FaceScreen vs Hand Mirror: Which Camera App Is Right for You?

Both FaceScreen and Hand Mirror put your Mac's camera one click away in the menu bar, but they're built for different moments. Hand Mirror is a quick "how do I look?" check before a call. FaceScreen is a floating camera overlay you keep on screen while you record, present or stream, and it also runs on iPhone and iPad.

Quick Verdict

• Choose Hand Mirror if you mainly want a fast camera and mic check before video calls. The core app is free, and Hand Mirror Plus adds Snaps, Mic Check, a floating Smart Window and more.
• Choose FaceScreen if you want your face (and optionally your name) on screen during recordings and presentations, need several cameras at once, a screen-based ring light, or the same tool on iPhone and iPad.

Feature Comparison

FaceScreen

FaceScreen shows a live camera view that floats on top of every other window, so whatever you record or share includes your face.

What stands out:

• Camera view: change the shape (for example circle, squircle or rectangle), size, aspect ratio, orientation and corner radius; set a default position and drag it to any screen.
• Image controls: brightness, contrast, saturation, hue and a Color Multiply tint, plus 3D rotation of the view in the Mac app.
• Multiple cameras: on Mac you can connect several cameras and show a separate view for each one. On iPhone and iPad, dual camera mode shows the front and back cameras together.
• Text overlay: show your name, role, website or social handle with your own font, colors and background.
• Ring Light (Mac only): uses your screen as a soft, adjustable light, with brightness, warmth and glow controls.
• iPhone and iPad: a Picture in Picture camera view that stays above other apps and is captured by Apple's built-in Screen Recording.
• Shortcuts: customizable keyboard shortcuts for the main actions, which also work from a Stream Deck.

Limitations: there's no free version or trial (the site offers a full refund if it isn't a fit), no mic check, and the Mac app needs macOS 15 or later.

Pricing: a one-time purchase with lifetime updates, $5.99 on the US App Store. An App Store purchase covers the Mac, iPhone and iPad versions. Mac users can also buy it directly on the FaceScreen website. Businesses and schools get 50% off 20 or more copies through Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager.

Hand Mirror

Hand Mirror by Rafael Conde is a menu bar camera check. Click the icon, and a popover shows your camera. Version 4 was redesigned for macOS Tahoe, and the July 2026 update (4.0.5) brought back the option to drag the popover away so it stays as a floating window.

Free features: the one-click camera popover and five free Snaps to try. Hand Mirror can also switch between cameras, turn off mirroring, and open with a keyboard shortcut.

Hand Mirror Plus (one-time purchase) unlocks:

• Snaps: take a Polaroid-style photo, draw on it with a marker, and save it.
• Mic Check: see your microphone levels before a call.
• Reactions: custom triggers for macOS video Reactions.
• Smart Window: a resizable, draggable, always-on-top window instead of the popover.
• Window Masks: zoom, crop, change the border radius and shape, for example a circle.
• Custom default position, custom app and menu bar icons, and Notch Trigger (click under the notch on Macs that have one).

Limitations: Mac only, one camera at a time, no image adjustments or text overlay. The developer says the Plus price goes up as major features are added.

Pricing: free on the Mac App Store, with Hand Mirror Plus at $6.99 (there's also a $12.99 "Generous" tier if you want to pay more). The App Store version needs macOS 14.4 or later; the website offers an older version for earlier macOS releases. Hand Mirror is also included in Setapp.

Choose FaceScreen If You…

• Record tutorials, demos or courses and want your face in the recording without editing it in later.
• Want your name or handle on screen next to your face.
• Use more than one camera, or want front and back cameras together on iPhone or iPad.
• Need a ring light and don't have one.
• Want image adjustments and detailed shape controls.
• Record iPhone or iPad screens with Apple's Screen Recording.

Choose Hand Mirror If You…

• Mainly want a quick look before joining a call.
• Want to check your microphone levels too (Plus).
• Like the notch trigger or taking quick annotated photos.
• Prefer a free app, or already subscribe to Setapp.
• Are on macOS 14 Sonoma (14.4 or later), which FaceScreen doesn't support.

Getting Started

1. Install the app from the App Store (or the developer's website).
2. Open it from Spotlight or your Applications folder. Both are menu bar apps, so look for the icon at the top of the screen rather than in the Dock.
3. Allow camera access when macOS asks.
4. Set your preferred camera, position and shortcuts.
5. On iPhone or iPad, open FaceScreen, position the overlay, switch to the app you want to show, then start Screen Recording from Control Center.

Final Verdict

These two apps overlap less than it first seems. Hand Mirror is the better pre-call mirror: free to start, fast, and its Plus upgrade adds a mic check and fun extras like Snaps and Reactions. FaceScreen is the better on-screen presence tool: a camera overlay with text, image controls, multiple cameras, a ring light and iPhone and iPad support, for people who record or present with their face visible. If you do both, they can sit side by side in the menu bar.

Catch these apps on sale: many paid Mac apps, including camera and video apps, run discounts at least once a year, most often around Black Friday. Subscribe to the Apps.Deals newsletter to hear when the deals arrive.

Note: First published in January 2025 and updated in October 2026. Features and prices are current as of October 2026 and can change; verify them on each official site before buying.

Disclosure: FaceScreen is made by Softal, the same company behind Apps.Deals. This post also contains affiliate links; if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.