How to Rotate Photos in Google Photos on Android: Quick Guide

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Quickly fix photos on your Android phone that are sideways

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: August 11, 2025 Fact Checked

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Rotating Photos in Google Photos

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FAQ

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Video

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Tips

Are the pictures that you save on your phone sideways? You can easily rotate them in Google Photos on Android! Follow these steps to straighten out your photos on your Android phone or tablet.

Rotating a Picture in Google Photos for Android

Tap the photo in Google Photos, select Edit at the bottom, then tap Crop below the effects. Tap the rotate icon (the square with a curved arrow) once to rotate the picture 90° counterclockwise, and then again to rotate it another 90°.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Rotating Photos in Google Photos

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It's the multicolored pinwheel icon labeled “Photos.” You'll usually find it in the app drawer or on the home screen.
This opens a larger version of the image with 4 icons at its bottom edge.

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It's the second icon from the left that looks like adjustment sliders.
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Tap the
Rotate icon. It looks like a square with an arrow curved around one edge, and you'll find it above the top right corner of your picture. Tapping it once rotates the image 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
- To rotate another 90 degrees counter-clockwise, tap the rotate icon again.
- Continue tapping the icon until the image is rotated to your liking.
- Alternatively, if you need to flip the image (like if the text is backwards), tap the "Flip" icon, which looks like a square divided down the middle with a solid line on one side and a dotted line on the other. It's above the image preview.
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Tap Save. When you're done rotating the image, tap the Save button in the top right corner of your screen.
- Tap ⋮ > Save as copy to save a rotated version as well as your original version.^{[1]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

FAQ

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How do I change photo orientation on Android? You can follow the above steps to change the rotation using Google Photos. However, if you do not have Google Photos, you can use your default photo editing app to open the photo, tap the edit icon (it might look like a pencil), then tap the "Rotate" icon (it looks like a square with a curved arrow).
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How do I flip an image in Google Photos? Follow the above steps, but instead of tapping the "Rotate" icon, tap the "Flip" icon, which looks like a square divided down the middle with a solid line on one side and a dotted line on the other. It's above the image preview.
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How can I flip the camera on my Android? With the camera open, swipe up on the screen. The camera will flip between the front and back cameras as you swipe!
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Why is my phone taking pictures in the wrong orientation? Your Android’s camera is supposed to automatically detect whether you’re taking a picture in portrait or landscape mode, based on the way you’re holding the phone. However, in some situations, your phone’s sensors can’t properly detect the camera’s orientation. This is more likely to happen when you’re holding the phone flat so you can take a photo of something from above (like a plate of food on a table). You may be able to solve this by downloading a third-party camera app with an orientation lock feature.
- Some popular options include ProCam X and Manual Camera DSLR.
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How can I edit my pictures easily? Google Photos has some automated features so you can enhance your pictures quickly and easily without fiddling with saturation, angle, or shadow settings! All you need to do is open the photo you want to enhance in Google Photos, then tap the "Edit" icon, and tap Enhance, Dynamic, or Boost. They are all premade settings that enhance your image differently.
- When you find one you like, tap Save as copy or Save.