# How to check your framing before a video call with NotchStar

> Hover over the notch, pick Mirror and check your framing, lighting and background in two seconds before you join a call. The camera stops when you leave.

Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/help/check-framing-before-a-video-call-notch/
Last updated: 2026-11-04

Published 2026-11-04.

To check your framing before a call, hover over the notch, pick the Mirror tab and look at the live preview. It works like a mirror, so you can fix your seat, light and background before anyone sees you. Nothing is recorded, and the camera turns off when you leave the tab.

## Steps

1. Hover over the notch and pick **Mirror**. Allow the camera if macOS asks.
2. Check that your face is in the middle of the frame and not cut off at the top.
3. Look at what is behind you. A pile of laundry or an open door shows up here first.
4. Check the light. If a window is behind you, your face will look dark. Turn to face the light.
5. Move to another tab or close the notch. The camera stops.

## Two things the mirror cannot tell you

It shows your Mac's default camera. If your call app uses a different camera, such as an external webcam, the picture can differ. Check [which camera the mirror uses](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-which-camera/).

The preview is flipped like a real mirror. Your call app may send the picture the other way round. See [why the preview looks flipped](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-image-flipped/).

For a fuller routine that includes the device choice inside Zoom, Meet or Teams, read the [camera check guide](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/check-mac-camera-before-video-call/). The tool itself is described on the [Mirror page](https://www.notchstar.com/features/mirror/).

## Keep reading.

- [A quick mirror before every call](https://www.notchstar.com/features/mirror/): Check how you look before a call with a live, mirrored camera preview in the notch. The camera runs only while the Mirror tab is open.
- [Check your Mac camera before a video call](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/check-mac-camera-before-video-call/): Preview your camera, check permissions and confirm the camera selected in your meeting app. Use a mirror preview without mistaking it for a recording test.
- [Which camera does the NotchStar mirror use?](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-which-camera/): The NotchStar mirror uses the default camera macOS picks. There is no camera picker in the app, so choose the camera in macOS or unplug the one you do not want.
- [Why the NotchStar mirror preview is flipped](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-image-flipped/): The NotchStar mirror flips the picture like a real mirror, so moving left looks like moving left. There is no switch, and only the preview is affected.

## More in Mirror.

- [How to allow camera access for the NotchStar mirror](https://www.notchstar.com/help/allow-camera-access-notchstar-mirror/): Open the Mirror tab and click Allow when macOS asks for the camera. NotchStar only shows a live preview and never records. Steps if you missed it.
- [NotchStar mirror says it needs camera access: how to fix it](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-camera-permission-denied/): If the Mirror tab asks for camera access after you clicked Don't Allow, turn NotchStar on under Privacy & Security, Camera, then reopen the tab.
- [Does the NotchStar mirror record video or take photos?](https://www.notchstar.com/help/does-notchstar-mirror-record-video/): No. The NotchStar mirror is a live preview only. It does not record, save, send or photograph anything, and the camera stops when you leave the tab.
- [When is the camera light on with the NotchStar mirror?](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-camera-light/): The green camera light comes on when the NotchStar Mirror tab is open on screen and goes off when you switch tabs or close the notch.
- [Why the NotchStar mirror preview is flipped](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-image-flipped/): The NotchStar mirror flips the picture like a real mirror, so moving left looks like moving left. There is no switch, and only the preview is affected.
- [Which camera does the NotchStar mirror use?](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-which-camera/): The NotchStar mirror uses the default camera macOS picks. There is no camera picker in the app, so choose the camera in macOS or unplug the one you do not want.