How to Rotate an Image in Google Docs

This article explains how to rotate images in Google Docs on the web. You can add images in the iOS and Android mobile apps, but you must be using a desktop browser to change the orientation of the images.

How to Rotate Images Using the Image Options

Even once you’ve inserted an image into your Google Doc, it might not be immediately obvious how to rotate the image. There are, however, several ways to get to it.

1. First, insert an image into your document if you haven’t already done that. To insert an image, place your cursor at the spot in the document you want it to display, and then select the Insert Image icon. Navigate to and choose your image.

2. Once the image is in the document, select it so the blue bounding border appears. You’ll also see a small menu immediately beneath the image.

3. Select the Image Options icon (three vertical dots) and select Size & rotation.

   You can also choose Image options from the context menu above the document.

4. The Image options pane opens on the right side of the screen. There, you can use the options under the Rotate section to either change the Angle of the image (by degrees) or you can rotate the image 90°.

5. When you’re finished you can close out of the Image options pane and select outside the image in your document to close the controls and remove the bounding box.

Rotate Images Using the Rotation Control

When you’ve selected an image, you may notice that the blue bounding box has square points at each corner and in the center of each side. These points are used to resize your image. But there is also a round blue circle at the center of the top edge of your image. This is a Rotation control. Once you’ve selected an image, you can select and hold on that blue circle to change the rotation of the image.

How to Flip an Image in Google Docs

Flipping an image is not the same as rotating it. Flipping an image will create a mirror image where text is backward and objects appear on opposite sides of the picture. But, to flip an image, you’ll need to insert it in your document using a different method.

1. To insert the image into your document, please the cursor where you want the image to appear and then select Insert > Drawing and then choose + New.

2. In the Drawing dialog box that opens, choose the Image icon.

3. Navigate to and select the image you want to insert into the document. The image will be inserted into the Drawing dialog box.

4. Before you close the Drawing dialog box, select the Actions menu in the upper left corner.

5. Hover your cursor over the Rotate option and from the flyout menu, select Flip horizontally or Flip vertically. Flipping the image horizontally will move items in the image on the right side to the left side. Flipping it vertically will move items on the top of the image to the bottom.

   You can also use this menu to rotate your image if you want to do that while you're editing it in the Drawing window.

6. When you’re finished, select Save and Close to insert the image into your document.

If you need to change the image again once you’ve inserted it, you can select the image and choose Edit from the menu that appears beneath it. That will take you back to the Drawing editor so you can make your changes.

Why Rotate an Image?

Rotating an image in Google Docs means you can change how it’s laid out on the page. Flipping an image is actually creating a mirrored version of it. There are a couple of ways to rotate images but only one way to flip images. Here’s how it works.