How can I fix selfie orientation issue while sending it via Messenger app?

Hi! I am an iPhone 16 Plus user with an issue with the Messenger app. Whenever I capture a selfie photo with the iPhone's Camera default app, and send that specific photo (in 4:3 aspect ratio) to a private message chatbox, it rotates the photo upside down. I thought it was a device issue until I tried it on my second phone, which is the iPhone 11 (both of them are on different iOS versions), and did the same thing. My mirror camera btw is on, and when I send a photo to the messenger app on previous versions, the same photo orientation is being sent to the recipient, given that the mirror camera is on. Unlike in my current situation.


So I would like to ask whether you guys have experienced this scenario or not. Currently, I am on iOS 18.4.1, which is the most recent iOS version available to download and install. Moreover, what are the things that I need to do to remove this kind of issue? I know it is not a big deal to some, but as an iPhone user for many, many years, this is kind of a deal breaker to me, given that my 16 Plus is my new phone. Thanks in advance!!


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 16 Plus, iOS 18

Posted on Apr 25, 2025 7:08 AM

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1 reply

Apr 26, 2025 10:44 PM in response to AzMartin05

Rotation metadata tags of which there are two QuickTime:Rotation and EXIF:Orientation have changed somewhat in newer iOS 18 .heic. For example, portrait .heic rotated in the iPhone 16 Pro introduced a new sort of duplicate QuickTime:Rotation tag that old software might not handle properly.


Even macOS Sequoia 15.4.1 QuickLook or Quick Actions > Rotate Left rotate metadata are still very flaky when rotating such new iPhone 16 Pro .heic so the edited orientation very often fails to really stick. In older .heic and .jpg and movies they work OK and I often use QuickLook to losslessly rotate movies.


A workaround might be to rotate such stubborn new .heic with Preview.app or apps like GraphicConverter which rotate the image data itself so File:ImageWidth and File:ImageHeight change places after 90° rotations and Rotation & Orientation metadata is then always set to Horizontal (normal).


https://exiftool.org/forum/index.php?topic=17169.msg91984#msg91984

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How can I fix selfie orientation issue while sending it via Messenger app?

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