Teleprompter Mirror Mode Explained — Beam Splitter vs Direct View

Mirror mode on a teleprompter flips scrolling text left-to-right — so "Welcome to the show" displays as "wohs eht ot emocleW" on the screen. This looks wrong at first glance, but it is exactly what you need when using a physical beam splitter teleprompter rig. The free teleprompter includes a mirror-mode checkbox. Here is exactly when to turn it on and when to leave it off.

What Mirror Mode Does to Your Script

Normal mode: "HELLO WORLD" displays as "HELLO WORLD". You read it directly.

Mirror mode: "HELLO WORLD" displays as "DLROW OLLEH" (reversed left-to-right). Unreadable directly.

The only reason to display text backwards is if something will flip it again before your eyes see it. That "something" is a beam splitter glass in a professional teleprompter rig — or a mirror.

Turn Mirror Mode ON for These Setups

• Beam splitter teleprompter rig. Text displays on a monitor pointing up at a 45-degree angled glass. The glass reflects the text toward your eyes. The reflection flips it — which is why you need to pre-flip it on the monitor.
• Any setup with a mirror between you and the screen. If you bounce the text off any reflective surface before reading it, mirror mode pre-compensates for the flip.
• Elgato Prompter hardware. Elgato's teleprompter uses a beam splitter — mirror mode required.
• Neewer teleprompter rigs with phone mounts. Same beam splitter design — mirror mode required on your phone's teleprompter app.
• DIY rigs with angled glass. Home-built teleprompters with a pane of glass at 45 degrees in front of a phone screen.

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Turn Mirror Mode OFF for These Setups

• Reading from a phone or tablet directly. No glass, no mirror — just looking at the screen. Leave mirror mode off.
• Reading from a laptop or desktop screen. Direct view, no reflection. Off.
• Phone mounted above a camera lens (no beam splitter). Even though you are positioning the phone near the camera, you are still reading the phone directly. No reflection involved. Off.
• iPad on a tripod next to your camera. Direct view — off.
• External monitor as teleprompter. Direct view — off.

Rule of thumb: if your eyes see the screen directly, mirror mode is OFF. If your eyes see the screen through a mirror or glass, mirror mode is ON.

Quick Check: Did You Set It Correctly?

Before starting a recording session, do a 5-second check:

1. Set your teleprompter setup as you plan to use it.
2. Look at the scrolling text from your reading position.
3. Can you read it normally? Mirror mode is set correctly.
4. Is it backwards? Toggle mirror mode.

This check takes 5 seconds and saves you from recording 10 minutes of perfect footage with a script you could not actually read.

Edge Cases and Common Confusions

• Selfie camera flip. Your phone's selfie camera shows a mirrored preview of you. This does not affect teleprompter mirror mode — the text is still being read directly from the screen, not through the camera's preview.
• Zoom "mirror my video" setting. Zoom can mirror your self-view. This also does not affect teleprompter mirror mode for the same reason.
• Multiple mirrors. Two mirrors in series flip the text twice, which returns it to normal. If your rig has two reflective surfaces (unusual), you would turn mirror mode OFF.
• Mirror text copy-paste. Do not use a "flip text" generator to paste pre-mirrored text. Use the teleprompter's mirror mode instead — it handles the flipping live and keeps your script source readable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need mirror mode to use a teleprompter?

Only if you are using a beam splitter rig where text reflects off glass. For direct reading from a phone, tablet, or monitor, leave it off.

Why does the text look backward when mirror mode is on?

Mirror mode flips text horizontally in preparation for a physical mirror or glass that will flip it again. The two flips cancel out, so your eyes see normal text.

Can I use mirror mode with a phone-only teleprompter setup?

Usually no — a phone teleprompter reads directly, no glass involved. Only use mirror mode if you have a phone-mounted beam splitter rig.

Will mirror mode affect my video recording?

No. Mirror mode only affects what you see on the teleprompter screen. Your camera records you normally regardless of teleprompter mirror setting.