TV Colors Inverted or Upside Down? How to Fix the Picture

Updated on October 22, 2026

An inverted TV picture takes one of three forms: negative colors, a mirrored image or an upside-down image. Negative colors almost always come from the accessibility option Color Inversion, which a long press on one remote button can switch on. A mirrored or upside-down picture usually comes from the connected device.

Common symptoms and causes of an inverted TV picture

• Colors inverted like a photo negative (white turns black): accessibility color inversion is on, on Samsung and Sony alike.
• Odd colors only in the web browser of a Samsung TV: High Contrast is on.
• Mirrored picture (left and right swapped) or upside-down picture (top and bottom swapped): the output of the source device, the orientation of the file, screen mirroring from a phone, or, according to unconfirmed user reports, an installation mode on some models.

Run this test first: open the TV menus with the remote.

Menus in negative? The TV’s color inversion is the cause, so go to Solutions 1 and 2.

Menus mirrored or upside down? Go straight to “If nothing works”.

If the menus look normal and only the picture from one input is inverted, the cause is on the source side. Go to Solution 3.

Good to know: color inversion swaps light and dark for everything the TV displays, menus included. If only one HDMI input is affected, look at the source and the cable.

Before you start

Keep the TV’s original remote within reach: the accessibility shortcuts use its buttons. Color inversion exists on Samsung TVs from the 2018 models onward and on Sony BRAVIA TVs running Google TV.

The menu names below are translated from the official English and Spanish pages. On your screen they may differ a little depending on the model and the year.

Warning: if customer service suggests a factory reset, know that it erases data. It removes your settings and installed apps, and you will have to sign in to your streaming accounts again. Write down your logins and your picture settings first.

Solution 1: turn off color inversion on a Samsung TV

1. Hold the Volume button on the Samsung Smart Remote for 2 to 3 seconds.
2. In the Accessibility Shortcuts menu that opens, turn off Color Inversion.
3. If the colors are still wrong, open Settings > All Settings > General & Privacy > Accessibility.
4. Turn off Color Inversion.
5. On a 2018 to 2021 model, go through Settings > Configuration > General > Accessibility > Color Inversion instead.
6. If the colors are off only in the TV’s web browser, turn off High Contrast in the same Accessibility menu.

White turns white again and faces get their natural tint as soon as the option is off.

Tip: while High Contrast is on, some accessibility options are grayed out. If you cannot find Color Inversion, switch off High Contrast first. Grayscale, for its part, cannot be combined with color inversion.

Solution 2: turn off color inversion on a Sony BRAVIA TV (Google TV)

1. Press the Quick Settings button on the remote.
2. Open Settings > Accessibility.
3. Turn off Color Inversion.
4. If the option is not there, look under System > Accessibility > Color Inversion. This path comes from a Sony page snippet we could not read in full, so it is not confirmed.
5. Also check Color Correction, listed in the same Accessibility menu, and turn it off if you do not use it.

The picture returns to normal colors, menus included.

According to a Sony page we could only read as a snippet, color inversion is available on 2024 and newer models and on the A95L. On other models the option may be missing. Accessibility features depend on the model and the country.

Good to know: on a BRAVIA, holding the Mute button for 3 seconds turns the accessibility shortcut on or off. Sony does not say which function this shortcut triggers; you can see it under Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut > Enable Accessibility Shortcut > Shortcut Service.

Inverted picture on an LG, Philips, TCL or Hisense TV

We could not read an official page on color inversion for these brands. The online manual for your model tells you whether the option exists and where to find it. The menu test still applies: if the menus look normal, the TV is not the cause.

Solution 3: fix a picture that comes from the source

This solution applies when the picture is mirrored or upside down while the TV’s own menus look normal. The setting is on the connected device, or on the phone that is mirroring its screen.

With AirPlay screen mirroring from an iPhone, the TV takes over the orientation and aspect ratio of the source device. This comes from an unofficial guide that cites Apple.

1. Check that the iPhone’s rotation lock is off.
2. Turn the iPhone the way you want: the picture on the TV follows its orientation.
3. If the picture does not fill the screen after rotating, change the picture size or zoom in the TV’s picture settings.

The TV picture should rotate with the phone and fill the screen.

According to user reports, the Camera app on iOS versions before iOS 14 did not rotate the mirrored picture.

For a computer, a game console or a cable box, look for an orientation setting in the device’s display settings. We could not read an official page on this point. If only one video file is inverted while everything else displays fine, the problem is the file, not the TV.

To mirror an iPhone screen to a Samsung, follow our tutorial on using AirPlay on a Samsung TV.

If nothing works

Try another source and another HDMI cable on a different input of the TV. If the picture goes back to normal, the source device or the cable is the culprit.

Are the TV’s menus still inverted despite the settings above? Stop there. Contact the manufacturer’s customer service, or the seller if the TV is under warranty.

Before you call, have the model number and serial number (on the label at the back of the TV), the software version, the purchase date and the receipt ready. Describe the type of inversion (colors, mirror, top-bottom) and say whether the menus are affected. If the agent suggests a factory reset, remember that it erases settings and apps.

If your TV also has audio trouble, read our guide to sound problems on a TV. For a Samsung that responds poorly to the app, see what to do when SmartThings will not turn on your smart TV.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the picture on my TV inverted?

A negative picture comes from color inversion, an accessibility option that a long press on a remote button can switch on. A mirrored or upside-down picture comes from the source device, the file or screen mirroring. The TV menu test tells the two apart.

How do I flip my TV picture back the right way up?

If only one input is affected, set the orientation on the source device: phone rotation, or the display settings of the computer or console. If the TV menus are affected too, check the accessibility settings, then contact the manufacturer. Another source and another HDMI cable confirm the diagnosis.

Why are my TV colors inverted like a negative?

The Color Inversion option is on. On a Samsung, hold the Volume button for 2 to 3 seconds and turn it off in the accessibility shortcuts. On a Sony BRAVIA, it is under Settings > Accessibility.

How do I fix an inverted picture on an LG TV?

Open the TV menus first: if they look normal, adjust the connected source, not the TV. If they are inverted, look for a color inversion option in the accessibility settings, using the online manual for your model. We could not read an official LG page on this setting.

Is an inverted picture caused by the TV or by the source?

The TV menus give the answer. If they are inverted, the setting is on the TV; if they look normal, the source or the file is the cause. Plugging another source into a different HDMI input confirms the result.