WHY Do I look ok in the mirror but uglier on iPhone camera?

WHY Do I look ok in the mirror but uglier on iPhone camera?

Mainly because the iphone has a wide angle lens so it distorts the face. Also, unless you've got a lot of light the camera won't take a decent photo.

It's to do with the focal point.
Like cheap pharmacies that do ID photos for you, they make the picture look terrible by having the camera too close.
It always looks better to have the camera slightly further away and use a little zoom.
Similar principle in the difference between mirror view and "selfie" view

I've actually heard of this phsycology answer to this. You like yourself better in the mirror because thats what you usally see except unlike a camera you see yourself mirrored or flipped. Its kinda loke recorsing yourself listening to it and not sounding how you think you sound

1. You're used to seeing yourself in a mirror which means you are accustomed to seeing your features flipped around (mirror image).

2. Holding a camera at arms length to take a selfie, the camera is to close which gives you perspective distortion. Ever see pictures of dogs with a camera a few inches from their nose? That's what you're trying to do with a selfie - make dog-face pictures.

3. When looking in a mirror, your brain corrects for bad lighting. A camera doesn't correct for bad lighting. You need to find a place that has pleasant lighting, like window lighting or late afternoon lighting.