving the photo as a copy or taking a screenshot from an already flipped image to record the result.
Is it possible to flip a video in the Samsung gallery?
Yes, the basic video editing functions in Samsung Gallery also allow you to change the orientation of the frame. The process is similar to working with photos: open the video, click edit and use the rotation tools. However, rendering the video will take longer.
Where do the original photos go after saving the edits?
If you selected the "Save" option (without creating a copy), the original will be overwritten by the new version. You can restore the original state through the gallery recycle bin, if it has not been emptied, or through the "Version History" function in some cloud services, if synchronization is enabled.
How to mirror a selfie?
In editing mode, select the "Flip" tool (the icon with two triangles). This action will flip the image along the horizontal axis. For selfies, this is often necessary so that the text on clothing is read correctly or to bring the photo into line with the usual display in the mirror.
The built-in tools of Samsung Gallery allow you to perform 95% of all necessary operations with image geometry without losing quality and installing additional software.